A Day in the Life of an Expedition Micro Cruise
Exploring is our middle name and that’s at the heart of our voyages. The most exciting thing about our Expedition Micro Cruises is that not one day is ever the same.
Our expeditions leaders don’t follow a set itinerary and use their skills and knowledge of the conditions to explore as many places as possible. The following is an example of what typical dayis like on one of our voyages.
8.00 am
Early in the morning we drop anchor and wake to find ourselves immersed in natural beauty. The plan for the day is to get exploring!
Breakfast is served in the saloon by our chef.
8.30 am
The expedition leader gives a brief introduction to the day. Every day we will visit different landing sites based on the weather and sea ice conditions. Today the plan is to do a shore landing in the morning and a short hike to visit a walrus haul-out area. In the afternoon the plan is to visit one of Svalbard’s 2000 glaciers.
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9.00 am
We put on our lifejackets ready to board the Zodiac landing craft. The expedition leader does a reconnaissance of the beach and surrounding area to ensure it is free from polar bears and is safe to land. We step into the Zodiacs. As we only take 12 guests there is no waiting. The expedition team takes the guest safely ashore.
9.15 am
After taking off our life jackets and changing our footwear it is time to find the walruses. We do a short hike across the Arctic Tundra. We are followed by a small group of Svalbard Reindeer that approach us on our hike. We stop to take photographs of our curious visitors.
09.45 am
We arrive a beach where a colony of 20 walruses have hauled out onto the sand. Under the guidance of our expedition leader we silently approach the walruses. We reach a spot a safe distance away so we don’t cause any disturbance to the walruses. We spend some unhurried time watching and photographing the walruses. A few swim in the sea close by and we watch as two exit the water and join the others on the beach.
10.15 am
We hike back to the Zodiacs stopping a couple more times to photograph the reindeer.
11.00 am
We are all safely back on board MV Togo. It’s time to warm up in the saloon with a nice hot drink.
11.30 am
With the Zodiacs back onboard we set sail for our next destination. It’s a great opportunity to spend some time on deck wildlife watching as we often encounter whales and birdlife in this area.
1 pm
A hearty, hot lunch prepared by our chef is served in the dining saloon.
2.00 pm
In the afternoon we cruise through a majestic fjord and spend some time on deck enjoying the scenery and taking pictures.
3.30 pm
We anchor close to one of Svalbard’s Largest glaciers.
3.45 pm
We get ready to go ashore and the Zodiacs are launched.
4.00 pm
We do a short hike ashore to admire the stunning polar scenery. We take some time to appreciate the Arctic silence. Occasionally we hear the sound of the glacier calve huge chunks of ice into the fjord.
5.30 pm
Back on board we up anchor and do a slow cruise along the face of the glacier. We aim to get as close as possible whilst staying within a safe limit. To get up this close to a glacier face is a stunning and mesmerising experience.
6.30 pm
We set sail through the tranquil waters of the fjord spending time on deck to fully appreciate the scenery.
7.30 pm
A freshly prepared dinner is served by our chef in the dining salon
8.30 pm
The evening is spent taking in the spectacular views whilst our expedition leader talks about the area, and the plan for tomorrow. Drinks are served in the bar. Guests can enjoy the view from the warmth of the passenger lounge.
11.00 pm
We arrive at a remote anchorage to spend the night in protected waters. It’s the last chance to spend some time on deck and admire the tranquillity of Svalbard before getting some shut-eye.
If you would like to visit Svalbard please see our Svalbard Cruises.
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