Introducing the newly redesigned Quark Expeditions parka, presented by Polar Travel Adviser, Naomi Box. We know that packing for your Polar voyage may be challenging, so Quark takes the guess work out of packing an appropriate coat. All our passengers will receive our signature yellow expedition parka on the first day you’re onboard the ship. This 3-in-1 hooded parka is specially designed for our Polar voyages and is insulated, waterproof and will serve you well during your voyage. Find polar gear for your upcoming expedition ⇨ https://bit.ly/3mXDTK1 Check out current Antarctic offers ⇨ https://bit.ly/3lTD8jz Check out current Arctic offers ⇨ https://bit.ly/2W0tn8F

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Protecting the waters of the Antarctic is part of Quark Expeditions’ Polar Promise. Photo: Acacia Johnson

There is nowhere on Earth quite like Antarctica. In fact, it feels a little bit like being on another planet. Its silence is meditative. Its scale plays tricks with your mind. Its wildlife captures your imagination and heart. When I arrived in Antarctica in November of 2019, I found the 6th Continent was more magnificent than anything I had imagined.

The vast landscape of Antarctica really struck me while on my standup paddleboard during an afternoon excursion. A single human being, dwarfed by the glaciers and icebergs that surrounded me. I felt small and insignificant, but also more driven than ever to safeguard this pristine Antarctic wilderness that occupies the southernmost land mass on Earth.

Dwarfed by icebergs and glaciers. Quark Expeditions’ Operations & Sustainability Manager Lyndsey Lewis. Photo: Lyndsey Lewis

Quark Expeditions’ Lyndsey Lewis: Immersed in the pristine polar wilderness. Photo: courtesy Lyndsey Lewis

There are a lot of us who are concerned about the polar regions, and if we each make a small contribution, the resulting impact can be huge. And we at Quark Expeditions are trying to do our part as well, through our Polar Promise, a sustainability framework consisting of four pillars: principles, planet, partnerships, and positive impact.

Part of my job at Quark Expeditions is to operationalize and report on the initiatives that currently make up our Polar Promise, many of which started long before my time. Sustainability has long been part of our DNA. It was incredibly rewarding to see many of these initiatives in place during my voyage. It solidified for me that I can—we can—explore the regions and protect them at the same time.

One of the most important ways of keeping Antarctica free of invasive species is a thorough biosecurity program. Before we arrived at the Antarctic peninsula, every guest cleaned every bag, every piece of Velcro of potential seeds and other organic matter with the help of the expedition staff. We washed our boots in the disinfectant Virkon before every shore excursion and after too. This is just one of our many commitments to IAATO, the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators, of which Quark Expeditions is a founding member. (Similarly, we are also members of AECO, the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators.)

As someone who’s working to eliminate my personal waste at home, I was excited to see that foods that typically come in individual containers, like yogurt, butter, and jam, were served on the ship in bulk form. I noticed that straws weren’t included in drinks unless specifically requested. I helped our expedition staff hand out Quark Expedition parkas to our guests, which were bundled in a group—versus individual wrapping—to reduce packaging. And, like the waste nerd that I am, I stayed behind after most guests had left to look at the type and volume of waste that we generated on our voyage. On our new ships, World Explorer and Ultramarine, this waste will be gassified by a MAGS unit, reducing its volume by 95% and producing only heat and solid carbon as by-products.

Quark Expeditions has long supported polar science and conservation efforts in the Antarctic. Photo: Acacia Johnson

I was also really lucky to have encountered two ‘hitchhiker’ groups onboard. Tom and Carlos from Penguin Watch were on board to collect memory cards full of penguin colony photos, change camera batteries, and take drone footage as part of their penguin conservation program. We also hosted the small team from the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, who were on their way to Port Lockroy for the austral summer. Reducing the price of berths for members of organizations like these is another way that Quark Expeditions helps to support polar science and conservation efforts.

Observing penguin rookeries is a highlight of an expedition in the Antarctic. Photo: Acacia Johnson

I have come across no greater proponents for the polar regions that the team at Quark Expeditions, and their passion rubbed off on the guests on my voyage, including me. As part of the final recap, I gave a small talk about our Polar Promise, and another guide invited guests to make changes in their own lives to impact the planet by joining the Polar Ambassador program. I was thoroughly impressed with the number of guests who signed up for the program, and who came to talk to me afterwards about how impressed they were to hear about the positive impacts that we’ve had and will continue to have.

Quark Expeditions’ Lyndsey Lewis with guests and members of the Expedition Team: “Sustainability has always been part of our DNA.”
Photo: Michelle Sole

The sustainability strategy we’ve produced at Quark Expeditions is called Polar Promise for a very good reason. It’s our commitment. An obligation we embrace wholeheartedly. It’s part of our contract, if you will, with Mother Nature. It’s our promise—and ultimately my own promise – to do whatever I can to protect the pristine polar landscapes for generations to come. I promise to do whatever I can. I hope you will too.

The post Living the Polar Promise: Embracing Sustainable Travel appeared first on Quark Expeditions.

Ocean Adventurer has long been a favourite of guests and expedition crew alike. Credit Abbey Weisbrot

I described in great detail for my friends what it was like cruising through the pack ice along the west coast of Spitsbergen, in the Norwegian Arctic, on a ship called Ocean Adventurer. How one day I hiked across the tundra and stopped in my tracks as a herd of six reindeer trotted past me. How six fellow passengers and I sat quietly in a Zodiac, the motor turned off, as we listened to the crashing thunder of glaciers calving in the distance. I recreated the unforgettable moment when I stood below a clifftop at Alkehornet looking up at a towering cliff teeming with thousands Brünnich’s guillemots. I left listeners spellbound when I listed the wildlife we saw: walruses, Arctic foxes, whales (blue whales and orcas) and reindeer.

Throughout the telling (and retelling) of my Spitsbergen stories, it became increasingly evident that Ocean Adventurer, my floating home away from home during my Arctic expedition, figured front and centre in so many of my stories.

For instance: I recalled early mornings and late nights (the sunlight never seemed to wane) standing on the deck of Ocean Adventurer, eyes scanning the water for any sign of whales. I admittedly bragged a little when I told how I stood next to the captain on the bridge as we eyed a polar bear, with blood-stained paws, ambling along the ice edge. I spoke of the camaraderie of passengers sitting in the lounge before dinner, excitedly swapping stories and anecdotes from our respective adventures of the day. I practically waxed poetic about the library on Ocean Adventurer where my paddling mates and I gathered late one day to swap photos of walruses and seals.

Passengers on Ocean Adventurer are invited up to the bridge to scan the horizon for wildlife. Photo credit: Rogelio Espinosa

I surprised my listeners when I told them about late afternoon siestas (in parkas) on the cushioned sofas on the deck, idly watching the passing parade of ice formations that never seemed to stop. I spoke of strangers-becoming-friends after sharing numerous meals together in the dining room.

Turns out that Ocean Adventurer was as important to my first Arctic expedition as the polar bears, icebergs and glaciers.

What makes a ship like Ocean Adventurer so special that even the expedition team insist it’s their favourite polar ship?

Size matters: Intimate feel of a boutique hotel

The library is an intimate gathering spot for guests to connect at the end of the afternoon to share photos and stories of the day’s adventures.
Photo Credit: Rogelio Espinosa

There’s ample space to meet and socialize on Ocean Adventurer, which is surprising because it’s only 101 meters (331 feet) long with a breadth of 16 metres (52 feet). And that’s part of the ship’s appeal. With staff and crew of 87 and guest capacity of 128, Ocean Adventurer felt to me like a smallish boutique hotel with lots of character where everybody knows everybody. Because of its size, you’re never far from anything – not the lounge, not the dining room, and definitely not far from the viewing deck whenever the captain alerted guests about wildlife sightings.

The size and layout of the vessel also made it increasingly easy when disembarking onto the Zodiacs for shore excursions. After suiting up in my room and slipping into muck boots and life jacket, it was barely a 2-minute walk down to the Zodiac embarkation point. I found I could get from my room to any point on the ship—dining room, lounge, observation deck, gift-shop—within a couple of minutes..

Friendliest vibe: A floating community

The main lounge of Ocean Adventurer becomes one large living room that’s ideal for connecting with fellow guests at any time of the day or night.
Photo credit: Rogelio Espinosa

Getting to know fellow guests was easy, and striking up conversations came naturally on Ocean Adventurer. The vessel is clearly designed for socializing and nurturing friendships. The lounge (which doubles as the theater) is roomy enough to accommodate everyone on board. I had the option of hanging out with just a few friends (there are foursomes of comfortable swivel chairs anchored to the floor) or in in larger groups (sizeable banquettes for that). Otherwise, I could grab a stool at the bar, or choose one of the smaller settings of chairs along the side of the lounge where people played board games, read, enjoyed a post-excursion drink, or listened to the daily presentations.

The ship’s dining-room actually felt like a dining-room—not a large restaurant. Sometimes I sat with my friends, other times I simply joined a table of strangers who would become friends. And because of the number of passengers on Ocean Adventurer, every guest will invariably have breakfast, lunch or dinner with an expedition team member (or several) at some point during the expedition.

The layout of the dining room on Ocean Adventurer makes it easy to socialize with fellow passengers, and guests invariably dine with members of the expedition team. Photo credit: Rogelio Espinosa

One of my favourite spaces aboard Ocean Adventurer was The Clipper Club, a cozy, rectangular bar/dining room adjoining the main dining room. I gravitated to The Clipper Club whenever my traveling companions and I wanted a more intimate meal together. And the aft deck (near the back of the restaurant) had various small tables and chairs, as well as cushioned sofas and lounge chairs which I liked just for hanging outside.

The Clipper Club is ideal for intimate dinners or simply having drinks with new-found friends aboard Ocean Adventurer. Photo credit: Rogelio Espinosa

Ocean Adventurer, built in 1975, underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation in 2017. While the refurbishment resulted in a refreshed, contemporary new look throughout the ship, the classic feel wasn’t lost—and that resonates with a lot of guests, including me. The nautical touches throughout the ship reminded me that I was indeed on an authentic expedition ship: the brass fittings, the polished wood bannisters, the teak on portions of the deck, the spiral staircase outside the reception area, the wood panelling, the numerous portholes, the framed photographs of early polar explorers like Roald Amundsen and Frederik Cook, and the wildlife illustrations that lined the corridors.

If you’re eager for your own Ocean Adventurer experience, consider one of these expeditions:

• Four Arctic Islands: Spitsbergen, Jan Mayen, Greenland and Iceland
• Spitsbergen Highlights: Expedition in Brief
• Spitsbergen Explorer: Wildlife Capital of the Arctic

The post Top Reasons You’ll Love Traveling on Ocean Adventurer appeared first on Quark Expeditions.

Now, here we are, celebrating another landmark moment in our journey toward seeing that vision become a full-fledged reality. The first milestone was the steel-cutting ceremony, which took place in January 2019. The second took place in June, when we unveiled the ship’s name: Ultramarine, which, appropriately, means “beyond the sea.” And the third took place just last week, at Brodosplit, in Split, Croatia, where we held the keel-laying ceremony, marking the next chapter in Ultramarine’s construction: the build of its hull and superstructure.

The keel-laying event is significant because it signifies the moment that a ship officially becomes recognized as its own entity. It is exhilarating to watch the different parts of the outside of this grand vessel come together – to watch the ship literally start to take shape. And though ship materials may have changed over time, from wooden ships, where the keel was a piece of timber, to today’s steel ships, where the keel is a central beam, the spirit of this ceremony endures: it is about the shared human instinct to explore, and to build ships that take us beyond known horizons.

Some keel-laying ceremonies, like ours, also include an ancient ritual called the coin ceremony. Seafarers have been carrying out this custom for centuries, choosing a special coin and placing it somewhere on the ship to lend it good fortune on its travels. It’s a tradition steeped in deep meaning and symbolism, and we were excited to perform it for Ultramarine.

Our coin is a beautiful silver one featuring one of our favorite polar creatures: the Emperor penguin. This majestic animal is particularly special to us, because it represents an achievement that stands as one of the most memorable among our many polar milestones: our becoming the first-ever operator to take passengers to Snow Hill Island to observe these magnificent creatures in their native habitat. I can’t think of a better ambassador for our ceremonial coin.

I was the one fortunate enough to perform Ultramarine’s coin ceremony. It was a moment I will remember for the rest of my life. While I was welding the coin into Ultramarine’s hull, I imagined all of the incredible moments that will take place on this vessel. When you travel to the Polar Regions, your perspective changes forever. Mine did. My first visit to Antarctica prompted me to quit my job and join Quark Expeditions. And now I am fortunate enough to play a part in building a ship that will undoubtedly deliver similar transformative moments to others. There is something truly special about that.

Check out this short video of the Keel Laying event in Split, Croatia:

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Today, I feel lucky to be part of the team at Quark Expeditions, because I’m not only immersed in that world of ship-building and seafaring, but, more important, I get to help provide that same gift of adventure to others, in the most awe-inspiring places on Earth. Want to hear someone struggle for words? Talk to them when they come back from their first trip to the Arctic or Antarctic. It’s near impossible to find the right way to express what one sees, and feels, in those regions. It has to be experienced.

Today, I am really excited, because we’ve just announced the name of a ship that is going to create brand new experiences for our guests in unprecedented new ways. Ultramarine, our groundbreaking, purpose-built expedition vessel – its name, in Latin, means “beyond the sea” – will set sail in late 2020, and its passengers are going to have the opportunities for moments no others have had, because they’re going to be able to reach places no others have gone.

When we were first told about this amazing new ship, it made me think of one of my favorite passages from the writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery: “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”

Ultramarine embodies this ethos. It’s a technological and engineering marvel, but what it truly represents are the unique experiences people will have out in the breathtaking polar wilderness, the stories they will bring back home, and the feelings that will stay with them forever. Adrenaline-pumping moments like viewing gigantic icebergs from the seat of a kayak. Wondrous instances of silence like standing alone on the bow of the ship staring out at the vast white landscape. Wildlife sightings so startling and surreal they make you cry.

And, for me personally, I look forward to being in a helicopter as it soars over the polar seas and remote worlds of ice and snow. I think about the helicopter touching down onto the surface, and then the feeling of climbing out to set foot in a place few have been before, then strapping on a pair of skis to continue my polar journey in yet a different way.

Over a century ago, explorers like Ernest Shackleton and Robert Falcon Scott started to sail the polar seas, because they had a vision and a dream to explore the farthest reaches of the planet. Ultramarine honors that dream, and, as we’ve always done at Quark Expeditions, continues to extend those footsteps into magical new, undiscovered places. I can’t wait to live that dream.

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Our much-anticipated new ship, Ultramarine, delivers on this promise in ways never before seen for a vessel of its size. As we celebrate the unveiling of the ship’s name – which, in Latin, means “beyond the sea” – and look forward to its inaugural season, I feel tremendously proud of the combined efforts of our teams around the world that have led to the realization of this groundbreaking new ship.

I am also filled with excitement knowing that, both on and off the ship, Ultramarine’s technological innovations and visionary design will create brand new possibilities for our guests, with every detail crafted to optimize the polar experience.

At Quark Expeditions, we know that it’s when people get off the ship and start to explore that they truly catch the polar bug. We’ve witnessed untold moments in which guests have had their eyes opened and their breath stopped by something previously beyond their imagination. That’s why we designed Ultramarine to get passengers off the ship and into the wilderness as quickly as possible. Unlike most other ships, where Zodiacs are usually stored on higher decks out in the open and craned off the ship, Ultramarine will launch its twenty Zodiacs from an enclosed hangar close to the waterline. As a result, our guests will be able to get off the ship in half the time and maximize their time in nature.

We also know that, while polar landscapes are spectacular from the sea, they are just as striking from the air – which is why we’ve included not one but two helicopters on Ultramarine. Not many of those who visit the polar regions get to experience the remarkable aerial perspective, but we want to change that. The helicopters will enable a range of inspiring adventures such as flightseeing and, for the first time ever, heli-hiking and heli-skiing. These unforgettable new activities will complement our already diverse range of off-ship activities like sea kayaking, paddling, hiking, cross-country skiing and paddle-boarding.

Finally, we know that environmental responsibility is as important to our guests as it is to us, and that everyone who comes aboard one of our ships shares in our unwavering Polar Promise. That’s why, in the process of creating this ship, every decision was made with a view toward ecological sustainability. Ultramarine’s technological advancements will temper its environmental impact to an unprecedented degree for a vessel this size. The sophisticated, industry-leading MAGS (Micro Auto Gasification System) will decrease waste volume by 95%. The innovative hull and engine designs will reduce fuel consumption. Black and grey water generated on board will be treated to exceed the most stringent worldwide standards. Even Ultramarine’s propellers have been specially designed to ensure quiet operation in the wildlife-rich areas that we visit with our guests. With the launch of Ultramarine, we will enable guests from all parts of the globe to become keen polar explorers charting new ground, but also environmental ambassadors sharing in the pledge to preserve these beautiful regions.

We are thrilled to once again be evolving the standards in polar exploration, and we look forward to welcoming you on board Ultramarine.

The post Going Where No One Has Gone Before appeared first on Quark Expeditions.

The captain of a Greek ferry once reprimanded a friend of mine for boarding the vessel by putting his left foot forward. The same friend got into hot water a second time when he was caught whistling on the open top deck of the vessel. According to ancient marine superstition, whistling or singing into the wind is forbidden because it can apparently “whistle up a storm.”

Turns out there’s a lot of superstition in the shipping world and always has been. For instance, did you know you’re courting bad luck – such as engine or other mechanical failure – by bringing bananas on board? Or that taking an umbrella onto the ship could invite foul weather? Thankfully, much of that has fallen by the wayside.

There are good luck superstitions, too!

Some superstitions have led, over time, to various rituals that defy logic. For instance, throwing stones into the sea while on board a vessel was once thought to cause storms and huge swells – but such calamities could be avoided by nailing a horseshoe to the mast for protection.

Another feel-good superstition called for sailors to pour wine on the deck of a ship to guarantee good luck on a voyage. (Some marine historians have suggested that splashing wine on a newly-built vessel was a way to check for cracks and leaks.) But there are even more spirited rituals. For instance, there are tales of sailors in the Caribbean who had a habit of tossing a shot of rum into the ocean to please Neptune, the god of the sea, who would protect them for the duration of the voyage.

Ship-building ceremonies that have stood the test of time

As some superstitions dissipate in our modern world, the importance of rituals and traditions in ship-building are stronger than ever before.

Consider the sequence of rituals and ceremonies involved in the building of a new ship. First there’s the steel-cutting ceremony, followed by the keel-laying (when coins are placed on the vessel for good luck), the float-out (when the ship is placed in the water for the first time and the construction of its interior begins) and eventually the christening of the ship (often called the launching or naming ceremony).

The steel-cutting ceremony: The first milestone in the life of a ship

Steel hasn’t always been the primary material in ship-building. For centuries, ships were constructed of traditional wood such as oak, teak, cedar and pine. And ship-building back then wasn’t the work of engineers and crane operators. Marine archeologists suggest that it took 100 Viking warriors nine months to construct a traditional longship that could accommodate 60 oarsmen. That included crafting sails out of wool or linen, which the Vikings would dye blood red for a more fearsome appearance. To ensure the ship was watertight, the warriors would painstakingly fill the spaces between the planks with wool, moss or animal hair.

Steel started to replace wood about 200 years ago, especially for larger ships. Vessels became more flexible and had greater resilience and durability when manufactured from steel.

Thankfully, the steel-cutting ceremony in our current age of ship-building is much more refined and doesn’t include a raucous crowd of 100 Vikings. It’s a celebration between the team at the shipyard and the owners who’ve commissioned the building of the vessel. There’s a lot of excitement in the shipyard when the two parties press the button that starts the laser cutting process. Advanced computer technology cuts the first sheet of steel intended for the hull of the vessel. That symbolic piece of steel is often featured later on as a design element on the ship or simply used as a keepsake of the venture.

Members of our Quark Expedition were proud to participate in our company’s first-ever steel-cutting ceremony on Monday, January 28, in Split, Croatia. Our Norway-based design firm LMG Marin and our Croatian building partners, Brodosplit, joined our Quark colleagues to launch construction of our new polar ship that will set sail in Fall 2020 – and go on sale in Spring 2019.

A steel-cutting ceremony is a magical time when everyone comes together to celebrate the hard work that’s gone into the design of the ship. It’s the first stage in the life of a polar vessel.

Stay tuned as we publish more blogs with each milestone in the building of our epic new polar ship.

The post Marine Superstitions, Time-Honoured Ship-Building Rituals and the Magic of the Steel-Cutting Ceremony appeared first on Quark Expeditions.

I recently had the opportunity to take part in the trip of a lifetime onboard a polar expedition to Antarctica. The trip began with a short stop in Buenos Aires for some alfresco dining and quick visits to the San Telmo market, La Recoleta Cemetery, and Casa Cavia. From BA, we took a straight shot south to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, where mountaintop glaciers began popping up along the horizon on our afternoon hikes. In the port of Ushuaia, we boarded our Quark Expedition boat, headed through the Drake Passage, toward the Antarctic Peninsula.

The Drake Passage, having earned a “rock and roll” (the other kind) reputation for some of the roughest seas in the world, didn’t disappoint. The “Drake Shake,” as our captain described the 25-foot swells rocking our boat, felt something akin to a 48-hour amusement park ride. Day three on the water, we were woken up on a still, quiet boat by a pre-dawn call, instructing us to gear up for landfall. I pulled aside the curtains in our cabin, still groggy from a heavy dose of motion sickness medication, to find a spectacular, otherworldly scene. Outside our window, softly reflected in the pre-dawn light, lay a stunning, sculptural world of ice, with sweeping snow-covered mountains on the horizon and small groups of penguins swimming alongside the boat. And that was just the tip of the iceberg (quite literally!) of what lay in store for us once we changed out of our pajamas into layers upon layers of long underwear.

Continue reading this article on Vogue.com

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Naughty or nice is beside the point when you can skip the letter to Santa and go straight to the source instead. For those short on time, there’s a three-day helicopter flyover(from $20,995); for those long on insanity, the North Pole Marathon will take place on April 9, 2018 (entry fee: 16,000 pounds). For everyone else, Quark Expeditions offers two-week, all-inclusive trips aboard a Russian, nuclear-powered icebreaker to the geographic North Pole. (True magnetic north is a different point that constantly wanders and is best left for the on-board scientists to explain.)

What to expect? Blissful days unplugged from the internet, 24-hour sunshine, the surreal seascapes of Franz Josef Land, an occasional, helicopter-borne scouting mission, and the chance to spot polar bears, walruses, seals, and whales. Daily lectures by marine biologists, climatologists, and glaciologists will address the region’s essence. Once at 90°N—there’s no land here, just forever shifting, meters-thick sea ice—Quark will arrange a barbeque, Champagne toast, and (weather permitting) a hot-air balloon ride. The truly brave can even dunk in the frigid water. Sure, accommodations aren’t luxe (book the Arktika Suite), but that’s kind of the point: to walk away feeling less like a tourist and more like an accomplished adventurer.

Continue reading this article on WIRED.com

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