An unprecedented 15 new expedition vessels able to cut through ice floes have hit the seas to meet what is predicted to be a surge in demand for polar and off the beaten track exploration. There are at least that many more exploration ships in development for the future.
They’re small—with guest counts in the hundreds rather than thousands–and sturdy and stable enough to make their way confidently through icy seas. And they offer comforts that could only have been dreamed of by polar explorers of past eras.
Most importantly the new breed of ships promises to incorporate eco-innovations to minimize emissions and engine noise that can disrupt wildlife, while boosting energy efficiency. One new class of ships can even run silently on hybrid electric motors.
Here’s a look at the daunting range of new choices for that dream exotic cruise.
Atlas Ocean Voyages
World Navigator has been making the most headlines among new expedition ships as the first of a planned all-inclusive fleet of ships designed for ice adventures. Scheduled to start sailing in July, it’s not limited to icy climes, with an inaugural season including Israel, Egypt, the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea. The winter will see it sail to the Caribbean and South America, with a collection of sailings to Antarctica. It will also introduce the first ever L’Occitane luxury spa at sea. Atlas is now also including air and a shore excursion at every port.
Aurora Expeditions
Sylvia Earle is named for the famed oceanographer who has a partnership with Australia’s Aurora Expeditions. The sister ship of purpose-built Greg Mortimer which arrived in 2019 is due to start sailing in November, carrying up to 132 expeditioners in 70 cabins. The ship’s bow design known as the Ulstein X-Bow cuts through swell to decrease vibrations and turbulence, and reduces fuel consumption by up to 60 per cent compared to Tier 1 engines. A laboratory in the bow of Aurora’s ships is described as the “perfect space from which to experience onboard citizen science program.”
We’ll be seeing many variations of this ship design. It’s part of a planned series of 10 X-Bow (Crossbow) expedition ships being built on several continents from a design by Norwegian shipbuilders Ulstein Group, which developed the inverted bow design for energy savings. The ships vary in capacity and amenities depending on the needs of the cruise line.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
Hanseatic Spirit is the third member of an expedition fleet that includes Hanseatic Nature and Hanseatic Inspiration, a ship that arrived in 2019 and has a series of Great Lakes cruises scheduled in September and October. Hanseatic Spirt is scheduled to begin cruising in the Baltic in May with summer itineraries that include Greenland and a crossing of the Northwest Passage to Alaska in August. There’s a caveat, though. The company notes that while “the Hanseatic Inspiration is an international ship, with all cruises conducted in both English and German. The Hanseatic Nature is a German-speaking ship, with all cruises conducted in German only. The Hanseatic Spirit will also be for the German-speaking markets.”
Hurtigruten
MS Fridtjof Nansen is scheduled to start service at the end of May with itineraries around Iceland. Named after polar explorer and scientist Fridtjof Nansen, it is a near identical twin to MS Roald Amundsen which began sailing in the fall of 2019. It’s a hybrid powered ship built by Kleven Yards Ulsteinvik for Hurtigruten, and can run silently on electric power for periods of time when it’s near wildlife areas. The PC6 Polar Class hull is strengthened for heavy sea ice.
Lindblad Expeditions
National Geographic Resolution is the second in a line of exploration vessels that started with National Geographic Endurance and is among the sturdiest, with a Polar Class 5 rating, the ship with a capacity of 126 guests is going to be deployed seasonally– in Norway, Iceland, Greenland) and the Canadian Arctic in the summer and fall and Antarctica in the winter, including the Ross Sea, and the sub-Antarctic Islands of New Zealand. The hull is capable of cruising in medium first-year ice, which may include some old ice, the company says. One of three to be built in the same Ulstein X-Bow design, it’s equipped with classrooms and guides trained to the standards of National Geographic.
Oceanwide Expeditions
Janssonius is the second in a line of ice-strengthened ships built for the Dutch company Oceanwide by Croatia’s Brodosplit shipyards. With 82 staterooms and a capacity of 172, the ship whose name honors Dutch cartographer Johannes Janssonius is the sister of the Hondius, launched in 2019. One of the decks is dedicated to an observation lounge with lecture room that will host multilingual lectures and presentation. Itineraries begin in November, with Antarctic and Falkland Islands cruises from Ushuaia, Argentina.
Ponant Cruises
Le Commandant Charcot has among the highest ice-class rating of any new ship, Polar Class 2, which allows year-round operation capable of breaking through n moderate multi-year ice. It’s due to arrive in service in April with an inaugural cruise from Le Havre, France to destinations in Greenland and Iceland, A summer cruise is planned to the North Pole from Spitsbergen and in November it begins Antarctic cruising, with a special total solar eclipse cruise starting Nov. 30. Ponant has been expanding rapidly, with a number of expedition ships and has managed to sail some itineraries while other cruise lines have remained at anchor.
Quark Expeditions
Ultramarine is a seven-deck ice strengthened ship carrying 200 guests, and most staterooms have balconies It carries two twin-engine helicopters parked on two helipads. A Norwegian season begins in May with a cruise around Spitzbergen and a series of Greenland expeditions. A Northwest Passage cruise in August includes a charter flight and overnight hotel stay in Toronto.
Scenic Luxury Cruises
Scenic Eclipse 2 is the second discovery yacht in the Scenic Eclipse fleet. It’s due to sail in the spring, although the official date has not been set. Itineraries include European and Russian Arctic sailings and a crossing of the Northwest Passage. The second discovery yacht will bear all the hallmarks of Scenic Eclipse 1, with 114 all-veranda suites, eight lounges and bars, nine restaurants, a luxurious spa sanctuary, a state-of -the-art fitness suite, as well as indoor and outdoor plunge pools. Other features include a marina deck, as well as helicopters and a submarine.
Silversea Cruises
While not a new ship, Silversea Cruises’ classic Silver Cloud rebuilt for ice exploration is plotting one of the most adventurous polar explorations this year. An unheard-of 63-day Grand Voyage Arctic is scheduled (dependent on Canada opening is borders) between July 16 and September 17, and will chart a course between Tromsø, Norway through the Northwest Passage to Nome, Alaska. The route follows the explorations of Amundsen, Franklin and Ross and visits locations only the intrepid can reach, including Beechey Island and Gjoa Haven. The voyage is also offered in shorter segments.
Silver Cloud is also heading to Antarctica and the Falkland islands in the winter, which is summer in Antarctica. A December holiday voyage lasts 18 days and visits South Georgia, the Antarctic peninsula and the Falkland Islands.
Swan Hellenic Cruises
SH Minerva represents the return of the Swan Hellenic brand. In 2007, the British line was eliminated by then owner Carnival Corp. It was revived by former P&O Cruises chairman Lord Jeffrey Sterling and All Leisure, a British holding company. Arriving in November 2021, the boutique ship aims to offer 5-star service on Antarctic cruises as long as 16 days. The ship boasts a polar class 5 ice-strengthened hull and stabilizers. It’s one of several ships planning special cruises to see the total solar eclipse on Dec. 4.
Seabourn Cruises
Seabourn Venture and a second sister ship Seabourn Pursuit are designed specifically for expedition travel blended with ultra-luxury and personalized service. Hospitality design icon Adam D. Tihany is creating the indoor and outdoor guest areas for the ships, including multiple expedition spaces and lounges. Both ships will be designed and built to Polar Class 6 ice sailing standards and include modern hardware and technology to extend the ships capabilities to explore seldom visited locales.
The Seabourn ships both carry two six-seat custom submarines, expedition kayaks and 24 Zodiacs, providing additional opportunities for guests to explore Norway’s stunning winter landscape and diverse wildlife. Seabourn Venture’s itineraries include a 21-day Northwest Passage Experience in Canada’s Far North.
Victory Cruise Lines
Ocean Victory will sail in Alaska for Victory in the summer and fall and then starting in November for Denmark’s Albatross Expeditions on Antarctic cruises. It has 93 staterooms, nearly all of them with balconies, several restaurants, a wellness area, a Nordic Bar. The ship is part of a panned series of 10 Ulstein Infinity Class expedition ships, and is similar in design to Aurora Expeditions’ sister ships Greg Mortimer and Sylvia Earle.
Viking Expeditions
Viking Octantis is a part of a new expedition line of ships for Viking. With 190 staterooms and a capacity of 378 guests, it’s ice rated Polar Class 6, which allows it to operate in medium first-year ice. Signature ship features include a two-deck observatory-like Explorers Lounge and an indoor-outdoor Aquavit Terrace sundeck and bar lounge covered by a retractable glass roof, A sister ship, Viking Polaris, arrived in 2022. Both vessels are constructed by the Norwegian shipbuilder VARD, subsidiary of the Italian company Fincantieri.
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