August 15^th, 2026

Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, Canada

We had a lazy morning watching the Arctic go by from the warmth and comfort of the Constellation Lounge. I decided it was time to try out the pain au chocolat from Seabourn Square for my mid-morning snack. I was pleased to see that they meant serious chocolate here. It was delicious and could become a regular. So much for attempting healthy eating.

Although we get free laundry as a perk on this cruise, I still wanted to wash a few items myself, so it was time to visit the launderette. One of the benefits of everyone getting free laundry is that there was no one else there, no need to hang around waiting for a machine to become available.

What’s more for a ship, the launderette is quite spacious, there even is room for you to sit if you wanted to watch the machines at work. There is also a TV, and 2 ironing boards. I do not like ironing at the best of times, so I have never tried using an iron on a ship, but at times I must admit I really should have made an attempt to remove wrinkles from my clothing. Well, they have 2 garment steamer stands there as well. I could have tried those. What’s more all 4 of the machines were working. You don’t see that on Cunard.

In the afternoon we arrived at Gjoa Haven, a small hamlet on King William Island.

Although there is a so called harbor there is no pier, so we had a beach landing in the Zodiacs. At least we didn’t get our shoes wet this time.

We met up with our local guide and she showed us around the town. There really wasn’t much to see and the whole place looked a bit desolate to me, but it is apparently a thriving, vibrant little community despite its isolation.

The hamlet is located well above the Arctic Circle. It is renowned for its deep Inuit roots, rich history of Arctic exploration, and its role as a natural harbor named by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen after his ship, the Gjoa.

The inhabitants are very proud of the hamlet’s association with Amundsen and there is a bust of him in the Municipal Center. He looks a bit grumpy.

We also visited the Heritage Center which was amazing. One of the best museums I have seen in a long time. There was a very interesting, comprehensive exhibit on the origins of settlement in this area.

There were so many beautiful sculptures.

The exhibit on daily life showed that although the community has modernized over time, their deep rooted traditions are still a major part of daily life.

There was also an exhibit on the ill-fated Franklin Expedition, and the bell retrieved from one of his ships, was on display.

After the Heritage Center we walked to the Cultural Center where we were treated to a display of Inuit drumming

And throat singing. Among the Inuit, it’s known as katajjaq, a traditional musical performance typically by two women. Inuit women used throat singing to entertain one another while the men in their communities were away on long hunting trips or to calm fussy babies. There are hums, gasps, grunts and growls, singing can also imitate wind, water, animal sounds and other everyday sounds. The two women hold each other and sway as the sounds they make get faster and faster, and then they end up bursting out laughing. I felt very privileged to be listening to them. It was so unlike anything I have heard before.

The missionaries taught square dancing to the population many years ago, and today the tradition continues. A very enthusiastic ensemble of high school students provided the music.

We were also treated to caribou soup and arctic char with stuffing. Both were delicious, and the soup much appreciated as it was very cold outside.

It is interesting that communities in Nunavut have the right to determine their liquor system. In Gjoa Haven it is illegal to import, purchase, possess, consume or transport any amount of alcohol within the community or surroundings.

It was a smooth Zodiac ride back to the ship and we were just in time for the Expedition Recap and Briefing. Tomorrow will be a two Zodiac day.

For dinner tonight in the restaurant, we were at a table hosted by Jacco, the future cruise consultant. Usually, we are at a hosted table for 10 and it makes it difficult to join in the conversation with so many people around the table, but tonight there were just 5 of us. Perfection! Especially as the other couple are friends of ours from trivia and boat building. We had an absolutely wonderful evening. Jacco is very entertaining and talked about his experiences on previous cruise lines from Costa to Crystal. He certainly leads a very interesting life, and is very happy he has found Seabourn.

Charlie, the hardest working musician on the high seas, provided us with tonight’s entertainment – a tribute to Elton John and Billy Joel, two of my favorite musicians. He  is very good, and we are so lucky to have him on board. I really don’t miss the production shows and magicians, sometimes all you need is some great familiar music to listen to at the end of a perfect day.