Wildlife comes first. How you experience it is personal. Find the balance of adventure, comfort and company that feels right for you.
Find your expeditionIndependent advice from Sarah and Nicola at Mapping Your Travel.
One remarkable destination.
Many ways to explore it.
Start with what matters to you.
Select up to three ships to compare.
*Kayaking may be included or charged separately. Ship profiles explain the difference; activities depend on conditions and the specific departure.
Budget levels are a rough guide. Ask us for a personalised quote.
18 Svalbard ships · 5 personally visited
AE / Aurora Expeditions
£££ · Premium · Relative budget guide
Published years: 2027, 2028
BEST FIT · OUR GUIDANCECurious, active travellers who want a smaller ship, a sociable atmosphere and a comfortable base for days outside.
Example itinerarySvalbard Odyssey: an 11-day programme, with Longyearbyen embarkation and disembarkation and Oslo flight arrangements. Fjords, glaciers and wildlife shape the voyage.
Polar Latitudes Expeditions
££+ · Upper value range · Relative budget guide
Published years: 2027, 2028
BEST FIT · OUR GUIDANCEWildlife enthusiasts who like contemporary Scandinavian surroundings, outdoor viewing areas and an expedition focus.
Example itinerarySvalbard: North to the Midnight Sun is an 8-day, 7-night example from Longyearbyen, exploring fjords, bird cliffs and the ice edge as conditions allow.
Swan Hellenic
£££ · Premium · Relative budget guide
Published years: 2027, 2028
BEST FIT · OUR GUIDANCETravellers who want boutique surroundings and thoughtful cabin design alongside wildlife, landings and expert-led discovery.
Example itineraryUltimate Svalbard is an 11-day, 10-night Longyearbyen round trip. The published route explores the wider archipelago, with the actual course dependent on conditions.
PONANT
£££ · Premium · Relative budget guide
Published years: 2027, 2028
BEST FIT · OUR GUIDANCEGuests who enjoy French style, fine dining and fine wine, with a more traditional luxury cruise atmosphere alongside expedition outings.
Example itineraryFjords and glaciers of Spitsbergen: 8 days with 7 nights aboard, round trip from Longyearbyen. The July 2027 example includes Paris flights and transfers.
Quark Expeditions
£££ · Premium · Relative budget guide
Published years: 2027, 2028
BEST FIT · OUR GUIDANCETravellers who want a small, purpose-built polar ship and an active expedition programme without giving up contemporary comforts.
Example itinerarySpitsbergen Highlights is an 8-day programme via Helsinki with Longyearbyen embarkation. This trip includes 5 nights aboard; longer Svalbard voyages are also offered.
Quark Expeditions
£££ · Premium · Relative budget guide
Published years: 2027, 2028
BEST FIT · OUR GUIDANCEAdventure-minded guests who prefer spacious suites, substantial expedition facilities and comfortable shared spaces.
Example itinerarySpitsbergen Highlights is an 8-day programme via Helsinki, including 5 nights aboard. Longer Svalbard spring, summer and circumnavigation voyages are offered.
HX Expeditions
££ · Value focus · Relative budget guide
Published years: 2027, 2028
BEST FIT · OUR GUIDANCETravellers drawn to polar heritage, informal life aboard and an expedition with a strong science and learning element.
Example itineraryRealm of the Polar Bear is an 11-day programme from Oslo, with an overnight in Longyearbyen. It attempts to circumnavigate Spitsbergen, subject to ice and weather.
PONANT
££££ · Ultra luxury · Relative budget guide
Published years: 2027, 2028
BEST FIT · OUR GUIDANCETravellers seeking a luxury icebreaker expedition into the high Arctic, with French fine dining, fine wine and the possibility of a North Pole journey.
Example itineraryThe Geographic North Pole: 13 days / 12 nights from Longyearbyen, 27 July–8 August 2027 and 24 July–5 August 2028. A 17-day Greenland-to-Svalbard voyage is also published for 8–24 June 2027. These are high-Arctic journeys, rather than a conventional Svalbard circumnavigation.
Silversea
££££ · Ultra luxury · Relative budget guide
Published years: 2027, 2028
BEST FIT · OUR GUIDANCEClients who want an expedition with balcony suites, butler service and a strong emphasis on comfort, dining and personal service.
Example itineraryA week exploring northern and southern Svalbard, sailing Longyearbyen to Longyearbyen. Longer routes linking Svalbard with Tromsø or Iceland are also published.
Seabourn
££££ · Ultra luxury · Relative budget guide
Published years: 2028
BEST FIT · OUR GUIDANCETravellers who want a relaxed luxury atmosphere and veranda-suite comfort, with a longer expedition combining Svalbard and Iceland.
Example itinerary16-Day Svalbard Expedition & Iceland: Reykjavík round trips departing 26 June and 24 July 2028. This is a longer regional journey, rather than a week entirely around Svalbard.
Aqua Expeditions
£££££ · Exclusive yacht · Relative budget guide
Published years: 2027
BEST FIT · OUR GUIDANCEGuests drawn to a very small expedition group, refined food and a personal yacht atmosphere, including families or groups considering a private charter.
Example itinerarySeven-night Svalbard & the Arctic Circle voyages from Longyearbyen, plus longer combinations with the Norwegian coast. A chef-hosted Svalbard sailing is published for 17–24 July 2027.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
£££ · Premium · Relative budget guide
Published years: 2027, 2028
BEST FIT · OUR GUIDANCETravellers who want refined surroundings, natural-history learning and a detailed Svalbard expedition, with German and English spoken on board. Often a predominantly German-speaking guest mix; this varies by sailing.
Example itineraryPublished 10-day examples include Longyearbyen–Tromsø on 2–12 July 2027 and a Longyearbyen round trip on 28 July–7 August 2028, attempting a Svalbard circumnavigation.
Oceanwide Expeditions
££ · Value focus · Relative budget guide
Published years: 2027
BEST FIT · OUR GUIDANCENature-focused travellers who prioritise the expedition programme and informal company over extensive luxury facilities.
Example itineraryNorth Spitsbergen Explorer voyages feature in the published 2027 programme, exploring varied landscapes, wildlife and the ice edge from Longyearbyen.
AE / Aurora Expeditions
£££ · Premium · Relative budget guide
Published years: 2027
BEST FIT · OUR GUIDANCEActive travellers who like smaller groups, friendly and welcoming service, and a longer programme focused on the destination.
Example itineraryThe published Arctic 2027 calendar lists a 15-day Svalbard In Depth programme, 26 June–10 July, and a July voyage linking Spitsbergen with East Greenland.
AE / Aurora Expeditions
£££ · Premium · Relative budget guide
Published years: 2028
BEST FIT · OUR GUIDANCETravellers who want an adventure-led small ship with contemporary cabins, single-cabin options and space to unwind between outings.
Example itinerarySvalbard Odyssey is published for Douglas Mawson in July 2028, including an 11-day programme from 12–22 July with Longyearbyen embarkation and disembarkation.
National Geographic–Lindblad Expeditions
£££ · Premium · Relative budget guide
Published years: 2027, 2028
BEST FIT · OUR GUIDANCECurious travellers who value wildlife, expert interpretation and photography, with small guest numbers, comfortable surroundings and an active expedition programme.
Example itinerarySvalbard: In Search of Iconic Arctic Wildlife is a 10-day programme via Oslo, including 7 nights aboard with Longyearbyen embarkation and disembarkation. Published examples run 23 April–2 May 2027 and 1–10 May 2028. The daily Svalbard route follows conditions and wildlife opportunities.
Poseidon Expeditions
£££ · Premium · Relative budget guide
Published years: 2027
BEST FIT · OUR GUIDANCEWildlife-focused travellers who want a smaller expedition group, spacious suites, photography guidance and an informal, classic ship atmosphere.
Example itineraryWest Svalbard & Polar Ice Edge: a 10-day programme, 13–22 June 2027, including a Longyearbyen hotel night and 8 nights aboard. The focus is western Spitsbergen and the polar ice edge, with the route shaped by conditions. Shorter and longer Svalbard programmes are also published.
Scenic
££££ · Ultra luxury · Relative budget guide
Published years: 2027, 2028
BEST FIT · OUR GUIDANCETravellers who want a luxury yacht atmosphere, veranda suites, butler service and a wide choice of dining alongside guided Arctic discovery.
Example itineraryGlaciers & Wildlife of Svalbard is a 14-day programme via Oslo, 28 June–11 July 2027. For 2028, Norwegian Fjords, Wildlife of Svalbard & the Arctic Circle runs 23 June–8 July from Bergen to Oslo, combining the Norwegian coast with Svalbard.
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This comparison is a guide to a selection of Svalbard expedition ships and does not cover every ship in the region. Cabins on the sailings shown may no longer be available, and details such as passenger numbers, facilities and fare inclusions can change. We’ll include current availability and all relevant information for your chosen sailing in your personalised quotation.
We’re Sarah and Nicola, the sisters behind Mapping Your Travel. We help you look beyond the brochure to choose a ship and journey that suit you.
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Our ship-visit notes come from Mapping Your Travel’s published account of six ship visits in July 2025. Five of the ships in this guide feature in that account. The notes describe what we saw and felt on a visit, rather than a full sailing.
Our guidance includes the rough ££–£££££ budget guide, “best fit”, onboard style and expedition emphasis. This guidance is our interpretation, not an official rating or fitness grade.
Read our original ship-visit account ↗All these Svalbard options are expedition voyages. Zodiac boarding, wet landings and walking on uneven ground can be part of the experience, even on a luxurious ship. Activities are generally optional, but a more comfortable ship does not remove the physical demands of going ashore.
Tell us about your mobility, confidence in small boats and preferred walking pace so we can check suitability with the operator.
Example itineraries help you compare the shape of a trip. Weather, sea ice, wildlife and local permissions determine what happens each day. Circumnavigations are attempts, and polar bear sightings and any particular landing are never guaranteed.
We’ll prepare a personalised quote that brings together your voyage, flights, hotels, transfers and any optional activities.
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