Hanseatic Inspiration, INT High Arctic ex Kangerlussuaq Return – 02 Aug 2021

16 Night Cruise sailing from Kangerlussuaq roundtrip aboard Hanseatic Inspiration.

A truly epic expedition. In a region that fills history books and inspires adventure stories, join the HANSEATIC inspiration to write new chapters of exploration.

Highlights of this cruise:

Northern Canadian Arctic  (Baffin Island, Ellesmere Island)
Set a course for thrilling experiences when the Arctic gleams in the summer light – perhaps the best time of year to visit. Along remote coastlines, the HANSEATIC inspiration presses on to the settings of great exploratory achievements – all thanks to the highest ice class for passenger ships and the experience of the captain and crew. This flexible route will provide plenty of fascinating tales for your travel diary. Glistening ice, impressive glaciers and vast, isolated land become the backdrop for wonderful natural spectacles and wildlife sightings. What is it like to live here under such extreme conditions? Find the answers in places like Baffin Island. The world discovered this habitat of polar bears and whales in the 17th century, when English seafarer William Baffin came here on the search for a north-west passage. Life in the small settlement of Clyde River reflects the Inuit traditions and their way of life. When the HANSEATIC inspiration heads for mystical places in these seldom-visited waters, you can enjoy a spectacular open-air theatre from the Zodiacs or on the spacious outdoor areas on deck. Depending on local conditions, you will go ashore and walk through these stunning natural surroundings with panoramic views of cliffs and glaciers. Your team of experts will provide fascinating information about the region’s geology and history. It wasn’t until the start of the 19th century that Ellesmere Island, the most northerly island in the Arctic, was discovered. How must those explorers have felt when they first caught sight of the coast? Find out when you travel to areas that hardly anyone has ever seen.

Smith Sound and Nares Strait
The excitement will grow as, weather and ice permitting, your route takes you to Smith Sound between Greenland and Canada, just like many Arctic explorers before you. In 1909, American polar researcher Robert Edwin Peary travelled through here and the more northerly Nares Strait to become the first person to reach the North Pole.

North-west coast of Greenland (including Etah, Siorapaluk, Cape York)
In addition to the views from the deck and hikes ashore, your experts will bring the legend of the North Pole to life with historical insights. If you succeed in landing on Pim Island, you will feel the drama of the Greely expedition, which fell victim to the icy winter of 1884 on the small, rocky island. With a little luck, you will catch sight of rare narwhals, bearded seals and Arctic hares. Only a few cruise ships can navigate the High Arctic. How far can the HANSEATIC inspiration actually make it? If the ice allows you to travel to the north-west coast of Greenland, you will see places visited by just a few explorers. In the mid 20th century, the geomagnetic North Pole was still near Etah. Today, it has moved further west. The region’s allure continues in Siorapaluk, Greenland’s most northerly settlement. The barking of the huskies echoes through the village right by the fjord, surrounded by mighty sandstone mountains in shades of red and violet. Experience expedition in the purest sense off Cape York on a Zodiac ride between the icebergs.

Western coast of Greenland (Ilulissat, Disko Bay, Sisimiut)
These indescribable moments continue on Greenland’s west coast where the glacier calves into the fjord – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – near Ilulissat. A hike with the experts will allow you to enjoy the glittering, shimmering ice masses that gather here – this will set the tone for an unforgettable experience in Disko Bay. Take a Zodiac ride and marvel at breathtaking ice formations drifting slowly through the bay. The colourful houses of Sisimiut, founded at the end of the 18th century as a missionary and trading post, provide a contrast to the blue of the ice. On a hike, you will enter the historic territory of an Inuit culture that is over 4,000 years old. And even if you feel reluctant to return to the present, these intensive moments in the land of Arctic extremes will stay with you forever.