North Spitsbergen Basecamp, Cleaning the Shores
Svalbard
The North Spitsbergen Basecamp cruise offers you a myriad of ways to explore and enjoy this Arctic Region. This expedition allows you to hike, snowshoe, kayak, and learn to take perfect pictures of the polar flora and fauna. This Basecamp voyage focuses on land and near-shore activities with minimal disturbance to local wildlife. If time and conditions permit, the expedition team will also look for wildlife opportunities whenever possible
- Majestic scenery and glaciers
- Visit to Ny Ålesund
- Great chances to see polar bears
- Vessel with strongest ice class to take you into the world of Arctic pack ice
- Marvellous birdlife including Kittiwake and Brünnich’s Guillemot
Basecamp Activities:
This Basecamp voyage focuses on land and near-shore activities with minimal disturbance to local wildlife. If time and conditions permit, the expedition team will also look for wildlife opportunities whenever possible. By definition, a basecamp is a temporary camp from which expeditions or other outdoor activities can be carried out. During our designated Basecamp cruises, the ship navigates to carefully chosen areas around North Spitsbergen, staying in fewer locations than during our regular trips so that it can serve as a comfortable hub for multiple outdoor activities. Hikers (H) can embark on vigorous walks in the backcountry, photographers (P) can capture the dramatic surroundings in pictures, and kayakers (K) can explore waterways through which the ship cannot always sail. Passengers who do not wish to engage in these activities can enjoy Zodiac excursions and easy-to-moderate shoreline walks that focus on wildlife. All activities are free of charge.
Cleaning the shores of Spitsbergen:
Interested in doing something good for the enviroment? We welcome you to participate in our ongoing effort to remove plastic waste and other rubbish from the shores of Spitsbergen. Garbage from the ocean, such as fishing gear and plastic litter, piles up on these shores. This litter is hazardous to the animals, which get entangled in fish nets and sometimes ingest micro-plastics that can lead to starvation and suffocation. Supported by AECO and the governor of Spitsbergen, we enjoy cleaning the beaches of Svalbard with our passengers. All participants will be assisted by our guides and provided with collection bags. About 50 passengers will clean in the morning while the other 50 have their excursion in another area. Then in the afternoon, the groups switch roles. And if we cannot clean a certain area because of roaming bears or other concerns, we will find an alternate area.
Stewart's Take
The best activity voyage in the Actic
Overview
The North Spitsbergen Basecamp cruise offers you a myriad of ways to explore and enjoy this Arctic Region. This expedition allows you to hike, snowshoe, kayak, and learn to take perfect pictures of the polar flora and fauna. This Basecamp voyage focuses on land and near-shore activities with minimal disturbance to local wildlife. If time and conditions permit, the expedition team will also look for wildlife opportunities whenever possible.Expedition Vessel: M/V Ortelius
The ice-strengthened vessel Ortelius is an excellent vessel for Polar expedition cruises in the Arctic and Antarctica, providing possibilities to adventure in remote locations such as the Ross Sea and Franz Josef Land. Ortelius was built in Gdynia, Poland in 1989, was named Marina Svetaeva, and served as a special purpose vessel for the Russian Academy of Science. The vessel is now re-flagged and renamed Ortelius. She offers a comfortable hotel standard, with two restaurants, a bar/lecture room and a sauna. Her voyages are primarily developed to offer our passengers a quality exploratory wildlife program, trying to spend as much time ashore as possible. As the number of passengers is limited to approximately 106, flexibility assures maximum wildlife opportunities.
- Voyage aboard the indicated vessel as indicated in the itinerary.
- All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea.
- Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff.
- Free use of rubber boots and snow shoes
- Transfers and baggage handling between the airport, hotels and ship only for those passengers on the group flights to and from Longyearbyen.
- All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the programme.
- AECO fees and governmental taxes.
- Comprehensive pre-departure material.
- Any airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights.
- Pre- and post land arrangements.
- Transfers to / from the vessel outside Spitsbergen.
- Passport and visa expenses.
- Government arrival and departure taxes.
- Meals ashore.
- Baggage, cancellation and personal insurance (which is mandatory).
- Excess baggage charges and all items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar, beverage charges and telecommunication charges.
- The customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided).
Tour Dossier
North Spitsbergen Basecamp, Cleaning the Shores
A 7 night Arctic adventure on board ice-strengthened Ortelius with free kayaking, Hiking, Photo Workshop and Cleaning the Shores project
File Creation date: 2024-05-04 - for updated information and dates and prices see the following page:
http://expeditionsonline.com/tour/north-spitsbergen-basecamp-cleaning-the-shores-ortelius_272
North Spitsbergen Basecamp, Cleaning the Shores
Duration: 8 days
Location: Svalbard
Available: June-July
Start: Longyearbyen, Norway
Finish: Longyearbyen, Norway
Highlights
- Majestic scenery and glaciers
- Visit to Ny Ålesund
- Great chances to see polar bears
- Vessel with strongest ice class to take you into the world of Arctic pack ice
- Marvellous birdlife including Kittiwake and Brünnich’s Guillemot
Itinerary
The North Spitsbergen Basecamp cruise offers you a myriad of ways to explore and enjoy this Arctic Region. This expedition allows you to hike, snowshoe, kayak, and learn to take perfect pictures of the polar flora and fauna. This Basecamp voyage focuses on land and near-shore activities with minimal disturbance to local wildlife. If time and conditions permit, the expedition team will also look for wildlife opportunities whenever possible
Ship Information
Expedition Vessel: M/V Ortelius
The ice-strengthened vessel Ortelius is an excellent vessel for Polar expedition cruises in the Arctic and Antarctica, providing possibilities to adventure in remote locations such as the Ross Sea and Franz Josef Land. Ortelius was built in Gdynia, Poland in 1989, was named Marina Svetaeva, and served as a special purpose vessel for the Russian Academy of Science. The vessel is now re-flagged and renamed Ortelius. She offers a comfortable hotel standard, with two restaurants, a bar/lecture room and a sauna. Her voyages are primarily developed to offer our passengers a quality exploratory wildlife program, trying to spend as much time ashore as possible. As the number of passengers is limited to approximately 106, flexibility assures maximum wildlife opportunities.
North Spitsbergen Basecamp, Cleaning the Shores
For the latest, up-to-date departure dates and prices please refer to the tour page:
http://expeditionsonline.com/tour/north-spitsbergen-basecamp-cleaning-the-shores-ortelius_272
Included
- Voyage aboard the indicated vessel as indicated in the itinerary.
- All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea.
- Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff.
- Free use of rubber boots and snow shoes
- Transfers and baggage handling between the airport, hotels and ship only for those passengers on the group flights to and from Longyearbyen.
- All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the programme.
- AECO fees and governmental taxes.
- Comprehensive pre-departure material.
Excluded
- Any airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights.
- Pre- and post land arrangements.
- Transfers to / from the vessel outside Spitsbergen.
- Passport and visa expenses.
- Government arrival and departure taxes.
- Meals ashore.
- Baggage, cancellation and personal insurance (which is mandatory).
- Excess baggage charges and all items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar, beverage charges and telecommunication charges.
- The customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided).
General Terms and Conditions
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