I have written about cruises in the Arctic, and until now they carried an aura of mystery and adventure implicit, however The thawing of this area due to global warming has led to the opening of routes to which the most commercial companies and shipping companies are accessing, such as Crystal Cruises, which already has all preparations underway so that on August 16, the first crossing between Anchorage (Alaska) and New York through the Northwest Passage, about 800 kilometers above the polar circle.
The cruise ship, aboard the Serenity, will carry 1.070 passengers over 32 days. The price of the ticket, for which reservations can no longer be made, since the tickets ran out in 3 weeks, was $ 30.000 (the cheapest) without excursions being included. Those who have reserved the most exclusive cabins have come to pay $ 160.000 per person.
Crystal Cruises' Serenity will sail between glaciers on the 19.000 islands in the northern waters of Canada. The 13-story ship has a capacity for about a thousand tourists and 600 crew members, which gives an idea of its exclusivity, and on board you can enjoy shows, a casino, a library, and restaurants.
Although in the world of cruises it is not a very large ship, it will be for this route through the Arctic, through which until now only Coast Guard icebreakers passed, small vessels that transport ore from Quebec to China or those of local communities, scientific missions and private yachts.
This is the same route taken by the explorer Amundsen (1872-1928) who took three years to travel. The journey raises an important safety issue The fact is that a rescue operation in the event of any accident would require US or Canadian military intervention, the only ones with the capacity to reach this area of the Arctic.
You can read other articles about expeditions and cruises to the Arctic here.