Judy Ersvaer – the M/S Stockholm’s most frequent passenger
PolarQuest has so many great travellers and one of them is Judy Ersvaer. She has voyaged with M/S Stockholm on many occasion – in Svalbard, along the Norwegian cost, in England, Wales and Scotland including the Orkney and Shetland Islands! We asked Judy to tell us more about her passion for this beautiful and classic ship built in 1953.
How did you first find out about the ship M/S Stockholm and what caught your interest?
I found her on the Internet when searching for trips to Svalbard on small ships, and I was immediately fascinated with her originality. I can't stand it when they advertise "luxury". In my mind, she is more luxurious than all those modernised up market ships.
What is it about M/S Stockholm, that makes you travel with her repeatedly?
M/S Stockholm, what ever can I say? The feelings I have comes from deep inside and all wells up when I see her again for my next trip. When I finish a trip and am still around, I come and watch her depart (sadly without me).
One never really knows what to expect, which makes it a true adventure. Having Per Engwall the Captain and owner of the ship, and his selected crew interact with us – it makes it feel like a big family.
I may be silly, but the two GREAT trips I did to Greenland last year, it was all about the trips and the ships were in a way irrelevant. With Stockholm it's the other way around!
Where did your first trip go?
My first trip was a circumnavigation of Svalbard. While on board, Per Engwall said he went to St. Kilda, a place I’d always wanted to go, so that sold me for my second trip. After that there was no stopping me…
Which trip on the M/S Stockholm would you say has been your favorite and why?
Oh, who knows... all of them! Extremely lucky to land on St. Kilda twice in really good weather. But when I did the three trips in a row, from Scotland to Svalbard, I was in heaven. Might add that all the guides have been great, as is your office!
Destinationer
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Since 1999, we have taken travellers on once-in-a-lifetime trips to Svalbard. From May to September our three small expedition ships, carrying only 12 and 53 passengers, explore this magnificent Arctic archipelago. Unpredictability and flexibility are the main keywords when you travel with PolarQuest as the exact route depends on weather, ice conditions and wildlife encounters. Sometimes you might be woken up in the middle of the night if a polar bear has been spotted on the ice.
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Travelling through the stunning Norwegian coastal landscape on a small expedition cruise ship is simply hard to beat. Lofoten islands welcome with picturesque fishing villages, squeezed between soaring mountains and quiet fjords. In wintertime Tromsø offers magnificent sceneries over dramatic landscapes and great chances to spot both orcas and humpback whales. If we’re lucky we will also see the magical Northern Lights dancing in the sky. Join us on an unforgettable cruise!