MS Cape Race

Norway cruise with the MS „Cape Race“

We, mareverlag and Leguan Reisen, are pleased to offer you extraordinary polar voyages along the Norwegian coast and in the Arctic Spitsbergen archipelago with the expedition ship „Cape Race“.

The „Cape Race“ is a small ship – with the highest standards in terms of sustainability and intensive encounters with the Arctic world. Contrary to the trend of “bigger and bigger, more and more, cheaper and cheaper”, we have deliberately chosen this small ship, which, with a maximum number of participants of only twelve, allows ship journeys to the Arctic to become a very personal nature experience in a small circle. On board the „Cape Race“ you will explore the far north of Norway in a stylish, maritime atmosphere – without compromising on comfort and safety.

Our mare expeditions with the „Cape Race“ are designed so that you spend as much time as possible in the sublime landscapes of the polar world during the expedition cruise and intensively experience the fascinating animal and ice world. With our partner Leguan Reisen, we have been intensively familiar with the Arctic and the north of Norway for many years. For Nikolaus Gelpke, the owner of the ship and as a graduate marine ecologist, the conscious and sustainable experience of nature is also a concern. We act according to the principle: Only what you know, you can love, and only what you love, you preserve.

A somewhat different Norway cruise

There are many ship voyages to Norway, but we deliberately set ourselves apart from typical tourism and are pleased to offer you a charming and familiar Norway ship voyage. But how can the oceans, especially the polar regions, be explored? Normally they can only be seen and experienced from the coast – or from the decks of huge cruise ships. But here the distance to nature is usually too great or the experience is marred by the presence of hundreds of other passengers.

The MS „Cape Race“, a former deep-sea fishing cutter converted into an expedition ship in 2019, allows you to experience the Arctic seas and exquisite wildlife up close. With a maximum of twelve guests, each expedition cruise on this small, very seaworthy and particularly environmentally friendly ship with its special charm from the tramp shipping era becomes a very personal experience.

This wildlife awaits you on Arctic voyages

If you want to see polar bears in the wild, you should travel with us and the MS „Cape Race“ to Spitsbergen, where the largest population of these gigantic predators can be found. The largest land predator in the world is associated with the fragile wilderness of the Arctic. We keep a safe distance from these interesting animals as they hunt in the pack ice, but are still close enough to them to photograph them well.

In Spitsbergen, however, birdwatchers also get their money’s worth. There are large colonies of nesting seabirds here, and seals and whales also have a place here. We may be lucky enough to see arctic foxes and reindeer in a nature reserve with blooming tundra and frozen glaciers.

Enjoying the picturesque landscape during the expedition cruise

When you think of Arctic travel, images of seemingly endless snow and ice landscapes roamed by lone polar bears come to mind. However, the Arctic landscape is more diverse than one might think: mountains, glaciers, vast hilly landscapes, bogs, meadows and lowlands are all prevalent in the Arctic. The Gunnborn Fjeld in eastern Greenland is the highest purely Arctic mountain range, with an elevation of nearly 3,700 meters. Denali (formerly Mount McKinley), at over 6,200 meters, is the highest peak in the Arctic and the highest mountain in North America.
In addition, wetlands make up over 70% of all land mass.

Snow and ice, of course, are still plentiful. They cover parts of the land and sea all year round, especially in the High Arctic, although in more southerly latitudes the ice thaws during the summer months.

Norway cruise – choose your Arctic expedition

Although every Arctic expedition involves snow and cold, the different routes and themes we have on offer for you vary. For example, if you are interested in orcas, huskies and northern lights, our Norway cruise with the melodious title „Magical Winter“ is the right choice for you. On the „Cape Race“ you will spend wonderful days and nights in the Nordic winter with a German-speaking tour guide. Whether majestic humpback or killer whales, otters or sea eagles, the polar night with its mystical northern lights, the Aurora Borealis, or a day in Tromsø: On board the small expedition ship you will explore deep, icy fjords, romantic fishing villages and the wild nature of the Arctic with its incomparable polar lights for eight days.

However, if you are a fan of photography, the „West Spitsbergen Photo Voyage“ is the perfect vacation trip for you. Spitsbergen is an ideal destination for photographers and offers spectacular scenery. First of all, there is the diverse Nordic wildlife, which includes polar bears, walruses and other seal species, reindeer and Arctic foxes, several seabird species with large populations and whales of various species. As hunting on Spitsbergen is currently relatively limited and restricted to a few species, the wildlife on the island is not afraid of human visitors.

Whichever Norway cruise you choose in the end, we are sure that you will love and never forget your vacation on MS „Cape Race“ during your small group Arctic expedition.