Northwest Passage: Greenland to Alaska

Arrive by chartered aircraft in the remote city of Nome, Alaska, on the coast of the Bering Sea. Explore the town prior to embarking the ship. Settle into your cabin and enjoy lunch and dinner on board.

As the ship continues to sail eastward along the northern coast of Alaska, scan the water for marine life and enjoy
life on board. Take a yoga class, unwind with a massage in the wellness center and curl up next to the fireplace in the library. Visit the Bridge and learn about navigation. Relax in one of the twin infinity hot tubs or spend some time in the only igloo at sea. Learn about the area from onboard historians, naturalists and photographers and enjoy exceptional dining options.

Once a thriving whaling village off the coast of the Yukon Territory, Herschel Island is now classified as a Natural Environmental Park. The island protects the wildlife alongside the heritage of the Inuvialuit people and the whaling industry. Wander through this home to the largest colony of black guillemots to see historic dwellings while keeping an eye out for the wildlife residents, which include bears, musk oxen and arctic foxes. The area is also home to the largest colony of black guillemots in the Western Arctic.

Enjoy the ship’s many amenities as she continues along the shores of the Canadian High Arctic. Soak in the ship’s infinity-style outdoor hot tubs, take in panoramic views from the rooftop observation deck, and enjoy talks from onboard experts and reflect on the amazing wildlife and geology seen on the journey so far.

Your ship is purpose-built to ply polar waters, and navigates the Northwest Passage following nature’s path—dependent on ice and weather conditions. Taking cues from nature, follow wildlife, stop for hikes on the tundra,
drop anchor in a beautiful fjord or an icy bay to explore and kayak beneath massive ice sculptures and soaring cliffs.

Along the way, explore ice-studded channels and glacier-carved islands that stretch for hundreds of miles—a stunning display of raw geology; survey the rocky, Mars-like terrain of uninhabited Devon Island; sail past the northernmost part of mainland North America in the Bellot Strait, one of the narrowest and most infamous of the passage; and cross the top of the Northwest Territory of Canada to search for ringed seals, arctic foxes, musk oxen,
walruses and polar bears, as well as beluga and bowhead whales.

History and culture are also on the itinerary. Learn about the Inuit peoples who have hunted and fished
here for thousands of years. And hear heroic stories of the early explorers: Roald Amundsen, John Ross, William Edward Parry and James Clark Ross, among others.

Begin your exploration of the Canadian High Arctic with a visit to the small Inuit community of Pond Inlet, Nunavut. Explore some of the beautiful bays and inlets along Baffin Island’s Lancaster Sound, a favorite Inuit hunting and fishing location for hundreds of years. Carved by Ice Age glaciers, Lancaster Sound is also the eastern gateway to the Arctic Archipelago, where European explorers like William Baffin first ventured in the 17th century to search for the Northwest Passage. Your days here are spent searching for ringed seals, arctic foxes, walruses and polar bears, as well as beluga and bowhead whales. Visit Devon Island and take a walk with the ship’s archaeologist to learn about the Thule people—ancestors of the modern Inuit—that once inhabited this region.

Sail into Qeqertarsuup Tunua, also known as Disko Bay, where you are welcomed by floating icebergs calved off the world’s most active glacier, Sermeq Kujalleq. Enjoy an extraordinary cruise aboard local boats among towering icebergs of the UNESCO World Heritage-designated Ilulissat Icefjord. Visit the town of Ilulissat and hike into the Sermermiut Valley, once an Inuit settlement and now the home to a peaceful boardwalk overlooking the Icefjord. This evening, sail away from the Greenlandic Coast and venture to the west and the Canadian Arctic.

Cruise the length of Kangerlussuaq Fjord en route to Sisimiut. Dozens of deep fjords carve into Greenland’s west coast, many with glaciers fed by the ice cap that covers 80% of the country. At Sisimiut, a former whaling port, enjoy your choice of guided walks through the sights and sounds of the village, including Dog Town or Sallinnguit, a small island with centuries of history from Inuit culture through colonization and current day industry. In your free time, enjoy a local food tasting, visit the open-air museum, or explore the local artisan workshops. The voyage culminates with a farewell dinner on board.

Arrive in the capital city of Greenland, Nuuk. Disembark and take a charter flight to Reykjavik, Iceland. Check into your included hotel near the airport and overnight. In the morning, after breakfast, transfer to the airport for flights home.