clip-clopping over narrow brick streets. A walking tour of the old quarter will give you your bearings. Be sure to visit the Pointe-à-Callière Museum, set on the point where Montreal was founded in 1642. The museum’s multi-media film and under- ground tour recount the city’s fascinating history. To see Inuit art, stop by the Fine Arts Museum.
Goodbye Trees. Hello ship On embarkation day, all passengers flew together from Montreal to Kuujjuaq (pronounced Coo-jew- ack), located just below the tree-line and Quebec’s most northern community. There we caught our last sight of tall trees and first glimpse of Lyubov Orlova, anchored in the Koksoak River. The Russian crew ferried us to the waiting ship in Zodiacs. These seven motorised rubber boats would be our lifeline from ship to shore for the next 10 days – weather permitting.
BEFORE YOU GO
• Cruise North does not carry spare polar clothing for passenger use.
• Bring your own knee-high rubber boots, a necessity for wet Zodiac landings.
• Pack hiking boots, water- proof trousers, a parka, wool hat and warm gloves.
• Insurance for emergency medical evacuation is required.
For Arctic travel, check
www.nunavik-tourism.com and
www.nunavuttourism.com.
20 WORLD OF CRUISING I Winter 2010 / 2011
“We’ve got our FIRST BEAR!”cried our EXCITED
ZODIAC DRIVER
Our mid-August route took us 1,696 nautical miles up the eastern coast of Baffin Island and west into Lancaster Sound, called the Serengeti of the Arctic. The last port was for the airport in Resolute, population 200. Along the way, we cruised past massive icebergs, blue-white glaciers and striking desert-like landscapes. We watched for Arctic wildlife, visited isolated Inuit villages and paid our respects to early explorers who searched for the elusive Northwest Passage. The Orlova, named for a glamorous 1930s Soviet
film star, was built in 1976 as an ice-strengthened cruise ship. Despite cosmetic makeovers over the years, her age is showing. That said, given her small size and lack of glitz, she is remarkably well suited to travellers seeking an intimate Arctic experience.
ublic spaces include large open decks, a small library and a bar. In the lecture room, six expert naturalists share their knowledge about marine mammals, Arctic plants and sea birds. You’ll learn useful phrases in Inukitut, the language spoken in Nunavik and Nunavut. All meals take place in the dining room, with buffets at breakfast and lunch. Russian waitresses serve the excellent dinners. Though there is typically a single main course, anyone with food issues is well accommodated. All cabins have outside views, and those on
P
Deck 4 feature portholes which you can open for fresh air. All except two large suites are basic, but
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