Meet Arctic Royalty

Meet Arctic Royalty The Polar Bears of Svalbard Viewing animals in an animal park can be fun and educational, but seeing them in their natural environment is an entirely different â€" and incredibly dramatic â€" experience. That’s especially true for the polar bear, known as the ‘King of the Arctic’. To truly appreciate these 2,000-pound, 10-foot-long beasts, one needs to see them in their natural habitat. Such as the Svalbard archipelago, a setting as majestic as the bears themselves. If you want a chance to see these magnificent creatures in a place where polar bears outnumber people, these voyages are better than the average bear. SPECIAL OFFER Save on 5 Summer 2017 Departures on the Essential Spitsbergen Voyage On the MS Nordstjernen Better Than a Bear Hug One of the best ways to see a polar bear is aboard the MS Nordstjernen, a classic ship that's been restored and modified especially for Arctic travel. you will travel in nostalgic splendor on an intimate ship with only 71 cabins and brass and wood interiors, and be on the lookout for the ‘ice bear’ (isbjørn in Norwegian). Right now, you can save 10% per person* on five select summer 2017 departures on the essential voyage to magical, remote Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. Learn More Get Your Bearings Named after its main island, the MS Spitsbergen circumnavigates the Svalbard archipelago. you will have the chance to view polar bears and amazing bird cliffs as well as visit some of the smaller islands in the Svalbard archipelago, such as Kvitøya, the easternmost island in the archipelago, where 98% of the island is covered by glacier. Grin and Bear It Seeing a polar bear on Spitsbergen? Wow! Seeing a polar bear on Spitsbergen under the magical light of the midnight sun? Triple wow! This summer 2018 voyage gives you the opportunity to discover the Svalbard archipelago at a very special time of year, explore nature reserves and national parks, and travel all the way to the 80th parallel. THE BEAR ESSENTIALS • 1 to 4.5 â€" Inches of insulating fat on a polar bear. • 25 â€" Top speed (mph) that a polar bear can run. • 40 â€" Distance in miles that a polar bear can smell prey. • 31,000 â€" Estimated global population of the polar bear. • 3,500 â€" Estimated population of the polar bear on the Svalbard archipelago. Bear None Even when the polar bears are feeling shy, you will find something adventurous to do on Spitsbergen during every season. In the winter, they'll snowmobile under the northern lights. They'll take an ice-caving tour in the spring. In the summer, they'll take a kayaking trip on the Adventfjord. And fall is a terrific time to dog sled on wheels or follow in a trapper’s footprints. Learn More Bear Witness With only one night on land and the rest at sea, this voyage on the MS Nordstjernen will offer you plenty of chances to see polar bears. They will also see glaciers and fjords, and visit Ny-Ã…lesund, home to international research stations studying the High Arctic environment. If wind and ice conditions allow, we’ll travel to Moffen island, popular with walrus.