Intrepid to offer Arctic cruises

Intrepid Travel already offers trips to more than 100 countries on all seven continents, and it has now announced that it will offer two departures to the Arctic in June 2014.

Beginning in Longyearbyen, Intrepid’s 11-day Spitsbergen Explorer itinerary will explore the western edge of Svalbard and venture to outlying northern areas. Passengers will see the hunting grounds of polar bears, watch walrus in their natural habitat, witness puffins and colonies of rare seabirds numbering into the thousands, and scan the Arctic Sea for whales.

Travelling in June is the ideal time to observe the Arctic’s abundance of wildlife and experience continuous sunlight, with summer temperatures ranging from -10°C to +10°C.

For those wishing to get closer to the action, there are options for snowshoeing to a historic memorial for 17th and 18th Century whalers, and sea-kayaking to more isolated pockets of Spitsbergen.

As well as incredible wildlife, the Arctic tundra can be surprisingly colourful in summer with wildflowers, and a resident photographer is on board to help passengers make the most of this photographer’s paradise.

In keeping with Intrepid’s commitment to responsible travel, the cruise ship uses a clean burning fuel with low emissions, conforms to regulations on disposal of waste at sea, serves only sustainable seafood on board, uses only eco-friendly laundry chemicals, and provides passengers with complimentary re-usable water bottles and Fair Trade refreshments.

Prices start from £3,695pp for a triple cabin and £4,965pp for a main deck twin cabin, including most meals (10 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 9 dinners) and complimentary refreshments. Every cabin has an exterior view and passengers travelling solo can opt to share a cabin with a fellow passenger if they do not wish to pay a single supplement.

Visit intrepidtravel.com/marine/polar for more details on the itinerary and cabins.