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21st September Pack Ice: By far the best day on the ship, unfortunately only a few hours spent up in the ice. Was meant to be Franklin Bay but this was substituted. Originally we expected this would have been the view for most of the cruise, unfortunately besides ice bergs there was no pack ice except for this day. I think the captain really knew there was many disgruntled passengers and really wanted to make the day special. Fortunately one of the expedition staff managed to spot two polar bears on the ice in the distance and the captain expertly manoeuvred the ship so we could all get an amazing view of them playing, we stayed and watched for probably close to an hour, as we were heading through more ice, another bear was spotted, he was a little shyer so we only watched for a short period. Following this they were able to find an ice floe that we could land on, so the champagne was set up and we all managed to set foot on ice. While it was definitely memorable the time on ice was only 5-6 minutes. While we were all on high, it was noticed by the English speakers that the French had significantly longer. Not sure why but they disembarked the English first and we went on a zodiac cruise for 45 minutes, while the French all got to spend 20 minutes per zodiac on the ice, when it came to our turn, things were quickened up (due to weather?) and so our time was cut short. Unfortunately the afternoon ended in a little drama, the expedition leader yelled at me to hurry up very rudely (we had to put our champagne down and leave immediately), when we got on the zodiac there were staff also getting on, the lovely zodiac driver was trying to get the staff off, saying she needed to take her ten passengers back, who by this stage were lined up to get on, the expedition leader was getting cranky that staff were on and things were being delayed. One of the staff was the hotel manager who saw and heard everything, he kept apologising to me about the way I was spoken to and what transpired and said we could go back to the ice as our time was cut short and there were plenty of zodiacs, of course that didn’t happen and we just headed back to the ship, other passengers were stranded on the ice floe (OK they were lucky they were stranded as they ended up having more time), the poor zodiac driver was worried as she didnt return with her passengers. Later that night the hotel manager came and again apologised about the incident and agreed it was inappropriate, he then explained he put a formal complaint in about the incident to the captain, well needless to say the expedition leader wouldn’t even look at us again for the rest of the cruise! Despite the drama it was still the best day of the cruise! Photos to follow, cant seem to upload via my iPad..

20th September: Smoking Hills Another 2 hour zodiac ride today along the smoking hills, a really interesting place. A natural phenomenon caused by a mixture of pyrite and clay shale that ignites when in contact with the air. We were lucky our guide saw a seal as we were heading back to the ship and played around our zodiac for a few minutes

18th September Ulukhaktok: This was by far the best village we saw in Canada, whether it was due to the light dusting of snow that made it more beautiful, to just the fact we were welcomed by the locals, who seemed genuinely happy to see us and very proud of their town. They showed up in traditional dress and took us on a walking tour of the town. The locals advised the weather was about 4 weeks late, normally they would be completely covered in snow by mid September but their summer had been much warmer than usual. There was some very overpriced art/craft for sale. We were advised they would accept credit card but when we arrived into the local community centre we were advised cash only. However things like a little simple felt Christmas decoration was being sold for $20 or a coffee mug with a sticker of their town for $30. I sort of felt sorry for them as most didn’t buy anything, I bought a Christmas decoration just in order to support the locals.

Edinburgh Island: Another hike today, unfortunately the long hike was cancelled due to heavy fog, and so it was just the medium hike or many just wandered around the shoreline. This hike was on a marshy swamp, many a twisted ankle! Nothing really much to see but nice to get out for a walk. Tonight we had a wake up call at 3am for more northern lights!

Gjoa Haven: Another poorly planned stop thanks to Ponant. We arrived at Gjoa Haven and the community were not expecting us, we had been advised their would be a sewing demonstration, a cooking demonstration and some performances from locals. On arrival we were told that there would be a delay in the performances for 90 minutes, so Tim and I went for a walk to the Gjoa Haven Cairn, where Amundsen had set up camp for 2 years, this was a 60 minute round trip walk (we managed to see it as we were wandering around town) but there had been no information given to passengers about the Cairn and the historical significance. We mentioned it the expedition leader that we had done the walk and he just said he didn’t say anything because there wouldn’t be time. Well we obviously had plenty of time while waiting for the entertainment! Many of the passenger waited in the community centre for the 90 minutes, as the town was not pretty at all. We wandered back there at the given time of 4pm and waited, it was clear there was no organisation and finally two kids sang two songs (similar to what we saw in Pond Inlet) and then they asked for patience as another singer was coming. At this time I started getting a headache so we headed back to the ship, however others advised the singer refused to sing as she wasn’t prepared, so everyone wandered back to the ship. To say it was a wasted day would be an understatement.

Yes there were a few unhappy campers (rightly so..), it does make me wonder what some people expect from an expedition..

OK so no photos of the snowy owl, cause who wants to look at a photo of a white dot 😂

Conningham Bay: today we had a 2 hour zodiac ride and were fortunate to see 3 polar bears around the bay, we also saw a snowy owl and two Arctic foxes. It was an enjoyable zodiac ride. Some zodiacs went back early because complained they were cold, luckily this wasn’t our zodiac, but I would have been very annoyed if our time was cut short due to someone not dressing appropriately. There was also a comment from a passenger who wanted to go back early asking “why everyone wants to keep taking photos of polar bears”, it is beyond belief that one would come on an expedition cruise and not want to enjoy every minute of the amazing wildlife!

Im sure when its back downs in Antartica doing its usual cruise it will be fine. You will be very fortunate to have Dan and Rachel as naturalists on your cruise. A passionate English couple (that live in Scotland), they and their enthusiasm made the trip for us! They board again on the 4th November I believe.

Sfvoyage, I do believe the timing of the trip could impact the outcome. The problem is the later you go, the less chance of wildlife (as most have migrated), but the more chance of ice and snow (and also an iced over passage that means you cant get through) I would have been very happy to sit back and watch the landscape go by if it was ice and snow. If it was earlier in the season, potentially more wildlife but less chance of ice and snow (and the more baron dirty, muddy landscape that we saw). Regardless of the landscape/wildlife the expedition leader is crucial to a successful voyage.

Next up Fort Ross: The site of one of the first Hudson Bay company store fronts built in 1937. It sits on the start of the Bellot strait. The buildings are in pretty good condition although we were advised there has been some significant damage to the polar bears. We did a short hike up to a Cairn which also had some good views. Again the hike was on a very rocky ground and their was boulder climbing to get to the peak and quite a few were unable to complete it.

13th Sep, Fury Inlet: A hike was planned today along a canyon, again the hikes were graded poorly and the long hike ended up being longer, easier and more picturesque than the medium hike. Tim did the long hike and I did the medium hike. The medium hike ended up having us walk up a very steep hill, that had very loose stones, and many had a few slips and trips. The longer hike, walked half way up then walked down into the canyon before heading back up and over the hills. If I had known the long hike was going to be less difficult I most certainly would have done it. A few more unhappy passengers again requesting that the hikes were graded on difficulty. The expedition leader really seemed very arrogant and refused to provide the details that people were asking for. Not just the passengers but many of the expedition team voiced their frustrations to us. The information communicated to the English passengers was very different than that communicated to the French passengers (although the French were also not happy)

So we disembarked in Nome on the 25th September and after a few days in Seattle and a day in Singapore we made it home 48 hours ago. I know 10-1 has updated his thread with some further details about the cruise, but thought id continue on the trip report, with more day to day details of our stopovers, so others may benefit, particularly if looking to book a NW Passage cruise. I think generally the weather was much warmer then expected and as a result the expected landscapes were baron and harsh instead of white and beautiful, so for others considering the trip take that into account because one never knows how the weather will play. In 2018 the NW passage was closed due to ice, this year our only issue was no ice 🤷‍♀️

The food seems very similar to what we have had on Le boreal. The always available appears the same. I’ve really struggled with the food as we have no other option for dinner (buffet is closed), tonight was a gala dinner and I had a green salad and dessert, as there was nothing I would eat. Last gala dinner I asked if I could have chicken and was advised no, eventually they served up the chicken from the burger. a few examples of the current menu on Le boreal.

Dinner has been 7pm-8:30pm every night on our NW passage cruise. The buffet has not been open at all for dinner.

Actually they always provide chocolate powder on top of a cappuccino on the ship (some ask but most don’t), the issue is a flat white, latte and cappuccino is the same, either with or without chocolate powder…no awareness of the foam and the differences. Its fine (I know where to get my coffee now) but just unusual that there is no one on board who has any barista training to be able to differentiate between the many options. Australians are known to be particularly fussy with our coffee (Starbucks went bankrupt in Australia because it was the lowest of low coffee shop compared to our many options).

I mentioned on 10-1’s thread, about our delays in Pond Inlet due to paperwork and resulting missing of Beechey Island after the ship was not given permission to sail in Canadian waters, many unhappy people due to what appears to be incompetence on Ponants behalf. We had a meeting with the hotel manager and he has made some changes to food options which has been helpful. However, little things continue to annoy. I think I’ll leave it at that for now…. Pond inlet was a bit of a dive, but a mandatory stop due to customs and immigration. The community put on a good show that was enjoyable. As previously mentioned we were unable to do the hike from the ruins due to a 3 hour delay disembarking. Pond Inlet does not have the same charm as the Greenland Inuit communities and appears to be very westernized. Ponant picked up a community member Sarah for a week (who resides in Pond Inlet and wanting to be a guide), she was meant to enhance our experience and knowledge of the everyday life. We had dinner with her one night which was lovely. However, one of the expedition staff did a little interview with her at a briefing and it was obvious things weren’t going to plan… Q:What is your normal diet, what type of hunting do you do and how long are you away for? A: hamburgers, Chinese, junk food, coke 😂 They just go in their trucks for a day but we just get our meat from the supermarket! So while we found it amusing and I’m sure Sarah has loved the experience I’m not sure it added a great deal to the experience.

Gjoa Haven (not the haven we expected)

In regards to feedback, the hotel manager asked to speak with us following our submission of the feedback form. I thought he was very responsive to the feedback and had highlighted parts of what I had written to discuss with my husband and I, we spoke with him for at least 45 minutes. I tried to ensure the feedback was constructive and not all negative. In saying that he did acknowledge multiple issues and potential safety problems. Since our discussion there has been some changes, such as having an additional dish on the dinner menu (normally a carvery or pasta station), afternoon tea is now labeled so one knows what they are eating, hikes have been led by other expedition leaders etc. So I do agree they are listening. However, as 10-1 said, there has been some issues and delays to what appears poor management and these are continuing and actually impacting the itinerary. As 10-1 mentioned there were huge delays on embarkation and it seems majority were not happy, what was a nightmare situation for those on the charter flight (not myself), was exacerbated by poor communication. On arriving into Canada (pond inlet), paperwork was not complete and we were unable to get off the ship for 3 hours, we were due to disembark at 12, finally off at 3, with an all aboard time of 5, this caused the hike to ruins to be cancelled, unfortunately things got worse once on board, incorrect paperwork was filed and Canadian authorities would not allow us to set sail, so we stayed in the harbour all night, this obviously caused delays to the itinerary and the visit to Beechey Island was cancelled and we had a sea day instead, lots of unhappy people missing such an important historical site. Our planned stop in Nuussauq which included a cultural show was also delayed as the community had not received notification we were arriving, apparently (as told by an elder at the presentation) money had not been received and as their was no confirmation we were arriving, nothing was planned. Fast forward to yesterday our day in Gjoa Haven, again we are all inside the community center waiting for a cooking and sewing demonstration only to be told they also weren’t expecting us. Two young children sang two songs and that was a cultural show. Now Gjoa Haven is an historical site and an important part of Amundsen’s NW voyage, however there is nothing else there, so the cultural show was meant to be the highlight. As for the cappuccino saga it continues! We order a large cappucino and they present a small cappuccino in a large mug 😂, a flat white has foam, and a latte is a cappuccino without chocolate, we have found one staff member in the observatory bar who knows how to make a proper coffee and so we head there everyday after breakfast, but we should be able to enjoy a cappuccino with breakfast. We haven’t been drinking much beer, but the always included beer is Heineken and local beer, when there is no local beer loaded that doesn’t give much choice. The bar manager did get some Greenland beer, however due to the currency issue, they are charging for it despite it being included on the menu, nitpicking maybe but they shouldn’t be charging for something that is meant to be included. We also have sailed Le Boreal in 2017 to Antarctica and assumed the service and facilities would be similar, but there is a definite decline. We had planned on booking the PNG odyssey cruise in 2024 while on board, but have decided to look elsewhere. While I do believe they are trying to make things better as 10-1 said this cruise is big $$$, and at this point it seems to be one issue on top of the other and it has definitely impacted the enjoyment and service we expected.

I’ve just received the power up point email (I’m in Australia), to do a quiz but it expires on the 22nd august… no link for a webinar, just the same email from last month 🤷‍♀️

As 10-1 mentioned, they provided a feedback form, I’m not sure they were expecting such detailed feedback. There are certainly some issues that have impacted the cruise, very poor communication and issues with food/catering. Some real difficulties communicating in English, when I called the emergency number in regards to our fridge fire the girl could not understand me or the word ‘fire’. Trying to order room service is a nightmare and there has been multiple times where food/drinks have been wasted due to staff not understanding what has been ordered. As we do not have the option of the buffet at dinner, if the dining room does not appeal the only option is room service and the always available menu, unfortunately the options are appalling… Beef burger, chicken burger, club sandwich, rib eye and salmon. No salads, pasta or any other variety. I’ve actually not eaten dinner at all some nights due to the choices on the menu. There were many complaints after a hike was explained as short, medium and long, rather than level of difficulty. The hikes were in fact clambering over rocks and long grasses (mid thigh), many pulled out within a minute or two. I managed the medium hike (250m elevation), which was the halfway point of the long hike, approx 3hour return trip, luckily I did the hike with an English speaking naturalist who stopped and explained about the vegetation etc and allowed one to catch their breath. My husband (and 10-1) did the long hike, when asked if they could stop and take photos they were advised they should have chosen the medium hike, the hike was aimed at the staff who went on the hike rather than the passengers with an average age of over 60. Some people got out of the zodiac and couldn’t even walk up the embankment due to steepness. the expedition leader seems to forget his target audience! I don’t want this to be a negative experience and we certainly have some amazing staff that are going out of their way to ensure we are having a great time, we’ve met some lovely people and have seen and experienced some amazing things, but unfortunately Ponant need to take note of the multiple complaints and make changes so that we can experience what we have paid for.

Unfortunately due to poor internet I’m not going to be able to do a day by day account so will give a few updates where possible. We’ve managed to view the northern lights 4 nights so far. It’s been an eventful few days visiting multiple Inuit communities, visiting the UNESCO listed Disko bay, which had the northern hemispheres largest icebergs. On Thursday night we were woken with a loud bang and shudder, followed by a very Rocky night. Captain announced the next morning we had hit two icebergs and damaged a stabilizer, two days of rocking and rolling and they have finally fixed the stabilizer. We were Sitting in our Room one day and we could small something burning, the smell got worse until we realised our fridge was on fire. Called the emergency number and they were able to isolate our cabin and turn the power off immediately, a few minutes later they came down emptied the fridge and took it away… apparently it’s not the first time and it wasn’t the last, two days later our neighbours fridge did the same thing. Yesterday we were treated to our first polar bear, a sighting not expected as it was very close to an Inuit community and they are still hunted.

Day 8: Very foggy today in Narsaq, managed to walk about 5km. Back on the ship and an amazing lunch sitting on the back deck in the beautiful sunshine, icebergs surrounding us, spectacular sail away…