Longyearbyen Cruises: Top Sailing Tours & Arctic Adventures

Thinking of going to Longyearbyen for an Arctic adventure? Longyearbyen, located in Svalbard, Norway, that is, gives folks awesome chances to experience the wild beauty of the Arctic. One of the very great ways to do this, actually, is by jumping on a cruise or a sailing tour. You get unique viewpoints and, actually, a chance to get up close with the area’s icebergs, wildlife, and stark landscapes. To get you headed in the right direction, it’s almost good to have a peek at the top choices that are actually on offer.

1. The Classic Spitsbergen Voyage

The “Classic Spitsbergen Voyage”, often an offering from Hurtigruten or similar lines, really gives a broad glimpse into what Spitsbergen is like. You will probably spend a good deal of time moving through fjords, for example, like the breathtaking Isfjorden. They’ll probably point out different birds or something as you sail. This gives amazing chances, for instance, to capture images of soaring seabirds and maybe, potentially, even the elusive polar bear, so you want to bring a camera. It’s almost essential, really. Usually, these voyages hang around for seven days, that is, and often head out from Longyearbyen itself. Landings for hikes and trips to places that hold significance historically give folks some variety.

What Makes it Great: The length, that is, is spot-on for really soaking everything in. Also, the mix of seeing nature and exploring older stuff helps make it unforgettable.

Read our full review: Spitsbergen Voyage Cruise Full Review and Details See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Classic Spitsbergen Voyage)

2. North Spitsbergen Explorer

The “North Spitsbergen Explorer” is a very specialized tour, by the way. It emphasizes getting into the wilder areas of Spitsbergen’s north. As a matter of fact, many tours shoot for places like Magdalenefjorden, with its stark glacier scenery, or they’ll go to Moffen Island, very known for its walrus population. These kinds of adventures normally happen on smaller ships. These help in navigating rough spots. Zodiac trips for, you know, getting very close to glaciers and wildlife become highlights, very. Lasting normally around 10-12 days, this gives folks, maybe, more time out in the more distant spots around Svalbard. That being said, the schedule has wiggle room in it. That’s mainly to suit ever-changing ice and weather. You know, in the Arctic, it’s always shifting a bit.

What Makes it Great: That this offers deeper dives into what Svalbard holds makes the trip especially great for wildlife enthusiasts and anyone seeking some quiet, something pretty remarkable.

Read our full review: North Spitsbergen Explorer Cruise Full Review and Details See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (North Spitsbergen Explorer)

3. Arctic Fjord Sailing Adventure

There is something especially enchanting with sailing along the fjords in some boat that is smaller. Trips of this sort aim, you know, for a vibe that’s more private. The whole thing, by the way, will have an appeal to those wanting personal exploration. Set sailing towards Templefjorden gives a very special sight because you might see the sheer face of, that is, the Temple Mountain. You could even stop at abandoned trapper huts. Spotting wildlife from the ship with few people, something more common in this sort of setting, helps make you really feel like part of what is, actually, Svalbard’s magic.

What Makes it Great: A smaller setting tends to allow for customizing the trip depending on guest desire and prevailing conditions, more or less securing a super memorable experience.

Read our full review: Arctic Fjord Sailing Adventure Full Review and Details See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Arctic Fjord Sailing)

4. Photography-Focused Expeditions

For the passionate photographer hoping to record Svalbard through lens and, obviously, filters, that is, photo-oriented trips come in handy a bunch. These, you see, adventures make certain stops with good backgrounds, very much taking advantage of prime lighting. They schedule trips with guides knowledgeable in taking stellar landscapes, just so you know. They will probably show how settings capture glaciers well. Other sessions probably handle the trickier areas, you know, getting polar bears, if you should see one, or midnight sunlight exposure stuff. You are going to get useful technical know-how specific, actually, for conditions in the Arctic, I imagine. Very, actually, niche.

What Makes it Great: Photo trips focus on fine-tuning picture skills on site and, you know, leaving with portfolio-quality Arctic pictures. Pretty amazing.

Read our full review: Svalbard Photography Expeditions Full Review and Details See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Photography Expeditions)

5. Icebreaker Cruise to the North Pole

Going for the North Pole while stopping off in Longyearbyen on an icebreaker becomes a true once-in-a-lifetime sort of deal. Only mighty, hardy vessels that, obviously, crunch and force their way past heavy ice offer passengers expeditions, so bring gear for really extreme situations. Along the ride, stops for taking pictures in crazy isolated spots, potentially dropping by Russian stations on ice-locked territory, are sometimes options. This isn’t like other travels in that you’re often standing very far north geographically from any other tourists.

What Makes it Great: Travelers who crave both extremes and impressive achievement find value, generally, in pushing for what lies past common tourist regions and in securing bragging rights among their travel groups, you see?

Read our full review: Icebreaker North Pole Cruise Full Review and Details See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Icebreaker Cruise)

Longyearbyen Cruise Essentials: Preparing for Your Voyage

So, before you make tracks up north for any one of these cool Longyearbyen sail adventures, keep preparations well in mind, especially those relating to Arctic climates, so you remain relaxed throughout that, potentially, costly endeavor:

Gear Recommendations:

• Layers are Key. Seriously think base thermals; wool shirts in the middle. As it happens, it all should breathe nicely while also warming sufficiently in frigid settings.
• Outerwear should shield wind and repel fluids. Coats that break gusts work wonderfully as do water shedding or perhaps proofing, as many now call it.
• Strong foot gear is necessary. It helps if waterproof too, just so snowmelt, water drops etc aren’t much bothersome, you know?
• Bring good optics. Those polar bears seem small at large range; get strong magnification in some handheld binocular thing that won’t weight much overall on trip.
• Camera equipment matters greatly if, like, photos are prime here. Bring protection for sudden bad sprays plus power reserves considering it turns so awfully cold, something common really!

Health Precautions and Safety Considerations:

• Be sure coverage maps international territories, also includes the Arctic zones, okay?
• Pack what gets you going during periods you spend sitting. Standing constantly when glaciers glaze past looks hard.
• Obey ship’s guide totally, and totally be aware those regulations are designed solely to protect visitors throughout dangerous zones. If, possibly, wildlife looks agitated nearby just listen always instead of making impulsive moves of sorts.
• Pay good notice towards ice reports, weather projections plus anything trip management suggests; things change remarkably when latitude numbers approach apex.

Read our full review: Longyearbyen Cruise Essentials Full Review and Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Cruises & Sailing Tours in Longyearbyen

Read our full review: FAQs Longyearbyen Cruises Full Review and Details