Please note that our polar itineraries are written to provide a flavour of each voyage. Sailing rather than motor-only will be undertaken where and when conditions allow. The actual route will be decided by the captain and expedition team in accordance with prevailing ice, weather and sea conditions and opportunities to see wildlife and wilderness scenery. The onboard team aim to provide you with the most rewarding experience possible and as a result, our itinerary may need to change at short notice. Itineraries have been changed in the past on account of instances such as impassable pack ice and the discovery of a dead whale with numerous polar bears feeding on it. Please remember that any changes in our itineraries are made with you in mind.

After arriving in Longyearbyen, the 'capital' (actually the administrative centre) of Spitsbergen, you may wish to visit the Svalbard Museum which has an interesting collection on the history of Spitsbergen, the mining industry and polar exploration. The ship will sail in the early evening, leaving Isfjorden and sailing for Trygghamna where you will see the remains of an 18th century Russian Pomor hunting settlement and a 17th century English whaling station and where some of Spitsbergen's best-preserved 'blubber ovens' can be seen, which you will visit the next morning.

From Trygghamna you will walk to Alkhornet a large seabird cliff, where a large colony of kittiwakes and Brünnichs guillemots come to breed and are prospecting their breeding places. Below the cliffs you can often catch a glimpse of the Arctic foxes emerging from their dens around the base of the cliffs to look for fallen eggs or chicks, and Reindeer graze on the lush vegetation.

Today you will sail into Fuglefjorden with views on Svitjodbreen and Birgerbukta, with breeding places for Great Skuas and good chances for bears. In Birgerbukta you will find blubber ovens of the Basques. You will try to visit Ytre Norskøya, a small island which was used for many years as a lookout point for Dutch whalers. There we can follow the trails made by whalers to the summit of the island, passing by cliffs with nesting birds along the way. Close to the shore, the remains of 17th century blubber ovens can be seen. Arctic skuas and eiders breed among the graves of 200 Dutch whalers, which have been pushed to the surface by the permafrost.

Raudfjord on the north coast of Spitsbergen is a beautiful fjord with spectacular glaciers and an exceptional variety of wildlife. It is a favourite for Ringed and Bearded Seals and offers chances for spotting Polar Bears and Belugas.

If conditions allow, you might land on the northern-side of Reindyrfla, the largest tundra area on Spitsbergen. Its vast undulating plain provides good grazing for Reindeer and several species of waders also breed here. On the tundra lakes there is a good chance of spotting Red-throated Divers and King Eiders, whose breeding plumage is delightfully colourful.

Depending on the weather, you will aim sail into Liefdefjorden and cruise within sight of the 5-kilometre-long (3.1 miles) face of the precipitous Monaco Glacier. The waters in front of this glacier are a favourite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes, and the base of the ice can be a good place to spot a hunting polar bear.

In the morning you will land at Fuglesangen, where you can sit near the Little Auks. Sailing southwards you might visit Magdalenafjord - one of the most picturesque places on Spitsbergen, with many impressive glacier fronts. During a shore visit you can see the remains of 17th century English whaling activities and hopefully get some great sightings of little auks.

You will head north, aiming for Kongsfjorden and Krossfjorden. The landscape is likely to show signs of winter, the crags and slopes still blanketed with snow. Here there are rich opportunities for snowshoeing or hiking and visiting places of historic interest: Ny London, where you can see the remains of early 20th-century marble mining, and Ny Ålesund, the northernmost community in the world. There are also research stations and the famous anchor mast of the dirigible Norge, which took the first flight across the North Pole to Nome, Alaska in 1926. Krossfjorden offers views of colossal glaciers and lofty mountain peaks, but ultimately the extent of fjord ice dictates the itinerary here.

On your way south, you will try to make a landing on Fuglehuken, where you can see many remains from the Polar Bear hunting era. There are large seabird colonies and a haul out place for harbour seals. Alternatively you will land on the coast of Forlandsundet at Engelsbukta or Sarstangen, where walruses are sometimes hauled out. The tundra offers some great walking in a beautiful setting.

Bohemanflya is an expansive tundra with its own avifauna and spectacular geological formations along the coast. In Gipsvika you can go on shore near Templet, a mountainous location of eroded sedimentary rock from the Upper Carboniferous period – around 290 million years ago.

After a farewell breakfast, you will be free to catch your flight from Longyearbyen airport.