Andy Mossack joins a Secret Atlas Expedition Micro Cruise with just twelve guests exploring the Arctic Svalbard Archipelago.
It was way past midnight by the time I landed at Longyearbyen, the gateway to the Norwegian Arctic and it was still bright sunlight. “When does it get dark?” I asked Slava, our expedition guide who had picked me up at the airport. “Oh, probably September” she replied. I put my stupid question down to tiredness after a long journey, still it is something of a shock to the system to see bright sun at that time of night.
Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen was the base port for my eleven-night Secret Atlas Expedition Micro Cruise around the fjord laden Svalbard Arctic archipelago. A select expedition cruise with just twelve guests, two experienced expedition guides and a top-notch crew at our beck and call to get us up close to as much wildlife and Nature’s landscapes as possible.
Longyearbyen’s transformation from old coal mining town to popular tourist hot spot is remarkable. Perhaps being the world’s northernmost settlement or the home of the world-famous Global Seed Vault or maybe even the location for the hit thriller series Fortitude are clues. Either way, I was grateful for the extra day to explore a fascinating town with a deep history of mining since 1899, no small feat when you consider it’s dark as pitch for 6 months a year.
Today the mines are silent, but the town is small enough to walk around with a clutch of good hotels, two museums, some cosy coffee bars, a shopping mall and Svalbardbutikken, a large supermarket selling tax-free items including an impressive alcohol section. There are many hiking trails from here but visitors are warned to only go out with an experienced armed guide as a polar bear encounter is always a possibility.
Vikingfjord Expedition Micro Cruise ship
MV Vikingfjord was waiting patiently in the port for our group to embark. With only twelve guests to accommodate she had more than enough home comforts to keep us happy. Eight very comfortable ensuite cabins with luxury toiletries, an open-plan L shaped lounge, an observation lounge up on the bridge, an on-deck hot tub and sauna and plenty of viewing opportunities everywhere
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What she isn’t is a sleek cruise yacht. As skipper Sven explained “for 50 years she was an engineering supply ship to repair and service the lighthouses around the archipelago. Once she was retired, she had a complete refit to expedition cruising standards with all-new Scandi style interiors, a brand-new energy efficient engine and ice strengthened hull. Trust me, she is one tough bird”.
Norway has the longest coastline in the world and I reckon Vikingfjord might well have seen most of it. I found it strangely comforting that she had so many miles under her Plimsole Line. Experience and strength were what you needed in the polar wilderness not cheesy entertainment and fancy fine dining.
Speaking of which, the restaurant was the domain of Chef Rico a culinary wizard from the Philippines who, ably supported by stewardesses Carina and Ahliza, made sure our daily three meals were delicious and prepared with everyone’s dietary needs catered for. Even special requests were no trouble at all. Fishing rods were always in place whenever we stopped to ensure our catch of the day was just that and let’s face it, you can’t get much fresher than literally sea to table, can you?
Seating and eating was so straightforward. Just three tables, with everyone seated at the same time, including the skipper, and no dress code – just anything comfortable. Buffets for breakfast and lunch and table service with wines for dinner.
Lastly, all outdoor gear for our daily excursions was found down in the changing area at an assigned peg number. Waterproof rubber muck boots essential for grip while out walking and waterproof suits and life jackets for our Zodiac dinghy cruises and landing transfers.
The Expedition Micro Cruise Experience.
“Shall we wake you up if we spot some wildlife during the night?” This question from Miriam, our expedition leader, was at the end of our embarkation briefing and was answered with a resounding YES from the group. This may not be something you’ve experienced before, as typically, overnight cruising is in darkness, but as we were in 24-hour daylight, wildlife spotting was always a possibility. And it proved to be the case more than once, with two blue whales – the largest animals on Earth – adjoining the ship for a drive by one night and a female polar bear with her cub taking a nighttime stroll together on another.
Magical moments and utterly jaw dropping even at 2am!
This is the beauty of expedition cruising on such a small scale. No plans are set in stone, everything is changeable depending on the wildlife, the weather, the opportunities and our own preferences. It was a privileged position to be in, particularly as we were completely alone in the wilderness without another ship in sight. Quite unlike any expedition cruise I’ve previously experienced.
One unforgettable moment was when Skipper Sven spotted a huge female polar bear walking across the ice. He stopped the ship, turned off the engines and we waited in silence. Nose raised in the air she caught our scent (polar bears can smell prey up to 5 miles away) and started walking towards us clearly intent on checking us out. Perhaps Chef Rico opening the kitchen door had a hand in this moment! She got to within 20 feet of us, almost touching distance, before calling it a day. Treating us to a final sideways roll on the ice before heading off. Spellbinding.
Daily Expedition Life
The cruise plan was to sail clockwise around the archipelago stopping off in various key locations every day for guided outdoor excursions. Miriam would brief us at dinner each night about where we were stopping and what the next day’s outings entailed. For all the off-ship adventures two Zodiac inflatable ribs were driven by our expedition team either onto a beach landing for a guided hike or for close cruising glaciers across sea ice fields, or along the rugged coastline in search of wildlife.
Our armed guides regaled us with stories behind some of the historical relics and geology we came across on our treks, while all the time being mindful of our safety by keeping their eyes peeled for any polar bears. The remains of an old German wartime weather station, a few huts from famous turn of the century trapper/explorers, remnants of whaling stations, animal remains and even a wander around Pyramiden, a once famous but now eerily abandoned Russian mining town.
There was Arctic flora and fauna to examine, all manner of bird life to identify, and more than few Attenborough encounters including being entertained by two Arctic fox cubs and tiptoeing around a whole herd of walrus.
These Attenborough moments could never be replicated by watching a television series. The sheer scale of being close to the face of a majestic glacier while learning about glacier movement and at the same time interrupted by the thunder of huge chunks calving off in the distance is indescribable.
This cruise really was an exclusive front row seat to an epic production by our natural world.
Is it worth the price?
Seemingly within hours of embarking Vikingfjord, I and my eleven other Secret Atlas shipmates had been transformed from strangers to something of a family, enjoying our shared experiences together and reminiscing each evening over dinner and a few drinks in the lounge. We all felt we were members of an exclusive club. A rare glimpse into a natural world seldom seen by many and in such a small group. Memories I will certainly never forget.
Was this experience worth the price? Every guest agreed it was worth every penny.
Wildlife spotted on this cruise
Land mammals: Arctic Fox, Svalbard Reindeer. Sea mammals: Polar Bear, Walrus Bearded Seal, Harbor Seal, Minke Whale, Beluga Whale, Harp Seal and the biggest of all, 3 Blue Whales!. Birds: Barnacle Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Common Eider, Black-legged Kittiwake, Glaucous Gull, Little Auk, Brünnich’s Guillemot, Black Guillemot, Nothern Fulmar, Common Ringed Plover, Purple Sandpiper, Ivory Gull, Arctic Tern, Great Skua, Arctic Skua, Long-tailed Skua, Atlantic Puffin, Red-throated Diver and Snow Bunting
Photos (C) Andy Mossack, Secret Atlas and Secret Atlas guests.
Tell me more about this Secret Atlas Expedition Micro Cruise around Svalbard.
Secret Atlas Micro Cruise around Svalbard for 2026. Rates from £14,000 pp
About Secret Atlas
Launched in 2019 and run by Explorers for Explorers, Secret Atlas trips are curated for people that want to enjoy the spirit of exploration and be a part of an intimate experience rather than joining an overcrowded commercial cruise. Secret Atlas pioneering Expedition Micro Cruises take the smallest group sizes in the Arctic (only 12 guests) and Antarctic (only 48 guests) offering guests an authentic, unrivalled experience free from the crowds of larger vessels. To find out more about Secret Atlas, visit Secret Atlas Rates from £10,900 pp
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