NCV – Spitsbergen Cruises
MS Nordstjernen : 9-day Expedition Cruise

NCV's Spitsbergen cruise program featuring expedition guides, lectures, and zodiac landings:

To view a virtual tour of Spitsbergen, click here.

DAY 1 - DEPART THE U.S. (If you are based outside North America, contact us and we will subtract airfare from rates).
Monday or Friday departures from the U.S. on your transatlantic flight to Oslo.
DAY 2 - OSLO
Morning arrival in Oslo. Transfer to downtown. You'll have the rest of the day to explore this interesting capital with its sights including the Munch Museum, the Viking Ship Museum, and the Vigeland Park.
DAY 3 - OSLO/LONGYEARBYEN - B
Monday departure from the U.S: Breakfast at your hotel. Transfer to the airport for your morning flight to Longyearbyen, arriving mid-afternoon, where you'll be met by your guide and transfered to the Spitsbergen Hotel. Time on your own before dinner. After dinner an informational welcome meeting will be held. Overnight. Friday departure from the U.S: Breakfast at your hotel. Rest of the day at leisure. Transfer to the airport for your evening flight to Longyearbyen, where you will arrive shortly after midnight. Your guide will meet and transfer you to the Spitsbergen Hotel. Overnight.
DAY 4 - LONGYEARBYEN/BARENTSBURG/PRINS KARL FORLAND ISLAND B,L,D (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Monday departure from the U.S: Breakfast at the hotel. Free time for exploration before lunch, after which you'll enjoy a sightseeing tour of Longyearbyen. Embark on the MS Nordstjernen early evening. Friday departure from the U.S: After breakfast, an informative welcome meeting is held. You'll embark on the MS Nordstjernen around noon. All departures: Now your adventure begins-seals, whales, an abundant birdlife, unique Arctic flora, and hopefully, polar bears, will fill your days. Your journey is enhanced by daily lectures covering each day's upcoming itinerary, and questions regarding places and sights already experienced. On you way out of the Isfjord, you'll call at Barentsburg, a Russian mining community and the headquarters for Russian activities in Svalbard, where you'll enjoy a guided tour. Continue northward along the coast of the Prins Karl Forland Island, one of the many national parks in Svalbard, with sharply-peaked mountains on all sides surrounded by massive glaciers, and remarkable wildlife, including walruses, seals, wild reindeer, and Arctic foxes.
DAY 5 - MAGDALENEFJORD/SMEERENBURGFJORD B,L,D
This morning you'll reach northern parts of Prins Karl Forland Island. Continue north passing the majestic Kongsfjord, then proceed to the famous Magdalenefjord, one of the most beautiful fjords in Spitsbergen, with its steep, towering rock faces edged by surrounding rugged mountains interrupted by several glaciers. Thousands of rare little auks can be found here, and whale spotting is possible. You'll then enter into the Smeerenburgfjord, another spectacular fjord, with possible Zodiac landings at Amsterdamoya, the old whale hunting site where the Dutch whalers started up whaling in the seventh century, and Danskoya, most famous as the starting point for the Swede AndrŽe in his 1897 attempt to reach the North Pole with the balloon Eagle.
DAY 6 - 80Ľ LATITUDE/KONGSFJORD/NY-ALESUND B,L,D
Today you'll continue along the north coast. Landing sites and the route of the ship are dependent on weather and ice conditions. Early in the season, there may be pack ice, making it difficult to go far north, but the chance of seeing large Arctic animals is greater at this time of year. The aim is to cross the 800 latitude line. Turning back south during the afternoon, a scheduled stop at the majestic Kongsfjord, famous for its landscape, dominated by the Three Crowns Mountain peaks. Several small islands in the fjords are bird reserves where basking seals often can be seen. In the evening you'll reach Ny-Alesund, the northernmost settlement in the world and formerly a small Norwegian mining center. Today it's the most important scientific research station run by the Norwegian Polar Institute. A informative guided tour will take you around the settlement. During the night, you'll continue south along the Prins Karls Forland Island to Longyearbyen.


MS Nordstjernen, 2568 tons, 164 berths, 79 cabins, modernized 2000 (photo courtesy: Norwegian Coastal Voyage). She has a dining room, library, bar, cafe and a panoramic lounge.

DAY 7 - LONGYEARBYEN/DISEMBARKATION B,L,D
Morning arrival in Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Svalbard, with approximately 2,000 inhabitants. After brunch on board the MS Nordstjernen, you'll have the opportunity to learn more about this mining community on the guided city sightseeing, which includes a visit to the Svalbard Museum, housing artifacts and several samples of the natural history. Transfer to the Spitsbergen Hotel, where you'll enjoy a farewell dinner. Overnight.
DAY 7 - RETURN TO THE U.S. (or your country of origin) B
After breakfast at your hotel, transfer to the airport for your return flight to the U.S.

Departure Dates: June 13 - 20, June 17 - 24, June 20 - 27, June 24 - July 1, June 27 - July 4, July 1 - 8, July 4 - 11, July 8- 15, July 11 - 18, July 15 - 22, July 18 - 25, July 22 - 29, July 25 - August 1, July 29- August 5, August 1 - 8, August 5 - 12, August 8 - 15, August 12-19, August 15-22, August 19-26.

Rates: Ranging from $3605 to $4410 per person based on double occupancy including transatlantic air from the U.S. AARP members enjoy a discount of $100 per cabin. If you are based outside the U.S., we will subtract air from rates. Contact us for additional discounts. How To Book

Rates include: Roundtrip Economy Class transatlantic airfare from New York; Roundtrip Economy Class airfare between Oslo and Longyearbyen; Transfers in Spitsbergen; Transfers in Oslo by the Express Train between the airport and downtown; Services of expedition guides; Accommodations, including breakfast; Accommodations in select cabin category; Three meals daily shipboard; Port charges. Rates do not include: Add-on airfares for gateways other than New York and air taxes.

For a 12-day Spitsbergen cruise-tour, click here.

To view a virtual tour of Spitsbergen, click here.

To view a Spitsbergen photo essay, click here.

For Greenland cruises, click here.

For 19-day Antarctica/Chilean cruises (Santiago-Boenos Aires), click here.

For 19-day Antarctica/Chilean cruises (Boenos Aires-Santiago), click here.

For Norwegian coastal cruises, click here.

We offer the right Spitsbergen cruise at the right price. Call 1-800-334-6544 (U.S.) or +1-212-480-4521 (International) or go to How to Book.