Viking Polaris Sails To Antarctica With Nordic Flair
Bagpipe music fills the crisp polar air as guests of Viking’s Polaris expedition ship gather on the bow and sip Irish coffee surrounded by the towering, snow-covered peaks of Paradise Bay in Antarctica. The celebration marks the turn-around point of a 13-day voyage with six days exploring the frozen continent in cozy Scandinavian style.
The ship made its maiden Antarctic voyage last October (spring in this part of the world) in the footsteps of its twin-sister ship Octantis, which launched in January 2022. Equipped with an advanced stabilization system for crossing the notorious Drake Passage, Polaris offers 189 beautifully appointed staterooms designed with clean, crisp Nordic-style interiors.
The ship’s dining venues offer surprising variety. The sprawling World Café presents an abundance of buffet choices, including a range of hot dishes, a pizza oven, salad bar, sushi bar, a grill and an ice cream station, while Mamsen’s serves sweet and savory Scandinavian specialties. For more formal, full-service dining with views of icebergs drifting by, you can reserve a table at Manfredi’s or The Restaurant.
Despite all the creature comforts, don’t mistake an Antarctic voyage for a typical leisure cruise. Any polar expedition is an adventurous undertaking that has the potential for serious risk.
You could just stay on board and take in the spectacular scenery from afar, but for those who want to venture out into the vast, awe-inspiring wilderness, Polaris is equipped with a fleet of toys including Zodiac boats for landings, kayaks, two submarines and a pair of high-performance military special operations boats (dubbed SOBs) that gently roll out of the stern, so you can easily board them in the safety of The Hangar.
As our Zodiac slowly navigates through brash ice to make our first landing on Culverville Island, a raft of penguins surrounds the craft porpoising in and out of the water to our delight. The island is home to more than 5,000 breeding pairs of Gentoo penguins who waddle around us unbothered by our presence.
Upon returning to ship after daily expeditions, we shed our gear and enjoy a leisurely lunch or head for the spa, complete with a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, and a snow room with falling flakes, plus a sheltered outdoor hot tub.
The two-level Explorers’ Lounge with panoramic views is the ideal gathering spot for aperitifs or a nightcap, or you can indulge in a single malt in The Hide, a cozy lounge at the bow on Deck 1 with panes of glass providing occasionally thrilling views as the ship plows through the waves.
Viking outfits guests with parkas, snow pants and boots designed for warmth in the polar summer, when temperatures tend to hover around the freezing mark. But weather conditions can and do drastically change in minutes as high winds and snowstorms kick up out of nowhere, often nixing best-laid plans for the day. In such an extreme environment, Mother Nature is always in charge, and that’s part of the adventure.
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