New Arctic Expedition Offered by Overseas Adventure Travel

First Arctic offering from leading small group tour company for 55+ travelers

News provided by

Apr 16, 2019, 10:22 ET

BOSTON, April 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Travelers who dream of following in the footsteps of notable explorers need look no further than a new Arctic expedition offered by Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.), the leader in small group travel on the road less traveled. O.A.T. announced three Summer 2020 departures of its first Arctic expedition cruise.

Glimpse all of the experiences that await in the Arctic Circle with the new Arctic Expedition cruise from Overseas Adventure Travel.

Travelers will set sail aboard the privately chartered 150-passenger M/V Hondius and journey north into the frozen wilderness. The brand new, state-of-the-art ship is the world's first civilian registered Polar Class 6 expedition cruise vessel. Polar bears on coastlines and herds of reindeer grazing in the tundra are among the many extraordinary wildlife sights.

"Our travelers—Americans 55 and older—are endlessly curious about the world and are eager to learn and be engaged. This Arctic expedition is interactive and experiential with significant opportunity to explore in small groups," said Brian Fitzgerald, chief operating officer of O.A.T. "O.A.T. travelers are environmentally conscious, and this ship's design aligns with that very well."

Arctic Expedition: Untamed Norway & Svalbard – 15 days from $12,895 pp, including international airfare. Three departures only: June 29 and July 9 &19, 2020.

Highlights of the expedition include:

10 days cruising around the island of Svalbard, spotting wildlife such as polar bears, walrus, narwhals, reindeer, arctic foxes, blue whales, and many types of birds.
Daily zodiac cruising and landings – 10 people per zodiac accompanied by a knowledgeable Expedition Team.
Educational talks and discussions regarding climate change, pollution, ice flow changes, wildlife and explorers.
A rare "open bridge" policy enabling travelers to speak with the captain at any time.

Starting from Oslo, Norway, travelers will fly to Longyearbyen in the Svalbard archipelago, where they will board the ship and spend the next 10 nights cruising among ice floes, alongside pods of beluga whales, and past the breeding grounds of guillemots and Atlantic puffins. The cruise affords ample opportunity to marvel at the neon colors that the midnight sun paints the sky during the summer solstice, when it doesn't set for a six-month period.

Focus on wildlife, environment
Wildlife diversity in the Arctic is a major attraction for many travelers. In addition to the O.A.T. crew, an Expedition Team will be on board and available throughout the day, including naturalists, botanists, wildlife experts and ornithologists to help spot and discuss wildlife. June and July are the best time for seeing polar bears on Svalbard. Arctic flowers in full bloom and longer days create great light conditions for photos.

The M/V Hondius was designed to adapt to the ever-changing polar environment for exploratory voyages that provide first-hand contact with the Arctic. The vessel passed green requirements to impact the environment as little as possible. It features bio-degradable paints and lubricants, LED lighting and flexible power management systems to keep fuel consumption and CO2 emission at the absolute minimum.

Why travelers choose the leader in small ship travel
O.A.T. is the leader in small ship cruising, with its 16- to 210-passenger, coastal-cruising small ships. These vessels are designed to slip into more remote ports that larger vessels cannot reach, bringing travelers closer to the most authentic discoveries. O.A.T. small ships also travel to remote locations around the world that are only accessible by small ship. O.A.T. travelers have the freedom to personalize their adventures. They can take pre- and post-trip extensions to spend more time abroad, travel on consecutive trips to avoid the expense and length of another international flight, and customize their air itinerary by choosing their airline, upgrading their seat, and selecting the city they want to depart from and return to.

Travelers interested in the Arctic Expedition should call 1-800-955-1925.

For a free catalog or more information about O.A.T., please visit http://www.oattravel.com or call 1-800-955-1925.

ABOUT OVERSEAS ADVENTURE TRAVEL
Established in 1978, Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.) is part of Boston-based Grand Circle Corporation's family of travel companies, which also include Grand Circle Cruise Line and Grand Circle Travel. In 1992, owners Alan and Harriet Lewis established the nonprofit Grand Circle Foundation to support communities in which Grand Circle works and travels, including some 300 humanitarian, cultural, and educational endeavors worldwide—among them, 100 schools, in 50 countries. The Foundation is an entity of the Lewis Family Foundation, which has pledged or donated more than $169 million since 1981.

SOURCE Overseas Adventure Travel