Cruising the Frozen Planet

TV’s Frozen Planet is encouraging viewers to get off their sofas, put on their coats, and head for the snowy wastelands. Sheer distance, higher costs and tightening legislation all combine to make it difficult to travel south to Antarctica, but the Arctic is closer, convenient, and affordable.
Responding to the Attenborough effect, Polar specialists Hurtigruten will be sending two ships to Spitsbergen next summer – its oldest and newest vessels.
Between June and August MS Nordstjernen (above) will travel the west coast of the island for a total of 21 five and six day itineraries. The ship, built in 1956, is a familiar sight in the Svalbard Archipelago having sailed there between 1994 and 2009. The five-year-old MS Fram will also continue to sail the summer in Spitsbergen waters.
The island lies just 1,200km from the North Pole and on the journey through the long Polar nights, passengers visit interesting settlements including the Russian coal mining town of Barentsburg and the Ny Ålesund research station, as well as excursions to fascinating glaciers and landscapes. In favourable weather conditions, the ship reaches the 80th parallel. Encounters with polar bears can be among the highlights of the trip alongside sightings of walruses, arctic sea birds. 
A five-night Polar Encounters voyage to Spitsbergen on selected dates in June, July and August costs from £1,614 per person including four night’s full board on the ship, one night’s bed and breakfast in a Longyearbyen hotel plus landings, and the services of an expedition team. Based on two sharing and price valid if booked by January 31. Flights are extra and can be booked via Hurtigruten from £844pp.