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East to the Arctic

Immersing yourself in a coastal culture is a treasure to behold. Small outport communities along the coast of Newfoundland, remote northern towns amidst the Arctic. Imagine the colour, and feel the history of these unique and culturally enriched areas.

Embark on a journey of contrasts, from Newfoundland with its rich history of Viking settlements, generations of fishermen that have ventured to sea to fish for cod and aviation history (the province hosted 40 pioneering trans-Atlantic flights between 1919 and 1937) that have shaped the local culture and way of life, through Labrador discovering isolated fishing villages (called Outports) and finally reaching Baffin Island where the Inuit are still linked to the land in a way that very few cultures can claim.
Departures
East to the Arctic
11 July, 2012 to 23 July, 2012 Make a booking request

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Main Deck Triple $6990.00 USD pp
Twin Semi Private $8190.00 USD pp
Twin Private $9590.00 USD pp
Superior $10590.00 USD pp
Shackleton Suite $11990.00 USD pp
One Ocean Suite $12990.00 USD pp

East to the Arctic itinerary:

Day 1 – Embark and Departure from St. John’s, NL
In the afternoon we will board our vessel, the R/V Akademik Ioffe and set sail north along the coastline. As we sail out of St. John’s Harbour, we will have Signal Hill on our port side, where Marconi received the first trans-Atlantic wireless transmission in 1901. On our starboard side, we will see Fort Amherst, built by the British to protect the entrance to the Narrows. As we clear the harbour, we can look to the southeast and see the lighthouse at Cape Spear that marks the easternmost point of the continent of North America. We will leave this behind as we sail northwest around the Avalon Peninsula and on to the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland.
Day 2 – L’Anse aux Meadows
We will arrive at L’Anse aux Meadows, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and go ashore in our sturdy Zodiacs, landing on the beach, reminiscent of the ancient Norsemen. This will be our first of many experiences with our Zodiacs, a very safe and versatile craft invented by the famous Jacques Cousteau. L’Anse aux Meadows is a corruption of the original French L’Anse au Meduse meaning Jellyfish Creek. This is where Norseman, Leif Erikson, is thought to have founded “Vinland” in 1000 AD. As we explore the reconstructed sod huts and Norse ruins with the site’s archaeologist, we will see evidence that the Vikings discovered North America five hundred years before Columbus arrived.
Day 3– Battle Harbour
We will set sail for the coast of Labrador and cross the Strait of Belle Isle to arrive at Battle Harbour, one of the first British-based settlements in the east and home to the Church of St. James the Apostle, built in 1852. We will explore the restored fishing, whaling, commercial and religious buildings of this remote community, amid the backdrop of breathtaking coastal views. On the way across the Strait we will be on the lookout for Humpback and Minke whales, along with seals and many species of pelagic birds. Dr. Wilfred Grenfell built one of the first hospitals in Labrador in Battle Harbour in 1893, with one doctor and one nurse on staff. Further along the coast we will arrive at Hawkes Harbour in the late afternoon for a visit to an abandoned whaling station built in 1933 and operated by the Newfoundland Whaling Co. Ltd.
Day 4– Labrador Coast and Mealy Mountains National Park
Today we will make our way along the wild and ruggedly beautiful coast of Labrador with some cliffs rising as sheer rock walls over 1500 metres. As we sail we will be sea watching from the bridge and upper decks of the Akademik Ioffe looking for Humpback, Minke whales, White-beaked Dolphins and perhaps Orcas. We will pass the site of the proposed new Mealy Mountains National Park. The Park represents 39 distinct Canadian ecosystems and has been home to Labrador Innu, Inuit, Métis, descendents of European settlers and Quebec Innu. We plan to explore the Wonderstrands, a spectacular length of beach on the Atlantic Coast. This long line of sand glints in the sunshine, sweeping in a graceful arc for over 40 kilometres. Signs of human habitation have been found here dating back some 7,000 years. This is also one of the best places in the entire national park system to spot wild timber wolves.
Day 5 – Hopedale
The ancient rocks of the Canadian Shield cradling the hamlet of Hopedale, population approximately 620, will greet us as we rise this morning. After breakfast, we will go ashore by Zodiac visit the Hopedale Moravian Mission – built in 1782 and said to be the oldest building east of Quebec. Here we will learn about the influence of the Moravian missionaries on the Inuit people of Northern Labrador. We hope to visit the local museum and perhaps buy a carving or two from the local Inuit as we explore the town.
Day 6 – Okak/Cape Mygford
We will sail north to Okak Bay, and land at Okak, an abandoned community, former Moravian Mission and subsequent Hudson’s Bay Company trading post until 1956 when the Canadian government relocated the inhabitants to other communities in Labrador. This site offers lush sub-Arctic tundra walking on the open-rock barren lands of coastal Labrador. We will explore this area and others farther north for the ancient camps of the early pre-Dorset people who occupied this barren landscape.Our next stop will be Cape Mugford, one of the two sources along the coast of Labrador, of the stone, Ramah Chert – used for over 7000 years by the Paleo-Eskimo peoples and the Maritime Archaic Indians. It was preferred by many flint knappers (or stone workers) because the pattern with which the chert fractured was predictable, producing a better formed tool. There are only two known sources of high quality, flakeable chert along the entire Labrador coast. One is in the Cape Mugford region; the other is farther north in the area of Ramah Bay. This second source is found in an extremely limited area, as part of a sedimentary formation that runs from Saglek Bay north through Ramah Bay, ending at Nachvak Fiord. We hope to go ashore here to view this interesting rock formation and for further tundra exploration.
Day 7– Hebron/Torngat Mountains National Park
Today we hope to visit Hebron, once the northernmost settlement in Labrador. Hebron was established by the Moravian missionaries in 1831. The Mission was closed and the Inuit families relocated in 1959 but the buildings still stand today. From here we sail north and into Saglek Fjord. This is the southern gateway to the Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve, established in 2005.

The Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve covers 9,600 square kilometres in Northern Labrador, bordering Quebec on one side and the Labrador coast on the other. It is home to Canada’s highest mountains east of the Rockies, breathtaking fjords and stunning barren land viewscapes The Inuktitut word Torngait, means “place of spirits” and the Torngat Mountains have been home to Inuit and their predecessors for over 7500 years. The mountain peaks along the border with Quebec are the highest in mainland Canada east of the Rockies, and are dotted with remnant glaciers. Polar bears hunt seals along the coast, and both the Torngat Mountains and George River caribou herds cross paths as they migrate to and from their calving grounds. Today, Inuit continue to use this area for hunting, fishing, and travelling throughout the year. We will go ashore and explore the area. Wildflowers are spectacular when in bloom and bears feast on the aptly named Bearberry and Crowberries, among the sedges and grasses, on the raised beaches along the shores of the fiords.
Day 8 – Nachvak Fjord
Near Natchvak, the Torngats are a particularly beautiful range. It means “the place where the spirits live” and surely no one will disturb them in this eerie place. According to Inuit legend the area was once home to a form of giant Brown Bear that was even bigger than a Polar Bear and would attack humans on sight.

Nachvak Fjord is exceptionally beautiful. This deep and narrow Fjord is 22 kilometres long and all sorts of animals congregate in the fjord including whales, seals, Walrus, Arctic Fox and Polar bear. There are also great concentrations of sea birds including puffins and murres. We will enjoy this abundance of wildlife and striking scenery by ship and Zodiac. Photographic and drawing opportunities abound!
Day 9 – Button Islands
As we sail up the final stretch of coastal Labrador, we will attempt a visit to Martin Bay to view the site of the German automated weather station established in secrecy in October 1943 by a German U-Boat. This station remained undiscovered until the late 1970’s when a German historian came across a reference to it in the German naval archives. The equipment was collected by the Canadian Coast Guard in the early 1980’s and is on permanent display in the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

Later in the day, we will visit the Button Islands before sailing into Ungava Bay. Named after Thomas Button who explored the area in 1612, the islands are in the middle of the upwelling of nutrients of the edge of the continental shelf. These nutrients attract thousands of seabirds and other marine mammals.
Day 10 - Akpatok Island
We will start our day with a short walk up a narrow river valley to view archaeological sites on the eastern shore of Akpatok Island. During yet another of our excellent lunches, the ship will sail around to the bird cliffs on the northern shore of the island where we will plan to launch the Zodiacs and cruise among this wildlife extravaganza. Named after the Akpat, the Inuktitut name for Thick-billed Murre, this limestone island is home to over 500,000 breeding pairs. The clamour of chicks demanding a feed, the arguing of parents over ledge space and the squawking of gulls on the hunt for an abandoned chick will provide a noisy background to the warm aroma of a seafood-based diet.
Day 11 - Hudson Strait/Lower Savage Islands
Today we will sail across the Hudson Strait to the Lower Savage Islands. This strait is rich in sea life, providing the food for the large seabird colonies that line its shore. We will cruise in our Zodiacs among the maze of channels that comprise the Lower Savage Islands, looking for Polar Bears and, where no bears are found, a place to go ashore. These rarely visited islands will be our first landfall on Baffin Island. We will stroll among the wildflowers and dwarf birches and Arctic Willows that abound in this wild place and with our resource educator archaeologist, we will look for evidence of the early Paleo- Eskimos who may have called the islands home.
Day 12 - Monumental Island
Today we will sail across the mouth of Frobisher Bay to visit Monumental Island, a small, steep-sided island off the Southeast coast of Baffin Island. Here we will be looking for the Polar bears and walrus that live around this island in an uneasy truce. While Polar bears have been known to attack and kill young Walrus, they are no match for a fully grown male walrus, especially in the water. This will be our last Zodiac cruise and tonight, on board the ship, we will enjoy the sumptuous fare at the captain’s dinner. During the night the ship will negotiate the narrow channels of Frobisher Bay on the way to our disembarkation point, Iqualuit, the capital city of Nunavut.
Day 13 - Iqaluit
We will disembark by Zodiac and, after a short tour of Iqualuit (if time and tides permit), we will transfer to the airport in time for the flight home.
Map for East to the Arctic

Akademik Ioffe

Designed for polar research, the MS Akademik Ioffe is modern, comfortable, safe and ice-strengthened. From small group sessions to briefings for all passengers, we have public spaces onboard the ship ideally suited for each and every need. A separate bar and lounge, as well as a library provide ideal places to sit and relax or catch up on some reading. A selection of movies and documentaries can also be watched in the lounge. 

Enjoy the sumptuous meals prepared for you by our culinary team in our dining room, which can host all clients in a single seating with ample room. 

Other facilities include the theatre style presentation room, gift-shop, fitness room, massage room, sauna and plunge pool.

Comfort and Stability

Designed and built as a scientific research vessel in Finland, theMS Akademik Ioffe is very stable, quiet and comfortable. Refitting and refurbishment over the last five years oriented towards her role as an expedition cruise vessel has greatly improved the comfort and calibre of the facilities aboard the ship. 

There is little if any ambient noise from engines or machinery and with most of the public spaces on a separate deck from the majority of the cabins there is little issue with passenger-generated noise. 

Vessel stabilization is gained through a combination of internal stabilizers and a built-in ballast trimming system. The rapid transfer of ballast between special trimming tanks reduces vessel motion and coupled with a modern hull design gives us a stable platform for science and exploration.

Marine Safety

The MS Akademik Ioffe is a Russian-flagged vessel and carries all current certifications required by Russian and international maritime law for ensuring passenger safety and wellbeing. An extremely experienced captain, crew and an ice-strengthened hull ( Lloyds Register 1A, Canadian Type B) provides an exceptionally safe combination for polar expedition cruising. 

Safety and emergency equipment onboard the vessel is inspected and tested on a regular basis and a passenger lifeboat briefing and drill will be conducted on the first day of each voyage to ensure that passengers are familiar with onboard emergency procedures. The emergency equipment onboard the vessel includes two fully-enclosed lifeboats with a total capacity of 132 and four life rafts with a total capacity of 200.

The MS Akademik Ioffe has two main engines and twin propellers to propel the vessel through the polar waters at up to 14.5 knots. Coupled with a bow-thruster and a stern multi-directional propulsion unit, the One Ocean Navigator is extremely manoeuvrable and has a built-in propulsion back up.

Bar

Located aft of the lobby on the main deck and with a seating capacity of about 25 and/or sufficient standing room for many more, the bar becomes one of the activity hubs on the ship. With outside views through portholes and a door out onto the main deck, the bar is a comfortable place to enjoy a fresh fruit smoothie before breakfast, grab a bottle of water before an excursion or enjoy a cocktail before dinner. A stereo with MP3 player dock and a monitor showing live video footage of the view forward from the bridge at all times can be found in the bar.  

Bridge

The ship’s bridge is located on Deck 6 and is open to passengers virtually 24-hours a day. The officer on watch and a helmsman can always be found on duty on the bridge and it is also the best place to meet the master of the vessel. The chart room is a fascinating place to visit and expedition staff or ship’s crew are often available to answer questions about the equipment and instruments found on the bridge. 

In addition, the bridge is an excellent place to sightsee and view wildlife from. Binoculars and wildlife identification guidebooks can be found on the bridge and during much of the day, an expedition guide will be watching for wildlife from the bridge.

Communications

The ship carries all required communications and navigation facilities and equipment. An Iridium satellite communication system is in place for both voice and personal email use. Equipped with Inmarsat telephone and fax equipment as well as a variety of shortwave, SSB, and VHF radio systems, she also carries fully current GMDSS (Global Marine Distress and Safety System) equipment.   

Dining Room

With buffet breakfasts, buffet and/or plated lunches and plated dinners, the dining room can seat all passengers in one sitting. Attractively lit and comfortably furnished, it is served by our ship’s stewards and hosted by our Adventure Concierges. Our culinary team includes four chefs who are creative and outstanding in their commitment to quality, outstanding taste, and healthy preparation. 

To keep up to date with the view from the bridge, live streaming video can be viewed on a television screen in the dining room during meals. A small lounge can be found in the forward part of the dining room along with a small bar used during meal service.

Elevator

A lift (or elevator) services Deck 1 through 5, allowing access to and from the presentation room on Deck 1. The bridge and cabins on Deck 6 are not accessible by lift. Access to the zodiacs is by way of gangway stairs from the main deck (Deck 3).

Gift Shop

The gift shop carries a supply of souvenirs and sundries and is open most days of the voyage and can be opened at anytime for your convenience. From warm hats and gloves to polar books and t-shirts, the gift shop has something for everyone.  In addition a small selection of toiletries and sundries can be purchased from the gift shop.

Fitness & Fitness Room

Our onboard fitness program allows even the most dedicated enthusiast or those interested in starting a new regime, the opportunity to keep up or start their individual or group fitness. The fitness room onboard the vessel has a set of free weights, exercise bike and rowing machine. Exercise mats and balls are also available in the fitness room, as is a stereo with an MP3 player dock. 

Wellness Centre

With our registered massage therapist, fitness trainer, sauna/spa (Antarctica 11/12), and bouldering wall (Antarctica 11/12), your mind and body will be rejuvenated and ready for either the next round of activities or a chance to curl up in a cozy spot in front of our fireplace. Having the option to start and end each day with healthy and whole food options, provide the base for your system to be running optimally. 

Infirmary

Located on Deck 5, the infirmary can cater to basic medical needs. Although containing an impressive quantity of medical supplies, passengers with pre-existing medical conditions requiring medication or supplies should come self-reliant. We will carry an English speaking emergency physician on every voyage.  If there is a need to consult the ship’s doctor and receive medications from the infirmary, passengers will be invoiced for the cost of any items supplied.

Library

The library is located on Deck 5 and has wonderful forward viewing windows. A quiet part of the ship containing a large conference table, seating for about 18 and numerous polar reference books, the library is a great place to relax and learn about the region being visited. Just outside the library, there is additional seating in wingback chairs, another great place to sit and read. 

The library has a slide screen and whiteboard and is often used for small group focus sessions and discussions. 

Lounge

Adjacent to the bar on the main deck, the lounge has a piano, television, board games and puzzles. It seats about 25 and has direct access to the outer deck, where a covered viewing and seating area is located. Be sure to take a cozy blanket with you from the lounge while you go out to sit and enjoy the view from the starboard side of the ship. 

A 24-hour coffee and tea station can be found in the lounge, which also serves as an overflow area for the bar during Happy Hour and for after dinner card games. Of course, what lounge would be complete without a fireplace?

Mud Room

An expedition requires expedition gear and a place to keep it. Our passenger mudroom is the ideal spot to prepare for excursions and keep your gumboots and foul weather gear separate from your cabin. Shelves on the aft wall of the mudroom help in the storage of gumboots and a pegboard is in place for drying gloves.

The mudroom is on the main deck, between the reception area and the bar and we use this direct access to outside for boarding the zodiacs via the gangway.

Presentation Room

Our presentation room can be found on Deck 1, the lowest and most stable deck on our vessel. With seating for all passengers and elevator access, the presentation room is equipped with theatre style seating and modern multi-media presentation system. 

Sauna and Polar Plunge Pool

Following a day of excursions, a sauna with complimentary aromatic oils can be a wonderful way to unwind. Located on Deck 5, the sauna and adjacent plunge pool is open each afternoon and evening. The sauna seats approximately six people and the plunge pool can be filled with polar water on demand or for special events. There is a change room with towels and a shower room between the sauna and the plunge pool.

For the start of our Antarctic 2011/12 season we will be introducing a hot water spa to enjoy the great outdoors in hot water comfort.

Top Deck and Observatory

The top deck enjoys 360 degree views around the ship. A great place to enjoy calm sea days and spectacular Antarctic scenery, the top deck also has a small observatory where a spotting scope is stored as well as warm blankets and a comfortable bench. 

Bring your travel mug with you to the top deck on pleasant afternoons and our Adventure Concierges will bring carafes of steaming hot chocolate or other hot beverages to you. Refill your travel mug as often as you like.

Multimedia Room

Our multimedia room contains Apple Macintosh computers with the latest software for photo management and manipulation. External hard drives, a battery recharging station (110 V and 220 V powerbars for plugging in your charger), multi-card readers and a selection of cables for connecting various cameras to the computer can be found here. Manage your rapidly expanding polar image library, burn DVD’s or prepare slide shows to entertain fellow passengers or family at home. In addition we have available a portable 4”x6” photo printer to print out copies of some of your favourite photos.  

We do recommend that you bring your own recharger cables and download cables, as well as spare memory cards for your camera.

 

Registered name:     Akademik Ioffe
Built: 1989, Rama, Finland
Length: 117m
Breadth: 18.2 m
Draft: 6 m
Power: twin engine, 5,000Kw diesel, twin propeller  
Max speed: 14.5 kts
Crew and staff: 63
Passengers: 96

Cabin layout for Akademik Ioffe