One Ocean Expeditions announces Flight Credit for Late Bookings on Popular Norwegian Arctic Summer Cruise
One Ocean Expeditions (OOE) still has some spaces – very unusually – on its nine-night Norwegian Arctic summer cruise, Spitsbergen Encounter, on 14th July, which offers a great opportunity to experience prolific sea bird and wildlife activity.
To encourage late bookings and to offset the cost of flights from Oslo to Longyearbyen, from where the ship departs, the adventure cruise specialist is offering a US $1000 flight credit on all new Spitsbergen bookings for 2016.
An added draw for this particular departure will be the range and quality of experts who are joining the cruise.
They include Dick Filby, founder of Rare Bird Alert; Maria Cashin, a geologist, keen adventurer and guide; Denise Landau, a guide/naturalist/conservationist specialising in polar regions; Glenn Stein, a historian and expert in maritime and polar history; plus expedition leader Nate Small, who has completed almost 70 trips in the polar regions, and David Sinclair, an explorer and guide who has spent over two decades travelling to all corners of the globe.
Spitsbergen is the largest and only island in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago to be inhabited all year round. Once a whaling base in the 17th and 18th centuries, it is now a celebrated breeding ground for numerous sea birds, as well as home to many marine mammals and the elusive polar bear, making it an ideal holiday destination for twitchers, photographers and lovers of wildlife.
Passengers on board the Akademik Sergey Vavilov, an ice-strengthened vessel designed to hold no more than 100 guests, will be privileged to see distinctive white beluga whales during the journey, as well as reindeer near Bourbonhamna, bearded and ringed seals in Krossfjorden, more than 100,000 breeding Brunnich’s guillemots at Alkefjellet in the Hinlopen Strait, a large dovekie colony at Fuglesangenoya and walrus on Prince Charles Island.
And, with almost 24 hours of daylight, there will be plenty of time to marvel at the breathtaking scenery, including Lilliehook Glacier, which towers around 80 metres high and stretches almost seven kilometres long.
At 81˚ north latitude, the ship reaches Phippsoya, just 540 nautical miles from the North Pole, where the potential for polar bear viewing is even greater.
Daily guided shore excursions and expeditions by zodiac to explore the coastline, inlets and fjords, will be included in the expedition, while optional hiking and sea kayaking trips for experienced paddlers will also be available at an additional cost.
Prices start from US $4995pp triple share and from US $6495 based on twin share. This includes accommodation, all meals, 24-hour tea and coffee, use of wet weather gear, shore excursions, landings, educational presentations and guided walks. Airport transfers are included, and a US $1000 credit towards flights to Tromso or Oslo is now available.
