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Arctic cruise
tips & insights
Top
Arctic cruise appeals
Here are popular dos-and-sees:
Wildlife
Polar bears
Whales
Caribous or reindeers
Walruses
Arctic birds
Landscapes
Icebergs
Glaciers
Waterfalls
Volcanoes
Geothermal springs
Activities
Sightseeing
Photographing
Hiking
Kayaking
And ...
Midnight sun
Natives & cultures
Arctic cruise length
Single-nation cruises usually last about week. Those encompassing multiple countries typically range 12 to 24 days.
Ship size
Small and medium are the best for Arctic cruising. However, if a ship is too small, it won't handle rough open-sea weather well. Neither will converted research and icebreaker ships because of their shallow, rounded hulls.
Guides
Your cruise will be only as good as the quality of the expedition leader & staff, onboard lecturers, and shore excursion guides.
Definition of "Arctic"
There are two widely accepted definitions:
All the sea and land
north of the Arctic Circle. (See red circle on first-page map.)
Everything
north of the tree line.
The first definition is precise (a perfect circle). The second isn't. The distance of the tree line to the North Pole varies from place to place due to climactic conditions,
Iceland qualifies for the second definition, but just misses the first. That's why I prefer the second. It's truer to the traveler's experience.
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