Hilary
Excellent trip to Franz Joseph Land
Really enjoyed the voyage to Franz Joseph Land - hard to reach because of ice conditions. Very skilled work of the captain ensured we reached the islands. Excellent expedition staff so entertaining lectures and well organised landings. Sea Spirit is a super ship and the catering/facilities were very good. The party leader could have communicated the problems the ice caused more clearly and it was a shame that on our return to Spitsbergen we had to sail to Longyearbyen to collect rifles thus losing time and restricting our landings to the west coast. Overall a fabulous trip - I am looking forward to travelling with Poseidon again this year.
Response from Poseidon ExpeditionsMay 16, 2016
Hi, Hillary. Thanks for your review, and we're pleased you enjoyed the trip to Franz Josef Land in the Russian High Arctic. You're one of only a few cruise travelers that have had the privilege of exploring this remote area. The extent of ice is always one of the unknowns when it comes to polar expedition cruising, but we will pass along your comment about better communications to the expedition leader. The captain and expedition leader are as interested as the passengers to get into desirable locations for landing and explorations ashore in this remote archipelago. The other issue you raise is a good one, but there are legal requirements from the Russian and Norwegian governments regarding the guns used for protection against possible polar bear attack that require the ship to head directly to Longyearbyen on its return from Franz Josef Land. Hopefully, our expedition team made the best use of the time on your return voyage. We would be delighted to welcome you back aboard the Sea Spirit!