This Cutting-edge Expedition Ship Takes Travelers to Antarctica in Cool Scandinavian Style

To be trustworthy, Antarctica was by no means on my must-visit record. 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 sorts: individuals extra within the frigid open air than the creature comforts on board. Trudging by means of knee-deep snow to identify seals or enduring biting winds whereas hoping to see a humpback? I figured that was any person else’s excellent journey, not mine.

How improper 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 need to sacrifice facilities for journey.

That’s thanks largely to Polaris, which was launched in 2022. One in every of two similar 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 favorite of Travel + Leisure readers. Aboard this newly constructed expedition ship, the décor is a chic interpretation of recent Scandinavian model and there are not 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 by means of 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 could’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 had been tantalizingly shut, seemingly only a sliding glass door away.

The ship’s expedition workforce labored like a well-oiled machine, guaranteeing that company understood the protocols for conduct ashore and abided by the Worldwide Affiliation of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) regulations to make sure the safety of wildlife and the atmosphere.

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 company ashore. As a result of not more than 100 individuals are allowed at a given touchdown web site at a time, journeys to the ice for us had been fewer in quantity — and shorter total — than they are often on smaller vessels.

If maximizing your time on terra firma is a precedence, Polaris won’t be the only option for you. If, however, you want your shoreside adventures with a contact of luxurious again on board, this ship is likely to be good. It definitely 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 high finish, the 1,200-square-foot proprietor’s suite on deck 6 has its personal eating room, front room, butler’s pantry, and out of doors lounge with a scorching tub. Entry-level Nordic Balcony suites clock in at 215 sq. toes, with a floor-to-ceiling window — recognized on Viking as a Nordic Balcony — that partially retracts to let contemporary air in. Relying on the class you e-book, chances are you’ll get precedence boarding on embarkation day and entry to your stateroom from as early as 11 a.m.

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

I used to be significantly impressed by the heated rest room flooring, roomy walk-in bathe (by no means a given on expedition ships), and capacious rest room 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 had been typically made.)

All cabins have a mini fridge that’s restocked as wanted with delicate 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 can 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 prematurely. Manfredi’s is a chic Italian trattoria (the bistecca Fiorentina is a standout) and on the Restaurant, anticipate a menu of typical formal eating staples, similar to New York strip, beef tenderloin, and poached salmon. Past the allotted reservations, company can dine at both restaurant as many occasions as they like, offered there’s availability. (Room service can be complimentary — and company on my crusing had been raving in regards to the southern-fried hen.)

Elsewhere on board, World Café is the all-day buffet, with stay cooking stations and open kitchens. Of notice are two stations inside 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 efficient 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 affords a smörgåsbord of open-face sandwiches, conventional cut up pea soup, desserts, and made-to-order heart-shaped Norwegian waffles that had been, for me at the least, 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 examine 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 comfortable temper set by a water-vapor fire. On the entrance of the ship, Pap’s bar within the Explorer Lounge is an efficient place for cocktails with a view; the Viking Bar exterior Manfredi’s and the Restaurant is helpful for aperitifs.

The place Viking Polaris Sails

From October by means of 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 subsequent seven days exploring Antarctica earlier than returning to Ushuaia.

In March, after a last Antarctic cruise, Polaris heads north, following the coast of South America, transiting the Panama Canal, and stopping in cities similar 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 at the least one complimentary shore tour day-after-day, climate allowing. On my journey aboard Polaris, we usually bought to select from two: a Zodiac experience 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 snug seats. To manage capability on land, each choices have to be booked prematurely. (In Antarctica, unpredictable wind speeds and ever-changing sea circumstances imply that no touchdown can ever be assured, so anticipate changes alongside the best way: halfway by means of 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, actually, the overwhelming stench — of the Gentoo penguin colony at Damoy Level. Relying on the time of yr, different penguin species can 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 by means of the Melchior Islands, I discovered myself unexpectedly impressed by the large and majestic icebergs. Friends may also 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 price is a 30-minute dive on considered one of two submersibles aboard. The $500 journey, with as many as 5 different passengers, takes the adventurous few so far as 500 toes beneath the floor, in search of 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 very best leisure on Polaris is what’s happening exterior the ship, and the onboard enrichment program is concentrated on wildlife, historical past, topography, and oceanography. On my crusing, there have been a number of talks in regards to the animals we’d see and really detailed briefings, held within the Aula theater, about our touchdown websites. The workforce 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 amassing water samples to gauge the presence of microplastics or remotely capturing 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, company can watch a launch; knowledge from the sensors on the balloons is utilized by meteorologists to tell climate forecasts all around the world.

Apart from all of the expedition and science actions, leisure choices are considerably restricted: look forward to finding low-key issues like artwork lessons, nautical knot demonstrations, and film and documentary screenings. Within the evenings, a classical or up to date 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. After 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 pictures centered across the theme of Antarctic exploration, that are detailed in an audio tour accessible by means of 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 similar 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 scorching tub, with a window completely open to the ocean, for sightseeing when you soak.

Polaris additionally has an impressively giant 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 in a position to seamlessly stream Peloton exercises on my cellphone within the fitness center, because of the ship’s robust 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 youths: 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 stated, Viking requires all passengers headed to Antarctica to current a health care provider’s attestation that they’re wholesome sufficient to journey on such an expedition, with no pre-existing circumstances that might 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 could not discover these journeys to be sensible, despite the lodging on board.