Day 2: Longyearbyen–Barentsburg

After free time in the morning, we enjoy a 1 p.m. lunch back at the Radisson BLU Polar Hotel Spitsbergen. We then take in some sightseeing in Longyearbyen— population 2,075—including a visit to the Svalbard Museum and Gallery Svalbard. The tour ends at the pier and we embark the MS Fram at 5:00 p.m. to depart on our Arctic adventure.

We set sail for Barentsburg—a Russian coal mining outpost on Spitsbergen—at 6 p.m. Upon arrival in Barentsburg at 9 p.m., enjoy individual sightseeing, a visit to the Pomor Museum, and leisure time on your own. The town’s 400-odd residents are nearly all Russian and Ukrainian. Take in the folklore show at the Culture House (tickets included in your rate) before descending the 263 steps back down to the harbor. We sail from Barentsburg at 11:30 p.m. By night, we sail out of the Icefjord, then along the coast of Prins Karls Forland—the entire island is protected as one of Norway’s national parks—passing the 16-mile-long Kongsfjord heading north.

Day 3: Magdalenefjord–Raudfjord

At night and in the early morning, we pass the “Seven Icebergs” before reaching Spitsbergen’s northwestern corner. We reach the Magdalenefjord, first explored by William Barents in 1596, in the morning. In the afternoon, we cruise farther north, along the scenic northwestern coast of Spitsbergen, and make landings at a variety of interesting sites. We arrive in the Raudfjord in the late evening; there, passengers joining Spitsbergen Ultimate Trekking will disembark.

Day 4: Woodfjord–Moffen Island

Depending on the weather and ice conditions, we sail to the region around the Woodfjord, Spitsbergen’s fourth-longest fjord. Later, in the Liefdefjord, you can see the astonishing leading edge of the Monaco glacier. Embark on a tender boat landing in the afternoon. If the ice conditions are right, we’ll cross the 80th Parallel North and sail up to Moffen Island. Come night, we begin to cruise in a southerly direction.

Day 5: Ny-Alesund–Blomstrand

We pull into port at Ny-Alesund—home to only a few dozen permanent residents—at 10 a.m. Enjoy a guided walk in town, with information about the history of coal mining and exploration. Then there’s time for individual strolls, museum visits, and souvenir shopping. At noon, we depart Ny-Alesund, crossing the Kongsfjord to Blomstrand, where we embark/disembark passengers joining Spitsbergen Ultimate Trekking. In the afternoon, we continue to voyage southbound along Prins Karls Forland, eventually returning to the Icefjord.