If you’re considering an Arctic expedition cruise, you might be wondering what it is actually like.

How different is it from a traditional cruise? What happens each day? Are you constantly getting into Zodiacs? How close do you really get to the wildlife? And what happens when the weather, sea ice or wildlife changes the plan?

I recently travelled around Svalbard aboard National Geographic Resolution with Lindblad Expeditions, exploring one of the most remote regions of the High Arctic.

It was very different from a traditional cruise.

There were no conventional port days to work around, and some mornings we woke up not knowing exactly what the day would bring. Wildlife, weather and ice conditions could change the plan, sometimes while we were already out exploring.

Over the course of the expedition, we travelled by Zodiac, made remote landings, launched kayaks from the side of the ship and paddled through the Arctic Ocean around icebergs, walked on Arctic sea ice and watched polar bears, walrus and whales.

I even spent a night sleeping in one of the ship’s expedition igloos.

This guide explores what an Arctic expedition cruise is really like, from Zodiac landings and changing itineraries to wildlife encounters, activities and everyday life aboard an expedition ship.

What Is an Arctic Expedition Cruise?

An Arctic expedition cruise is less about travelling between traditional cruise ports and more about exploring the environment and wildlife around you.

In Svalbard, that can mean sailing amongst glaciers and sea ice, searching for wildlife, heading out on Zodiac safaris and making landings in remote locations where there are no roads, towns or conventional tourist facilities.

Rather than walking down a gangway into a cruise terminal, you may find yourself climbing into a Zodiac from the side of the ship and heading towards a remote shoreline. On other days, the Zodiac safari itself is the experience, exploring from the water and looking for wildlife without going ashore at all.

The itinerary is deliberately flexible. Weather, sea conditions, ice and wildlife can all influence where the ship goes and what you do when you get there. A planned landing may change, a Zodiac safari might take you somewhere unexpected, or the ship may alter course because wildlife has been spotted.

That doesn’t mean the itinerary isn’t carefully planned. The expedition team is constantly assessing conditions and looking for the best opportunities available that day.

You need to approach an Arctic expedition cruise a little differently from a traditional cruise. The places listed on the itinerary give you an idea of where you might explore, while the conditions you encounter once you’re there ultimately help shape the experience.

For me, that unpredictability became one of the most exciting parts of expedition cruising.

What Does a Typical Day on a Svalbard Expedition Cruise Look Like?

One of the most exciting things about expedition cruising is that there really isn’t a typical day.

You might wake up surrounded by sea ice, spend the morning on a Zodiac safari looking for wildlife, make a remote landing in the afternoon or suddenly find plans changing because a polar bear has been spotted.

During my Svalbard expedition, no two days felt the same. We walked on Arctic sea ice, visited enormous bird cliffs, watched walrus resting on the shoreline and kayaked amongst icebergs in the Arctic Ocean.

Polar bears were something we searched for from the ship, with the expedition team and guests constantly watching the surrounding landscape and sea ice for signs of them. We were incredibly fortunate to see four during our expedition.

Sightings can never be guaranteed on an Arctic expedition cruise. These are wild animals living in a vast natural environment, after all, and there’s no way of knowing exactly where or when they might appear.

Whenever we went ashore, polar bear safety was taken extremely seriously. Everyone remained alert and the expedition leaders carried firearms as a precaution in case a polar bear came too close.

Every day involved at least two activities. That might mean a hike ashore followed by a Zodiac safari, kayaking and a landing, or two different hikes in completely different locations. When we went ashore, hikes were usually divided into relaxed, medium and strenuous groups. The difference was explained to us brilliantly: the relaxed group was more talk, less walk, while the strenuous group was more walk, less talk.

We generally chose the relaxed option. Having travelled all that way with National Geographic experts, it seemed almost rude not to stop and hear them share their knowledge about the wildlife, landscape, geology and history we were exploring.

Each evening, everyone would gather in the lounge for a whole ship recap of what we had experienced and seen during the day. Members of the expedition team would share their knowledge and help put some of those sightings and experiences into context.

The recap was followed by a briefing for the following day’s exploration. We would hear what the expedition team hoped we might be doing and where we might be exploring, always with the understanding that conditions could change those plans.

You might go to bed with an idea of what tomorrow will bring. In Svalbard, however, you never quite know what you’ll wake up to.

Getting Ashore: Zodiacs and Remote Landings

Zodiacs are a huge part of an Arctic expedition cruise. They aren’t simply used to transport you from the ship to shore. Zodiac safaris can be an activity in their own right, taking you closer to the landscape and wildlife and into places the expedition ship can’t reach.

On National Geographic Resolution, we boarded the Zodiacs directly from Base Camp at the side of the ship. Life jackets were compulsory and waterproof clothing quickly became part of the daily routine.

For landings, the Zodiac would take us from the ship to a remote shoreline, often somewhere with no jetty, harbour or infrastructure at all. Depending on the location, you could be stepping out onto a beach, rocks or into shallow water before beginning your exploration ashore.

Zodiac safaris were completely different. Instead of heading somewhere to get off, the Zodiac became your way of exploring. We travelled around icebergs, along remote coastlines and towards wildlife, always maintaining an appropriate distance.

Being so low to the water gives you a completely different perspective from watching from the ship. You notice the scale of the ice and landscape around you, and there’s always that sense that you don’t quite know what you might see next.

The expedition team drove the Zodiacs, and this was another opportunity to learn from them. They weren’t simply taking us from A to B. They would point things out, explain what we were seeing and stop when there was something worth spending more time looking at.

By the end of the expedition, climbing into a Zodiac had simply become part of everyday life. Some of the most memorable moments of the entire trip happened in those little boats.

Wildlife Watching on an Arctic Expedition Cruise

Wildlife is one of the biggest reasons many people travel to Svalbard, although an Arctic expedition isn’t a trip where sightings can be scheduled or guaranteed.

You’re entering the animals’ natural environment, and part of the experience is simply not knowing what you might see.

From very early on day one, we learnt that your binoculars and camera went everywhere with you around the ship. Wildlife watching wasn’t confined to organised excursions. Everyone was constantly looking towards the water, coastline and sea ice, and the expedition team and officers were always watching too.

A lecture could suddenly be interrupted because wildlife had been spotted. Everyone would get up and head outside to see it, then return once the sighting had passed and the lecture would simply continue.

The same applied at dinner. If a polar bear was spotted, you might find the whole table abandoning their meal, grabbing binoculars and cameras and heading outside, before returning some time later to carry on with dinner.

We saw four polar bears during our expedition, including a mother and her cub, as well as walrus, whales, Arctic reindeer and an extraordinary variety of birdlife.

Some encounters were seen from the ship, while others happened during Zodiac safaris or while exploring ashore. At times, wildlife became the reason plans changed completely.

The National Geographic experts added another dimension to those encounters. Rather than simply telling us what we’d spotted, they could explain the behaviour we were watching and help us understand the animals within the wider Arctic environment.

Wildlife watching doesn’t necessarily stop when you go to bed either. We didn’t have any overnight wildlife sightings during our voyage, although guests could choose to have important sightings announced into their cabin overnight.

With the midnight sun bringing continuous daylight to Svalbard during the summer months, wildlife certainly doesn’t know that it’s 3am. If something extraordinary appears while you’re asleep, you can choose whether you’d rather be woken up for it or hear all about it at breakfast.

You do need to arrive with realistic expectations. Seeing a polar bear, whale or any other wild animal can never be promised. That uncertainty makes the moments when something does appear even more exciting.

Walking on Arctic Sea Ice

One of the most extraordinary experiences of our Svalbard expedition was stepping off National Geographic Resolution and walking on Arctic sea ice.

The experience actually began long before we left the ship. National Geographic Resolution slowly made her way into the ice, while up on the bridge we watched members of the team carefully surveying the surrounding area for polar bears.

Once the area had been declared safe, the first expedition team headed off the ship and onto the ice. They carried out further safety assessments before setting up a safe walking route of around half a kilometre for guests to follow.

Only once all of those checks had been completed were we able to leave the ship and step onto the frozen Arctic Ocean ourselves.

The expedition team were positioned around the route while we explored, keeping watch and ensuring everyone remained within the designated safe area.

National Geographic photographers were also out on the ice to capture the experience. They were happy to take your photograph professionally, or use your own camera or phone to take pictures for you.

The professional photographs were then available digitally on the ship at no additional cost. There was no photography package or upsell involved, which made it easy to come away with some fantastic photographs of an experience that would otherwise be rather difficult to capture together.

Standing on the sea ice with National Geographic Resolution behind us was quite surreal. Beneath our feet was the Arctic Ocean, while around us stretched an enormous landscape of ice and snow.It was also a perfect example of why flexibility matters so much on an expedition cruise.

Walking on sea ice isn’t something that can simply be printed on an itinerary months before you travel. The ice has to be present, accessible and safe, and the expedition team needs to be satisfied that conditions are suitable before anyone steps onto it.

If the opportunity arises, it’s one of those experiences that makes you appreciate just how far removed an Arctic expedition cruise is from an ordinary cruise holiday. You aren’t simply looking at the Arctic from the ship. For a little while, you’re standing right in the middle of it.

Kayaking in the Arctic Ocean

Kayaking gives you a completely different way to experience the Arctic.

On National Geographic Resolution, the kayaks are launched directly from the side of the ship, and getting into one was much easier than I had expected.

You wear your Arctic muck boots, so there’s no need to worry about getting your feet wet. A metal platform is secured between two Zodiacs alongside the ship, sitting just beneath the surface of the water. You step onto the platform, with the water remaining below the top of your boots, then simply swing your legs into the kayak.

It wasn’t difficult at all. I’m larger sized and my husband is over six feet tall, and neither of us had any trouble getting into or out of the kayaks. Before setting off, each kayaker is given a safety beacon to wear around their neck over their life jacket. If the beacon becomes submerged, it automatically sends an emergency alert to the rescue boat and the bridge so that help can reach you immediately.

Thankfully, we didn’t have the opportunity to test that particular piece of equipment!Once you’re out on the water, you’re free to paddle and explore within the designated area rather than having an expedition team member alongside you.

Safety Zodiacs slowly move around the area, with the expedition team keeping an eye on everyone from a distance. They were also careful not to create unnecessary swell as they moved between the kayaks, leaving the experience wonderfully peaceful.

Being so close to the water changes your perspective completely. Instead of looking down from the decks of the ship or travelling in a Zodiac, you’re sitting just above the surface of the ocean, paddling amongst icebergs with the Arctic landscape surrounding you.

Without an engine running, you can simply paddle, stop for a while and take in where you are. The scale of the landscape somehow feels even greater when you’re seeing it from a little kayak in the middle of the Arctic Ocean.

Like so many activities on an Arctic expedition cruise, kayaking is dependent on weather, sea and ice conditions. It isn’t something that can be guaranteed to happen at a particular time or location.

When conditions allow and the opportunity arises, it’s absolutely worth taking.

Not every memorable Arctic experience needs to involve a long hike or a dramatic wildlife encounter.

Sometimes simply floating quietly amongst the icebergs is enough.

The Expedition Team Changes the Experience

The expedition team can make an enormous difference to an Arctic expedition cruise. On our Svalbard voyage, the team included specialists in wildlife, geology, history, marine life and photography, bringing different areas of expertise to everything we encountered.

You don’t only hear from them during formal lectures on the ship. When you step ashore, you’re exploring alongside them. They might point out something you would otherwise have walked straight past, explain the geology of the landscape around you or help you understand the behaviour of the wildlife you’re watching.

This is where choosing between the relaxed, medium and strenuous hikes can make a real difference to your experience. If you choose a relaxed hike, there’s more time to stop, ask questions and listen to the experts as you explore. The faster groups cover more ground, naturally leaving less time for those longer conversations along the way.

For us, the choice was easy. Having travelled all the way to Svalbard with National Geographic experts, it seemed a shame not to take advantage of the opportunity to learn from them. That access continues back on board.

The expedition team weren’t hidden away between excursions. You would see them around the ship, at meals and in the lounges, and could ask questions about something you’d seen earlier in the day. There were also lectures and the evening recaps, where different members of the team could take a sighting or experience from that day and explain much more about it.

You don’t need to arrive in Svalbard already knowing everything about Arctic wildlife, geology or history. Part of the experience is having people around you who can help you understand what you’re seeing as you discover it.

What Happens When You’re Back on the Ship?

Returning to the ship doesn’t mean the expedition has finished for the day. National Geographic Resolution is designed to keep you connected to what’s happening outside. Large windows, observation spaces and outside decks mean the Arctic landscape remains very much part of your day, even when you’re not out exploring.

One of the best places to experience this is the open bridge. When operations allow (which for our epedition seemed to be 24/7 ) , you can walk onto the bridge, watch the officers navigate through the Arctic and see exactly what they’re seeing ahead of the ship.

It’s also one of the best places for wildlife spotting. The officers and expedition team are constantly watching the water, coastline and ice, and you soon find yourself doing exactly the same. There are binoculars available, screens showing navigational information and plenty of opportunities to ask questions about what is happening around you.

There is even a sofa. We spent many evenings sitting there, watching the Arctic landscape through the bridge windows and keeping an eye out for wildlife. It became one of our favourite places on the entire ship.

Elsewhere on board, you can relax in the Observation Lounge, head outside and relax by the fire pits with your binoculars, attend a lecture or simply enjoy some downtime between activities. And you’ll probably need some. With at least two opportunities to explore each day, lectures, evening recaps and wildlife sightings capable of interrupting almost anything, an Arctic expedition can be surprisingly busy.

The difference from a traditional cruise is that even your downtime can still feel connected to the destination. You might sit down intending to relax with a drink.Just keep your binoculars nearby.

Is an Arctic Expedition Cruise Physically Demanding?

You don’t need to be an athlete to enjoy an Arctic expedition cruise, although you should expect it to be more active than a traditional cruise. The amount of activity can also be more flexible than you might imagine.

On our Svalbard expedition, hikes were divided into relaxed, medium and strenuous groups, allowing you to choose an option that suited how much ground you wanted to cover. As we were told on board, relaxed meant more talk and less walk, while strenuous meant more walk and less talk.

You don’t have to choose the same level every day either. You can decide which activity suits you depending on the location, conditions and how you’re feeling that day. There are some practical considerations. You’ll need to be able to get in and out of Zodiacs, walk on uneven and sometimes wet terrain and cope with cold, wind and changing weather conditions.

Walking poles are incredibly useful on the uneven Arctic terrain. You can bring your own, or on National Geographic Resolution you could borrow one or two from the ship. Even if your mobility is normally excellent, I’d recommend using at least one walking pole. Landings can be uneven underfoot, and once ashore the Arctic tundra isn’t necessarily flat or predictable. Having a pole gives you that little bit of extra stability and makes exploring much more comfortable.

Some activities may also be more accessible than they initially sound. Getting into a kayak, for example, was far easier than I had imagined thanks to the platform used alongside the ship. An expedition isn’t about proving how far or how quickly you can walk.

Choosing a gentler hike doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting a lesser experience. You may actually spend longer with an expert examining wildlife, plants, geology or something else you would have marched straight past on a faster hike.

If mobility or fitness is a concern, look carefully at the requirements of the particular ship and itinerary before booking, as expedition activities and accessibility can vary. The aim isn’t to do the most strenuous version of everything. It is to choose the activities that allow you to enjoy being there.

What Do You Wear on an Arctic Expedition Cruise?

Layers are the key to dressing for an Arctic expedition cruise.

The weather can change quickly, and how cold you feel will depend on what you’re doing. Sitting still on a Zodiac safari, exposed to the wind chill, can feel very different from hiking across the tundra, when you may quickly become surprisingly warm.

A good base layer, insulating layers and a waterproof outer layer give you the flexibility to add or remove clothing throughout the day.

On our expedition with Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic, we were provided with an insulated jacket and a polar parka, giving us additional layers designed for the conditions we would encounter.

Arctic muck boots weren’t provided as standard. You could either hire them for the expedition or bring your own. If you want to hire them, this needs to be arranged in advance rather than once you’re on board, so check your personal pre cruise documentation carefully for the information and deadlines relevant to your sailing.

They became an essential part of exploring ashore, particularly for wet landings where you may need to step into shallow water. Waterproof trousers are incredibly useful too. Even if it isn’t raining, they protect you from spray in the Zodiacs and help keep you dry during landings and activities.

And if you want my personal recommendation, fleece lined waterproof trousers are elite! I found mine at Mountain Warehouse for around £60, and having that extra warmth built into a waterproof outer layer was brilliant for Svalbard.

The biggest tip I can give you for either polar region, however, is very simple: pack a snood.

Your face is one of the areas most exposed to those chilly winds, particularly when you’re sitting in an open Zodiac. A snood can be pulled up over your face when you need it, and a fleece lined one quickly becomes one of your favourite pieces of clothing. You certainly don’t have to go quite as patriotic as I did with mine! There are plenty available from good outdoor shops and on Amazon.

A warm hat, gloves and suitable socks are important too, particularly when you’re sitting outside exposed to the wind for longer periods.

Sunglasses and sunscreen may be more useful than you expect. Snow, ice and water can create plenty of glare, while the long hours of daylight during the Arctic summer mean you can spend a lot of time outside.

The biggest lesson is not to dress for how the weather looks through your cabin window. Dress in layers, take your waterproofs and be prepared to adjust what you’re wearing throughout the day.

I will cover exactly what I packed for Svalbard, what I actually used and what I’d leave at home next time in a separate Arctic expedition packing guide, coming soon.

What Is Life On Board an Arctic Expedition Ship Like?

An expedition cruise might be most adventurous when you step off the ship. That doesn’t mean you have to tone it down when you come back on board.

Exactly what you’ll find depends on the expedition ship you choose, National Geographic Resolution is incredibly comfortable. Cabins were contemporary and well equipped, there were several places to eat, comfortable lounges and observation spaces, alongside wellness facilities including a spa, two saunas and a yoga studio.

Dining was relaxed rather than formal. There were no fixed dining times or assigned tables, and the atmosphere suited the expedition perfectly. You could come back from exploring, get changed and head for dinner without worrying about dressing formally for the evening.

Despite being incredibly comfortable, the ship never felt disconnected from where we were Large windows throughout the public spaces kept the Arctic landscape in view, and there were plenty of outside areas when you wanted to head out with your binoculars or camera.

There was also time simply to relax. With at least two activities most days, lectures, evening recaps and wildlife sightings capable of interrupting almost anything, you may be surprised by how busy an expedition cruise can become. Having somewhere comfortable to sit with a drink and watch Svalbard pass by was very welcome.

National Geographic Resolution offered a very high standard of accommodation and dining. Expedition ships do vary enormously, however. Some focus more heavily on luxury, while others offer a simpler experience. It’s worth looking beyond the itinerary when you’re choosing your Arctic expedition cruise.

The destination may be the reason you’re going, however your ship becomes your home in one of the most remote parts of the world.

Considering an expedition with Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic?

I’ve also compared National Geographic Resolution and National Geographic Endurance, including their cabins, dining, expedition facilities and the differences between the two sister ships.

Sleeping in an Igloo in the Arctic

One of the more unusual experiences available on National Geographic Resolution is the opportunity to spend a night sleeping in one of the ship’s expedition igloos.

This isn’t a standard part of an Arctic expedition cruise, and you certainly won’t find igloos on every expedition ship. If you’re sailing aboard National Geographic Resolution, however, it’s an experience you can choose to try.

The two glass igloos sit on an outside deck high on the ship, giving you somewhere warm and sheltered to sleep while remaining completely connected to the Arctic landscape around you. And yes, I had to try it.

Sleeping in an igloo in Svalbard is a rather surreal experience, particularly during the Arctic summer when it never really gets dark. You can lie there surrounded by the landscape while the ship continues sailing through one of the most remote regions in the world.

It’s also far more comfortable than you might imagine.

Inside the igloo is a very comfortable, large double bed with warm bedding. We were also given hot water bottles, which somehow seemed to remain warm all night. There is no additional charge for the igloo experience. It’s included in the cruise price for all guests, although suite guests are given the first opportunity to book an overnight stay.

If you’re travelling in a non suite cabin and would like to try it, my advice is to head to reception as soon as you board and put your name on the waiting list. That’s exactly what we did, and we were lucky enough to get our night in the igloo.

Of course, the biggest challenge may be persuading yourself to actually go to sleep. When you’re lying in a warm bed inside a glass igloo in Svalbard with the Arctic outside, closing your eyes feels like rather a waste. It’s completely optional and very specific to these ships, although it became one of the most memorable nights of my expedition.

It’s another example of something expedition cruising does particularly well: keeping you connected to the destination even when you’re back on the ship.

How Is an Expedition Cruise Different From a Normal Cruise?

An Arctic expedition cruise feels very different from a traditional cruise, and perhaps the biggest difference is what your day revolves around.

On a traditional cruise, the ship usually takes you between ports and you spend much of your time exploring independently or on organised shore excursions.

On an expedition cruise, the exploration itself becomes the itinerary.

You may travel ashore by Zodiac, hike across Arctic tundra with an expedition expert, head out on a Zodiac safari, kayak amongst icebergs or spend hours on the ship searching the sea ice for wildlife.

There are no guarantees that everything shown on your original itinerary will happen exactly as planned. Weather, sea conditions, ice and wildlife can change what happens from one day to the next.

You have to be comfortable relinquishing some control. That might sound daunting if you’re used to planning every detail of your holidays. However, it’s also one of the things that makes expedition cruising so exciting. The expedition team can respond to what is happening around you rather than continuing with a plan simply because it was written months earlier.

Life on board feels different too. Instead of the destination disappearing once you’re back on the ship, it remains part of almost everything. Binoculars and cameras follow you to dinner and lectures can stop because somebody has spotted wildlife outside.

It’s still a cruise.

You have a comfortable cabin, excellent food, lounges and plenty of time to relax. The ship isn’t simply transporting you around the Arctic. It’s giving you a way to explore it.

Is a Svalbard Expedition Cruise Worth It?

For me, absolutely.

An Arctic expedition cruise is a significant investment. However, Svalbard gave us experiences that would have been almost impossible to recreate on a conventional holiday.

We saw four polar bears, including a mother and her cub, watched walrus and whales, walked on Arctic sea ice, kayaked amongst icebergs and explored remote Arctic tundra. And then there were the bird cliffs.

Seeing enormous cliffs filled with thousands upon thousands of seabirds was one of my favourite wildlife experiences of the entire expedition. The scale, the noise and the sheer number of birds was extraordinary, and it was something I hadn’t appreciated quite how much I would love until I was there. Those individual experiences were only part of what made the expedition so special.

It was waking up and not knowing exactly what the day might bring. Taking your binoculars to dinner because wildlife could appear at any moment. Listening to National Geographic experts explain something you’d just seen in the wild. Watching the Arctic from the bridge. And discovering just how exciting a change of plan can be.

If you love wildlife, remote landscapes and the idea of actively exploring rather than simply looking at a destination from a ship, an Arctic expedition cruise could be an extraordinary experience.

You do need to arrive with the right expectations. You can’t choose when a polar bear appears. You can’t guarantee the sea ice will allow a particular activity. And sometimes the weather will decide what happens next.

That’s not the downside of expedition cruising. That’s expedition cruising.

I went to Svalbard hoping for an incredible Arctic adventure and came home completely converted to expedition cruising.

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat.