15 nights onboard Greg Mortimer

Out of the Northwest Passage (Eastbound)

Winners 2022 Best Expedition Cruise Line

The icy and labyrinthine channels of the legendary Northwest Passage have enchanted explorers and adventurers for centuries. Get a glimpse into the world that captivated early explorers such as Franklin, Amundsen and Larsen, by exploring a portion of the fabled Northwest Passage. Visit the final resting places of some of the legendary explorers to have ventured here and experience the archipelago of islands and channels that make up Canada’s High Arctic region. Along the way, we hope to meet local indigenous people who call this remote wilderness home, and encounter enigmatic arctic wildlife, including walrus, beluga whale, polar bear and the elusive narwhal. Pack ice always threatens to halt our voyage through the passage, adding a compelling element of adventure that is integral to any genuine expedition. AE Expeditions operates in remote and challenging environments, and in the spirit of expedition travel, we encourage you to adopt a flexible and adventurous attitude when joining our voyages. This itinerary is a guide only and is subject to change due to weather, sea state and other conditions beyond our control. On this voyage, we visit remote Inuit hamlets and settlements, where the local Inuit people still practice traditional hunting methods including whaling that some people may find confronting. If you find yourself feeling upset and disturbed by what you see, please alert a member of the expedition team immediately, who will do their best to address your concerns and take action to mitigate the problem, wherever possible.

Leaving from: Calgary, Alberta
Cruise ship: Greg Mortimer
Visiting: Calgary, Alberta Cambridge Bay, Nunavut Beechey Island, Nunavut Beechey Island, Nunavut
AE Expeditions Logo
AE Expeditions

AE Expeditions is a small Australian cruise line which specialises in off-the-beaten-track voyages led by remote area experts.

The company’s adventurous co-founders, Greg and Margaret Mortimer, established AE Expeditions in 1991 and had by the following year, already begun running voyages to Antarctica

132
Passengers
74
Crew
2019
Launched
7400t
Tonnage
104.4m
Length
18.2m
Width
12kts
Speed
8
Decks
USD
Currency
Cruise Itinerary
Day 1
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Day 2
Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada
Days 7 - 8
Beechey Island, Nunavut, Canada
Days 9 - 10
Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada
Day 12
Qeqertarsuaq (Godhavn), Greenland
Day 13
Ilulissat (Jakobshavn), Greenland
Day 14
Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg), Greenland
Day 15
Nuuk (Godthaab), Greenland
Day 16
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Calgary, Alberta, Canada image
Day 1
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada image
Day 2
Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada
Beechey Island, Nunavut, Canada image
Days 7 - 8
Beechey Island, Nunavut, Canada
Beechey Island is a small island off the southwest coast of Devon Island, separated by a narrow waterway called the Barrow Strait. Captain William Edward Parry was the first European to visit the island in 1819. His lieutenant, Frederick William Beechey, named the island after his father, the artist William Beechey (1753–1839). Beechey Island played a significant role in the history of Arctic Exploration. During the winter of 1845-46, Sir John Franklin and his men camped on the island as part of their ill-fated quest to find the Northwest Passage. Mummified remains of three of Franklin’s crew were discovered, giving a better understanding of what happened before the disappearance of the expedition. In 1850 Edward Belcher used the island as a base while surveying the area. Later, in 1903, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen stopped at the island at the beginning of his successful voyage in search for the Northwest Passage. Subsequently, Beechey Island has been declared a "Territorial Historic Site" since 1975 by the Northwest Territories government
Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada image
Days 9 - 10
Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada
Qeqertarsuaq (Godhavn), Greenland image
Day 12
Qeqertarsuaq (Godhavn), Greenland
Ilulissat (Jakobshavn), Greenland image
Day 13
Ilulissat (Jakobshavn), Greenland
Known as the birthplace of icebergs, the Ilulissat Icefjord produces nearly 20 million tons of ice each day. In fact, the word Ilulissat means “icebergs” in the Kalaallisut language. The town of Ilulissat is known for its long periods of calm and settled weather, but the climate tends to be cold due to its proximity to the fjord. Approximately 4,500 people live in Ilulissat, the third-largest town in Greenland after Nuuk and Sisimiut. Some people here estimate that there are nearly as many sled dogs as human beings living in the town that also boasts a local history museum located in the former home of Greenlandic folk hero and famed polar explorer Knud Rasmussen.
Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg), Greenland image
Day 14
Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg), Greenland
Located just north of the Arctic Circle, Sisimiut is the northernmost town in Greenland where the port remains free of ice in the winter. Yet it is also the southernmost town where there is enough snow and ice to drive a dogsled in winter and spring. In Sisimiut, travelling by sled has been the primary means of winter transportation for centuries. In fact, the area has been inhabited for approximately 4,500 years. Modern Sisimiut is the largest business center in the north of Greenland, and is one of the fastest growing Greenlandic cities. Commercial fishing is the lead economy in the town‘s thriving industrial base.
Nuuk (Godthaab), Greenland image
Day 15
Nuuk (Godthaab), Greenland
Nuuk, meaning “the cape”, was Greenland’s first town (1728). Started as a fort and later mission and trading post some 240 kilometers south of the Arctic Circle, it is the current capital. Almost 30% of Greenland’s population lives in the town. Not only does Nuuk have great natural beauty in its vicinity, but there are Inuit ruins, Hans Egede’s home, the parliament, and the Church of our Saviour as well. The Greenlandic National Museum has an outstanding collection of Greenlandic traditional dresses, as well as the famous Qilakitsoq mummies. The Katuaq Cultural Center’s building was inspired by the undulating Northern Lights and can house 10% of Nuuk’s inhabitants.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada image
Day 16
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Ship Details
AE Expeditions
Greg Mortimer

We drew on centuries of collective experience to map out the Greg Mortimer: purpose-built for expeditions to the most remote places on earth.

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