NORTH , AURORA BOREALIS & WHALES

The North Norway cruise follows the path of more than one kind of whale as it travels amongst the fjords of . The long Norway nights offer travellers on this expedition an excellent chance to take in the beauty and wonder of the Northern Lights.

In the far north of the country, about 350 km (217 miles) north of the Arctic Circle, lie the islands of Kvaløya and . Enormous schools of herring gather in the fjords around these islands to live out the winter. This abundance of food creates one of the largest concentrations of biomass on Earth, which in turn attracts large numbers of whales. It is these giants of the sea that this voyage is dedicated to finding. and lasts until January 15 but technically, the sun already During winter the daylight is limited, but the nighttime hours are disappears on November 21 and doesn't come back to the city far from wasted: North Norway is one of the best areas in the until January 21 due to the city being surrounded by high world to see the northern lights, a magical phenomenon that mountain ranges. In this period, there won't be any daylight but can only be fully appreciated when the sky is clear and dark, it isn't pitch black either. There is a twilight and a form of weak with minimal light pollution. This voyage offers ample daylight between roughly 9am and 2pm. opportunities to admire the auroras from the remote bays and fishing villages where you'll spend the night. Important note: -

Polar night is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the winter Tromsø is the base and gateway in which our voyages start and months. The polar night season officially starts in Tromsø on end. These voyages focus on viewing the aurora borealis and November 27 whales, and the expedition leader determines the final itinerary to be introduced during the welcome briefing on day one. The map shows two possible routes that we may take in order to raise our chances for wildlife sightings:

The main route (bold line) heads north to the Kvaenangen fjord,

01432 507 280 (within UK) [email protected] | small-cruise-ships.com very likely to be visited during November to mid-January.

The alternative route (dotted line) heads south around the Your adventure begins in Tromsø, nicknamed the "Paris of the island of Senja, mainly in the period from mid-January till North," located in an area rich with Norse and Sami history. February. The expedition leader will determine the final route. Enjoy exploring this sub-Arctic Norwegian town, said to have been inhabited since the last ice age. All voyages with s/v Because of the seasonal occurrence of herring and whales in Rembrandt van Rijn aim at departing from Tromsø in the these fjords, the whale safari cruises take place in winter, when evening of day one, while s/v Noorderlicht will set sail in the the Northern Norway days are short and the nights long. Whale early morning of day two. All passengers of Rembrandt are watching (orcas and humpbacks) is highly dependent on the kindly asked to board the vessel by 17:00, while passengers of variable herring stocks in the area, and this is ultimately Noorderlicht are welcome to board the vessel between 17:00 unpredictable. Other whales (i.e., sperm whales) are not and 23:00. dependent on herring, which is why we have a good chance of seeing them in specific areas, such as along the south route Day 2: In search of Norway’s whales near . The expedition leader will adapt the sailing plan to maximize your chances of seeing whales. The itinerary depends largely on the weather conditions, the amount of daylight during the voyage, and the expected location of the whales. You might sail clockwise or Other highlights of these trips: Arctic Norway (mountains and counter-clockwise around the island of Senja. fjords) and Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). In the winter the daylight hours are limited, but during the dark hours we have Day 3 – 6: Whales of the shelf the opportunity to see the northern lights. These amazing phenomena are only visible when it is dark and the sky is clear, You spend the next several days along the north coasts of Senja and without other disturbing light sources. The trip will provide and Andfjorden, areas where many whales have been spotted in ample opportunity to admire the Aurora Borealis in the remote recent years. Keep a look out for sperm whales and other whale fishing towns and bays where we spend the night at the pier or species here. Near Andenes, along the edge of the continental at anchor. In some places the ship will also sail at night. shelf, whales dive particularly deep to feed on giant squid. You ITINERARY may also see white-tailed eagles, one of the largest birds of prey in Europe, vying for their share of the herring. In the South route: (around Senja) Day 1: Paris of the North afternoon, you find a place for the night in one of the scenic fishing villages nearby, such as Skrolsvik, Andenes,

01432 507 280 (within UK) [email protected] | small-cruise-ships.com Gryllefjorden, Hamn and/ or Sommarøy. Once the sun has set, Norway days are short and the nights long. you can make short hikes along the coast or in small villages - (orcas and humpbacks) is highly dependent on the variable and maybe even catch sight of the aurora. herring stocks in the area, and this is ultimately unpredictable. Other whales (i.e., sperm whales) are not dependent on herring, Day 7 – 8: Under the northern lights which is why we have a good chance of seeing them in specific areas, such as along the south route near Andenes. Our chances of seeing orcas are minimal, while the odds of Continuing your circumnavigation of Senja, you sail to the small encountering other species (for instance, humpbacks) are island of Sommarøy. Here there are good opportunities to see higher. The expedition leader will adapt the sailing plan to the northern lights as well as embark on pleasant hikes. You maximize your chances of seeing whales. spend the last morning of the cruise exploring the island's small bays and white beaches. On day seven, you sail back to Tromsø Additional note: The coasts and fjords of Norway are renowned for their beauty and arrive around midday. You'll have enough time to shop for souvenirs in town, visit a museum, or simply take a walk in the fresh winter air. After spending the last night on board, you In the far north of the country, about 350 km (217 miles) north disembark on day eight (Saturday) with memories that will of the Arctic Circle, lie the islands of Kvaløya and Senja. accompany you wherever your next adventure lies. Enormous schools of herring gather in the fjords around these islands to live out the winter. This abundance of food creates Important note: Tromsø is the base and gateway in which our voyages start one of the largest concentrations of biomass on Earth, which in and end turn attracts large numbers of whales. It is these giants of the

sea that this voyage is dedicated to finding. During winter the

daylight is limited, but the nighttime hours are far from wasted: These voyages focus on viewing the aurora borealis and whales, North Norway is one of the best areas in the world to see the and the expedition leader determines the final itinerary to be northern lights, a magical phenomenon that can only be fully intruced during the welcome briefing on day one. The map appreciated when the sky is clear and dark, with minimal light shows two possible routes that we may take in order to raise pollution. This voyage offers ample opportunities to admire the our chances for wildlife sightings: One route (the described one) auroras from the remote bays and fishing villages where you'll heads south around the island of Senja, mainly in the period spend the night. from mid-January till March. The other route (represented by the dotted line) heads north to the Kvaenangen fjord, very likely to be visited during November to mid-January. Because of the seasonal occurrence of herring and whales in these fjords, the whale safari cruises take place in winter, when the Northern

01432 507 280 (within UK) [email protected] | small-cruise-ships.com YOUR SHIP: REMBRANDT VAN RIJN

YOUR SHIP: Rembrandt van Rijn

VESSEL TYPE:

LENGTH:

PASSENGER CAPACITY:

BUILT/REFURBISHED:

S/V 'Rembrandt Van Rijn' was originally built as a herring lugger. The vessel was rebuilt as a three-masted passenger sailing schooner in The Netherlands in 1994 and sailed in Spitsbergen (1994 - 1996) and in Galapagos (1998 - 2001). The vessel underwent a complete rebuilding and refurbishment shower and toilet) program in 2011. The communication and navigation •6 Twin Private Inside cabins (with shower and toilet, no equipment has been completely renewed according to the latest porthole) SOLAS regulations. •9 Twin Private cabins (with shower and toilet and porthole) The Rembrandt van Rijn measures 56 meters in length (168 ft.), •The general interior public areas include a spacious restaurant 7 meters in width and has a draft of 2, 5 meters. area so that all meals can be taken together as well as separate •The maximum engine speed is 9 knots bar area and reading table area •She has an experienced crew of 12 on board including two tour •There is room to relax, read and socialize guides •The ship is well suited for expedition cruising among small •The ship can accommodate a maximum of 33 passengers in 16 islands and offers excellent open deck viewing areas, even cabins when under sail. The two inflatable rubber crafts (zodiacs) •1 Triple Private cabin with porthole (with enable landing and wildlife viewing opportunities in otherwise inaccessible areas.

01432 507 280 (within UK) [email protected] | small-cruise-ships.com INSIDE YOUR SHIP

Triple Private Twin Private Inside

Twin Private Porthole

01432 507 280 (within UK) [email protected] | small-cruise-ships.com PRICING

20-Nov-2021 to 27-Nov-2021 01-Jan-2022 to 08-Jan-2022 Triple Private £1925 GBP pp Triple Private £1886 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2425 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2040 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2117 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2348 GBP pp

27-Nov-2021 to 04-Dec-2021 08-Jan-2022 to 15-Jan-2022 Triple Private £1925 GBP pp Triple Private £1886 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2117 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2040 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2425 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2348 GBP pp

04-Dec-2021 to 11-Dec-2021 15-Jan-2022 to 22-Jan-2022 Twin Private Inside £2117 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2136 GBP pp Triple Private £1925 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2447 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2425 GBP pp Triple Private £1886 GBP pp

11-Dec-2021 to 18-Dec-2021 22-Jan-2022 to 29-Jan-2022 Triple Private £1959 GBP pp Triple Private £1886 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2139 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2040 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2449 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2348 GBP pp

18-Dec-2021 to 25-Dec-2021 29-Jan-2022 to 05-Feb-2022 Triple Private £1925 GBP pp Triple Private £1886 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2117 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2040 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2425 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2348 GBP pp

25-Dec-2021 to 01-Jan-2022 19-Nov-2022 to 26-Nov-2022 Triple Private £1925 GBP pp Triple Private £1886 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2117 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2040 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2425 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2348 GBP pp

01432 507 280 (within UK) [email protected] | small-cruise-ships.com PRICING

26-Nov-2022 to 03-Dec-2022 07-Jan-2023 to 14-Jan-2023 Triple Private £1886 GBP pp Triple Private £1965 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2040 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2159 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2348 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2465 GBP pp

03-Dec-2022 to 10-Dec-2022 14-Jan-2023 to 21-Jan-2023 Triple Private £1886 GBP pp Triple Private £1965 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2040 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2159 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2348 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2465 GBP pp

10-Dec-2022 to 17-Dec-2022 21-Jan-2023 to 28-Jan-2023 Triple Private £1886 GBP pp Triple Private £1965 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2040 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2159 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2348 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2465 GBP pp

17-Dec-2022 to 24-Dec-2022 28-Jan-2023 to 04-Feb-2023 Triple Private £1886 GBP pp Triple Private £1965 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2040 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2159 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2348 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2465 GBP pp

24-Dec-2022 to 31-Dec-2022 18-Nov-2023 to 25-Nov-2023 Triple Private £1886 GBP pp Triple Private £1965 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2040 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2159 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2348 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2465 GBP pp

31-Dec-2022 to 07-Jan-2023 25-Nov-2023 to 02-Dec-2023 Triple Private £1886 GBP pp Triple Private £1965 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2040 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2159 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2348 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2465 GBP pp

01432 507 280 (within UK) [email protected] | small-cruise-ships.com PRICING

02-Dec-2023 to 09-Dec-2023 Triple Private £1965 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2159 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2465 GBP pp

09-Dec-2023 to 16-Dec-2023 Triple Private £1965 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2159 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2465 GBP pp

16-Dec-2023 to 23-Dec-2023 Triple Private £1965 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2159 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2465 GBP pp

23-Dec-2023 to 30-Dec-2023 Triple Private £1965 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2159 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2465 GBP pp

30-Dec-2023 to 06-Jan-2024 Triple Private £1965 GBP pp Twin Private Inside £2159 GBP pp Twin Private Porthole £2465 GBP pp

01432 507 280 (within UK) [email protected] | small-cruise-ships.com