Iceland & Svalbard to Tromso in Luxury

Arrive in Reykjavík independently and board Silver Cloud in the afternoon. Settle in and attend a mandatory safety drill before leaving port. During the evening you will be introduced to some of the important crew members and your Expedition Team.

You may wish to arrive a day earlier to experience this unique city. Sprawling Reykjavík, the nation's nerve center and government seat, is home to half the island's population. On a bay overlooked by proud Mt. Esja (pronounced eh-shyuh), with its ever-changing hues, Reykjavík presents a colorful sight, its concrete houses painted in light colors and topped by vibrant red, blue, and green roofs.

Latrabjarg Cliffs, Iceland – Silver Cloud will sail next to one of Europe’s largest bird cliffs and a truly stunning sight to experience. The 14 kilometer cliff is covered with tens of thousands of Atlantic Puffins, Northern Gannets, Razorbills and guillemots that perch there safely from predators.

Dyjandi – Iceland is well-known for its dazzling waterfalls, and the Dyjandi is recognized as one of the country’s most impressive and majestic. Hike past 6 other spectacular waterfalls to reach Dyjandi, the Westfjords’biggest at 100 feet wide, with a 330-foot tumble into the fjord below. Dyjandi means the thundering one, named for its enormous sound.

Vigur Island is a little more than a mile (1.6 km) in length and about 450 yards (412 m) wide. This green oasis punctuates the waters of the Ísafjarðardjúp fjord east of the town of Isafjordur. The island is home to a single farming family and has some meticulously preserved historical landmarks including Iceland’s only windmill, built in 1840 and used until 1917 for grinding imported wheat from Denmark; and a 200-year-old rowing boat, which is still in use to ferry sheep to the mainland.

Visit the tiny and private island to see how Icelanders collect eider down. The island is also home to Atlantic Puffins, Black Guillemots and Arctic Terns, which can be seen while walking across the island. After the walk enjoy home-baked cakes and cookies made by Vigur Island owners.

Akureyri, called the Capital of the North is the second largest urban area in Iceland, and a lively one at that. Hemmed by the 60-km (37-mile) long Eyjafjörður, Akureyri is sheltered from the ocean winds and embraced by mountains on three sides. Late 19th-century wooden houses impart a sense of history, and the twin spires of a modern Lutheran church rising on a green hill near the waterfront, provide a focal point. To the south of Akureyri is the pyramid-shape rhyolite mountain Súlur. Beyond it is Kerling, the highest peak in Eyjafjörður District.

Akureyri is the gateway to Lake Myvatn (Midges Lake). The lake is part of a protected nature reserve and many birds (including thirteen species of ducks) frequent the surrounding wetlands. Nature’s power is plainly displayed in Namafjall’s geothermal springs, as well as on a walk along the lake’s shore onto some pseudo-craters, through the massive, often unusual lava formations of Dimmuborgir.

As we sail towards Jan Mayen head out on deck to watch for seabirds and whales. When not attending an informative lecture, take some time to peruse the well-stocked Library, enjoy a fine cognac in the Connoisseur’s Corner or indulge in any of the other special amenities offered aboard ship.

Humpback and minke whales cavort and feed in the waters around the impressive volcanic island of Jan Mayen with its towering ebony peaks and broad black lava beaches. The primordial landscape is dominated to the north by the 7,500 feet high (2,300 meters) Mt Beerenberg, an active volcano covered in glacial ice that last erupted in 1985. With permission from the Norwegian authorities, a landing is possible at this rarely visited outpost. Visitors may walk to the research and weather station, or beyond, for birds-eye views of the meteorological station and the long black sandy eastern shore of the island. From the water the shear mass of Jan Mayen is impressive and is a known feeding ground for whales of several species.

Sailing towards Svalbard. Keep an eye out on deck for marine animals and birds and enjoy the luxurious settings of the Silver Cloud.

There are several deep fjords and prominent glaciers in the northern reaches of Svalbard, as well as the northern hemisphere’s widest glacier front. Ice conditions will dictate how much can be accessed in terms of cruising bird islets like the Andøyane Islets or approaching glaciers like Monaco Glacier and Seliger Glacier. The Northern Region is also known to have several walrus haul-outs and areas defined as “Arctic Desert”. Walks and hikes ashore to have a closer look at flora and wildlife are a possibility in the spectacular Northern Region of Svalbard.

Silver Cloud will have a number of expedition options in northern Svalbard past majestic red Devonian sandstone mountains to reach the end of Liefdefjorden, for Zodiac cruises in front of glaciers and looking for seals, Black-legged Kittiwakes and Ivory Gulls. From the deck of the ship search for walrus and polar bears as we devote time to explore the pack ice north of Spitsbergen. Conditions permitting, we might head out in the Zodiacs for an even closer look.

Svalbard’s Southern Region and specifically Spitsbergen’s west coast is less ice-clogged than the rest of Svalbard due to the moderating influence of the Gulf Stream. Several fjords cut into the western coast of Spitsbergen and have been used by trappers and hunters, as well as the different mining companies that tried to exploit the riches of the archipelago’s largest island of Spitsbergen. Remains of huts and mines, as well as active commercial and scientific settlements can be found and visited. Depending on the time of the season, glaciers can be visited on foot or by sea.

In the fjords of southern Svalbard, search the ice and shorelines for seabirds, walruses, seals, and polar bears. Shore walks and Zodiac landings will bring you close to mystical wintry settings. The Expedition Leader and Captain will determine the ship’s best course, depending on changing weather, ice conditions and the wildlife we encounter.

Almost half way between Tromsø and Svalbard is isolated Bear Island – considered the southernmost island of the Svalbard Archipelago. The unglaciated island is an impressive Nature Reserve of steep, high cliffs that are frequented by seabirds, specifically at the southern tip. Brünnich’s Guillemots, Common Guillemots, Black Guillemots, Razorbills, Little Auks, Northern Fulmars, Glaucous Gulls, Black-legged Kittiwakes, and even Atlantic Puffins and Northern Gannets nest along the cliffs south of Sørhamna. Weather depending, we will take the Zodiacs to explore the rugged coastline.

Arrive in Tromsø and disembark Silver Cloud in the morning.

You may wish to spend a further day here to experience this unique city. Tromsø surprised visitors in the 1800s: they thought it very sophisticated and cultured for being so close to the North Pole—hence its nickname, the Paris of the North. It looks the way a polar town should—with ice-capped mountain ridges and jagged architecture that is an echo of the peaks.