Our last full day on board, and I genuinely cannot believe how quickly this expedition has gone.

A quick word on where we were. Hornsund is the southernmost fjord in Svalbard, sitting within Sør-Spitsbergen National Park, and it is genuinely one of the most dramatic places we have visited. Majestic peaks and steep walled fjords, with the highest summits often hidden in mist. If the weather plays ball, you might catch a glimpse of Hornsundtind, which rises to 1,431 metres above sea level. Traces of human activity going back over 400 years can be found almost anywhere there is a possible landing site. During the great Russian Arc of Meridian Expedition of 1899 to 1900, scientists working in Gåshamna took trigonometric measurements between latitudes and confirmed what was considered a sensational discovery at the time, that the Earth is flattened at the poles. Quite the place to be standing on for a casual hike.

We woke at 0800, listened to James’ morning announcement, and headed for a hearty breakfast. Breakfast really is lovely on board. Hot and cold options, all dietary needs catered for, and a daily speciality that changes each morning.

Then it was ashore at Gåshamna for our final chance to hike in Svalbard. There was the option of an extra long strenuous walk for those who signed up, with moderate and casual hikers called by deck. We chose casual, and ended up with Dennis again, our resident lichen expert.

To be fair, Dennis seems to be an expert on anything Arctic, but he carries it all with such humility that he is endlessly easy to listen to. We admired purple mountain saxifrage blooming in this freezing Arctic atmosphere, an astonishingly resilient little plant, and spotted antlers, bones, and yet more lichen.

Back on board we were greeted with freshly baked Arctic fox shaped biscuits. So delightful.

And then, the invite I had been hoping for. An invitation to spend our final night on board in one of the ship’s igloos. I had popped our names on the waiting list as soon as we boarded, but with suite guests getting priority I had assumed we had missed our chance. I RSVP’d to reception practically before I had taken my coat off.

A little shopping in the on board store for a new baseball cap and headband, and then a slightly unexpected announcement before lunch. It was time for the polar plunge. I love cold water swimming, but the coldest I had ever managed before was 14°C, so the prospect of an actual polar plunge had me unreasonably excited. Mr NCC had been umming and ahhing, then realised that the umming and ahhing was a sign there was a bit of him that wanted to do it and would regret it if he didn’t. So in we both went.

It was such fun. Patches afterwards saying we had done it, photographs from the National Geographic photographer on the team, and a hot drink waiting back on board. An absolutely brilliant experience.

Lunch followed with a warming soup and a delicious Oslo style pulled pork. Throughout the trip, the photography team have been quietly capturing the cruise, but the lovely thing here is there is no upsell, no pressure, no hard sell of prints like on the bigger ships. Today they were collecting three photos from each guest to put together a guest slideshow for the evening’s recap.

The afternoon was packed. A disembarkation briefing, hired kit returned, a tour of the galley led by the head chef, which was extraordinary given how much food is prepared in such a compact kitchen, and an excellent photography critique session where guests had submitted images for feedback from the professional National Geographic photographers. I had not submitted anything but learnt an enormous amount. The session had originally been planned for earlier in the week, but a certain amount of polar bear admiring had pushed it back.

Afternoon tea was themed around cheese and charcuterie, and I have honestly never seen so much cheese in one place.

A meeting at reception followed for those of us heading to the igloos. We were given a brief on what to expect and a tour of the igloo itself. After dinner, the bed would be filled with hot water bottles. Yes please.

Back to the cabin to pack, with suitcases due outside the cabin door before 0700 on disembarkation morning. The plan was to leave the igloo at 06:30 to do our final checks. Then up to the final recap, with the premiere of the guest slideshow and a Captain’s farewell cocktail party.

Dinner brought one of those moments I will be telling people about for years. Captain Martin and on board research scientist Dr Allison, who appears in the final episode of Pole to Pole with Will Smith on Disney Plus, asked if they could join our table. What followed was an extraordinary evening. They are both fascinating, hugely funny, and the conversation flowed so easily we were the loudest and last table in Two Seven Zero. The food and service were exceptional, but it was the company that made it.

And then, the pièce de résistance of our final night. The igloos sit off the back of the ship and are something genuinely special. We spent some time in the hot tub, then climbed into bed and watched the Arctic scenery drift past the window. What an utterly perfect way to end an utterly perfect adventure.

Would you sign up for the polar plunge, the igloo, or both?

#Svalbard #Hornsund #NatGeoResolution #LindbladExpeditions #NoCruiseControl