Eastern and Northern Svalbard, White Island, polar bears

Longyearbyen, the capital of Svalbard; free time in town; boarding at 5:00 p.m. Isfjord; Russian enclaves.

Baie de la Croix and Baie de la Madeleine, nestled amid an impressive backdrop of Alpine peaks and glaciers.

Navigating through the pack ice—a veritable theater of wildlife—and past the face of the Monaco Glacier.

Murchison Fjord, its 1958 research station, and its walrus colonies. This strait is home to the archipelago’s largest and most spectacular bird colony, nestled among the jagged cliffs of the basalt peaks and columns at Alkefjellet. Amid a rugged landscape of basalt columns, some 250,000 guillemots and black-legged kittiwakes—primarily—breed in an extraordinary setting, offering visitors a magnificent celebration of wildlife.

The Northeast Land and White Island—the land of ice, with ice caps, the largest ice barrier in the Northern Hemisphere, cold deserts, massive icebergs, and, above all, walruses and bears. It is here that the most dramatic stories of exploration have unfolded. Depending on ice conditions, we will attempt to reach White Island, which is 99% covered in ice.

Cruises through the pack ice beyond 80° North in search of seals, whales, and polar bears. Excursions into the drifting pack ice of the North Pole. A visit to the Seven Islands Archipelago.

The Smeerenburg Glacier and its lace-like mountains. The spectacular Lilliehook Glacier. In King’s Bay, the peaks of the Three Crowns tower over this magnificent bay steeped in exceptional history. Visit to the Ny Ålesund research station, the departure point for major polar expeditions.

Longyearbyen, disembarkation at 9 a.m.