Svalbard/Artic circle

[Articbound]

I’m thinking of doing a visit to Svalbard, doing one of the short 7/10 day cruises to see the wildlife etc.
Anyone who’s done this? Is it worth the (quite considerable) cost? Which ship did you go on? Some of them seem quite big, circa 200 passengers, and I think I’d prefer a smaller one to make it quicker for the zodiac day trips.
Any recommendations of whom to use?
Would be during summer.
Thank you!

My parents have been twice. They went with Noble Caledonia both times. They are quite pricey, but excellent as a company. Their customer service if anything goes wrong is exemplary.

It’s a wonderful trip and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Circumnavigated Spitsbergen. We went with Oceanwide Expeditions. The ship was the Plancius which is about 100 passengers but they also have the Ortelius which does the same route. It’s breathtakingly beautiful and we saw masses of wildlife including polar bears and walrus (they are massive!) and so many birds. Loved every second.

I didn’t go on a cruise but I did stay during polar night, the most amazing experience. Probably my best ever holiday. Enjoy!

I've worked there but not cruised - it's a beautiful place! My PIL went on a cruise - they used Hertigruten and thought it was fantastic.

Another one who has visited Svalbard, but not as a cruise. We were there for the polar twilight. It was fantastic and I'd certainly recommend it.