Arctic cruising 2017

The world really is one ocean – but the region YourLifeChoices writers are keenest to explore is the Canadian Arctic and East Coast.

One Ocean Expeditions has just released seven life changing adventures, ranging from nine nights to 12, onboard small expedition cruise ships, Akademik Ioffe/One Ocean Navigator, and the Akademik Sergey Vavilov/One Ocean Voyager. Both vessels boast state-of-the-art radar, communication and navigation systems and can literally ‘turn on a dime’ to catch views of a pod of whales should it suddenly appear.

All cruises feature visits to amazing ice-filled harbours, Arctic wildlife including sea birds, marine mammals and polar bears and cultural experiences with locals including fabled Inuit people. It’s difficult to pick a favourite One Ocean cruise, so we have chosen two for our bucket list.

First-up is Canada’s East Coast ‘Fins and Fiddles’ cruise, which is a 10-night exploration of Canada’s Maritime Provinces. This cruise visits small communities and remote fishing ports, celebrating the food, music and Celtic traditions of Nova Scotia, Sable Island, Newfoundland and Cape Breton to name just a few ports of call. Daily shore excursions with experienced guides and guaranteed wildlife spotting make this a memorable adventure.

And for those with a couple of more days to spare, the Eastbound Classic Northwest Passage is a truly iconic expedition voyage. It follows in the footsteps of time-honoured Arctic explorers including Franklin, Amundsen and Larsen, exploring Canada’s high Arctic region, home to the polar bear, barren ground grizzly, musk ox, caribou and walrus. Huge icebergs await the ship as it berths in Greenland, where coastal fishing communities offer unforgettable hospitality.

Excited? So are we! So check out more details and sailing dates and we hope to see you onboard …