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Program Itinerary |
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Day
1
Saturday, July 19, 2008
No Meals
Arrive Helsinki, Finland |
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Arrive in
Helsinki, Finland and take time to explore the charming Finnish
capital on your own. In the afternoon, check in to the hotel and
then rendezvous this evening with fellow travelers and the
Expedition Team. |
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Overnight:
Radisson SAS Royal hotel |
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Day 2 Sun,
July 20
B/L/D
Murmansk, Russia to embark on the
50 Years of Victory |
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After breakfast,
we transfer to the airport for our flight to Murmansk, Russia,
home base for Russia’s nuclear icebreaker fleet –
including our expedition vessel, the
50 Years of Victory. We embark on our expedition this afternoon,
setting sail in the evening. |
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Overnight: Aboard the 50 Years
of Victory (14 nights) |
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Day
3
Mon,
July 21
B/L/D
Barents Sea |
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On your
first full day at sea, relax and explore the
sophisticated vessel that will be home for the next two
weeks. Our specialists begin presentations on astronomy,
Arctic wildlife, geology, history and other areas of
interest. We provide briefings
on your upcoming zodiac excursions and helicopter
flights, as well as environmental guidelines for
visiting this remote part of the planet. And of course
you have many opportunities to view seabirds and whales
as we sail north. |
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Day
4-7
Tue-Fri, July 22-25
B/L/D
Into the Ice Pack |
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Surrounded by endless polar vistas, the 50 Years of
Victory
begins breaking through the multi-year pack ice, surging
northward at speeds of up to 12 knots in conditions that
few vessels have the power to negotiate. You’re welcome
to watch the ship’s awe-inspiring progress around the
clock, as helicopters come and go on reconnaissance
flights and our experienced Captain and his officers
review the latest ice charts transmitted via satellite.
You also have a chance to take your own group helicopter
flight, enjoying incredible aerial views of the 50
Years of Victory
as it crashes its way toward the Pole, leaving
massive blocks of ice in its wake. At one point we plan
to stop, lower the gangway and invite everyone down onto
the ice for an invigorating walkabout. And as usual
we’ll keep watch for a diverse array of Arctic wildlife. |
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Day
8
Sat,
July 26
B/L/D
90° North - The North
Pole! |
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This is the day we
hope to reach our ultimate destination. The ship buzzes with
anticipation until the moment we’ve all been waiting for – when we
actually stand at the top of the world. You have plenty of time to
wander out onto the ice and survey the expanse of white and blue
stretching hundreds of kilometers in all directions. There are
inevitable reflective moments as you take in the reality of where
you are and recall the past adventurers who struggled in vain or
lost their lives trying to reach the point where you now walk so
easily. As on all expeditions, we make time for a celebration on the
ice – and even, for those who dare, a brief plunge into the Arctic
Ocean! |
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Day
9-11
Sun-Tue,
July 27-29
B/L/D
Southward Bound |
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This goal achieved,
there’s nowhere to head but south. Our exact route will vary with
local ice and weather conditions. As ever, the helicopter pilots are
always at the ready for reconnaissance flights and excursions over
the spectacular, constantly changing ice and sea. As you watch the
fascinating progress of the 50 Years of Victory from one of the decks, keep
an eye out for more wildlife; your chances of spotting polar bears
in particular are excellent as we near Franz Josef Land. Meanwhile,
the naturalists and other specialists on the Expedition Team
continue to illuminate various aspects of the vast polar wilderness. |
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Day
12-13
Wed-Thu,
July 30-31
B/L/D
Franz Josef Land |
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A remote world of jagged mountains and
massive icebergs, Franz Josef Land was not discovered
until 1873 and remains relatively unexplored. The most
northerly point in Russia, this archipelago of 191
islands is a naturalist’s paradise. Polar bears and
Arctic fox often come very close to our ship; seals are
plentiful, and you can spot beluga whales and narwhals
offshore; and the high, rocky cliffs are home to huge
colonies of seabirds. We explore the dramatic coast via
Zodiac (as local conditions permit) and enjoy
spectacular aerial views flying over glaciers and
volcanic plateaus in the helicopters. We also plan to go
ashore at early exploration sites such as Cape Norway,
where Norwegian explorers Nansen and Johansen survived
the winter of 1896–97 after a bold attempt to reach the
North Pole. (Please note that all of our landings in
Franz Josef Land are subject to government permission,
variable timing restrictions and weather conditions.) |
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Day
14
Fri, August
1
B/L/D
Eclipse Day! |
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Today
is devoted to viewing the approximate 2 minute, 23
second total solar eclipse. Our captain and specialists
will use weather data and satellite images to determine
whether the eclipse will be best viewed from the ship on
the Kara Sea or from land. |
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Jay Anderson’s Eclipse
Weather Prospects |
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From the high Canadian
Arctic to the Russian islands of Novaya
Zemlya, the eclipse track crosses one of
the cloudiest areas of the globe. Only
in the Kara Sea between Novaya Zemlya
and the Russian mainland does the
relentless cloudiness loosen its hold
and it is here that we have chosen to
try for a view of the eclipse. The
numbers are dramatic — an average
monthly cloud cover of 93% near
Spitsbergen Island drops to a more
promising 67% over the waters east of
Novaya Zemlya. Mobility will be our
trump card — satellite imagery and
computer weather models will help us
hunt for the magical hole in the clouds
that will permit a view of the eclipse.
The effect of that mobility will
probably give our ship an additional 10%
advantage over a land-based site. There
are no better odds anywhere else above
the 70th parallel. |
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The
glacier-draped mountains of Novaya
Zemlya impede the course of large
low-pressure weather systems, breaking
holes in their cloud cover as winds flow
around the island peaks. If fog should
threaten, our vessel can take advantage
of the clearing downhill flow from the
mountains. In addition, the waters of
the Kara Sea, protected on three of four
sides by mainland and island, will tend
to have a quieter sea than more
northerly waters, especially if clouds
on eclipse day favor a site tucked in
close to the southeast shore of the
island. |
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Should the weather gods
smile particularly broadly on eclipse
day, we have the option of viewing the
conjunction of Sun and Moon from the
Novaya Zemlya shore, surely one of the
most spectacular eclipse-viewing sites
in the history of solar observation. |
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Day 15
Sat,
August 2
B/L/D
Barents Sea |
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On the final leg of our journey south
across the Barents Sea, there are seabirds and whales to
look out for, and of course the Expedition Team’s
presentations provide helpful context for your unique
adventure. |
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Day 16
Sun, August 3
B only
Murmansk & Helsinki |
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Today
it’s time to say farewell to the 50 Years of Victory and its
crew as we disembark in Murmansk, and transfer to the
airport for your flight back to Helsinki, where we
transfer to our hotel and spend the remainder of the day
on our own. |
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Overnight: Radisson SAS Royal Hotel |
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Day 17
Mon, August
4
B only |
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After
breakfast, continue your travels independently. |
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IMPORTANT NOTE: |
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Given the remote polar
regions we are traveling to, travelers
must expect adjustments to our routes in
progress to take best advantage of
weather and ice conditions – which can
vary unpredictably from day to day. In
some cases our exact landings depend on
official permission that can only be
obtained locally. And we are always
ready to alter plans according to
wildlife sightings and other
one-of-a-kind opportunities. All this is
to say that this itinerary has been
painstakingly planned, but it is not a
definitive summary of the journey you’ll
actually experience. We cannot guarantee
that all landings will take place or
that they will include all the events
we’ve outlined in advance. Embracing the
unexpected is part of the legacy – and
excitement – of expedition-style travel,
and a measure of flexibility is
something all of us must bring on the
voyage. |
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