Arctic Cruise: The Svalbard Explorer

Expedition Leaders and their teams bring diverse expertise in subjects as varied as polar history, marine biology, glaciology, ornithology and photography. Their knowledge and enthusiasm will greatly enhance your immersion into the polar environment and further deepen your connection to the Arctic. With over 30 years of experience bringing passengers to remote polar regions and an industry-leading staff-to-guest ratio, we know how to safely handle the unexpected.

Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy—and excitement—of expedition travel. When traveling in extremely remote regions, your Expedition Team must consider the sea, ice, wildlife, and weather to guide the route and itinerary details. This itinerary is a tentative outline of what you may experience on this voyage; please be aware that no specific itinerary can be guaranteed. By the same token, wildlife encounters as described are expected, but not guaranteed. Your Expedition Team will use their considerable experience to seek out wildlife in known habitats, but the presence of any particular species of bird or marine wildlife is not guaranteed.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of €2860.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

A visa is not required for your trip to Finland. Further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you check your destinations’ Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity.

A visa is not required for your trip to Norway. Further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you check your destinations’ Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity.

Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you.

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24-hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.

It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, www.travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.

All our tours feature a “Tour Pace” to help find the right holiday for you. To travel on any of our tours requires unaided mobility and the ability to stroll around the sights, climb stairs and get on and off coaches and boats. The tour pace of Arctic Cruise: The Svalbard Explorer is rated Intermediate. A good level of fitness is required as you may be on your feet for approximately four hours in a day, though this will be interspersed with regular breaks and will vary from day to day. You will be walking around the sights, and may be getting on and off coaches, trains and boats and climbing steps which may be irregular. You will stay in variety of hotels throughout the tour. Our guides will always endeavour to provide the highest level of service and assistance; however, they cannot be expected to cater for customers who are unfit to complete the itinerary.

The currency in Finland is the Euro. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in your local currency.

The currency in Norway is the Norwegian Krone (NOK). We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK.

As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.

You will need to take money with you to cover any personal purchases such as souvenirs, laundry, any meals not included in the itinerary as well as drinks and any additional snacks. Approximately £350-£400 per person will be sufficient for the duration of the tour. It is a good idea to try and maintain a supply of small notes and change in the local currency for tipping or small purchases.

It is at your customary to tip both your crew and guide. We would recommend to tip approximately Euro €10 per person per day. This is a total of Euro €100 per person to budget for tips on your trip. Tips will be collected at the beginning/end of your tour.
Tips are accepted in the local currency.

The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 1. If we are not able to operate your departure date, then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

Please note: your cruise is shared with international clients from other companies.

Excursions during your cruise are in shared services, meaning that these excursions are not exclusive to Mercury Holidays customers, you will have a English-speaking local guide present during these excursions ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times. This guide will only be available during excursions.

Please note: your cruise is shared with international clients from other companies.

Mercury Holidays has visited and inspected all cruise ships to ensure that they meet the high standards of service which we require for our clients. If the ship detailed is not available, an alternative will be used of a similar standard. Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.

Breakfasts and lunches are normally served buffet style, while dinners are served plated. À la carte meals are made at the time of your order, allowing our chefs to prepare each dish to your individual needs, ensuring you receive top-quality meals during the course of your expedition. Soft drinks and juices are available during meals and when the bar is open; beer and wine are served with dinner; and coffee, tea and water stations are available around the clock – all included in the cost of your package.

On your arrival in Helsinki you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Quark Expeditions holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/ Quark Expeditions representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your national guide will be on hand 24 hours a day should you have any queries, however if you need to contact your representative during your stay the details are: Quark Expeditions Contact Number: +1 203 852 5580 Email Address: sarah.schlederer@quarkexpeditions.com

Please find below the emergency contact details for Quark Expeditions Contact Number: +1 203 852 5580 Email Address: sarah.schlederer@quarkexpeditions.com