The Arctic “roof of the world” this wilderness starts north of the Arctic circle and yet on your Arctic Cruise you will find lands with spectacular coastal fjords, mammoth glaciers and ice flows that will simply take your breath away. Ships visiting these remote areas vary in size from the larger luxury vessels to smaller expedition ships with ice breaking hulls. Cruises include travelling around the coast of Norway to Murmansk or to the Islands of Svalbard. You can also explore the ice fields of the Greenland coast or Baffin Island and even risk the Northwest Passage around the top of Canada.

Norwegian Coast & Northern Russia

Popular routes include cruising to the North Cape of Norway and round into the Arctic Ocean and these routes are available from UK and other Northern European ports. The famous Norwegian Coastal Voyages start in Bergen and twist their way north through the passages, fjords and islands of the rugged Norwegian coastline calling at the Lofoten Islands, Tromso and around thirty ports before heading south from Kirkenes close to the Russian border. Larger cruise ships will go as far as the North Cape and follow a similar route with far less ports of call. Expedition vessels explore the Barents Sea and the north coast of Russia and even on to the North Pole. 

Spitsbergen

The Svalbard Archipelago (Spitsbergen) lies deep within the Arctic Circle only 600 miles from the North Pole and is increasingly visited by cruise ships. Here you will find prolific arctic wildlife and dramatic fjords surrounded by jagged peaks and huge glaciers.

Greenland & the Northern Passage

Some major cruise lines are now visiting the remote towns and ice fields of Greenland as well as Expedition cruises from Canada or Greenland that explore Hudson Bay, the polar icecap on the northern Greenland coastline and the islands of Baffin Bay. There are also rare cruises through the Northwest Passage that break a course around the north of Canada and Alaska.