New this year for Adventure Canada was a spring Ireland program as the Ocean Endeavour then made its way to Iceland and eventually the Canadian Arctic for the height of the season.
A Newfoundland circumnavigation closes out the 2019 season sailing round-trip from St. John’s over 11 days.
2020 will see the ship start in Quebec and Nova Scotia, before heading to New Brunswick, Newfoundland and then the Canadian Arctic.
“The Northwest Passage is our iconic route,” said Matthew James Bradley-Swan, director of sales. “That is traveling in waterways that are only open for a few weeks, and one of the final frontiers … it’s a bucket list item for all travelers.”
The company operates two Northwest Passage sailings, heading into the Northwest Passage and then turning around, doing a second cruise back out, and using charter flights to get passengers, crew and supplies in and out.
“It’s a calculated risk delivering the program that goes through because of the challenging ice conditions,” Bradley-Swan continued.
The 11-day High Arctic Explorer itinerary is another highlight, sailing from Qausuittuq (Resolute Bay), Nunavut to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland in the height of the summer. The ship visits the Tallurutiup Imanga marine protected are and the Franklin graves on Beechey Island. Expedition guests can also look forward to an Inuit welcome in Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet) and a call to Illulissat, home to, the fastest-moving glacier in the world.
The Ocean Endeavour is a seasonal charter for the company and offers 1B ice class and capacity for 198 guests. The vessel was built in 1982 in Poland and was most recently refurbished in 2018. Meals are open seating with buffet-style breakfast and lunch.
Operating seasonally in the Canadian Arctic, Bradley-Swan said the company would continue to grow by slowly. Other departures are offered on chartered vessels in Antarctica and Costa Rica, for example.
The family-owned company started out offering backpack tours in the late 1980s, and now three family members (siblings) run the show, and one is always aboard the Ocean Endeavour.
—
About the Expedition Market Report:
The 2019 Expedition Market Report by Cruise Industry News is a comprehensive overview of the booming expedition market, profiling 39 operators, over 40 new ships and projecting capacity growth through 2027. The 196-page PDF is a deep dive into all aspects of the expedition cruise market.
