Greg Mortimer, 23 Nights Arctic Complete – Svalbard, Greenland & Iceland Cruise ex Reykjavik to Longyearbyen

22 Night Cruise sailing from Reykjavik to Longyearbyen aboard Greg Mortimer. Hotel stay pre-cruise in Reykjavik.

Day 1 Arrive in Reykjavik
Having made your way to Reykjavik, you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred to our group hotel. Upon arrival at your included hotel, please visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk to collect your luggage cabin tags and to speak with our ground operations team, who may have information to share with you about pre-embarkation or to provide you with information about where to dine, withdraw cash or purchase last minute items from a local pharmacy or supermarket.

The remainder of your time is at leisure. All meals today are at your own expense.

Accommodation: Fosshotel Reykjavik (or similar)

Day 2 Embarkation Day
This morning, your luggage will be collected from the hotel and transferred directly to the port for sanitisation, clearance and delivered to your cabin ahead of your arrival on board. Please ensure that your luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labelled with your name and cabin number. Any valuables or personal items should be kept on you throughout the day.

After you have checked-out of your room, enjoy an excursion to famous Golden Circle to experience Iceland’s diverse landscapes like lava fields, geysirs and powerful waterfalls. You will then be transferred to the port for embarkation in the late afternoon. Settle into your cabin before attending important safety briefings and enjoy the thrill of departure as we ‘throw the lines’ and set sail.

This evening, get to know your fellow expeditioners and our friendly Expedition Team and crew at the Welcome Dinner to celebrate the start of a thrilling adventure.

Day 3 Denmark Strait
In the Denmark Strait, we cruise towards Greenland. We will be on the lookout for whale blows and the many seabirds that trail our ship, riding in the constant winds. In our lecture theatre, enjoy informative and entertaining presentations from our experts on topics such as seabirds, wildlife and ice, or catch up on some rest after busy days of travel.

Days 4–10 East Greenland
In the coming days, a host of choices are available to us and, depending on ice and weather conditions, the east coast of Greenland is ours to explore. The members of our experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to tailor our voyage to suit the day-to-day conditions. This allows us to make best use of the prevailing weather, ice conditions and the opportunities for wildlife encounters. We generally attempt up to two landings or Zodiac excursions per day, including cruising along spectacular ice cliffs, following whales feeding near the surface.

Be prepared to experience ice – and lots of it! East Greenland contains some of the Arctic’s most impressive scenery. Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by sharp ice-clad peaks soaring up to 2,000 metres (6,562 feet), and glaciers birthing gigantic icebergs that drift throughout the fjord system, combine to create breathtaking scenes. The tundra landscape is home to musk oxen, arctic hare and reindeer. Throughout the area are ancient Thule archaeological sites, historical trappers’ huts and the cabins of present-day Inuit hunters. A highlight is a visit to the Inuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement in the region and home to approximately 450 inhabitants. The community has an excellent museum, gift shop, an abundance of Greenlandic sled dogs and provides the opportunity to meet the friendly locals.

Explore Scoresbysund, the world’s biggest fjord system and a favourite hunting ground of the local Inuit. Massive glaciers flow into this fjord, the birthplace of hundreds of majestic Greenland icebergs. It is a spectacular place that simply needs to be seen to be believed. North of Scoresbysund lie Kong Oskar and Kaiser Franz Josef fjords, two of the most significant fjord systems in Greenland, each one encompassing several smaller fjords and sounds. Thanks to the fertile volcanic soil and the surrounding mountains offering protection from strong winds, the area is rich in wildlife. You may spot anything from musk ox and arctic foxes to mountain hares, and even reindeer, near the fjord. Look skyward and you could catch a glimpse of birds, including the glaucous gull, black-legged kittiwake, northern fulmar, common raven and common eider.

We will attempt to enter Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, a remote and rarely visited fjord system with countless opportunities for exploration, located within the Northeast Greenland National Park. Cruising through Kong Oskar Fjord, we marvel at the geological beauty of the mountains. We will then head south along the coast of Liverpool Land, with our passage dependent on ice conditions.

We stretch our legs on hikes across tundra in search of ancient graveyards, and summer villages occupied 3,000 years ago by Inuit. We may see musk ox, arctic hare and reindeer grazing. The maze of calm, interconnecting waterways in this area provides excellent opportunities for sea kayaking. We will see ring seals, perhaps catch a glimpse of the elusive narwhal, and maybe even a polar bear hunting on pack ice.

Days 11–12 Greenland Sea
Over the next two days at sea, enjoy informative and entertaining lectures from our expert Expedition Team, including naturalists and historians, before reaching Svalbard’s southeast coast.

Days 13–23 Svalbard
Svalbard offers arctic wilderness at its best. For the next 10 days, our experienced Expedition Team will design our itinerary on a day-to-day basis, choosing the best options given the prevailing weather, sea-ice conditions and the possibility of wildlife encounters.

Phenomenal fjords, magnificent mountains ranges, and a polar desert rich in fossils, set the stage for heroic tales of early exploration. See walrus hauled out on sea ice or on beaches. On land, we stretch our legs on walks across tundra carpeted in brightly coloured wildflowers. We visit towering cliffs noisy with nesting guillemots and puffins, and scree slopes that hold Svalbard’s largest little auk colonies. Most memorable are encounters with the majestic polar bear on pack ice. Your Expedition Team is just as keen as you are to find them and will be on constant watch to spot these inspiring creatures.

If you have chosen an optional activity such as kayaking, you will have an opportunity to enjoy that activity when conditions allow. For those who are enthusiastic to participate in a polar plunge, as soon as conditions are suitable, you will hear the announcement to prepare for an exhilarating dip – a memory you will savour for years to come.

Day 24 Disembark in Longyearbyen
During the early morning we cruise back into Longyearbyen. Farewell your Expedition Team upon disembarkation and enjoy some free time before transferring to the airport to continue your journey.

Note: We do not recommend booking flights departing prior to 12.00 pm on the day of disembarkation, as we may experience delays at the conclusion of the voyage.

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Aurora Expeditions launched their ship, the Greg Mortimer, in time for the Antarctic season in, 2019.

Proudly named after Aurora’s adventurous co-founder, this 104-metre ship is Aurora’s very first, purpose-built expedition vessel. Capable of negotiating the strongest winds and waves, the Greg Mortimer is built to world-class polar standards – designed in close consultation with their expedition specialists, taking advantage of more than 30 years of experience.

Whether it’s adventure, wildlife or simply relaxing that draws you to the planet’s wildest places, the Greg Mortimer will deliver the best expedition cruising experience. The Greg Mortimer will continue to retain Aurora’s ethos and focus on multiple landings, flexible itineraries, environmental sensitivity and family-built atmosphere.

At Aurora Expeditions wilderness is a passion they share with others by taking small groups of like-minded people to some of the most isolated places on our planet. From the polar regions of Antarctica and High Arctic to the wilds of Costa Rica, Scotland, Patagonia and more, Aurora Expeditions aims to create special expedition-style cruises that foster an understanding and appreciation of our natural world.

The Australian-owned adventure company was initially established in the early 1990¹s by adventures Greg Mortimer and Margaret Werner when they began sharing their love of remote places by organising ship-based trips for keen friends and fellow travellers. Their style to push the boundaries¹ has remained unchanged and they are proud of the fact that their spirit of adventure and exploration is as strong as ever. Their adventure activities are proof of this; with many of their voyages offering polar scuba diving, sea kayaking, camping and mountain climbing.

Deeply committed to education and preservation of the environment, Aurora Expeditions were the founding member of both the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) and the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO). All their voyages have expert expedition staff who will help to unlock the wonders of these special places.

Select the Deck to view detail.

Greg Mortimer - Deck 03

Greg Mortimer - Deck 04

Greg Mortimer - Deck 05

Greg Mortimer - Deck 06

Greg Mortimer - Deck 07

Greg Mortimer - Deck 08

Select the Cabin to view detail.

Balcony Stateroom Superior

Deck: 4 & 6 | Quantity: 2 | Cabin size: 28.2m2 – 40.2m2.

Cabin Features

Private en-suite (wheelchair accessible)
Private balcony
Full size window
Desk area
Closet space
Room-controlled thermostat
Room safe
42″ flat-screen TV
Mini bar*

Aurora Stateroom Twin Share

Deck: 3 | Quantity: 15 | Size: 23.2 m2
Cabin Features

Twin or double bed
Private En-suite
Porthole window
Desk area
Closet space

Sofa bed (can sleep 3rd passenger in select cabins)
Room-controlled thermostat
Safe for storing valuables
42″ flat-screen TV

Balcony Stateroom Cat B

Decks: 4 & 6 | Quantity: 58 | Cabin and balcony combined size: 16.1m2 – 21m2. Cabin Features Twin or double bed Private En-suite Floor to ceiling window Desk area Closet space Private balcony Room-controlled thermostat Safe for storing valuables 42″ flat-screen TV

Balcony Stateroom Cat C

Decks: 4 & 6 | Quantity: 58 | Cabin and balcony combined size: 16.1m2 – 21m2. Cabin Features Twin or double bed Private En-suite Floor to ceiling window Desk area Closet space Private balcony Room-controlled thermostat Safe for storing valuables 42″ flat-screen TV

Aurora Stateroom Triple Share

Deck: 3 | Quantity: 15 | Size: 23.2 m2
Cabin Features

Twin or double bed
Private En-suite
Porthole window
Desk area
Closet space

Sofa bed (can sleep 3rd passenger in select cabins)
Room-controlled thermostat
Safe for storing valuables
42″ flat-screen TV

Captain's Suite

Deck: 4 | Quantity: 1 | Cabin and balcony combined size: 44.5 m2. Cabin Features

Twin or double bed
Private en-suite
Full size window
Desk area
Closet space

Private balcony
Room-controlled thermostat
Safe for storing valuables
Seperate lounge area
42″ flat-screen TV

Junior Suite

Deck: 7 | Quantity: 4 | Cabin and balcony combined size: 38.9 m2. Cabin Features

Twin or double bed
Private en-suite
Full size window
Desk area
Closet space

Private balcony
Room-controlled thermostat
Safe for storing valuables
42″ flat-screen TV
Seperate lounge area

Balcony Stateroom Cat A

Decks: 4 & 6 | Quantity: 58 | Cabin and balcony combined size: 16.1m2 – 21m2. Cabin Features

Twin or double bed
Private En-suite
Floor to ceiling window
Desk area
Closet space

Private balcony
Room-controlled thermostat
Safe for storing valuables
42″ flat-screen TV