10 Best Baffin Island Small Ship Cruises for 2025-2026

10 Best Baffin Island Luxury Small Ship Cruises for 2025-2026

Trip Name	From	Days	Next Departure	Summary
Northwest Passage	$47334	23	Aug 4, 2025	This 22-day expedition takes you from Greenland to Alaska through this legendary Northwest Passage aboard the National Geographic Resolution. … 0
Northwest Passage: The Legendary Arctic Sea Route	$18395	17	Aug 26, 2025	Embark on a 17-day cruise from Reykjavik to Calgary aboard Ultramarine, retracing the Franklin Expedition's path in the Northwest Passage. Explore … 0
Northwest Passage	$24795	16	Aug 25, 2025	Join this 16-day Northwest Passage Expedition aboard Greg Mortimer and encounter Arctic wildlife, polar foxes, bowhead whales, polar bears, and the … 0
Heart of the Arctic	$6495	13	Jul 24, 2025	This 13-day expedition cruise aboard the Ocean Endeavor brings you into the heart of the Arctic, from Canada's Inuit regions of Nunavik and Nunavut … 0
Canadian Arctic & Northern Lights	$20580	17	Sep 14, 2025	Join the SH Vega for a 17-day Northern Canada Discovery cruise to learn the cultures, art, and wildlife of the magical Arctic while exploring its … 0
Traversing the Northwest Passage	$44395	29	Aug 27, 2025	Join this 29-day Northwest Passage expedition aboard Sylvia Earle and encounter enigmatic Arctic wildlife, including walrus, beluga whale, polar … 0
Expedition to the Thule Region	$18760	17	Aug 15, 2026	Departing from cosmopolitan Paris, luxurious L'Austral takes you north to Arctic Greenland on this 17-day expedition cruise. Explore Baffin Bay, … 0
In the heart of the Northwest Passage	$22160	20	Aug 31, 2026	Embark on a 20-day cruise from Kangerlussuaq aboard the L'Austral, exploring Baffin Bay and the Northwest Passage. Discover stunning Arctic … 0
In the heart of the Northwest Passage	$23320	20	Aug 25, 2025	Embark on a 20-day expedition to and from Kangerlussuaq aboard the Le Boreal. Explore the Baffin Bay and the Northwest Passage, featuring Greenland's … 0
Canadian Northwest Passage & Northern Lights	$21980	18	Aug 29, 2025	Discover the Canadian Arctic on this 18-day expedition cruise roundtrip Kangerlussuaq aboard the SH Vega. This cruise takes you to a region of great … 0

All Baffin Island Cruises

10 Top-Rated Baffin Island Small Cruise Ships for 2025-2026

Ship Name	Max Passengers	From	Summary
Sylvia Earle	126	$44395	Designed for low-impact voyages featuring a fuel-efficient Ulstein X-Bow®, reduced air emissions and light pollution, and virtual anchoring for … 0
Ultramarine	199	$13195	New in 2021, the Ultramarine is designed with an ice rating of 1A+, PC6, making it one of the most capable polar exploring vessels on the planet. … 0
National Geographic Resolution	126	$47334	New in 2021, The National Geographic Resolution is a next-generation 126-passager expedition ship purpose-built for polar exploration in comfort with … 0
Greg Mortimer	132	$24795	With only 132 passengers on board, Greg Mortimer reimagines arctic expedition cruise for the future. Robust, robust, and designed with guests in … 0
National Geographic Endurance	126	$47143	Embark on an exhilarating adventure aboard the National Geographic Endurance, a marvel of maritime engineering designed specifically for year-round … 0
L'Austral	264	$16590	The L'Austral, sister ship to the Le Boreal, is the fruit of Italian expertise and French sophistication. A superb mega-yacht with 132 cabins, the … 0
Ocean Endeavour	198	$6495	Updated as recently as 2014, the 200-passenger ice class Ocean Endeavor explores the most remote areas in comfort and style. With several decks and … 0
Le Lyrial	264	$18290	The sleek, intimate Le Lyrial sails under the French flag and entrances her passengers with her contemporary decor, comfortable suites, and refined … 0
SH Vega	152	$20580	5-star elegant Scandi-design boutique ship offers you an intimate setting from which you will be fully immersed in all the sights and scenery of your … 0
Ocean Explorer	138	$24295	Ocean Explorer, purpose-built for polar exploration, is a striking vessel accommodating 138 passengers. This modern and elegant ship boasts … 0

Canadian Arctic Travel Tip & Cruise Guide

Arctic Cruise: When to Go?

Though the austere Arctic landscape is often imagined to be a cold white wasteland, the brief months of summer see the flora blossoming and the fauna emerging from their long winter dormancy. Find out the best time to visit the Arctic based on your interests and expectations.

Favorite things to do on a Baffin Island cruise:

Daily wildlife viewing
Hike across glaciers
Sea kayak among fjords and icebergs
Daily zodiac excursions to look for wildlife and navigate the icebergs.
Coldwater diving and snorkeling
Snowmobile across pack ice
Visit traditional Inuit villages

Wildlife to see on Baffin Island:

Polar bears
Narwhals
Musk ox
Seals
Walruses
Beluga Whales
Caribou
Arctic foxes and wolves
Migratory sea birds

Baffin Island Fun Facts:

Baffin Island is the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island on the planet.
It has been inhabited for centuries by the Inuit People, yet only about 11,000 people call the island home.
Viking explorers are believed to have visited and traded with the Inuit before 1000 A.D.
It can snow at any time of the year on Baffin Island

Cruise to Baffin Island also visit destinations like:

Polar bear balances on the ice in the Arctic

Wildlife Guide to Polar Regions

Which Polar region is home to penguins? Or how about those elusive narwhals? Before your travels, it will be helpful to learn more about the different species that inhabit the Polar regions of the Arctic and Antarctica. You may be surprised to learn the differences!

Best Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada Small Ship Cruise Lines for 2025-2026

Ponant - a French cruise line, invites you to set sail aboard L'Austral for an all-inclusive 14-day luxury expedition cruise along the eastern coast of Baffin Island, in Nunavut, Canada. This destination delights you with immense cliffs, bird colonies, and fjords.
Silversea Cruises - offers unique Baffin Island expeditions hosted by Silver Cloud and Silver Wind that include authentic Inuit culture and wildlife viewing opportunities from polar bears, walrus, bowhead whales, to orcas, narwhals, and beluga whales.
Lindblad Expeditions - lets you discover the extraordinary icescapes of the Northwest Passage aboard the Polar Class 5 National Geographic Resolution, which carries you across the Baffin Bay, a long-time favorite of Inuit hunters and fishermen. Discover ringed seals, arctic foxes, walruses, and polar bears, as well as beluga, killer, and bowhead whales, as well as the elusive narwhal.
Quark Expeditions - explore the northern shores of Canada's Baffin Island and the western coast of Greenland, visiting local communities and searching for wildlife, including one of the Arctic's most iconic animals, the polar bear. Equipped with two twin-engine helicopters, Ultramarine offers the largest suites in its class, magnificent public areas, and more outside wildlife viewing areas than other expedition ships of similar size.
Aurora Expeditions - travel the Northwest Passage to Baffin Island, where you may see humpback, sei, sperm, and fin whales, as well as ring and harp seals. A cruise on the Greg Mortimer via the Northwest Passage lets you see the Canadian High Arctic archipelago of islands and canals.
Adventure Canada - takes you to Igloolik and the Nunavut's Foxe Basin coast searching for walrus and bowhead whales and allows you to camp on the floe's edge with Inuit guides searching for polar bears. The spacious, ice-strengthened Ocean Endeavour features twenty Zodiacs, advanced navigation equipment, and stabilizers.