Heart of the Northwest Passage

During this 15-day Active Adventure through the heart of the Northwest Passage, you will visit the islands and and waterways that are synonymous with the legendary search for the northern seafaring route to Asia. En route from Resolute to Cambridge Bay, an optional adventure will be offered – kayaking.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Ottawa
Overnight at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in the heart of the Canadian capital.

Day 2 - Resolute
Fly from Ottawa, Canada to Resolute, a hamlet on Cornwallis Island far above the Arctic Circle.

Day 3 - Peel Sound
During the night we sail across Barrow Strait so that the morning of Day 2 begins deep in the waters of Peel Sound. Your exploration of the heart of the Northwest Passage starts with a search for whales. The Sound is a known habitat of narwhal and beluga.

Day 4 - Lancaster Sound and Beechey Island
Many of the expeditions sent to discover the fare of the Franklin Expedition, perhaps the most infamous failure of all searches for the Northwest Passage, stopped at Beechey Island. There, as you will, they paid their respects to three of Franklin’s crew who were buried on the desolate island. The site is a reminder of all the courageous people who died while seeking the northern route to Asia.

Day 5 - Bellot Strait
We begin our westward journey today. Bellot Strait is a narrow channel that separates the mainland of North America from Somerset Island. Halfway through the Strait we will sail past Point Zenith, the northernmost point of mainland North America.

Day 6 - King William Island
We return to the saga of Sir John Franklin’s men and ships. For two winters, his ships Erebus and Terror were beset in ice near the island. In 1848, Franklin’s men abandoned ship. A decade passed before a cairn was discovered on Victory Point under which an officer had place a note explaining their circumstances. About 50 years later, Amundsen was able to sail the same stretch of water with little trouble.

Day 7-9 - Coronation Gulf to the Beaufort Sea
We will be sailing in shallow, ice dotted seas. Should conditions permit, we will follow a polar bear through the ice as it tracks ringed seals. Keep your binoculars at your side as seabirds feed in the open stretches of water. During this portion of the voyage you’ll enter the second of Canada’s three Arctic territories today, the Northwest Territories (NWT). We plan to visit the tiny community of Holman, where the indigenous people have established a print shop and artists’ cooperative. Witnessing an extraordinary natural phenomenon will be our goal when we explore this section of the Northwest Passage. The bituminous shale of the Smoking Hills has been burning spontaneously for centuries. The phenomenon has affected the local vegetation and the acidity of the tundra ponds in the vicinity.

Day 10-13 - Pearce Point, Bernard Harbour
We will reach the end of the Canadian Northwest Passage when we enter Amundsen Gulf. We will begin our homeward journey. En route to Cambridge Bay, we plant to visit historic outposts and villages. On Victoria Island we seek musk oxen – prehistoric beasts with shaggy coats and massive heads. The history of the search for the Northwest Passage coincides with the history of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Hudson’s Bay Company. Our shipboard historian will relates stories of the redcoats, the fur trade and the merchants who governed the Canadian Arctic for nearly two centuries.

Day 14 - Cambridge Bay
Fly from Cambridge Bay to Edmonton to spend the night.

Day 15 Ottawa
Fly home from Edmonton, Alberta.

What's Included:

• Shipboard accommodation with daily housekeeping.
• All breakfasts, lunches and dinners on board throughout your voyage. (Please inform us of any dietary requirements as far in advance as possible. Unfortunately, the ships’ galleys cannot prepare kosher meals.)
• All shore landings and excursions per the daily program.
• Leadership throughout the voyage by our experienced Expedition Leader, including shore landings and other activities.
• Formal and informal presentations by our Expedition Team and guest speakers as scheduled.
• Photographic Album on DVD.
• A pair of waterproof expedition boots on loan for shore landings.
• Hair dryer in every cabin.
• A Quark Expeditions parka.
• Coffee, tea, cocoa and bottled water available around the clock.
• Comprehensive pre-departure materials, including a map and an informative Arctic Reader.
• All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program.
• Emergency Evacuation Insurance for all passengers to a maximum of $100,000 per person.
• One night pre- and one night post-expedition hotel accommodation with breakfast as indicated in the itinerary. (The number of guests per room is the same as cabin occupancy on the ship. Due to limited availability, travelers who reserve a suite on board are accommodated in standard rooms at the hotel.)
• Group transfers from the hotel to the airport and from the airport to the ship for embarkation
• Group transfers from the ship to the local airport upon disembarkation and from the airport to the hotel at the end of the voyage – plus all baggage handling aboard ship.

What's Not Included:

• Fuel Surcharges
• Transportation to/from embarkation/disembarkation and home
  

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All rates are per person, double occupancy. Port charges, Government taxes and fees are additional. Limited availability and based on minimum fares for select departure dates. Other dates may be higher. These rates are for new, individual bookings only. Not responsible for last minute changes of price or itinerary by cruise line, or any errors or omissions in the content of this site. Some restrictions and cancellation penalties may apply.