The North Pole - the northern most point on Earth - is harsh, remote, fragile and pretty inaccessible, and yet it's a region that has long captivated explorers and intrepid travellers for these exact same reasons. The vast, otherworldly and almost silent landscape of flat ice is broken at intervals by massive icebergs pointing up into the endless sky. Even polar bears (despite their name) don't usually go this far north, preferring the southern parts of the Arctic ice cap where food is less scarce and they can swim and hunt better.
This frozen landscape is not owned by any country, and unlike the South Pole it doesn't sit on land but is located in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, amongst a wilderness of icy waters - so there's no official land 'marker' to show exactly where it is. The nearest land is usually said to be Kaffeklubben Island, off the northern coast of Greenland, some 700 km (440 miles) away. As a consequence, there has been a great deal of debate over who was really the first to reach the North Pole, with many laying claim to the title of being the 'first' to get there - and even now the voyage to this extreme point presents quite a challenge.
Only a couple of icebreaker vessels are capable of taking passengers to the North Pole by sea, which makes it quite an exclusive experience. Other cruise vessels are able to visit more accessible destinations just south of the North Pole, but still within the Arctic Circle region that surrounds it. The land included within the Arctic Circle region is split between eight countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the United States (the state of Alaska), Canada, Denmark (Greenland) and Iceland. The cruises covered in this article focus on the North Pole itself and the European side of the Arctic region (excluding Canada and Alaska).
Choosing a cruise
The Arctic region is vast, and a cruise will only cover part of it. If you want to get as far as the North Pole, there are only a couple of commercial sea vessels which make regular trips there. Although getting right to the North Pole will place you in a very small group who've had the privilege, for many people it's prohibitively expensive. Not only that, but in terms of 'sightseeing' there's more wildlife and variety of landscapes in the surrounding area, where the environment is a little less harsh. You may spot polar bears, killer whales, seals and a variety of birdlife (but don't expect penguins – they're found in the Antarctic) – while at the North Pole itself far fewer species can survive the extremes.
Your choice of cruise will therefore probably depend on two main factors: firstly, your budget, and secondly, whether your main motivation for the trip is to reach the North Pole or rather to explore the landscapes and wildlife of the surrounding region.
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