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7 Night Fjords and Glaciers of Spitsbergen Cruise from Longyearbyen

Ship: Le Lyrial
Cruise Line: Ponant Cruises
Sailed:  Tuesday, Jun 18, 2024 from Longyearbyen, Norway
Ended: Tuesday, Jun 25, 2024
The itinerary information below reflects the original day-by-day port of call schedule for the Tuesday, Jun 18, 2024 departure of the Le Lyrial. If Ponant Cruises modified this itinerary for weather or operational reasons after departing , the modified schedule would not be reflected here.
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Day by Day Summary and Map

Day 1 - Tuesday - Jun 18, 2024
Longyearbyen, Norway
Longyearbyen, Norway     Depart: 6:00 pm
Longyearbyen is the capital of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, located on Svalbard's main island, and is the northernmost territorial capital on the planet. With winter temperatures dropping to below 40C, the landscapes of this mining town are simply breathtaking. The glaciers, the mountains stretching as far as the eye can see, and the untouched nature make you feel like you're in completely unexplored territory.
Day 2 - Wednesday - Jun 19, 2024
Hornsund, Norway      
Nestling between millennial glaciers and carved mountains, and considered to be "the crown of Arctic Norway", Spitsbergen is a place that never sees the night during a Northern Hemisphere summer. Your ship will take you closer to this fascinating archipelago and, more particularly, the Hornsund fjord. Considered to be Svalbard's southernmost fjord, it is especially reputed to be its most stunning: at the end of its vast bay, eight great glaciers slowly make their way down to the sea before giving way to the many icebergs elegantly drifting along its cold and mysterious waters.
Day 3 - Thursday - Jun 20, 2024
Bellsund, Norway      
You will head to the Bellsund fjord to follow in the footsteps of the first explorers who came from the Norwegian coast, or those of the many fur traders seeking game and trophies. Boasting astonishingly rich wildlife, the arms of the fjord separate to form two lush valleys. Give free rein to your imagination in the heart of this majestic natural environment where time seems to stand still.
Day 4 - Friday - Jun 21, 2024
At Sea
At Sea      
Your captain will sail right up to the limit of the ice, to the edge of the ice floe. Weather conditions and state of the ice allowing, you will be able to go out in a zodiac dinghy for a unique experience in the middle of these floating slabs of ice. In addition to this grandiose journey through the middle of these floes with their cut and blue-tinged edges, sometimes over 2 meters thick, it is also often an opportunity to see a particular kind of fauna, totally dependent on the ice floe: birds, seals, and polar bears.
Day 5 - Saturday - Jun 22, 2024
Idabukta, Svalbard, Norway
Idabukta, Svalbard, Norway      
Texas Bar, Norway      
Despite the name given to the place, we are neither in Texas nor in a bar; it is actually an unusual place in the High Arctic. Texas Bar is a former trapper's hut that was used by Arctic fox and polar bear hunters in the past. The hut, still in place, has a rudimentary interior with bunkbeds and kitchen utensils. Located at the entrance to Liefdefjorden (the "fjord of love"), it stands peacefully in a landscape of hills covered with moss, lichen, and flowers. The cliffs with their changing colours, very frequented by birds, complete the beauty of the panorama. Take a little hike up the slopes and admire the superb view over the Monaco Glacier, which is further south.
Day 6 - Sunday - Jun 23, 2024
Raudfjord, Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway, Norway
Raudfjord, Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway, Norway      
Raudfjorden means "red fjord" from the colour of the sandstone of the surrounding mountains. Along the west coast of this 20 km fjord, dissected by many shallow bays, you will be able to admire some of Spitsbergen's most spectacular ice formations. At the extremity of the fjord, two offshoots lead to the magnificent glaciers of Chauveaubreen and Raudfjordbreen which is 3 km wide. To the east, Alicehamna Beach on Bruceneset Cape has seen trappers, fishermen, and explorers arrive for centuries, as evidenced by the "Raudfjordhytta" - the cabin of a Swedish trapper built in 1927.
Smeerenburg, Norway      
Located at the far north-west of the Svalbard archipelago, at the intersection of oceanic and Arctic influences, Smeerenburg is a former Dutch whaling colony on the southern part of Amsterdam Island. In a landscape of hills with steep slopes, plateaux, lakes, and lagoons, you will anchor at a sandy beach. Dotted with driftwood and the remains of ovens that were used to melt the whale blubber, this is one of Spitsbergen's most important archaeological sites. At the height of the whaling activity, 200 men worked here and several are buried here.
Day 7 - Monday - Jun 24, 2024
Ny Alesund, Norway      
During your cruise, discover Ny-Alesund, a former mining town that has been transformed into a scientific base. Founded in 1916, this small town was the departure point for many Arctic expeditions, including those of the famous explorer Roald Amundsen. Don't miss a visit to the museum and its famous post office, considered to be the most northerly in the world!
14th of July Glacier, Norway      
Day 8 - Tuesday - Jun 25, 2024
Longyearbyen, Norway
Longyearbyen, Norway      
Longyearbyen is the capital of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, located on Svalbard's main island, and is the northernmost territorial capital on the planet. With winter temperatures dropping to below 40C, the landscapes of this mining town are simply breathtaking. The glaciers, the mountains stretching as far as the eye can see, and the untouched nature make you feel like you're in completely unexplored territory.