Svalbard on the Venture - what do you see?

[mbanks1220]

We are thinking of doing the Artic/Svalbard on the Venture and just in that area (round trip from .   No Greenland or Iceland as we have been there before.  We are wondering what we will see in Svalbard?    We of course want the Polar Bears but what about Icebergs, Birds, other wildlife?

 

MB

[Laylam]

2 hours ago, mbanks1220 said:

We are thinking of doing the Artic/Svalbard on the Venture and just in that area (round trip from .   No Greenland or Iceland as we have been there before.  We are wondering what we will see in Svalbard?    We of course want the Polar Bears but what about Icebergs, Birds, other wildlife?

 

MB

[mbanks1220]

That is great, however I am looking for more information - Icebergs, land masses, vegetation, wildlife sighting???   We are trying to figure out if this is worth it.   Did Antarctica so will this be a let down?    

 

 

[markandjie]

I've been told by expedition staff it's the best place to see polar bears. 

[Kane]

Birds:  Arctic Tern "attack" on walk from dock into Longyearbyen.  There are warning signs about this.

 

The locals also leave sticks in containers along the road to "wave off" the terns when they make their dive bombs 🙂

 

[Laylam]

21 hours ago, mbanks1220 said:

That is great, however I am looking for more information - Icebergs, land masses, vegetation, wildlife sighting???   We are trying to figure out if this is worth it.   Did Antarctica so will this be a let down?    

 

 

Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole. One of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas, it's known for its rugged, remote terrain of glaciers and frozen tundra sheltering polar bears, Svalbard reindeer and Arctic foxes. The Northern Lights are visible during winter, and summer brings the “midnight sun”—sunlight 24 hours a day. ― Google

[markham]

The easy answer is it depends. So that can be yeah, don’t go. Or maybe go and find out. Up to you. All of it.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

 

 

[Kane]

OK, a little more of an answer to your questions.  Our voyage to Svalbard and vicinity was > 10 years ago, so itineraries may be different.

 

There were no excursions on Svalbard other than the stop at Longyearbyen.  It's really quite desolate there.  Mostly scientists doing Arctic research.  One could not venture out of town to look for polar bears (which are present) without armed escorts present to protect you from them.

 

Our voyage took us on a cruise-by into Magdalena Fjord on Svalbard.  Very similar to Alaska glacier sail-bys.  No disembarkation.

 

The third sail was a sail-into rather than sail-by.  The ship poked its bow into the polar icefield as close to the North Pole as the captain dared to N80-20-47 670 miles from pole.  No giant icebergs there like Antarctica.  If you are a "check-box" person, that's one that is pretty rare.

 

[OceanPrince]

On 3/1/2024 at 12:20 PM, markandjie said:

I've been told by expedition staff it's the best place to see polar bears. 

Hi M&J! it's Wayne from your Iceland/Greenland cruise last June. Hope you and family are doing well.

 

I'm booked on the Venture June 9th going to Svalbard. Expecting to see Polar Bears and Puffins, hoping to see Belugas and Narwhals. Based on research, there will be some glaciers but not expecting anything spectacular.

[markandjie]

9 hours ago, OceanPrince said:

Hi M&J! it's Wayne from your Iceland/Greenland cruise last June. Hope you and family are doing well.

 

I'm booked on the Venture June 9th going to Svalbard.

Wayne! Hope all is well! So jealous! Our summer plans are up in the air right now but hoping we can book something last minute once we have clarity on a few things. 

[cruiseej]

16 hours ago, OceanPrince said:

Expecting to see Polar Bears and Puffins

 

Can one actually "expect" to see polar bears, or is it just a question of luck? (Sort of like seeing the northern lights.) But I'm sure you'll see puffins! 

Edited March 4 by cruiseej

[OceanPrince]

6 hours ago, cruiseej said:

 

Can one actually "expect" to see polar bears, or is it just a question of luck? (Sort of like seeing the northern lights.) But I'm sure you'll see puffins! 

 

I would be surprised (and very very unlucky) if I dont see any polar bears in Svalbard, but just hope I see one close enough to get a good cell phone picture for the 'gram lol. Saw an interview with a expedition team member [not Seabourn] who said during a season of 2-week cruises around Svalbard, the least polar bears he saw in one voyage was 3 and the most was 40.  

 

Edited March 5 by OceanPrince

[Kane]

Are these polar bear sightings from a ship sail-by, or on a ground excursion?

 

[OceanPrince]

FYI for anyone interested

[OceanPrince]

On 3/5/2024 at 11:28 AM, Kane said:

Are these polar bear sightings from a ship sail-by, or on a ground excursion?

 

I think it's more likely from ship as polar bears like to hangout by the edge of the ice. During ground excursions, guides are required to bring a gun for protect against polar bears, but sightings are rare

[mbanks1220]

Looking forward to hearing from those on the sailing this June and what they see.  We have done research and there is a lot of different information on what you see/do.   As with any wildlife, one never knows.   Was just hoping to get more feedback from those that have actually done it.

 

Happy sailing!

[Nops]

There is at least one thread on this subject in the Seabourn Voyage Logs. Find the Venture on the location map and then use the menu to find a Svarlbard voyage (might not be called that of course).

 

This url might work https://www.seabourn.com/en/gb/experience/voyagetracker/index.html

 

It is a great feature of the website but very under publicised.

[Laylam]

10 hours ago, mbanks1220 said:

Looking forward to hearing from those on the sailing this June and what they see.  We have done research and there is a lot of different information on what you see/do.   As with any wildlife, one never knows.   Was just hoping to get more feedback from those that have actually done it.

 

Happy sailing!

We travelled to Svarlbard July 2023 and saw 2 polar bears, but binoculars were required.  On an earlier cruise to the Canadian Arctic we saw 9 polar bears in Nunavut, which were clearly visible from the ship and close-op from the zodiacs.

[CurlerRob]

On 3/2/2024 at 2:08 PM, Kane said:

OK, a little more of an answer to your questions.  Our voyage to Svalbard and vicinity was > 10 years ago, so itineraries may be different.

 

There were no excursions on Svalbard other than the stop at Longyearbyen.  It's really quite desolate there.  Mostly scientists doing Arctic research.  One could not venture out of town to look for polar bears (which are present) without armed escorts present to protect you from them.

 

Our voyage took us on a cruise-by into Magdalena Fjord on Svalbard.  Very similar to Alaska glacier sail-bys.  No disembarkation.

 

The third sail was a sail-into rather than sail-by.  The ship poked its bow into the polar icefield as close to the North Pole as the captain dared to N80-20-47 670 miles from pole.  No giant icebergs there like Antarctica.  If you are a "check-box" person, that's one that is pretty rare.

 

 

You win! 😉

 

 

🍺🥌

[CurlerRob]

On 2/28/2024 at 6:58 PM, mbanks1220 said:

We are thinking of doing the Artic/Svalbard on the Venture and just in that area (round trip from .   No Greenland or Iceland as we have been there before.  We are wondering what we will see in Svalbard?    We of course want the Polar Bears but what about Icebergs, Birds, other wildlife?

 

MB

 

Svalbard is very special, but a couple of thoughts:

 

It's at a much higher latitude than where you would have been to in Antarctica - if that sort of thing matters. You'll be much closer to the pole than down south.

 

IMO, the scenery will not be close to the spectacular sights in Antarctica - the mountains are somewhat less imposing and sea ice will tend to be flatter - more "bergy bits" than icebergs.

 

If polar bears are a huge draw, you might want to consider a land trip to Churchill, MB, Canada. Likely a lot cheaper and the excursions there will almost certainly provide sightings and/or up close encounters. Svalbard has lots of bears, but seeing them (especially up close) is not common.

 

We loved our first trip there and are returning in 2025 - but you should gather lots of input in order to make your decision. A couple of photos that may help: 🍺🥌

 

 

 

[directionfinder]

I have been to Svalbard twice (July and August) and once in Franz Josef Land (July).

I never saw puffins, not even one single bird, but a lot of other birds.

I saw a lot of walruses, very few seals.

On all trips I saw polar bears, from the ship on the ice and in the water, some very close. From the zodiac (me) and the polar bears on land. 

On Svalbard I did a lot of hikes, also long ones (always a guide with a weapon to protect from the polar bears has to be with the group).

Once we had a situation, where we saw a group of polar bears during a hike far away, so we had to turn around go back to the ship, and approached the bears by zodiac.

I once saw a big group of whales feeding, this was a spectacle.

I saw a group of beluga whales.

I saw polar foxes. 

In Svalbard I visited historical sites, research stations and Barentsburg (a Russian Coal Mining town).

I saw a lot of landscape, glacier, ice and tiny flowers. 

 

[highplanesdrifters]

We saw no puffins and did not see any Polar Bears until we went deep into the Polar ice cap. Our weather wasn't the best, very foggy.  Landings were very limited in space due to inability to see the Polar predators. Expedition Staff had not seen the sun for two weeks prior to our arrival. We had a decent whale show. A mini haul out of walrus, but viewed from a distance. Otherwise not much in the wildlife camp. Scenery limited due to weather.

 

Svalbar trip report begins after Oslo.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2870804-venture-svalbard-greenland-iceland-aug-7-21-as-live-as-we-can-be/