We have just completed the first leg of our exhilarating Bering Sea Expedition. Here is a recent letter from Captain
Saevik with some highlights. Enjoy and we hope to see you onboard soon. |
Dear Residents and Guests, |
We hope you have enjoyed the first part of our incredible Bering Sea Expedition. It is a tremendous privilege to be
making history together. Here are a few of the highlights and "firsts" for The World during our recent adventures. |
The World is the only foreign flagged ship to have made landings in this part of the Russian Arctic. We were able to
visit remote villages to experience this fascinating culture first hand and explore uninhabited areas teeming with wildlife
during the peak of the brief Arctic summer. |
|
Sailing through the Bering Strait passage between Little
Diomede and Big Diomede was one of my personal
highlights. These islands separating Russia and the United
States are only two miles apart. In order to adhere to strict
cabotage regulations, we traversed a very narrow corridor
while hugging the rugged coastline. This was a historic
event as no foreign flagged ship has ever sailed between
the Islands on the Russian side since the early 1930's. |
There was more history in the making - The World
is the first
foreign-flagged ship to visit Wrangel Island since the
Russians obtained control over this area in approximately
1924. We were greeted with an extraordinary sight - a
"welcome committee" of polar bears and walruses. On our
first day alone we spotted approximately 49 different polar
bears between Wrangel and Herald Islands. During our time
in the pack ice north of Wrangel we had a most memorable
encounter with an inquisitive mother and cub that
approached the ship as we watched mesmerized from the
bridge and the bow. All in all, we have counted 104 polar
bears sighted - more than many expedition ships see in an
entire summer and certainly a record for one voyage. |
We continued to sail approximately 70 miles north from
Wrangel Island until we reached the edge of the ice cap
which extends all the way to the North Pole. We were also
able to lower the Marina so that willing Residents and
Guests could do the "polar plunge". It was well attended
with 35 adventurous souls jumping in. |
And our adventures continue. It is with great pride that we
create these once in a lifetime experiences - for each and
every one of you. |
It is a collective effort by many and I want to thank our
onboard staff and crew for their enthusiasm and flexibility,
the team shore side for their tireless planning efforts and of
course our experienced Expedition team. They have all
played an important role in bringing this destination alive! |
Best regards,
Captain Dag Saevik |
|
|
We hope to see you all during our upcoming expeditions to Papua New Guinea (November 2009), Greenland
(September 2010) and Antarctica (December 2010 and January 2011). Please call for more details and special
savings offers. |
For further information or to make a booking please contact your travel professional or our Guest Services
department at +954 874 3399. |
|
