This cruise had the combination we wanted: small ship, remote travel, emphasis on wildlife viewing as well as ridge and beach walks/hikes, comfort, and well-traveled expedition guides. Following the trail of explorers searching for the Northwest Passage, we learned about the Franklin expedition and the many search expeditions that followed. Our days were filled with opportunities to go ashore and visit small villages in Greenland and Nunavut Territory, ride in zodiacs to examine ice bergs and rock formations up close, Visit landing sites to visit the remains of human settlements and trading posts. We hiked up steep hills covered with lichen. From the deck we viewed the steep sides of cliffs visited by cliff jumpers or bowhead whales working the shoreline in a narrow passage. We walked a boardwalk to an impressively ice-choked fiord and chose to hike back along a rocky trail. We saw a variety of whales, birds, seals along with polar bears, musk ox, arctic wolf and arctic hare. Still enjoying our pictures and remarking what an incredible experience the trip was.

The food was very good with a lot of choices for each course and each meal. Breakfast included a custom omelette station. Soups and salads were fresh and changed daily. Dinner was a la carte. The food service staff went out of their way to prepare dishes for a fellow traveller with strict dietary restrictions.