SVALBARD


another, getting closer and closer to the ship, constantly sniffing the air, watching us, motionless in the ice. The feeding frenzy is replicated later when I emerge from a


lecture to find a display of caviar set up in the lounge, passengers hoovering it up with gusto. Another day, there’s a mountain of pastel-coloured macaroons, while at lunchtimes, lobster tails sizzle on the deck barbecue. Whoever thought that Arctic expeditions were about deprivation? Sadly, the ice isn’t solid enough for us to make a landing,


but no matter. I spend my days staring dreamily at the frozen world, attending lectures and wallowing in the heated pool on deck. In the evenings, I head to the light-filled Sila buffet high on Deck Nine, with infinite views of the ice and a selection of salads, fish, sushi and cheeses from Brittany-based cheese-maker Jean-Yves Bordier. Even at the buffet, you can sense the passion behind the food. The salty butter is from France, every individual pat hand-wrapped. The individual chocolate mousse in the shape of a miniature Le Commandant Charcot is a work of art. The wines, naturally, are French, and poured liberally. I never really get used to the polar summer. The cabins have


effective blackout curtains but our body clocks are all awry. There’s no sunrise and no sunset; the glaciers never turn pink. The sun just moves in a small circle overhead. At midnight, it’s broad daylight and it’s hard to go to bed when you’re full of energy and adrenaline. I’m not alone in feeling bereft when we head back to land,


the line of the jagged black mountains of northern Svalbard on the horizon. Our final day is spent hiking up to a viewpoint in Tinayrebukta, a world of HD technicolour in comparison to the ice, scattered with tiny Arctic flowers in pink, green and yellow, the cliffs streaked with rust and bottle green. Life seems so abundant here after the icy beauty of the polar


sea, which is absurd, as I’m still in one of the most inhospitable places on Earth. I miss the simplicity of the days at 81 degrees. That wonder of feeling suspended between sea and sky, utterly alone, in a fragile, devastatingly beautiful world.


HOW TO DO IT: Ponant offers 16 nights on board Le Commandant Charcot from £25,920 per person, travelling from Reykjavík to eastern Greenland and Nordaustlandet, departing on 21 June 2025 and including a one-way flight from Longyearbyen to Paris, as well as all activities, meals, crew tips, wi-fi and drinks. You’ll also receive an expedition parka to keep and have the use of mud boots. Excursions include hikes, kayaking and Zodiac exploration. uk.ponant.com


Clockwise from left: Kronebreen Glacier is one of Svalbard’s largest; the head chef on the Scenic Eclipse preparing a starter; Seabourn Venture’s Panorama Suite


NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER – LUXURY COLLECTION 29


IMAGES: SCENIC LUXURY CRUISES & TOURS; COURTESY OF SEABOURN; GETTY


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