Swan Hellenic announces price guarantee against rising fuel costs, including new and existing Arctic Uncovered bookings with savings of up to £4,325 per guest

With more than seven decades of expertise in exploring incredible and unique destinations, Swan Hellenic is offering a price guarantee bringing guests complete peace of mind for all bookings, including Arctic Uncovered offer with savings of up to £4,325 on last-minute sailings aboard boutique ice-class ships SH Diana and SH Vega, which are returning to the Arctic wilderness for an enriched and expanded Summer Season 2026. Staterooms still available on a varied choice of 18 expertly curated cultural expedition cruises offering Swan Hellenic’s signature blend of in-depth discovery and warm, relaxed luxury in the lands of the Midnight Sun.

Swan Hellenic has announced a price guarantee to bring its guests complete peace of mind by protecting them from rising fuel costs. The cultural expedition cruise pioneer has stated that it will absorb any increases itself and that this applies to all sailings of its fleet, including the special Arctic Uncovered savings offered on last-minute bookings for the remaining staterooms on its Arctic Summer Season 2026, expanded and enhanced to meet growing demand.

Arctic Uncovered delivers total savings of up to £4,325 per guest, combining generous per-person reductions with USD 300 onboard credit per person and a free upgrade to Swan Hellenic’s Gold Wi-Fi Package. Special group pricing is also available on request.

With the season almost here, prompt booking is recommended to take advantage of this exceptional opportunity.

The 18 voyages in Swan Hellenic’s Arctic Summer Season 2026 range from 7 to 14 nights long – six aboard SH Diana and 12 on SH Vega. Exploring from Norway, Iceland and Svalbard to Greenland and Canada, guests will have the chance to encounter monumental glaciers and the thunderous birth of icebergs, along with polar bears, whales, majestic musk oxen and rich birdlife. All while reliving the Arctic’s inspiring history, from the resilient Dorset and Pre-Dorset peoples to the Thule, Norse and today’s Inuit, as well as the region’s intrepid explorers. A dramatic and tragic example is Captain Sir John Franklin and his Lost Expedition, which set out in 1845 aboard HMS Erebus and HMS Terror to cross the last unnavigated sections of the Northwest Passage through Arctic America. Both ships became trapped in the ice and their entire crews perished.

Expanding these horizons beyond our solar system,

Six of the voyages aboard SH Vega will be accompanied by a different renowned SETI scientist, each illuminating the broader perspectives of humanity’s quest to understand the furthest reaches of outer space.

Sailing from mid-May to the end of September, the voyages are briefly as follows, grouped by vessel.

SH Vega’s Arctic Summer Season begins with the 11-night Cruise from Canada to Iceland along the Viking Routes. This voyage sails from Halifax, Canada, on 18 May 2026 to explore three countries – Canada, Greenland and Iceland, calling at 7 destinations before docking in Reykjavik on 29 May. Highlights include North America’s easternmost city, St. John’s, the neighboring Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, home to the continent’s largest Puffin colony, the Norse ruins of Brattahlíð in Qassiarsuk, Greenland, founded by Viking Explorer Erik the Red, and Sailor’s Island in Saint Pierre et Miquelon.

This cruise leads directly into the 12-night Odyssey of Lights: From Iceland to the Lofoten Islands aboard SH Vega, departing Reykjavík, Iceland on 29 May 2026 to explore two countries – Iceland and Norway, calling at 11 destinations before docking in Tromsø on 10 June. Guest discoveries will include Reykjavik’s’ unique church, the gigantic Dynjandi waterfall, ATV explorations of Isafjordur and the breathtaking Westfjords region, whale watching in Húsavík just south of the Arctic Circle, and the magical Lofoten Islands, including a RIB boat tour of Trollfjorden.

The 9-night Cruise from Norway to Svalbard follows, departing Tromsø, Norway aboard SH Vega on 10 June 2026 to sail out into Norway’s outermost lands past Cape North to Bear Island and Svalbard. Guests will explore Europe’s extreme edge, including Skarsvåg, the world’s northernmost fishing village on the island of Magerøya, before the cruise ends in the world’s most northerly town, Longyearbyen, on 19 June. This cruise deep into the Arctic Circle is a true journey into the wild, traversing varied polar landscapes, from tundra and sweeping beaches to gargantuan glaciers and magnificent fjords, home to polar bears, walrus, Svalbard reindeer, ringed seals and arctic fox.

The fourth itinerary is dedicated purely to exploring the wilds of Svalbard in depth from SH Vega and is available in two variants for a total of four round-trip expedition voyages from Longyearbyen on Svalbard, all offering numerous opportunities for Zodiac exploration: the 9-night In-Depth Svalbard Cruise, sailing from 29 June to 8 July 2026, and 8 to 17 July 2026, and the 10-night Ultimate Svalbard Cruise, sailing from 19 to 29 June 2026, and 17 to 27 July 2026.

Next comes the 13-night Arctic Odyssey from Svalbard to Iceland on SH Vega. Departing Longyearbyen on 27 July 2026, this extensive voyage offers a wealth of opportunities for up-close exploration with multiple Zodiac landings from the outer reaches of Norway’s Svalbard to the remote, volcanic Jan Mayen island. Standouts include the awe-inspiring Kong Oscar Fjord in the Northeast Greenland National Park, the largest national park in the world, and Scoresby Sund, the largest fjord system on Earth, where guests will meet with the Inuit community of Ittoqqortoormiit. The ship will then cross to explore Iceland’s west coast, from the thriving seabird sanctuary of Vigur to Reykjavik, where the adventure ends on 9 August.

SH Vega will subsequently sail from Reykjavik on 15 August 2026 for the 12-night Iceland to Greenland Cruise (2 countries), an in-depth exploration of 16 destinations along Greenland’s east and west coasts that ends in Kangerlussuaq on 27 August. Nearly all these destinations, including the extraordinary Disko Bay, involve at-anchor stays with the opportunity of Zodiac or kayak explorations – weather permitting – for truly immersive experiences of the rich history, culture, dramatic landscapes and iconic wildlife of this magical land.

It’s worth pointing out that almost all these voyages can be combined to create longer odysseys – an adventurous practice that Swan Hellenic has always encouraged and fully supports, from the earliest planning stages onwards.

Three Northern Lights Cruises follow at the most promising time of the year for this sought-after experience, all on SH Vega.

The first is the seven-night Expedition to Greenland, Land of Northern Lights, a round-trip voyage from Kangerlussuaq departing 27 August and returning on 3 September 2026, which explores Greenland’s west coast from Kangerlussuaq to Uummannaq, including Disko Bay and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ilulissat Icefjord, where thousands of icebergs that have calved from the Greenland ice cap drift out into the sea.

The second, from 3 to 17 September 2026, is the extended 14-night Northwest Passage and Northern Lights Cruise, again a round trip from Kangerlussuaq that starts out into Disko Bay, but in this case then sails out across Baffin Bay and deep into the Northwest Passage, offering multiple at-anchor expedition opportunities in 2 countries rich in wildlife, Inuit culture and dramatic history, including the first wintering place of Franklin’s ill-fated expedition.

The third Northern Lights voyage on SH Vega is the exceptional Cruise from Greenland to Canada: Viking Sagas under the Northern Lights. Departing Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, on 17 September 2026, it will cross the Labrador Sea from Greenland to Baffin Island and then continue in the wake of the Vikings all the way to Labrador and Newfoundland, ending in Halifax, Canada. Guests will experience 12 destinations in these 2 countries, including the 1,000-year-old Norse settlement of L’Anse aux Meadows (Meadows Cove) on the northernmost tip of Newfoundland, the first and only authenticated Viking site in the Americas.

Swan Hellenic’s cultural expedition cruises have always been distinguished by the company, guidance and expert lectures of famous adventurers, seasoned expedition guides and leading authorities in their fields. Enhancing the experience, six of these voyages on SH Vega are in addition part of Swan Hellenic’s unique SETI Explore Space at Sea Series. Each of these cruises brings a different scientist from the world-renowned SETI Institute aboard to provide guests with expert insights into the history of and latest discoveries in astronomy, astrophysics, astrobiology and planetary science, as well as the quest to find other forms of life within and beyond our solar system.

Simon George – Astrobiologist and Experimental Research Scientist at the SETI Institute, will be accompanying From Canada to Iceland on SH Vega, May 18 –29, 2026

Mark Showalter – Senior Research Scientist at the SETI Institute, will be accompanying Odyssey of Lights: From Iceland to the Lofoten Islands on SH Vega, May 29 – June 10, 2026

Orkan Umurhan – Mathematical Physicist at the SETI Institute, will be accompanying In-Depth Svalbard Cruise on SH Vega, June 29 – July 8, 2026

Eduardo Bendek – Senior Optical Scientist at the SETI Institute, will be accompanying Iceland to Greenland Cruise on SH Vega, August 15–27, 2026

Marziye Jafariyazani – Senior Optical Scientist at the SETI Institute, will be accompanying Greenland in Depth Cruise on SH Vega, August 27– September 3, 2026

Cristina Dalle Ore – Senior Planetary Scientist at the SETI Institute, will be accompanying Arctic Cruise from Greenland to Canada & the Northern Lights on SH Vega, September 17–30, 2026

SH Diana’s six Arctic Summer 2026 cruises begin with the 10-night Norway and Svalbard Cruise, departing Bergen, Norway, on 3 June 2026. This eye-opening voyage up the coast of Norway will explore fjords, rivers and historic villages by RIB boat, Zodiac and kayak on the way to the arctic gateway city of Tromsø. From here the ice-class ship will cross the Barents Sea to Bear Island and then sail deep into the Arctic for a semi-circumnavigation of Svalberg, reaching Longyearbyen on 13 June. Was £9,825 now £5,500 balcony stateroom (save £4,325).

This is followed by four identical 7-night round-trip discovery journeys of Svalbard aboard SH Diana, each called Exploring Svalbard Cruise, with a timeframe choice of 13 to 20 June 2026, 20-27 June 2026, 27 June to 4 July 2026 and 4-11 July 2026. Guests will visit museums, historic villages, sweeping tundra, polar landscapes and fjords, with opportunities to sight polar bears, whales, narwhals, walruses, ringed seals, Svalbard reindeer and arctic fox.

The final voyage in SH Diana’s Arctic Summer Season 2026 is Cruise the Arctic: Iceland and East Greenland, exploring 2 countries in multiple expedition landings over 10 nights. A round-trip adventure from the vibrant Icelandic capital Reykjavik, departing 30 July 2026 and returning 9 August, this full-circle exploration offers guests many potential rare wildlife sightings in breathtaking landscapes, including Scoresbysund, the world’s largest fjord system, Kong Oscar Fjord in Northeast Greenland National Park, and Ísafjarðardjúp with the beautiful island of Vigur, renowned for its rich birdlife.

Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito explained: “At Swan Hellenic we see exploration as a journey of discovery that goes far beyond stunning landscapes. Expanding the Arctic summer season to 18 exclusive voyages offers travelers a whole series of rare opportunities to connect deeply with the rich tapestry of Arctic cultures – from the ancient Pre-Dorset and Dorset peoples to the Thule, Inuit and Norse. Each voyage is enriched with onboard lectures by renowned experts who bring anthropology, history, geology and the secrets of nature to life through engaging talks. Additionally, six cruises will have a famous SETI scientist on board to give fascinating talks that broaden our knowledge of the universe. This unique blend of immersive education and breathtaking wildlife – from polar birds to musk oxen and whales – creates truly transformative experiences. Arctic Uncovered makes this more accessible than ever.”

Chief Commercial Officer Mario Bounas added: “We’re proud to offer voyages that not only showcase the Arctic’s natural wonders but also honor its cultural legacy, inspiring a deeper understanding of this extraordinary region. As a result, every Swan Hellenic journey through the Arctic summer is a one-of-a-kind experience that transforms the soul, leaving you inspired and forever changed. And we don’t want anything to interfere with that. Which is why we’re now offering a price guarantee to protect our guests from rising fuel costs. We’ll absorb any increases ourselves so our guests can relax and focus on what’s important. And we’re proudly including the last-minute bookers benefiting from our fantastic Arctic Uncovered savings in that guarantee. Don’t miss out!”