Photograph courtesy of Quark Expeditions/Peregrine

Akademik Ioffe - Widely regarded (along with her sister ship, the Akedemic Sergey Vavilov) as one the finest expedition ships operating in Polar waters, the Akademic Ioffe offers a high level of comfort - in her appointments, stability and strength.

As a working scientific research vessels, she forms an ideal platform from which to explore. We have all the equipment needed for exploring, from zodiac landing craft to kayaks and camping gear. We even carry snowshoes. more...

Photograph courtesy of Quark Expeditions/Peregrine

Akademik Sergey Vavilov - Widely regarded (along with her sister ship, the Akedemic Ioffe) as one the finest expedition ships operating in Polar waters, the Akademic Sergey Vavilov offers a high level of comfort - in her appointments, stability and strength.

As a working scientific research vessels, she forms an ideal platform from which to explore. We have all the equipment needed for exploring, from zodiac landing craft to kayaks and camping gear. We even carry snowshoes. more...

Photograph courtesy of Quark Expeditions

Akademik Shokalskiy - The Akademik Shokalskiy was built in Finland in 1982 for oceanographic research. The ship has since been refurbished in 1998 for passenger use and is ideally suited for expedition cruising. Public areas on the vessel include a lounge/bar, a lecture room/library, sauna, infirmary and dining rooms. Views are excellent from the large, open deck and navigation bridge (where we are almost always welcome). The atmosphere aboard is relaxed, more akin to that of a private expedition than a conventional cruise ship. more...

Photograph courtesy of Oceanwide Expeditions

Antarctic Dream - M/V “Antarctic Dream” is a Dutch built ice-reinforced vessel and served under the name Piloto Pardo for the Chilean Navy. The vessel was rebuilt as an unrestricted, worldwide passenger vessel and was completely refurbished in July 2005. M/v “Antarctic Dream” is registered in Panama. The vessel features a spacious dining room / observation lounge, bar, lecture room, fitness room plus sauna, boutique and passenger bridge.

The vessel offers accommodation for 84 passengers in 42 twin cabins with private toilet and shower, 4 suites, 6 superior cabins and 29 twin private cabins have portholes or windows and either two separate lower beds or queen beds. 3 additional twin private cabins have no portholes / windows (inside cabins). All cabins have furthermore a desk, closed circuit TV, and inter-cabin phone service. Satellite email and phone service is available in the library. more...

Photograph courtesy of Quark Expeditions

Clipper Adventurer - A handsome expedition ship, the Clipper Adventurer combines travel to some of the world’s most remote locales with superior onboard comfort. Equipped with stabilizers, state-of-the-art sonar, and an ice-hardened hull, the ship can easily navigate the most rugged environments, such as Antarctica, Greenland, or the Norwegian Fjords. An onboard fleet of Zodiac landing craft allows all passengers easy exploration and landings anywhere nature or curiosity dictates, accompanied by destination experts hand-chosen for their intimate knowledge of each locale. more...

Photograph courtesy of Oceanwide Expeditions

Grigory Mikheev & Aleksey Maryshev - The ‘Grigoriy Mikheev & Aleksey Maryshev’ are modern and comfortable research vessels of the Hydrographic Institute of St. Petersburg. Built in 1990 in Finland, and designed as ice-strengthened vessels, the ships are now under long-term contract by Oceanwide Expeditions. Converted in the Netherlands for passenger use, the vessels are ideally suited to expedition cruising. They have a range of 70 days independent operation and are ISM certified. more...

Photograph courtesy of Oceanwide Expeditions

Kapitan Khlebnikov - The KAPITAN KHLEBNIKOV was built in Finland in 1981 and is one of three vessels of this class. Not simply an ice-reinforced ship, the Kapitan Khlebnikov is a powerful polar class icebreaker, which has sailed to extremely remote corners of the globe with adventurous travelers since 1992. No other expedition vessel has navigated more polar waters. It was the first ship ever to circumnavigate Antarctica with passengers in 1996-97.
 
The ship's interior provides passenger facilities necessary for excellent comfort, with accommodations in 54 first class outside cabin and suites. The vessel carries a maximum of 112 passengers.
 
The atmosphere on board is relaxed and informal! more...

Photograph courtesy of Quark Expeditions

M/V Lyubov Orlova - The M/V Orlova was built in former Yugoslavia in 1975 and is one of six vessels of this class. This spacious, comfortable ice-strengthened motor vessel carries a maximum of 110 passengers and has passive stabilizers for smooth sailing. more...

Photograph courtesy of Oceanwide Expeditions

Noorderlicht - The ‘Noorderlicht’ was originally built in 1910 in Flensburg, Germany as a three-masted schooner. For most of her existence she served as a light-vessel on the Baltic. In 1991 the present owners purchased the hull and re-rigged and refitted her thoroughly, under the rules of “Register Holland”. The ‘Noorderlicht’ now has a well-balanced two-masted schooner rig and is capable of sailing the seven seas.

The qualified captains have a great experience of the oceans. Together with the rest of the crew, they will do everything possible to ensure that you have a wonderful and unforgettable journey. more...

Photograph courtesy of Quark Expeditions

Ocean Nova - The Ocean Nova, formerly known as the Sarpik Ittuk, was built in 1992 at the Ørskov Shipyard in Frederikshavn, Denmark, to navigate the ice-choked waters off Western Greenland. (Its unusual name combines two Greenlandic words: ittuk refers to the throbbing sound of its engines, and sarpik means "the tip of a whale's tail.") The ship was upgraded in 2000 and has been significantly refurbished once again in 2006 to include a glass-enclosed forward observation lounge on the top deck - and to offer Quark Expeditions travelers even more of a comfortable retreat after days of exploring ashore. more...

Photograph courtesy of Oceanwide Expeditions

Professor Molchanov -
The Professor Molchanov was built in Finland in 1983 for polar and oceanographic research and carries a maximum of 49 passengers in comfortable outside cabins. With an ice-strengthened hull and passive stabilizers it is able to navigate scenic areas for smooth sailing where many other vessels cannot. more...

Photograph by Pete Morris/Birdquest

Professor Multanovskiy - The Professor Multanovskiy was built in Finland in 1982 for polar and oceanographic research and carries a maximum of 49 passengers in comfortable outside cabins. With an ice-strengthened hull and passive stabilizers it is able to navigate scenic areas for smooth sailing where many other vessels cannot. more...

Photograph courtesy of Heritage Expeditions

The Spirit of Enderby - The Spirit of Enderby is a sister ship to the Akademik Shokalskiy which was operated by Heritage Expeditions for 10 years. This class of vessel is ideally suited for Expeditoin cruising the southern ocean. The Spirit of Enderby will be refurbished in Lyttelton (NZ) prior to the start of the 2004/2005 season. more...

Photograph courtesy of Quark Expeditions

Yamal - The nuclear icebreaker Yamal was built in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1992 by Murmansk Shipping Company and is one of five ice-breakers in this class. Not simply an ice-reinforced ship, the Yamal is a powerful and sophisticated icebreaker that has taken adventurous passengers to the North Pole since 1993.
 
The ship's interior provides passenger facilities necessary for excellent comfort, with accommodations in 50 first class outside cabins and suites, all with private facilities and large windows. The vessel carries a maximum of 100 passengers.
 
The atmosphere on board is relaxed and informal! more...