Svalbard vs Alaska

[Lilac Trees]

Hello. 
 

Our aim is to travel to the arctic circle in summer. We don't have preferred place as long as it’s arctic circle and there are interesting things to see and do. 
 

We booked Svalbard cruise with Silver sea, but thinking we may cancel it and go to Alaska instead.

Because of two reasons:

a) we’re not sure whether spending this much money (over $20,000 for 2) will be indeed worth for expedition cruise(silver wind). The cabin is smaller than non-expedition cruise while this expedition cruise is quite more pricy than non-expedition cruise. 

b) cruise to Svalbard seems only all about nature while it involves more activities in Alaska. We’d like to see things on the way to the arctic. 

Has anyone travelled both of Svalbard and Alaska? Could You compare how it’s different?

 

Also, I’d like to hear if anyone has travelled to Svalbard with silversea whether it was very satisfied or not. 
 

Thank you. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 9 by Lilac Trees

[wyocruiser]

Just curious, how do you plan to get to the Arctic Circle if you go to Alaska?

[Host Jazzbeau]

You have to go pretty far up in Alaska to cross the Arctic Circle.  Even Nome doesn't do it:

 

[FlyerTalker]

The population of Svalbard is about 2600 people.  Even Seward is bigger than that.

 

Svalbard is all about the nature - physical and animal.  There's no significant tourist infrastructure and only one real settlement, with other locations being research and mining locations.

 

If you are looking for "something to do", Alaska is your choice. 

[Port Power]

1 hour ago, FlyerTalker said:

The population of Svalbard is about 2600 people.  Even Seward is bigger than that.

 

Svalbard is all about the nature - physical and animal.  There's no significant tourist infrastructure and only one real settlement, with other locations being research and mining locations.

 

If you are looking for "something to do", Alaska is your choice. 

I agree.  I don’t think @Lilac Trees realises that expedition cruising is totally different to classic cruising.  Expeditions are all about nature.  Activities are via zodiacs, and Bogs boots are needed for the paddle to reach shore.

 

I disembarked Silver Wind three days ago.  I didn’t find the main cabin much smaller than classic ships, but the bathroom certainly was.  

[Host Jazzbeau]

We have booked Silversea for Svalbard – on Endeavour.  A new standard of luxury for Silversea expedition cruises.  And ... polar bears!

 

Which reminds me:  if you want (a) the Arctic Circle and (b) Polar Bears – why not go to Churchill?

https://www.naturalworldsafaris.com/en-us/polar-regions/arctic-canada/safaris/churchill-polar-bear-photo-tour

[drron29]

I prefer wildlife to cities so we did a Svalbard cruise on the Explorer in 2010. It was so good that since then we have only booked one non Silversea cruise.

The most memorable part for me was sitting in a zodiac when it was snowing whilst watching 8 Polar Bears feasting on a Fin whale carcass. It included a mother with her cub.

 

So when we did an Inside Passage cruise we did so in an 8 passenger boat. Once again some magic moments such as a humpback whale surfacing beside our kayak whilst we were watching a bear on the shore.

 

So if those things don’t interest you then a big ship in Alaska would be best for you.

[Host Jazzbeau]

And if you are really after a picture of you straddling the Arctic Circle, you need to take a cruise to Iceland that stops at Grimsey Island.  The AC moves, so they had to make a new monument that they could roll northward to keep up.  Go soon, before it is on the seabed!

 

[spinnaker2]

You cannot compare Svalbard and Alaska expedition cruises except for the cold weather. They are totally different. Think polar bears vs brown bears. Walrus and seals and otters. The Bering Sea. Dutch Harbor. Bear guards in Svalbard. Mountains and icebergs and pristine beauty. Landing on small islands where no human lives. Seeing the paw prints of a small animal and a large animal on the beach. Wildflowers of breathtaking beauty. Seabirds. Eagles. 

Both cruises were exceptional. But know what you are getting into. Expedition cruising involves a commitment to getting up early, donning the outerwear, the boots etc. climbing into a zodiac, and then out of a zodiac, sometimes into the water (hence the boots). Going to the briefings to learn about the next days events. Being exhausted at night! In our opinion both were remarkable, once in a lifetime experiences. 

 

I tried to upload some photos but the internet is not cooperating.

 

I cannot speak to the classic cruises for either location.

 

 

[Lilac Trees]

17 hours ago, wyocruiser said:

Just curious, how do you plan to get to the Arctic Circle if you go to Alaska?

If we go to Alaska, we won’t cruise. It will be road trip. 

[Lilac Trees]

14 hours ago, Port Power said:

I agree.  I don’t think @Lilac Trees realises that expedition cruising is totally different to classic cruising.  Expeditions are all about nature.  Activities are via zodiacs, and Bogs boots are needed for the paddle to reach shore.

 

I disembarked Silver Wind three days ago.  I didn’t find the main cabin much smaller than classic ships, but the bathroom certainly was.  

Thank you for your reply. This is our first cruise trip. So we are bit unsure about cruise trip. 
 

Could you tell me if the Silver wind up to your expectations? 

[spinnaker2]

I see that you posted about this topic before. 

I did send photos before.

 

Note that the wind and the cloud are older vessels.  I suggest you do a search to see more contemporaneous posts regarding these two ships.

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, Lilac Trees said:

If we go to Alaska, we won’t cruise. It will be road trip. 

 

There is only ONE road that crosses the Arctic Circle.  Better do some research on the Dalton Highway before you start getting too invested in a road trip to Alaska.

 

Here is one description of the road:

 

The Dalton Highway in Alaska is a 415 mile/667 km long highway that connects the Interior of Alaska to the far North. The Dalton Road begins at mile 73 on the Elliott Highway (78 miles north of Fairbanks) and ends at the town of Deadhorse, a few miles from Prudhoe Bay, site of North America’s largest oil discovery. The Dalton Highway is the only road in Alaska that crosses the Arctic Circle and reaches the north coast of Alaska on the Arctic Ocean. At mile 244 of the highway, you will cross the Atigun Pass at 4737 Ft high.

 

Still known locally as the ‘Haul Road’ it can be a very challenging highway to travel. The primary users of the Dalton highway are the oil companies, which means most of the vehicles on the highway are large trucks. These truckers are professional drivers but they also tend to take up a lot of room on the narrow road (28 ft/8.5 meter wide). The surface is gravel and can be quite rough, dusty or slippery depending on the weather. There are long distances between commercial operations and here is where the problem lies. If you have any sort of mechanical difficulties or medical problems it can take hours or even days to get help. The cost of towing vehicles up here can be expensive. Many rental car companies prohibit driving on the Dalton Highway and other gravel roads in the state.

 

Given your posts, I would just suggest you go to Norway, either by cruise or air, and get your "check off the Arctic Circle box" in that fashion.

 

 

[Port Power]

1 hour ago, Lilac Trees said:

Thank you for your reply. This is our first cruise trip. So we are bit unsure about cruise trip. 
 

Could you tell me if the Silver wind up to your expectations? 

I thoroughly enjoyed the expedition to Antarctica, and Silver Wind was a lovely ship. I am doing an Arctic cruise on her this June.  The expedition team was well run.  However, I have taken over 50 cruises, including seven expedition cruises.  Expedition cruises are a totally different experience to classic cruises, and you need to be sure you really want to get out and see nature rather than cruise for the “hotel resort” experience.

 

For Antarctica, I would have preferred a much smaller ship, about half the size.  In the Kimberley of Western Australia, all my expedition cruises were with 114 passengers or less.  (Mostly much fewer!)  I would not sail on Silver Wind there.  The Antarctic itinerary is completely different to either of those two places. I think the larger ship will be suitable there and I won’t miss out any experiences.

 

Life aboard Silver Wind was enjoyable and you will meet and mix with other passengers quite quickly.  There are lectures presented on sea days.  There are lounges where you can sit and observe, always with your binoculars beside you! The choice of bars and restaurants provides variety for life onboard.

 

As a contrast, I sailed on Silver Muse from Vancouver to Japan and thought it was one of the best cruises I have done.  The tours I went on at each port were all nature and wildlife based, including whale watching, just not via zodiacs. Just about a perfect cruise for first timers in my opinion.

 

I hope this helps. 🙂

[Lilac Trees]

18 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

And if you are really after a picture of you straddling the Arctic Circle, you need to take a cruise to Iceland that stops at Grimsey Island.  The AC moves, so they had to make a new monument that they could roll northward to keep up.  Go soon, before it is on the seabed!

 

Thank you for sharing the lovely photo. 

Actually, Iceland - Grimsey Island is one of list as well. As you said before it's on the seabed!

 

I didn't know there're pola bears Churchill. Thanks!

[Lilac Trees]

7 hours ago, spinnaker2 said:

You cannot compare Svalbard and Alaska expedition cruises except for the cold weather. They are totally different. Think polar bears vs brown bears. Walrus and seals and otters. The Bering Sea. Dutch Harbor. Bear guards in Svalbard. Mountains and icebergs and pristine beauty. Landing on small islands where no human lives. Seeing the paw prints of a small animal and a large animal on the beach. Wildflowers of breathtaking beauty. Seabirds. Eagles. 

Both cruises were exceptional. But know what you are getting into. Expedition cruising involves a commitment to getting up early, donning the outerwear, the boots etc. climbing into a zodiac, and then out of a zodiac, sometimes into the water (hence the boots). Going to the briefings to learn about the next days events. Being exhausted at night! In our opinion both were remarkable, once in a lifetime experiences. 

 

I tried to upload some photos but the internet is not cooperating.

 

I cannot speak to the classic cruises for either location.

 

 

This really helps to understand about expedition crusing. Thank you.

[drron29]

4 hours ago, Lilac Trees said:

Thank you for sharing the lovely photo. 

Actually, Iceland - Grimsey Island is one of list as well. As you said before it's on the seabed!

 

I didn't know there're pola bears Churchill. Thanks!

And if you go in the middle of August the river is pretty much full of Beluga whales. They are very inquisitive and come very close to your boat. When we went we were in Zodiacs. They swam right beside us.

[Lilac Trees]

18 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

There is only ONE road that crosses the Arctic Circle.  Better do some research on the Dalton Highway before you start getting too invested in a road trip to Alaska.

 

Here is one description of the road:

 

The Dalton Highway in Alaska is a 415 mile/667 km long highway that connects the Interior of Alaska to the far North. The Dalton Road begins at mile 73 on the Elliott Highway (78 miles north of Fairbanks) and ends at the town of Deadhorse, a few miles from Prudhoe Bay, site of North America’s largest oil discovery. The Dalton Highway is the only road in Alaska that crosses the Arctic Circle and reaches the north coast of Alaska on the Arctic Ocean. At mile 244 of the highway, you will cross the Atigun Pass at 4737 Ft high.

 

Still known locally as the ‘Haul Road’ it can be a very challenging highway to travel. The primary users of the Dalton highway are the oil companies, which means most of the vehicles on the highway are large trucks. These truckers are professional drivers but they also tend to take up a lot of room on the narrow road (28 ft/8.5 meter wide). The surface is gravel and can be quite rough, dusty or slippery depending on the weather. There are long distances between commercial operations and here is where the problem lies. If you have any sort of mechanical difficulties or medical problems it can take hours or even days to get help. The cost of towing vehicles up here can be expensive. Many rental car companies prohibit driving on the Dalton Highway and other gravel roads in the state.

 

Given your posts, I would just suggest you go to Norway, either by cruise or air, and get your "check off the Arctic Circle box" in that fashion.

 

 

Oh, I didn't know about this. Thanks a lot for sharing this.It sounds like I should never drive there!

If we go to Alaska, we were going to join 10 days tour. When I just checked the itinerary, I see it's crossing the Arctic Circle on the Dalton Highway. I will definately need to do more research. Thanks again. 

[bohaiboy]

On 1/9/2024 at 9:22 PM, drron29 said:

I prefer wildlife to cities so we did a Svalbard cruise on the Explorer in 2010. It was so good that since then we have only booked one non Silversea cruise.

The most memorable part for me was sitting in a zodiac when it was snowing whilst watching 8 Polar Bears feasting on a Fin whale carcass. It included a mother with her cub.

 

So when we did an Inside Passage cruise we did so in an 8 passenger boat. Once again some magic moments such as a humpback whale surfacing beside our kayak whilst we were watching a bear on the shore.

 

So if those things don’t interest you then a big ship in Alaska would be best for you.

Did you use Dennis out of Petersburg?  We have used him twice and he has 8 PAX

[CurlerRob]

On 1/9/2024 at 10:06 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

We have booked Silversea for Svalbard – on Endeavour.  A new standard of luxury for Silversea expedition cruises.  And ... polar bears!

 

Which reminds me:  if you want (a) the Arctic Circle and (b) Polar Bears – why not go to Churchill?

https://www.naturalworldsafaris.com/en-us/polar-regions/arctic-canada/safaris/churchill-polar-bear-photo-tour

 

The Churchill tours are generally quite good for polar bear spotting. Just FYI, Churchill is well south of the Arctic Circle - it's at Latitude  58.8° N, about 480 miles south of the Circle.

 

Agree with comments that Norway is likely the easiest for the Circle itself. Svalbard is unique, but bear observations when cruising are not common. And, you don't want to see them there on a shore excursion - this from Ny Alesund: 🍺🥌

 

[willma]

We’ve just been notified that our voyage from Tromsø to Svalbard booked for next June has been cancelled due to ‘unforeseen logistical and operational changes.’ We are obviously very disappointed. Looking for another cruise line. 

We have yet to do a Silversea cruise which has been as booked.

[wyocruiser]

Willma  - what was the date of your cruise? Thank you!

Edited January 12 by wyocruiser

[willma]

13th July 2025  (I realised I had put June in my post.)

[Lilac Trees]

On 1/13/2024 at 2:46 AM, willma said:

13th July 2025  (I realised I had put June in my post.)

Oh. That’s a shame. We’ve booked the same cruise but for this July. 

We were thinking if we don’t go this year (getting to Tromso is quite complicated), we might go next year. But I see that’s no longer an option. 
 

Do you think you might try to go this July by any chance?

[willma]

Hi Lilac Trees. We are thinking about it, but already have holiday booked for June. Svalbard is a bucket list trip that was previously lost to covid! 

Silver Wind seems to have been removed completely from schedules for next year.