Recently, I spent 10 nights, 9 days in the high arctic thanks to Poseidon Expeditions. The specific cruise we went on was "West Spitsbergen & Polar Ice Edge - Arctic Wildlife Safari by Poseidon." This particular trip is ideal for those who want to get a taste of the arctic in a limited time. Because it is a shorter trip, you get a good mix of people from various ages, countries, and backgrounds.

Here was our itinerary for the trip (keep in mind that the sites for days 3-9 are wildlife and weather dependent):
Day 0 pre-cruise: Longyearbyen
Day 1: Longyearbyen (dog carting, mine tour)
Day 2: Longyearbyen (Svalbard museum, city tour), Embarkation
Day 3: Ny Ålesund, Ossian Sarsfjellet
Day 4: Polar Ice Edge (80° north)
Day 5: Lillihookbreen, Camp Zoe
Day 6: Northwest Spitsbergen National Park
Day 7: Fagerbukta, Trygghamna
Day 8: Poolepynten, St. Johnsfjord
Day 9: Skansbukta, Borebukta, Polar Plunge
Day 10: Disembarkation

Here are some of my recommendations for Longyearbyen:
-Cafe Huskies:   / cafehuskies  
-Green Dog Svalbard: https://greendog.no/?lang=en
-Radisson Blu Polar Hotel Spitsbergen: https://www.radissonhotels.com/en-us/...
-Restaurant Nansen (located inside the Radisson): https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...
-Booking day trips: https://en.visitsvalbard.com/visitor-...
-Poseidon Expeditions: https://poseidonexpeditions.com/

Here are some of my travel tips for the arctic:
-The airport you will fly in and out of is Svalbard Airport, or LYR. You will likely have stops in Oslo or Tromsø due to the nature of the small airport.
-Svalbard Airport is quite separate from the country of Norway and you will likely have several connecting flights in various countries to get to Svalbard. I suggest packing only 1 checked bag (23 kg/50 lb or less) so as not to pay for separate checked bag fees multiple times. Your 2 carry-on bags can include 1 for personal items and 1 for all electronics.
-There is no bank in Svalbard so all payments are cashless. I found that all establishments actually took Apple Pay and was super seamless.
-When you arrive in Longyearbyen, there will be at least 2 charter buses parked outside. Just inform the drivers which hotel you are going to, and they will direct you which bus to go on to get your to your lodging site. You can pay for one-way or round-trip with credit card.
-If you prefer to extend your stay in Longyearbyen, I suggest no more than 1 day, unless you plan on booking various day trips/excursions since the town is quite small. Personally, I suggest you do so before the trip rather than at the end. That way, you can acclimated with jet lag and at the end of the trip you can travel with the group rather than stay behind.

Here are some of my packing tips for the arctic summer:
-Remember, you will get a parka for keeps on the trip upon embarkation. I suggestion packing tons of thermal, base layers to save space in your luggage and also have plenty of clean clothes throughout the trip. Personally, I suggest at least: 7 pairs of leggings, 1 pair of fleece-lined pants, 1 pair of fleece pants, 5-7 long sleeve shirts, 1-3 short sleeve shirts, vests, 1-3 fleece jackets, 7 pairs of wool socks, 10 pairs of regular socks, 1 fleece buff, tennis shoes, slippers, hiking shoes, thin gloves, 1-2 beanies, fleece cap, swimsuit, and plenty of face masks.
-Other must-have items for cruising in the arctic include: sunglasses, motion sickness pills and/or patches, all prescriptions, binoculars, and sunscreen.

Let me know in the comments below if Svalbard is on your travel bucket list. Or, if you've been let me know if I've missed anything!