The itinerary below is just a sample of what we may encounter once we cast-off at Longyearbyen. The real joy of being on M/S Sjøveien is the prospect of unforeseen wildlife encounters or of chance visits to rarely seen corners of the archipelago. Day 1 - Longyearbyen A day of leisure in Longyearbyen then at 16.00 we will all meet at the pier and board the ship. In the early evening we will head out into the magnificent Isfjorden, probably escorted by northern fulmar and Atlantic puffins. During the night we sail northwards through Forlandsundet, a narrow body of water between Prins Karls Forland and Spitsbergen. Days 2 to 9 - Northwest Spitsbergen In the morning we will make our first excursion in the north west corner of Spitsbergen. We will navigate the narrows of Fuglefjorden and explore the labyrinth of tiny islands set amongst towering peaks and glaciers. We can expect to see little auks and Atlantic puffins flying around the vessel as we cruise these tranquil waters. Later we sail to Raudfjord on the North coast of West Spitsbergen, a beautiful fjord dominated by spectacular glaciers and favoured by ringed and bearded seals. The cliffs and shoreline of Raudfjord also support thriving seabird colonies and surprisingly rich vegetation flourishes in some sheltered places. Woodfjorden – Liefdefjorden Overnight we sail into the photogenic Woodfjorden and towards the mouth of Liefdefjorden to explore the islands of Andøyane. Many common eiders, pink- footed and barnacle geese nest here along with the rare king eider. We hope to sail into Liefdefjorden, cruising along the 5km-long face of the impressive Monaco Glacier. The waters of the glacier front are a favourite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes, northern fulmar, ivory gulls, Arctic terns and on previous voyages we have seen polar bears in this area. Alkefjellet – Lomfjord Today we hope to be in the Hinlopen Strait, keeping an ever-watchful eye out for whales, seals, walrus and polar bears. We plan to cruise the towering dolerite bird cliffs of Alkefjellet, home to hundreds of thousands of Brünnich’s guillemots and a place that provides a free meal of eggs to cunning Arctic fox families! On the western side of Hinlopen Strait, we will attempt a landing in Lomfjorden. This is a good place to stretch the legs and explore the beautiful surroundings. We might see reindeer, Arctic fox and ptarmigan and walk across an exquisite tundra garden of many floral species, including varieties of saxifrages, Arctic bell-heather, moss campions and hairy lousewort. Sjuøyane – Phippsøya In the morning we hope to sail via Lågøya, a known haul-out place for walrus. Encountering a walrus haul-out is a moment you won’t forget! These lumbering giants of the Arctic create a chaotic scene, as each walrus vies for the best spot on the beach. Later we will reach our northernmost point at Phippsøya, in the Seven Islands (Sjuøyane) north of Nordaustlandet. Here we will be above 81 degrees north, just 540 miles from the geographic North Pole. Polar bears inhabit this region, along with the walrus. We love to cruise through the pack-ice for several hours looking for polar bear and other wildlife. Nordaustlandet Depending on the ice situation, we will try to head south-east to explore one of the deep fjords at the top of Nordaustlandet. It is the second largest island in the Svalbard archipelago and is covered by the world’s third largest ice sheet. Around the fringe of the ice cap there is a remarkable polar desert. This freshly eroded landscape, carved by severe frost and glacial activity over several ice ages is a geologists paradise, rich in fossils. Pack-Ice cruising Retracing our route westwards, we plan to sail through and along the pack-ice edge, always on the watch for the mighty polar bear, seals and other wildlife such as the rare Greenland (bowhead) whale. Day 10 - West Spitsbergen We sail into St. Johns Fjord, or head further south to the mouth of Isfjorden and land at Alkhornet. Here there are seabirds nesting on cliffs with Arctic foxes searching the base for fallen eggs and chicks. Meanwhile we hope to see Svalbard reindeer grazing on the relatively luxuriant vegetation. Day 11 - Longyearbyen We arrive in Longyearbyen and disembark in the morning to join our flight south to Oslo and thence home or perhaps spend a little more time around Longyearbyen.