Traveller interview: Svalbard aboard M/S Sjøveien

After visiting over 80 countries, the Arctic had always been on Harris Dro’s bucket list. Last year, he joined M/S Sjøveien on a Svalbard expedition as both a traveller and photographer. Surrounded by raw, remote islands and incredible wildlife, Harris was struck by the rare feeling of being completely present, disconnected from the modern world, and travelling in a small group where friendships quickly formed. In this interview, he shares his reflections and favorite moments from the journey.

My real purpose is to capture the beauty of this planet and share it in a way that inspires others

Could you briefly tell us about yourself?

I grew up in Vrachneika, a small seaside village in Greece, where the natural world was always close at hand. That upbringing shaped a deep connection with nature that has stayed with me ever since. I moved to Athens for my studies, then to London for my master's degree, and I've now been based in London for the past 20 years working in financial services.

But while my professional life has been firmly rooted in the corporate world, my heart has always been out in the wild. I've travelled to over 80 countries, and the vast majority of those trips have been driven by a desire to experience nature and encounter wildlife in their natural habitats. It's not just about ticking destinations off a list, it's about genuinely immersing myself in those environments.

Photography has become the way I make that experience meaningful beyond the moment. I focus on wildlife and landscape photography, and my real purpose is to capture the beauty of this planet and share it in a way that inspires others, not just to explore, but to care about what they're exploring. That's ultimately what brought me to Svalbard with Polar Quest last year: the chance to go somewhere truly raw and remote, and to witness, and document, a world that very few people ever get to see.

Svalbard is one of those rare places that you have to feel to understand.

 Sitting in the wood-fired hot tub on deck after jumping into the freezing Arctic sea is something I won't forget for as long as I live. 

Could you describe your impressions of M/S Sjøveien and the atmosphere on board?

The M/S Sjøveien is a beautiful old ship – built back in 1964 in Bergen, with a real sense of character and history to her. I know she was refurbished as an expedition vessel but she retains that classic feel, which I loved. The atmosphere on board was warm and relaxed, the crew were wonderful, the food was far better than I expected, and the shared spaces like the lounge and dining room became a natural gathering point at the end of each day.

There's also a wood-fired hot tub on deck, which sounds like a small detail, but sitting in it after jumping into the freezing Arctic sea is something I won't forget for as long as I live. The ship just felt so authentic and functional at the same time, and perfectly suited to where she was taking us.

And then there was my cabin - two small round portholes right at sea level, so lying there you felt like you were almost on the surface of the water. Watching the Arctic sea through those windows and sometimes seeing the walruses just next to it was genuinely magical!

By the end of the trip, these weren't just fellow travellers. They were friends.

Every moment has your full attention, and in return, every moment feels richer and more vivid.

Could you describe the feeling of being “disconnected” from the rest of the world, something quite unusual these days?

It's something that's genuinely hard to articulate until you've experienced it, because most of us have forgotten what it actually feels like.

We live in a world where being reachable is the default. Your phone is the first thing you look at in the morning and the last thing you check at night. There's always a notification, always a message, always something pulling at your attention. We've normalised that constant connectivity to the point where silence feels uncomfortable.

Out there, that silence was simply imposed on you and at first, there's a moment of adjustment. You reach for your phone instinctively and then remember. But that moment passes very quickly, and what replaces it is something I can only describe as relief.

Suddenly you are completely present. You're not half-watching a glacier while checking your emails. You're just watching the glacier. You're not half-listening to a conversation while glancing at a notification. You're just listening. Every moment has your full attention, and in return, every moment feels richer and more vivid.

I came back genuinely changed by that and I would love to experience this again.

 I didn't take a single picture. I was so completely lost in the moment that it never even crossed my mind.