A charter flight from Helsinki arrives at the Murmansk airport. After a bus transfer we embark the icebreaker "Kapitan Dranitsyn". The first evening aboard is on your own. Please, feel free to explore the ship, just listen to the radio announcements carefully: your expedition leader will want to welcome you.

At sea. Course to Novaya Zemlya. Today is quite a busy day! You will get to know the inner layout of the vessel to make it easier to find your way around. Expedition staff members, helicopter pilots and crew officers are introduced to the passengers in the Lecture Hall. Mandatory lifeboat drill and instructions on how to use helicopters, Zodiac type boats and rescue facilities follow.

At sea. Course to Novaya Zemlya. Our icebreaker sails along the Western coast of the Island Severny of Novaya Zemlya Archipelago. If the visibility is not too bad, the glacier-coated mountainsides of this island reveal their beauty to us. Today we are approaching the latitudes of the High Arctic - quite a long way to go! On-board schedule is pretty busy: lectures, engine-room tours, Captain Cocktails…

Novaya Zemlya, Inostrantseva Bay. This bay juts out vastly into the dry land, setting against the giant outlet glacier with deep cracks. Zodiacs cruising along the picturesque glacier as well as the helicopter landings ashore are possible unless dense fog or high waves make these operations too risky. If the weather is fine for our explorations, we'll enjoy the site of the glacier and walk around the coastline to observe some wonderful species of the Arctic flora and Arctic birds nesting on cliffs. Be ready for an early awakening: one of the main principles of our expedition is catching good weather and thus getting the most of your exploration time!

Oranskie Islands (good possibility to find walruses and, maybe, polar bears) is our objective for the second half of the day.

Novaya Zemlya, Icy Bay. We intend to land onto the wintering site of the 1596-1597 expedition of Willem Barents. Today there is not much left of Barents' log cabin, just a few wooden remains in the ground and a commemorative marker, erected by a Dutch-Russian archaeological expedition. It is a bleak place, even in summer - just imagine the hardships Barents and his men had to overcome here!

Having sailed from Europe into Asia (from Barents into the Kara Sea) we reach Vise Island (pronounced VEE- zeh). The area of this island is only some 50 sq. kilometers, and it is named after the great Russian oceanologist. Professor Vise discovered the location of this island never leaving his office, while studying currents and calculating the drift-way of the schooner St. Anna in 1912-13. Our goal here is to visit the real working polar station. This polar station is one of just a few working ones left, and it also can be considered the most northern one in the Western part of the Russian Arctic, since the polar station on the Rudolf Island has been closed. As long as we get into large ice-fields, we should look around very attentively: polar bears favor such-like conditions.

Depending upon the ice conditions we plan to reach Severnaya Zemlya today. The area of Severnaya Zemlya is about 32 000 sq. meters, it consists of 5 large islands. We intend to take a closer look at this awe-inspiring Arctic land (when discovered, it was taken for another continent).

Once again, the place of landing and the landing itself fully depend upon the severe Arctic weather. We might start with small Sedov Archipelago, and land onto the Golomyanny Island by helicopters. Here we visit another working polar station. Besides the important scientific data this station is providing, it is also well-known as a place where the fearless skiers start their crossings to the North Pole from.

Our itinerary takes us to Shokalsky Strait, which is almost always covered with hard ice. On our way, we are very likely to see icebergs of various shapes, and to enjoy the magnificent views of the glaciers. Polar bears are also likely to appear here. Therefore, in case of landing onto the ice, please, do not give trouble to the security - please, save your polar-bear-guards from chasing you beyond the security area! In this case you are very likely to end up with polar bears chasing you and your guards all of a sudden!

Time to take the tundra walk on the mainland! Birulia Bay on Taymyr Peninsula might be a very nice place to do so. The bay is also of historical significance, as it was the wintering place of a polar expedition by Baron von Toll, a Russian polar explorer of German origin, who visited the area in 1900-1903 in his steam sail ship "Zarya". In case we are lucky, lemmings will pose in front of our cameras!

Minin Skerries. This place was frequented by quite a number of expeditions: Nansen's "Fram" was there; Baron von Toll considered these waters to be difficult for navigation of his yacht "Zarya"; in 1912 Russian expedition under the command of Vladimir Rusanov and aboard the ship "Hercules" has disappeared somewhere in the area… This group of small islands might offer us great possibilities of observing historical sites, wildlife watching and landscape exploration.

Port city of Dickson. This Arctic settlement was named after Swedish businessman Oskar Dickson. Between 1860 to about 1900 he contributed to sponsor several important polar expeditions. The most famous were Nordenskjold's expeditions 1875 and 1876 (VEGA) and later Nansen's "Fram" expedition 1893-1896. We'll get a chance to see how this Russian Arctic settlement is living nowadays. We'll also be learning quite a number of interesting historical facts, and visiting historical sites.

In case the course of our expedition is not affected by unfavorable weather and hard ice conditions (forcing us to change our time-schedule), we shall be able to accomplish a short landing on either one of small and medium-sized islands out of the following: Vilkitsky Island, Shokalky Island, Sibiryakov Island, Oleniy Island…. Otherwise we shall be speeding up toward the Vaigach Island. In any case you won't be staying in your beds for a sea day. Another busy expedition day!

Vaigach Island - the ancient sacral place of the Nenets or Nentsy people. Our plans are to visit Varnek - the Nenets settlement. This landing is a long one: besides visiting Varnek we intend to go to reindeer herd and see the herders' tent - the Nenets call it 'choom'. This event allows us to use both zodiacs and helicopters.

It might be a sea-day on the way to Murmansk. But still, just as during the old-times expeditions we do hope for the best! On the way to Murmansk there is Kolguev Island. One of the legends say that it appeared after a flock of tired geese has dropped their eggs into the Barents Sea to have a place to rest on their way to the mainland. In case the explorer's luck is still with us, we shall be able to make a short landing there on our way to the mainland...

Another busy sea-day on the way to Murmansk: lectures, engine-room tours, Captain Cocktails for those having not pArcticipated in these events. And, of course, reviewing the whole expedition with your Expedition Team…

In the morning we arrive at Murmansk. Transfer to airport for a flight to Helsinki.

- Group transfers between the airport, ship and airport in Murmansk;
- Luggage transfer between the airport and the ship in Murmansk;
- Voyage aboard the icebreaker "Kapitan Dranitsyn" as indicated in the itinerary;
- All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by "Zodiacs" and helicopters (as included in planned group excursions); except for the cost of the excursion in port of Dickson, which is optional;
- Program of lectures by noted naturalists and the service of an experienced guide;
- Four meals a day;
- Special expedition parka;
- Pre-departure materials;
- Expedition log aboard;
- All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program.

- Airfares to/from Helsinki;
- Charter flight Helsinki-Murmansk-Helsinki ($400 per person round flight);
- Passport and visa expenses (if required);
- Government arrival and departure taxes (if required);
- The cost of the excursion in port of Dickson, which is optional;
- Meals ashore and hotel accommodation (if required);
- Luggage, cancellation and personal insurance (which is strongly recommended);
- Excess luggage charges; telecommunication services; laundry, bar and beverage charges;
- Standard tips at the end of the voyage for stewards and other service personnel aboard (at your discretion).

"Kapitan Dranitsyn" is a powerful conventional propelled icebreaker, constructed in 1982 at shipyard Wartsila, Finland. "Kapitan Dranitsyn" is intended to work in the conditions of Northern Sea Route and the Baltic Sea. Since 1993 this icebreaker is used for the cruises to the most remote places of our planet. She was modified and achieved the class of a passenger vessel in addition to all the international certificates. "Kapitan Dranitsyn" has 49 comfortable cabins for 100 passengers. All the cabins have: big shower rooms, a desk and two beds. Public places include spacious drawing rooms, bars, heated swimming pool, gym and sauna. From the navigation bridge and all the decks you can enjoy excellent views. The vessel has a library, the lift and a small infirmary.

Superb cuisine
Times, when Polar explorers had to eat dried biscuits and dried meat are over. Our chefs will treat you to the most refined and exquisite courses of International cuisine. At extra charge our passengers can taste wine available at our wine cellar: wide choice of wines would meet the demands of gourmets.

Technical characteristics

Length: 131 m
Breadth: 26,5 m
Draft: 8,5 m
Displacement: 16,018 tons
Total capacity: 24,000 hp
Cruising speed: 13 knots
Crew: 60
Passengers: 100
Registry: Russia

The qualified Expedition Staff, the experienced Captain and the Crew will provide for safe and unforgettable voyage.

The programs are developed in the way to give to the passengers the maximum information about Arctic regions and the areas we visit. The lecturers will deliver lectures and answer all the questions. Landings are carried out by the Zodiac-type boats and helicopters.

The itinerary described is subject to change at the discretion of the expedition leader. This is an expedition to a remote and scarcely populated part of the world, and we reserve the right to change the itinerary due to weather conditions, availability of anchorages, political conditions and other factors beyond our control without consulting the pArcticipants. It is understood that such decisions will be made in the best interests of all passengers aboard and with regard to the safety of the vessel. PArcticipants have no right to any refund or other considerations in the event of these inevitable itinerary changes. Nothing in this brochure is meant to signify the use of any specific design or model of helicopter.

A deposit of 20% of the cabin rate is required to confirm a reservation with final payment due 60 days prior to departure. All prices and payments are in US dollars and no other currencies can be accepted.

All requests for cancellation must be received in writing. Cancellations received 60 days prior to departure are fully refunded less an administrative fee of 5% per person. Please note that within the 60 days limit all deposits and tariffs are forfeited.
For these and other reasons mentioned below, you are strongly encouraged to obtain trip cancellation insurance. Prices quoted are based on group pArcticipation, and no refunds will be made for any part of the program in which you choose not to pArcticipate, including any helicopter flying time (if applicable and which at the discretion of the captain and expedition leader may or may not be utilized). It is understood that refunds cannot be made to the passengers who do not complete the tour for any reason whatsoever.