Daily life in Ny-Ålesund

Food and meals

The Service building in Ny-Ålesund is the location for the reception, dining mess, laundry, garbage return station, and nurse services.

All meals (three times a day) are served and eaten in the common mess hall. In the evenings there is self service for making sandwiches. 

Late dinner?

Late Dinner
If you plan to be out in the field during regular dinner hours, you can submit a late dinner request before 15:00 and deliver it to the kitchen. A meal will then be set aside for you and placed in the warming cabinet, available from 19:00 to 22:00.

If you know you won’t be back by then, please let the kitchen know before 15:00, and a DryTech meal will be prepared for you instead. Due to food safety regulations, dinner from the warming cabinet cannot be consumed after 22:00, and DryTech is the only option available. A separate form is used to order DryTech field meals

Field provisions

Researchers who are going out in the field and who wish to bring food provisions must fill in the field food provision list and send it to Food@kingsbay.no. Submit your list no later than 48 hours prior to pick-up time, and preferably earlier if possible.

Mess rules

• Please remember to wash your hands before entering the mess. Bacteria and virus spread fast in a small community.
• Please leave jackets, hats and bags in the wardrobe before entering the mess. Always wear clean clothes and socks or inside-shoes.
• Please sort dirty dishes as well as the trash after finishing your meal.
• On Saturdays everybody in Ny-Ålesund leave their work clothes at home and dress up a bit. You are also welcome to bring your own drink (wine/beer) during weekends.
• Please keep in mind that there is a limited supply of fresh fruit and vegetables. Fresh food in general is dependent on supplies which are delivered by ship approximately every 6 weeks (during summer).

Waste management

All garbage in Ny-Ålesund is sorted and shipped to the mainland. Everybody visiting Ny-Ålesund needs to take part in this garbage sorting. You’ll find garbage sorting at all accommodations and laboratories. All waste is emptied in Varemottaket in the Service Building.

If you need to dispose of heavy or voluminous garbage, please contact the Kings Bay Harbour master. There is no long term deposit of waste in Ny-Ålesund, so all garbage needs to be registered and shipped to the mainland at the expense of the institution responsible for producing the waste. It is forbidden to dump garbage in Ny-Ålesund.

Laundry/linen

There is laundry rooms in the Service Building, at Snekkasjen and at Evenstad.

Staying at the institutes’ own housing, clean linen and towels will be provided in the building. At Kings Bay’s accommodation, beds are already made. If during the stay you want clean bed linen/towels, this is available in Varemottaket in the Service Building.

Vehicle driving

Please drive your vehicles as little as possible to reduce local pollution and disturbances. Take a stroll, or use bicycles in summer and kick sledges in winter instead. Respect the speed limit of 30 km/h. Always turn off the engine when you are not driving your car.

Kongsfjordbutikken

Kongsfjordbutikken is Ny-Ålesund’s local shop. Here you can buy souvenirs, snacks and candy, some toiletry items, soda and alcohol. Due to special Svalbard regulations you need to bring your boarding pass from the mainland connection flight if you’re planning on buying alcohol. The shop accepts credit and debit cards, and cash (Norwegian krone – NOK).

The regular openings hours are Mondays and Thursdays 17:00 – 18:00. Opening hours in addition to these are announced on the whiteboard in the Service Building.

Weather

From the beginning of April to the middle of September, it is never really dark. From mid-April to the end of August, the sun never sets. The polar night period, with the sun continuously below the horizon, lasts from the middle of November to the end of January.

Winter: dark, cold, snow cover (December-February)
Spring: bright, cold, snow cover (March-May)

Social activities and leisure time

The social activities arranged in town are open for all, also visiting scientists. There is a museum in town which is open 24/7 with free admission.

Velferden is open for everyone staying in Ny-Ålesund, and runs a gym, has a jacuzzi, lends out boats and kayaks and arranges social gatherings (pub), etc. Velferden also administers access to a number of cabins in the area which can be used in your spare time (map of Velferdens cabins). Lists for reservation of boats, kayaks and cabins can be found on the board in the reception area every Monday.