Swimming in ice? Really? Probably first time you heard about that it sounded like a joke, something impossible or at least crazy… but that is exactly what we do in our cruises.
After the first hour breaking the ice, our captain chooses a spot in the sea to stop the icebreaker. Then, we dress our brave passengers in our lovely and gracious survival suits which will allow them not to be cold and float effortlessly. Some are a bit nervous in the beginning, after all they will be jumping into the water surrounded by ice in the middle of the arctic winter. No doubt it is cold! Some others are excited and can’t wait to jump as soon as they get closer to the platform that will lead them to the natural swimming pool made by the ship’s propellers.
And once they are in the water magic happens because smiles and joy fill the cold air, which for some moment feels even a bit warmer. Children and elderly play and laugh like if there were no difference among them while our photographer tries to capture every smile. After the ice-swimming experience, we pumper the brave swimmers with hot glögg, gløgg or glögi, a traditional Nordic drink, very popular during the cold months of the year.
To be floating surrounded by ice is a unique experience that for sure they will keep for long. The quietness and solitude that these lands provide, are an unforgettable experience for those coming from faraway places and big cities. Life in the north is different, the long and cold winters invite to a different kind of state, there is no place for stress or hurry. Just being there, in the middle of the Baltic Sea floating, can give a sense of peace, it is cold, there is ice everywhere and yet you are not cold.