University Expeditions

WILDFOOT can create customised Arctic student expedition trips to The Arctic, including Northern Norway and Greenland, for groups of students and past students (alumni) according to their specific requirements or capabilities.

There are a variety of ships to suit different groups, all offering different experiences. A typical Arctic educational cruise could start at Longyearbyen, the capital city of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago, navigate northbound to the remote Moffen Island, taking in fjords, glaciers and Arctic settlements along the way, and return to Longyearbyen 6-10 days later.

The Arctic, the land of the midnight sun, of snow and ice, offers some of the finest scenery and wildlife experiences in the world. Upon an Arctic student expedition participants can witness enormous colonies of seabirds thronging the cliffs and shores, and enjoy the

thrilling antics of whales at sea, and seals and walruses hauled out on rocks and ice-floes.

The proximity of the pack-ice offers spectacular cruising between ice-floes. One may even encounter the very symbol of the Arctic – the polar bear. On-board all of our expeditions there is a programme of informative lectures from experts on the wildlife, geology and history of the region.

On some Arctic student expeditions, there are activity options such as kayaking, shoeshoeing, scuba diving, cross-country skiing, and mountain climbing.Our objective at WILDFOOT is to work hard to match your requirements to the expeditions available.

What’s Included

• On board ship, all meals and most non-alcoholic beverages are included (cans of carbonated drinks [sodas] are usually charged).
• Excursions and landings by zodiac.
• Activities as specified in the itinerary
• Hotels and transfers as specified in the itinerary.
• Flights as specified in the itinerary.

What’s Not Included

• Flights, if not specified in the itinerary.
• Optional on-aircraft purchases, such as beverages
• Meals, other than specified in the itinerary
• Activities not specified in the itinerary
• Optional purchases on board ship, such as beverages, laundry, items of a personal nature, etc. On board ship, each passenger normally has an account for such purchases. This account is the settled at the end of the voyage by cash or credit card. There are few opportunities for shopping ashore on trips to The Arctic.

Knowledge Base for Organisers and Group Leaders of an Arctic Student Expedition

• Free places: Free place policy varies from ship to ship; however, a free place is regularly offered to groups with over 19 participants. It may be possible to secure a free or discounted place with lower numbers and WILDFOOT will negotiate this on your behalf if appropriate.
• Accommodation: In hotels, accommodation is usually in twin bedded rooms with private facilities. On board educational cruises in The Arctic, cabins are shared on a quad, triple or twin basis. Some cabins have private shower rooms whilst others have a wash basin in the cabin and shared shower rooms.
• On board: The overall atmosphere on board is informal and relaxed and passengers enjoy a shared experience. Most ships have an open deck and bridge policy allowing access at most times to all passengers.

• Educational content and co-operation: There is a team of expert guides and lecturers on board all ships. These experts will work closely with group leaders of an Arctic student expedition to provide a stimulating environment for students. (Note, this cannot be on an exclusive basis.) There are daily lectures relating to what will be seen during the trip including wildlife, geology and the history of the region. Specific field trips ashore are not possible on Arctic educational cruises, however, expert guides accompany all landings. Lecture rooms on board can also be made available when not in use.
• Activities: On some ships, there are optional activities such as kayaking, shoeshoeing, scuba diving, cross-country skiing, mountain climbing and specialist photography, etc. Some of these can be included in the expedition cost whilst others will involve additional charges. For activities such as scuba, evidence of proficiency is also required
• Diet: Food on board is varied and of a high standard, with options to suit most tastes. Most special dietary requirements can be catered for, but will need to be discussed and agreed in advance of travel.

• Insurance: All trips are on board expedition ships with a range of passengers on board. It is a condition of the operators of these ships that all participants must submit a medical form signed by a family doctor or other medical professional. It is also a condition that comprehensive travel insurance is taken, which includes provision for emergency evacuation. There are a number of insurance companies which provide this cover.
• Emergency contact: Office hours at WILDFOOT are 09.00-17.3009.00-17.30 (UK time) Monday to Friday; however, we also have a 24 hour emergency contact number. It is also possible to contact ships in an emergency via satellite communication.
• Pre-trip: Full briefing notes will be provided for organisers.

WILDFOOT is a specialist polar operator with ten years' experience of arranging polar expeditions for individuals and specialist groups.

Our staff have sailed on a variety of expedition ships and have personal experience of the polar regions, having visited Antarctica, South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha and other South Atlantic islands, Svalbard, Alaska, Northern Norway, Iceland and the Russian Far East, with trips planned to Greenland and Arctic Canada.

The company is a member of IAATO (International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators), AECO ( Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators), the Association of Cruise Experts, the Association of British Travel Agents and is a holder of a Civil Aviation Authority ATOL certificate.

We are committed to responsible travel and protecting the environment of the polar regions. Apart from membership of IAATO & AECO, which promote responsible and minimum-impact tourism in Antarctica and the Arctic, we are associated with the South Georgia Habitat Restoration Project, Save the Albatross, Worldwide Fund for Nature and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust.