This Chopping-edge Expedition Ship Takes Vacationers to Antarctica in Cool Scandinavian Type

To be sincere, Antarctica was by no means on my must-visit checklist. I don’t maintain something in opposition to the continent, after all, however it all the time appeared to me that Antarctica’s a spot for rough-and-ready varieties: individuals extra within the frigid outdoor than the creature comforts on board. Trudging via knee-deep snow to identify seals or enduring biting winds whereas hoping to see a humpback? I figured that was someone else’s perfect journey, not mine.

How fallacious I used to be.

On a current journey to Antarctica aboard Viking Polaris, I not solely found the multidimensional attract of the ice — however I additionally realized that you simply don’t must sacrifice facilities for journey.

That’s thanks largely to Polaris, which was launched in 2022. Considered one of two equivalent expedition ships from Viking, this 378-passenger vessel has a lot in frequent with the 9 ocean and 90 river ships of the model that’s a favourite of Journey + Leisure readers. Aboard this newly constructed expedition ship, the décor is a sublime interpretation of contemporary Scandinavian fashion and there aren’t any inside cabins, a very essential consideration for journeys on the typically rocky Drake Passage.

As is the case on all Viking ships, some shore excursions and meals in specialty eating places are included within the fare, as are wine and beer with meals. Viking’s signature emphasis on onboard enrichment is demonstrated via partnerships with the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, amongst others, who assist with programming on Polaris.

However as plush because the ship could also be, it may well’t compete with the environment. Despite my skepticism — I’ve all the time thought of myself a warm-weather cruiser — Antarctica’s dreamy, otherworldly panorama was a revelation. Penguins, whales, and towering icebergs have been tantalizingly shut, seemingly only a sliding glass door away.

The ship’s expedition crew labored like a well-oiled machine, guaranteeing that visitors understood the protocols for habits ashore and abided by the Worldwide Affiliation of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) laws to make sure the safety of wildlife and the setting.

With its capability of 378 passengers, Polaris is without doubt one of the largest ships working within the Southern Ocean that’s allowed to take visitors ashore. As a result of not more than 100 persons are allowed at a given touchdown web site at a time, journeys to the ice for us have been fewer in quantity — and shorter general — than they are often on smaller vessels.

If maximizing your time on terra firma is a precedence, Polaris may not be your best option for you. If, however, you want your shoreside adventures with a contact of luxurious again on board, this ship could be excellent. It actually modified my thoughts.

Learn on for extra about Viking Polaris, the ship’s many facilities, the texture of the onboard expertise, and particulars on the vessel’s Antarctic itineraries.

Staterooms and Suites

Polaris has half a dozen stateroom classes. On the prime finish, the 1,200-square-foot proprietor’s suite on deck 6 has its personal eating room, lounge, butler’s pantry, and outside lounge with a sizzling tub. Entry-level Nordic Balcony suites clock in at 215 sq. toes, with a floor-to-ceiling window — identified on Viking as a Nordic Balcony — that partially retracts to let contemporary air in. Relying on the class you ebook, it’s possible you’ll get precedence boarding on embarkation day and entry to your stateroom from as early as 11 a.m.

There aren’t any inside cabins on Polaris — you’re right here for the views, in any case — and staterooms of all classes are comfy and elegantly furnished in Viking’s signature Scandinavian fashion: suppose muted tones of beige, blue, white, and grey, with blond woods and wool accents. All suites have beneficiant closet area, and a heated drying closet to retailer outside clothes and footwear — one other key consideration on polar cruises.

I used to be notably impressed by the heated lavatory ground, roomy walk-in bathe (by no means a given on expedition ships), and capacious lavatory drawers in my Deluxe Nordic Balcony stateroom, one step up from the entry degree class. (I might’ve preferred a quantity management for the in-cabin speaker, over which bulletins have been typically made.)

All cabins have a mini fridge that’s restocked as wanted with tender drinks and snacks at no cost, a Nespresso espresso maker, two pairs of binoculars, and a small library of books. Bedside and deskside shops have each 110- and 220-volt sockets and USB ports. Each visitor receives a Viking-branded Helly Hansen jacket and light-weight puffer, ordered on-line pre-cruise, and passengers are loaned waterproof pants and rubber boots which might be important for landings.

Bars and Eating places

Viking doesn’t cost for eating in its specialty eating places, and relying in your stateroom cabin class, you may make as many as 4 assured reservations at each premium eating places as much as 100 days upfront. Manfredi’s is a sublime Italian trattoria (the bistecca Fiorentina is a standout) and on the Restaurant, count on a menu of typical formal eating staples, akin to New York strip, beef tenderloin, and poached salmon. Past the allotted reservations, visitors can dine at both restaurant as many occasions as they like, supplied there’s availability. (Room service can be complimentary — and visitors on my crusing have been raving concerning the southern-fried rooster.)

Elsewhere on board, World Café is the all-day buffet, with reside cooking stations and open kitchens. Of be aware are two stations throughout the Café: one has uncooked seafood and sushi, with an ever-evolving lineup of rolls and nigiri, whereas the opposite is a pick-your-cut grill with a number of aged steaks, pork chops, and burgers.

Aquavit Terrace is one other eating venue, overlooking the swimming swimming pools, with seating to accommodate overspill from the buffet. Its light-filled Aquavit bar — look as much as admire the canine sled suspended from the ceiling — is an effective spot for pre-dinner cocktails and ocean views.

Mamsen’s is a small restaurant serving Norwegian delicacies for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea. The grab-and-go venue provides a smörgåsbord of open-face sandwiches, conventional break up pea soup, desserts, and made-to-order heart-shaped Norwegian waffles that have been, for me not less than, irresistible. 

Throughout the ship, passengers with meals restrictions are welcome to request acceptable substitutions.

A number of bars play to the convivial spirit of most Antarctica-bound passengers. Hottest is the one within the Dwelling Room, the place everybody gathers to learn, be a part of group actions, and enthusiastically evaluate notes on the day’s landings. Second in reputation is the Disguise, an intimate lounge secreted on Deck 1. By day, it’s a quiet spot for studying or undisturbed post-lunch naps. Within the evenings it takes on a speakeasy vibe, the bartender serving from a tightly edited number of premium spirits with the comfy temper set by a water-vapor fire. On the entrance of the ship, Pap’s bar within the Explorer Lounge is an effective place for cocktails with a view; the Viking Bar outdoors Manfredi’s and the Restaurant is helpful for aperitifs.

The place Viking Polaris Sails

From October via March, the Antarctic summer time, Polaris cruises to the White Continent from Ushuaia, Argentina. Viking’s 13-day Antarctic Explorer itineraries start with an in a single day in Buenos Aires then a flight to Ushuaia for embarkation. After a two-day crossing of the Drake Passage, passengers spend the following seven days exploring Antarctica earlier than returning to Ushuaia.

In March, after a closing Antarctic cruise, Polaris heads north, following the coast of South America, transiting the Panama Canal, and stopping in cities akin to New York and Toronto. The ship usually reaches the Nice Lakes in Could, the place it spends the Northern Hemisphere summer time till it turns south as soon as once more.

Shore Excursions

As is the case on all Viking ships, there’s not less than one complimentary shore tour day by day, climate allowing. On my journey aboard Polaris, we usually received to select from two: a Zodiac trip to a touchdown web site — or a tour of the encircling seas if touchdown wasn’t potential — or a 45-minute jaunt on what Viking calls its particular operations boats, every with a dozen comfy seats. To regulate capability on land, each choices have to be booked upfront. (In Antarctica, unpredictable wind speeds and ever-changing sea situations imply that no touchdown can ever be assured, so count on changes alongside the best way: halfway via my crusing, the captain had already revised touchdown areas 4 occasions.)

Nonetheless, there have been a number of alternatives to set foot on the seventh continent. I used to be blown away by the sight — and, truthfully, the overwhelming stench — of the Gentoo penguin colony at Damoy Level. Relying on the time of 12 months, different penguin species might be round, as will fur and Weddell seals. On one tour, I caught an awe-inspiring glimpse of a humpback’s forked tail, because it arced briefly above the floor of Fournier Bay.

Throughout one journey on the particular operations boat, whizzing via the Melchior Islands, I discovered myself unexpectedly impressed by the huge and majestic icebergs. Company may get on the water by signing up for guided excursions by two-person kayaks; Polaris carries 9 of them.

The one exercise with an additional value is a 30-minute dive on one in all two submersibles aboard. The $500 journey, with as many as 5 different passengers, takes the adventurous few so far as 500 toes under the floor, on the lookout for animals together with penguins and the uncommon phantom jellyfish. The 11-ton, egg-yolk yellow subs are, it’s value mentioning, named Ringo and George; the expedition ship Viking Octantis carries twin subs named John and Paul.

Facilities and Leisure

The perfect leisure on Polaris is what’s happening outdoors the ship, and the onboard enrichment program is concentrated on wildlife, historical past, topography, and oceanography. On my crusing, there have been numerous talks concerning the animals we’d see and really detailed briefings, held within the Aula theater, about our touchdown websites. The crew of expedition guides on my cruise included an ornithologist, cetacean specialist, naturalist, and an ecotoxicologist. These scientists inspired visitor participation of their real-world analysis, whether or not it was gathering water samples to gauge the presence of microplastics or remotely taking pictures underwater video footage to measure the abundance and variety of the area’s sea life.

Polaris and its sibling ship Octantis are the one business cruise vessels licensed to launch climate balloons into the environment. As soon as per departure, visitors can watch a launch; information from the sensors on the balloons is utilized by meteorologists to tell climate forecasts everywhere in the world.

In addition to all of the expedition and science actions, leisure choices are considerably restricted: anticipate finding low-key issues like artwork courses, nautical knot demonstrations, and film and documentary screenings. Within the evenings, a classical or modern musical duo would play within the Explorer Lounge and the Dwelling Room, the place loveseats and chaises draped in reindeer hides are organized round water-vapor fireplaces. Once they weren’t out on the ice, my fellow passengers occupied themselves with books, board video games, and moments of solitude. I loved strolling the ship and taking within the many work and images centered across the theme of Antarctic exploration, that are detailed in an audio tour obtainable via Viking’s cellular app.

Spa lovers, like me, ought to benefit from the ship’s deck 2 sanctuary; I discovered it a heavenly haven after spending hours ashore. The wellness space is crammed with conventional Nordic hot-and-cold therapies, together with issues akin to a jetted pool, stone thermal beds, a “snow grotto” of continually falling shaved ice, an ice-bucket bathe, and a sauna. There’s additionally a badestamp, or sizzling tub, with a window completely open to the ocean, for sightseeing whilst you soak.

Polaris additionally has an impressively massive health heart, one facet geared up with cardio machines, the opposite a spacious wood-floored studio for yoga, meditation, or weights. (I used to be capable of seamlessly stream Peloton exercises on my cellphone within the health club, because of the ship’s sturdy Wi-Fi.) The ship additionally has a hair salon and, on deck 3, a small boutique with sundries — and much-coveted Viking Antarctica jacket patches that my fellow passengers needed to have.

Household-Pleasant Choices

This isn’t a ship for teenagers: all Viking cruises, together with these on the Viking Polaris, are adults-only, with a minimal age of 18.

Accessibility

Two Nordic Junior Suites on Deck 4 adjust to ADA laws. That mentioned, Viking requires all passengers headed to Antarctica to current a physician’s attestation that they’re wholesome sufficient to journey on such an expedition, with no pre-existing situations that would require the kind of superior medical consideration that’s unavailable on this distant nook of the world. As a result of all Antarctica landings are “moist,” with cruisers climbing from the ship to an inflatable tender then onto shore in water as much as the calves, some individuals with restricted mobility might not discover these journeys to be sensible, regardless of the lodging on board.