Early Bird Specials -
- Triple Bonus Events ($1,500 off pp + 5% Off + free hotel /flight package + One year free priority pass)
- Exclusive onboard credit of $200 per person from Polar Dream Travel
Please click "Prices and Departures" above for departure dates, cabin types and prices.
Day 1: Arrive in Calgary, Alberta
Arrive at Calgary International Airport and make your way to your included hotel.
Day 2: Fly to Qausuittuq (Resolute) and embark
This morning we’ll catch our flight to the northern gateway of Qausuittuq (Resolute) in Nunavut, where we start our adventure in the middle of the legendary Northwest Passage. You will be transferred to your ship by Zodiac or helicopter depending on ship location and weather conditions.
Day 3: Tallurutiup-Imanga (Lancaster Sound) and the myth of the Franklin
Today we’ll head to the western end of Devon Island, on the north side of Tallurutiup-Imanga, and go ashore at wind-swept Beechey Island, which is home to Beechey Island Sites National Historic Sites. These sites, maintained by Parks Canada, tell the story-or at least the part that’s not still shrouded in mystery-of Sir John Franklin’s much-chronicled 1845-46 expedition to explore the Northwest Passage.
Day 4: At Sea: Exploring the largest marine-protected area in Canada
We continue our exploration of Tallurutiup-Imanga, which, in 2017, became the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area (Lancaster Sound National Marine Conservation Area). At 109,000 square kilometres, it’s the largest marine-protected area in Canada.
Day 5: Baffin Island Fjords and Heli-flightseeking
This is an especially exciting day as you become one of the very few travelers to explore the stunningly majestic Icy Arm Fjord, which cuts almost 80 kilometres deep into northern Bafffin Island.
Accessible only by water in summer months when the sea ice recedes, this rarely-visited fjord is known for its unrivalled landscape of towering cliffs and stunning glaciers, and is valued as much for its sheer remoteness as it is for its singularly pristine environment. Icy Arm Fjord is the epitome of unspoiled Arctic wilderness. We may observe polar bears, Arctic foxes, seals, walruses, as well as guillemots, kittiwakes and other Arctic-dwelling birds.
Excitement grows on Day 5 as Ultramarine’s two twin-engine helicopters are made ready for Heli Flightseeing excursions. Prepare to view the remote Arctic terrain from the seat of a helicopter-camera at the ready. It’s also an excellent day for Zodiac cruises, which offer guests a sea-level intimacy with the the surrounding lands and waters.
Day 6: At Sea: Get acquainted with the on-board features of Ultramarine!
Cruising along the east coast of Baffin Island, particularly from the middle of the island to the southern tip, brings into sharp perspective the sheer vastness of the largest island in Canada, and the fifth-largest in the world.
Day 7: Life in Qikiqtarjuaq
Qikiqtarjuaq, fondly called Qik, is a small hamlet-populated mostly by Inuit — north of the Arctic Circle on Broughton Island, off the east coast of Baffin Island. Known as the iceberg capital of Nunavut, Qikiqtarjuaq is located at the northern entrance to the mountainous Auyuittuq National Park, which is home to narwhals, bowhead and orca whales, polar bears, seals and migratory birds. Community visits, arranged in collaboration with our local partners, enable guests to learn about local culture, and purchase art and traditional handicrafts, such as parkas, boots and local art when available.
Day 8: Cape Mercy: Fascinating history in the remote wilderness
History buffs will enjoy a visit to Cape Mercy, an isolated cove at the southern tip of Cumberland Sound in Nunavut.
Cape Mercy was named by British explorer John Davis, who sailed through this part of the Arctic in 1585. Fast-forward several centuries to the 1950s when Cape Mercy was chosen as the site of a Distant Early Warning Line (DEW) installation, which was part of a system of radar stations set up during the Cold War to detect nuclear attacks.
Day 9: At Sea: Enjoying the on-ship amenities and learning opportunities
Day 10: Torngat Mountain National Park – "The land of the spirits"
Today’s wilderness adventure into Torngat Mountains National Park have leave you awestruck. Within the 10,000 square-kilometer national park, established in 2008, are Canada’s highest mountains east of the venerable Rockies. The park is a wilderness landscape painting brought to life: breathtaking fjords, dramatic glacial formations, stunning landscapes and wildlife. For students of Indigenous history, Torngat Mountain National Park is especially meaningful: the park is located at the northern edge of autonomous Nunatsiavut territory, which was recognized as the homeland of the Labrador Inuit in 2005, with its own constitution and administration.
Day 11 & 12: At Sea: Observing the ever-changing terrain
Day 13: L'Anse Aux Meadows National Historic Site: Viking and Norse history
As we sail toward L’Anse Aux Meadows National Historic Site on the northern tip of Newfoundland, consider the differences in modern and ancient marine vessels.Today, you’re going to visit the archeological remains of where they landed in their hand-hewn vessels. L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site (also a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site) is the only confirmed Norse or Viking settlement in North America.
Enjoy a guided tour to see where Norseman Leif Erikson, son of Erik the Red, is believed to have founded “Vinland” (the East Coast area including what would later be known as Newfoundland) around 1000 AD. Explore the reconstructed sod huts and Norse ruins throughout the historic site-proof that Vikings discovered North America 500 years before Christopher Columbus’s much-chronicled arrival.
Day 14: At Sea: The music continues
Enjoy another evening of kitchen party music performed by our guest artists.
Day 15: Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Experience the traditional culture of France during our visit to the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. This small archipelago, only 20 kilometers from Newfoundland, is the only French territory on the North American continent. We’ll disembark in the colorful and vibrant port town of Saint-Pierre, where we can stroll along the seaside, sample French patisseries and enjoy the café scene. Get a taste of Europe where you least expect it.
Day 16: Onward Flights
Your ship arrives at the pier in St. John’s for a morning disembarkation. After breakfast, you may make your way to St. John’s International Airport to connect with your homeward flight.
