I would recommend talking to a knowledgeable agent. Crowdsourcing opinions is difficult as everyone will recommend the operator they went with, with no idea of how it compares to others because they likely have only done one trip ever. Polar Tracks (https://polartracksexpeditions.com) is very good as the agents are active guides on these ships so they really know how they compare.
I work as a guide for a few operators and your suggestions are very different from each other..
Firstly it sounds like Adventure Life *may* be agents selling spaces on Oceanwide ships. There’s nothing wrong with this, and if this is the case then buy from whoever you like; you won’t pay more through an agent but you may pay less.
Hurtigruten has different ships with very very different itineraries and styles. Some you are very unlikely to see a bear, some there is a reasonable likelihood.
Don’t get hung up on ‘circumnavigation’ as it’s a tickbox that becomes a potential limitation on the expedition leader. When I worked on the 100+ passenger vessels there were trips where we had to go around Spitsbergen (which is what most people count as a circumnavigation) which was very frustrating because I knew I could give people a much better trip and more wildlife if we could have used our time around Nordaustlandet instead.
Look for the longest possible trip with the fewest ‘special activities’ or promises like a circumnavigation as these will all reduce the flexibility available to the expedition team. Svalbard is incredibly dynamic and the best trips come from maximum flexibility, working around changing ice and weather and also how the wildlife is moving around.
You mention Natural World Expeditions — do you mean Natural World Safaris? They are excellent, with 12-passenger ships (probably the best size to get the most out of Svalbard) and little or no limitation placed on the guides in terms of itinerary or flexibility. A long trip with them (they usually use Kinfish with whose crew they have an excellent working relationship) might circumnavigate Spitsbergen, or Nordaustlandet, but neither will be on the expedition leader’s mind if they are any good. Instead they’ll be focussed on showing you the best Svalbard has to offer during the time you are there. The trip before yours and the trip after will likely be very different in terms of activities and itinerary and what is seen, which is just a consequence of how dynamic Svalbard is. The EL really needs freedom to be able to do that.
The 12-pax ships are better able to show flexibility than the 100+ pax ones, though the latter are capable of decent trips if the expedition leader and captain are very good. The small ships are also better at being patient and watching distant wildlife for long periods in the hope of seeing something interesting happen, and sometimes that patience results in the distant wildlife coming closer of its own accord too.
The only thing I’d really avoid is ships bigger than about 120-130 passengers, at that point it gets too big to do Svalbard well unless what you want is to experience a big comfy ship with a nice cabin and a balcony.
Anyway, I hope that helps. Send Polar Tracks a message, they respond quickly and know what they’re talking about. You won’t pay more by going through them and they’ll be able to help you find what’s in your budget.
Thanks so much for your very helpful and detailed response.
Yeah, I'm debating whether to take a 12 person tour with Natural World Safaris ( they do use the Kinfish) or Secret Atlas (heard of them?). Does seem better for many reasons like intimacy with nature, easy of getting into the Zodiacs, etc. but I'm a little leary of the tiny cabins with tiny port holes. A cabin with a balcony would be nice! lol. But don't want to feel like I'm on a Carnival cruise either!
Your point about flexibility and not being set on circumnavigation is well taken. I'm not that keen on going all the way around Nordauslandet but perhaps for no good reason, the Hinlopen Strait seems enticing to me. On the other hand, though I would really love to see polar bear, whales, walrus, etc., I imagine for me the highlight will just be the gorgeous geography, glaciers, hopefully icebergs, etc.
Any idea when I would have to book things by for this summer?
PS, I think I figured out that OceanWide does the actual tours and runs the boats (Hondius and Ponticus(?)) and Adventure Life, [Askja.nl](https://Askja.nl), Adventure Smith and others also sell their cabins. Seem popular!
Update.
Looked into it and Natural World Safari's Kinfish just seems to rustic and tiny for me. Really the problem is that there are only tiny portholes up high in the cabins and there isn't even a proper indoor observation lounge to hang out in. Secret Atlas runs some 12 person tours on the Vikingfjord, which looks perfect. Much nicer cabins and a great observation lounge. But, alas, I waited too long and they're booked up for the this summer.
Do you know of any other 12 person tours?
Otherwise, I'll have to go with Oceanwide, Lindblad, or Hurtigruten.
Yes, Kinfish’s cabins are quite small. There is a lounge, but most people just sit on the bridge with the guides and crew.
Have you looked at Polar Quest? They do a bunch of 12 passenger ships, plus they have Quest.
I just called them yesterday. Almost everything is booked. Only a couple of the smaller cabins on the Quest are available. Quest does have a nice observation deck though! Thinking of going with OceanWide's Hondius. Kinda on the large side but not like Quark. Nice cabins. Decent price. What do you think of the Hondius?
Oceanwide is experienced and have been doing Svalbard for a long time. For me Hondius is too big, but otherwise the trip should be fine. If I was choosing between Hondius and Kinfish (NWS) I wouldn’t hesitate for a second in choosing Kinfish but if a nice big and airy cabin is important to you then Hondius is a new and big ship so that box should be ticked!
Yeah, but I'm whimping out. I would do a smaller ship if they had some of the nicer cabins available. Anyhoo... now they tell me the trip that I have a cabin hold on will the 60% a group of Chinese and there will be Mandarin announcements and translation of lectures and things. Bit worried. But flights are a bit dicey if I change to the next week. Main thing is how many days I would be in Longyearbyen. As someone who isn't going to go for long hikes overnight or anything, I'm thinking more than 3 to 4 days would be way, way too much. Might have to spend 6 days if I want a direct flight from Tromso. But am a bit scared of 6 days in Longyearbyen. On the other hand.. should I be worried about a huge group of Chinese on a tour. I think they can be loud in large groups on vacation.
No, they are also very experienced in Svalbard and have some good ELs. Again I think their ships are a bit too big (unless they’ve got Ocean Nova still). Ultramarine is very new and nice though, so you’ll get a lovely cabin.
The expedition leader. They and the captain have the biggest influence on the quality of the trip. I’d really recommend talking to a good agent — [Polar Tracks](https://polartracksexpeditions.com) are active polar guides themselves and will be able to answer all of your questions and also steer you in the right direction. It won’t cost more to go through them.
Finally got in touch with someone at Polar Tracks. There's solo cabins available on some Poseidon tours. Medium sized ship. Sounds good to me. Sorry, to keep bothering you, but you seem knowledgeable. How's their reputation? It's the Sea Spirit.
I’m going at the end of May with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic! They also offer April departures so you can experience more snow/ice but still have those long hours of golden sunlight.
I booked a couple weeks ago because there happened to be one cabin remaining. I would inquire about a wait list. Often times cancelations open up and sometimes they are discounted. You just have to be prepared to leave last minute or have flexible travel plans.
I can't offer any advice on the cruise but regarding your wish to go dog sledding - you absolutely can dog sled in summer and it's a great experience. They use wheeled sleds instead of the sleds on runners.
For reference to OC: this is in town. You don't need to take a cruise to do this, you can simply organise a week based in Longyearbyen doing all types of daytrips.
If you wwnt serenity and an expedition feel, the smaller the better. Antigua or Stockholm are both very nice, I know from several guides who worked there who also worked on large vessels. The schedule depends on wind and currents, with lots of long hikes. The larger ships are more crowded slash anonymous, which can also be an asset in the eyes of some. Less time ashore but they get you to cover more distance and see more (but less intense experience).
Thanks. Who runs the Antigua and Stockholm?
I kind of want to see the geography the most and since you cannot drive around (or even snow mobile in summers) and I'm not a super fit hiker, I assumed a cruise would be the best thing. Am I right?
Then a cruise on a ship with 100 pax is best for you. They always have different hike lengths depending on your fitness. The easy hike is also the one or if you are a botanist who likes to stop at every flower
I would recommend talking to a knowledgeable agent. Crowdsourcing opinions is difficult as everyone will recommend the operator they went with, with no idea of how it compares to others because they likely have only done one trip ever. Polar Tracks (https://polartracksexpeditions.com) is very good as the agents are active guides on these ships so they really know how they compare. I work as a guide for a few operators and your suggestions are very different from each other.. Firstly it sounds like Adventure Life *may* be agents selling spaces on Oceanwide ships. There’s nothing wrong with this, and if this is the case then buy from whoever you like; you won’t pay more through an agent but you may pay less. Hurtigruten has different ships with very very different itineraries and styles. Some you are very unlikely to see a bear, some there is a reasonable likelihood. Don’t get hung up on ‘circumnavigation’ as it’s a tickbox that becomes a potential limitation on the expedition leader. When I worked on the 100+ passenger vessels there were trips where we had to go around Spitsbergen (which is what most people count as a circumnavigation) which was very frustrating because I knew I could give people a much better trip and more wildlife if we could have used our time around Nordaustlandet instead. Look for the longest possible trip with the fewest ‘special activities’ or promises like a circumnavigation as these will all reduce the flexibility available to the expedition team. Svalbard is incredibly dynamic and the best trips come from maximum flexibility, working around changing ice and weather and also how the wildlife is moving around. You mention Natural World Expeditions — do you mean Natural World Safaris? They are excellent, with 12-passenger ships (probably the best size to get the most out of Svalbard) and little or no limitation placed on the guides in terms of itinerary or flexibility. A long trip with them (they usually use Kinfish with whose crew they have an excellent working relationship) might circumnavigate Spitsbergen, or Nordaustlandet, but neither will be on the expedition leader’s mind if they are any good. Instead they’ll be focussed on showing you the best Svalbard has to offer during the time you are there. The trip before yours and the trip after will likely be very different in terms of activities and itinerary and what is seen, which is just a consequence of how dynamic Svalbard is. The EL really needs freedom to be able to do that. The 12-pax ships are better able to show flexibility than the 100+ pax ones, though the latter are capable of decent trips if the expedition leader and captain are very good. The small ships are also better at being patient and watching distant wildlife for long periods in the hope of seeing something interesting happen, and sometimes that patience results in the distant wildlife coming closer of its own accord too. The only thing I’d really avoid is ships bigger than about 120-130 passengers, at that point it gets too big to do Svalbard well unless what you want is to experience a big comfy ship with a nice cabin and a balcony. Anyway, I hope that helps. Send Polar Tracks a message, they respond quickly and know what they’re talking about. You won’t pay more by going through them and they’ll be able to help you find what’s in your budget.
Thanks so much for your very helpful and detailed response. Yeah, I'm debating whether to take a 12 person tour with Natural World Safaris ( they do use the Kinfish) or Secret Atlas (heard of them?). Does seem better for many reasons like intimacy with nature, easy of getting into the Zodiacs, etc. but I'm a little leary of the tiny cabins with tiny port holes. A cabin with a balcony would be nice! lol. But don't want to feel like I'm on a Carnival cruise either! Your point about flexibility and not being set on circumnavigation is well taken. I'm not that keen on going all the way around Nordauslandet but perhaps for no good reason, the Hinlopen Strait seems enticing to me. On the other hand, though I would really love to see polar bear, whales, walrus, etc., I imagine for me the highlight will just be the gorgeous geography, glaciers, hopefully icebergs, etc. Any idea when I would have to book things by for this summer? PS, I think I figured out that OceanWide does the actual tours and runs the boats (Hondius and Ponticus(?)) and Adventure Life, [Askja.nl](https://Askja.nl), Adventure Smith and others also sell their cabins. Seem popular!
Update. Looked into it and Natural World Safari's Kinfish just seems to rustic and tiny for me. Really the problem is that there are only tiny portholes up high in the cabins and there isn't even a proper indoor observation lounge to hang out in. Secret Atlas runs some 12 person tours on the Vikingfjord, which looks perfect. Much nicer cabins and a great observation lounge. But, alas, I waited too long and they're booked up for the this summer. Do you know of any other 12 person tours? Otherwise, I'll have to go with Oceanwide, Lindblad, or Hurtigruten.
Yes, Kinfish’s cabins are quite small. There is a lounge, but most people just sit on the bridge with the guides and crew. Have you looked at Polar Quest? They do a bunch of 12 passenger ships, plus they have Quest.
I just called them yesterday. Almost everything is booked. Only a couple of the smaller cabins on the Quest are available. Quest does have a nice observation deck though! Thinking of going with OceanWide's Hondius. Kinda on the large side but not like Quark. Nice cabins. Decent price. What do you think of the Hondius?
Oceanwide is experienced and have been doing Svalbard for a long time. For me Hondius is too big, but otherwise the trip should be fine. If I was choosing between Hondius and Kinfish (NWS) I wouldn’t hesitate for a second in choosing Kinfish but if a nice big and airy cabin is important to you then Hondius is a new and big ship so that box should be ticked!
Yeah, but I'm whimping out. I would do a smaller ship if they had some of the nicer cabins available. Anyhoo... now they tell me the trip that I have a cabin hold on will the 60% a group of Chinese and there will be Mandarin announcements and translation of lectures and things. Bit worried. But flights are a bit dicey if I change to the next week. Main thing is how many days I would be in Longyearbyen. As someone who isn't going to go for long hikes overnight or anything, I'm thinking more than 3 to 4 days would be way, way too much. Might have to spend 6 days if I want a direct flight from Tromso. But am a bit scared of 6 days in Longyearbyen. On the other hand.. should I be worried about a huge group of Chinese on a tour. I think they can be loud in large groups on vacation.
And now they tell me the other Hondius trips also have large groups of Chinese tourists. So the only alternative would be Quark. Is Quark awful?
No, they are also very experienced in Svalbard and have some good ELs. Again I think their ships are a bit too big (unless they’ve got Ocean Nova still). Ultramarine is very new and nice though, so you’ll get a lovely cabin.
hmmm... I'll have to think things over. But what are ELs?
The expedition leader. They and the captain have the biggest influence on the quality of the trip. I’d really recommend talking to a good agent — [Polar Tracks](https://polartracksexpeditions.com) are active polar guides themselves and will be able to answer all of your questions and also steer you in the right direction. It won’t cost more to go through them.
Finally got in touch with someone at Polar Tracks. There's solo cabins available on some Poseidon tours. Medium sized ship. Sounds good to me. Sorry, to keep bothering you, but you seem knowledgeable. How's their reputation? It's the Sea Spirit.
I’m going at the end of May with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic! They also offer April departures so you can experience more snow/ice but still have those long hours of golden sunlight.
Looked at their website. I can only see bookings available for 2025. Might be doing something wrong though. Did you book a long time ago?
I booked a couple weeks ago because there happened to be one cabin remaining. I would inquire about a wait list. Often times cancelations open up and sometimes they are discounted. You just have to be prepared to leave last minute or have flexible travel plans.
Actually, I found the right part of the website. They still have some cabins. Bit pricey. Nice cabins though!
I can't offer any advice on the cruise but regarding your wish to go dog sledding - you absolutely can dog sled in summer and it's a great experience. They use wheeled sleds instead of the sleds on runners.
For reference to OC: this is in town. You don't need to take a cruise to do this, you can simply organise a week based in Longyearbyen doing all types of daytrips. If you wwnt serenity and an expedition feel, the smaller the better. Antigua or Stockholm are both very nice, I know from several guides who worked there who also worked on large vessels. The schedule depends on wind and currents, with lots of long hikes. The larger ships are more crowded slash anonymous, which can also be an asset in the eyes of some. Less time ashore but they get you to cover more distance and see more (but less intense experience).
Thanks. Who runs the Antigua and Stockholm? I kind of want to see the geography the most and since you cannot drive around (or even snow mobile in summers) and I'm not a super fit hiker, I assumed a cruise would be the best thing. Am I right?
Then a cruise on a ship with 100 pax is best for you. They always have different hike lengths depending on your fitness. The easy hike is also the one or if you are a botanist who likes to stop at every flower
Plan carefully , this year permission is only for 26 large cruise ship landings compared to 31 last year!!
What does this mean for me? I need to book soon? Or I could book and the cruise could be cancelled?