Spitsbergen Review

4.5 / 5.0
37 reviews

Glaciers, Polar Bears and Endless Days.

Review for Norwegian Fjords Cruise on Spitsbergen
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Bridget31
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

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Sail Date: May 2018
The Radisson Blu Hotel in Longyearbyen, where we slept for the few hours left after our arrival, before it was time to get up again.
MS Spitsbergen approaches the pier to allow us to embark.
Our first view of Ny Alesund, the world's most northerly functional civilian settlement.
Ny Alesund's Post Office, another "most northerly" claim.
The Expedition Team set up a safe area at Gravneset in Magdalenafjorden, with emergency supplies as well as their rifles.
The view back to MS Spitsbergen from the furthest point of our walk on Gravneset.
The view from our balcony, looking at a glacier whose name appears to be Waggonwaybreen.
It is 23.40 but it could easily be midday because the light is so bright.
A few hours later, at 05.55, we are at just over 80°N. This is Moffen.
We are fortunate that there are many Walrus enjoying the beach and the water.
Deck 8 provides a good area for photography or simply enjoying the view.
Reflections in the mirror-smooth water.
The Monacobreen, or Monaco Glacier. Here we are taken out on the RIBs and one of the first out went very close to the glacier face; it is a tiny dot in the photo.
Our turn to explore! We were each allocated about 50 minutes out on the RIB, but we did not get so close to the glacier face.
Even at a distance from the glacier, the apparently empty water was full of brash ice. At the end of our time on the RIB, our driver headed back to the ship at full speed.
Mushamna, where we should have disembarked, but another visitor was there first......
....and provided our first view of a Polar Bear, although it looked rather grubby. It wandered around for some time, climbing slopes then sliding down again and dipping in the sea.
A group from an unidentified small Expedition ship demonstrate how NOT to interact with the local wildlife.
Another Hurtigruten ship, the MS Nordstjernen, meets us and passes on information about another Polar Bear sighting.
The Bridge Crew spotted a Polar Bear on the hillside and this is how to watch it.
Taken with a digital zoom on a small camera, the bear looks very close.
In fact, the bear was on the hillside and hard to spot.
The Smeerenburgbreen, where we stopped for some time for the scientists aboard to take water samples and for the Bridge crew to do some fishing. We marvelled at the view.
The Polar Bears spotted by MS Nordstjernen, a mother and her two year old cub, were high on the hillside and our last sighting.
The RIB pit crew are tethered to the ship as they help passengers on and off the RIBs. Even the less agile passengers were assisted in mastering the awkward manoeuvre.
Recherchefjorden, our final expedition ashore in Svalbard.
Our Expedition Guards were spread right across the area.
On every landing, emergency supplies were taken ashore first, including food, water and shelter.
The Guards chose high points for their observation whenever possible.
As we left the shallower coastal area and entered deeper water, we looked out for whales and spotted a Humpback.
Bear Island, where we went out on the RIBs to see the cliffs and their many avian visitors close at hand.
Our first view of North Cape, after an interestingly rough night on the open sea.
Finally, we reached Honningsvag, as the intended stop at a small village was cancelled because of the weather.
Our last stop was Tromso, where we left MS Spitsbergen to continue her voyage round Svalbard while we travelled home.

We have sailed the Coastal Routes with Hurtigruten several times, always in the winter months and we have been to Alaska and Antarctica twice with other cruise lines. We enjoy the magnificence of glaciers and snow-capped mountains, plus the wildlife which comes as a package in these areas. Cold is ok, so where to visit next?

The answer was found in the Hurtigruten Expedition “The Historic Sportsman’s Route to Svalbard – South”, sailing in June 2018 on MS Spitsbergen, a modern ship we have travelled on before.

The journey to Longyearbyen from Manchester is a long one and a weary band of travellers arrived in the small, but very light and rather chilly hours of May 30th. A few hours’ sleep in the very basic Radisson Blu Hotel was followed by time to explore the small town independently, before lunch and a coach trip out to Camp Barentz and the excellent Svalbard Museum.

Cabin Review

Cabin MG Suite

This suite has two large living and sleeping areas, but is not divided as are the rear suites. The living area has a sofa and arm chairs with a desk and drinks area. The bedroom area has a very high but comfortable bed and a walk-in wardrobe which has hanging space and shelves but no drawers. There is additional storage over the bed and under the television. The bathroom is spacious with a single basin, W.C and large shower. We had had problems with the shower door seal in the past, but the design is now improved and we only had to stem a potential flood in rough seas once. The bathroom has underfloor heating.

The bed is ideally situated opposite a large window, for comfortable scenery watching and photography. There is access to the narrow balcony from the living area via a sliding door. Thick towelling dressing gowns are provided and items to take home include rugs, waffle dressing gowns and water flasks. The minibar contents are included once, a bottle of champagne plus fruit awaits your arrival and wine is included with the evening meal.

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