Ultramarine
Leaders in Polar Expeditions

Join Our Fleet on the Frozen Seas

Speak to a Polar Advisor

Our ships offer many options for you to engage, relax, learn, and stay connected to the polar environment – even when you’re onboard.

Quark Expeditions is proud to hold the most diverse fleet in the industry. Unlike the large cruise ships, our small expedition vessels provide a more intimate experience onboard, and ensure we can safely navigate harder-to-reach places within the polar regions.

Your Life Onboard

This is polar exploration at its most intimate. Our small ships are comfortable floating hotels, packed with elevated experiences.

While our goal is to get you off the ship as often as possible for immersive off-ship experiences, the unpredictable weather of the polar regions means it’s not possible to provide a fixed daily schedule. This is where each of our ships’ unique facilities come in, providing you with home-away-from-home comfort alongside authentic polar insights.

We boast the most diverse fleet of small polar vessels, allowing us to navigate hard-to-reach places and provide an intimate onboard atmosphere.

Experience matters – and our passionate, safety-conscious expedition leaders boast specialist expertise.

We only do Polar. We’ve been pioneering new types of polar expeditions for over 30 years, so you get to venture further.

Great explorers protect their environment, which is why our sustainability policy is the most comprehensive in the Polar Regions.

Great explorers protect their environment, which is why our sustainability policy is the most comprehensive in the Polar Regions.

Ultramarine

Why Small Ships?

Our vessels never exceed 200 passengers

We believe the best polar experience can only be found on a smaller ship. Satisfy your inner explorer – the part of you that wants to navigate fjords, hike across the tundra, and kayak through ice-laden waterways!

  • Enjoy a more intimate and friendly onboard experience 
  • Really get to know your expedition crew, onboard staff, and fellow explorers.
  • Visit remote areas that large ships simply can’t reach, avoiding overcrowded shorelines
  • Save time with shorter waiting periods for disembarking and boarding
  • A smaller ship means a smaller environmental footprint

Your Safety

We take the health and safety of our guests very seriously.

Quark Expeditions has been taking guests to the polar regions for over 30 years. Your safety is our top priority and, in many cases, we have set the standard for the industry, with the ice-worthiness of our ships, seasoned captains, expert expedition teams and crew, and industry-leading training and equipment protocols.

Certified First aiders

Our Expedition staff undergo rigorous training at Quark Academy, and are certified in CPR & life-saving skills, in addition to two doctors onboard every ship.

We guarantee that there’s one staff member to every 9.5 guests.

Safety briefings

Our Expedition leaders conduct frequent briefings so you know how to safely move about the ship and participate in off-ship excursions. 

We frequently test our comprehensive Incident Management Plan.

Exceeding SOLAS requirements

We take Safety of Life at Sea seriously and have a 25% additional capacity for all our lifeboats and life-rafts above regulation. 

You will participate in one mandatory lifeboat evacuation drill, in line with maritime law

The Off-Ship Experience

Our fleet doesn’t just provide comfortable amenities – they have also been specially built to frequently get you off ship often for unique, immersive polar adventures.Trust us: when you travel all the way to the edge of the world, you’ll want to reach out and touch it too! 

Why Quark Expeditions?

Quark Expeditions takes you places no one else can. For over 30 years we’ve pushed limits to create the most immersive polar adventures possible.

We boast the most diverse fleet of small polar vessels, allowing us to navigate hard-to-reach places and provide an intimate onboard atmosphere.

Experience matters – and our passionate, safety-conscious expedition leaders boast specialist expertise.

We only do Polar. We’ve been pioneering new types of polar expeditions for over 30 years, so you get to venture further.

Great explorers protect their environment, which is why our sustainability policy is the most comprehensive in the Polar Regions.

Great explorers protect their environment, which is why our sustainability policy is the most comprehensive in the Polar Regions.

Polar Expedition Team Leader, dressed in warm outdoor gear, with a friendly expression

Ready for your expedition?

Speak to a Polar Travel Advisor. Your Polar Travel Advisor will recommend the best expedition itinerary to suit your requirements.