Svalbard is a fantastic place to visit, especially if you want to get away from everything - it's like having a weight lifted from you as soon as you leave the area of paved road in Longyearbyen.
Safety wise, if you are afraid of bears you need to be confident enough to handle flares, a large handgun and a large calibre hunting rifle. There are alot of bears, I saw three while I was there though none were close to major settlements.
We did get shown sole CCTV footage from the dock where a bear came down and broke into and ate a crate of frozen whale meat off the dock, that was fun.
Oh and take or get a Greenland dog from one of the kennels to go with you anywhere - they can tell when a bear is near. They aren't pets though, don't expect them to behave like a lapdog.
If you like beer be prepared to take quite some money for it.