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Akademik Ioffe
Wild flowers
The Adventure Fleet
As a recent acquisition of Quark, the Adventure
Fleet’s specialist vessels conduct a programme of
cruises that includes Arctic Canada, Greenland and
the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, focusing on
wildlife, local culture, walking and even specialist
photography cruises. The company prides itself on
its minimal impact on the environment, going
beyond established best practice and setting new
standards for others to follow. Guests spend as
much time off the ship as possible, using a fleet of
sturdy, inflatable zodiacs that are used to take
them on excursions to match their special interests.
Flexibility is the byword here, with specialist –
and often award-winning – guides to focus on
ornithology, geology, history, marine biology, botany,
astronomy, anthropology, hiking and photography.
Sea kayaking spaces are limited and so an interest
must be expressed at the time of booking.
Spitsbergen Explorer
From June to August this 11-day cruise focuses
on the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, a remote
cluster of islands set high above the Arctic Circle.
The voyage circumnavigates the major island of
Spitsbergen and sails as far north as 81 degrees,
meeting polar bears, walrus and beluga whales.
Glaciers, colossal fjords and ice-capped mountains
rise from the sea whilst the tundra blazes with a
Inuit hunters
plethora of wildflowers. Specific highlights
include the walrus sanctuary of Moffen Island,
Hornsund’s 14 glaciers flowing into the sea, the
birdlife of Fuglesangen cliffs, a 16th century
whaling station, the world’s most northerly post
office and Virgohamna, staging point for many
expeditions to the North Pole by explorers
including Roald Amundsen.
Northwest Passage Cruise
This journey aims, over 13 days, to follow the
journey completed by Roald Amundsen, who first
successfully navigated the Northwest Passage in
1905. Along a route that is littered with evidence
of ill-fated expeditions your journey will visit Inuit
communities and provide wonderful wildlife
viewing. South of Resolute, Peel Sound is a likely
place to find the narwhal and beluga, while King
William Island, is where Franklin died after his
ships Erebus and Terror became stuck in pack ice.
The Inuit community of Cambridge Bay, where
Amundsen over-wintered is a great area for
sighting polar bears. Although it is said that the
fastest way through ice is around it, the captain
will ensure that you experience the thrill of icebreaking
before heading back to Cambridge Bay.
AKADEMIK IOFFE
Built in Scandinavia in the late 1980s by the Russian
Academy of Science, the 117 metre Akademik
Ioffe is exceptionally well prepared for cruising in
the Arctic. She has a crew of 53 and can take up
to 110 guests. All the simple but tastefully furnished
cabins have an outside view through porthole or
window and have either shared or en suite
facilities. There is a lounge/bar, restaurant, gym,
sauna, swimming pool, and a theatre-style
presentation room where the ships resident
experts give lectures. The ‘open bridge’ policy
means passengers can, at any time, visit the bridge
to enjoy the views and glean insights from the
officers of the watch. The ship carries inflatable
zodiacs for viewing wildlife and excursions ashore,
as well as a small number of sea kayaks.
Ringed plover
Arctic Expedition Cruising
Telephone: 01993 838 700
85