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OUR EPIC POLAR HISTORY
OUR EPIC POLAR HISTORY
January 2019 Quark Expeditions launches the construction of the game-changing ship Ultramarine , the very first vessel purpose-built for polar exploration.
years of
polar pride
For the last 34 years, we’ve pushed the limits of our own imagination to provide our guests with the most immersive—and unforgettable—itineraries. We have the most diverse fleet. We offer the most off-ship adventures. And our small polar vessels can take you places other larger ships cannot reach. Get ready for the expedition of a lifetime. Going Beyond in Polar Adventure
June 2008 Quark Expeditions offers maiden voyage to the North Pole on nuclear icebreaker 50 Years of Victory , the most powerful icebreaker on the planet at the time.
ULTRAMARINE
April 2019 Quark Expeditions unveils Polar Promise, the most holistic sustainability policy in the polar expedition industry. December 2021 Ultramarine sets sail at last. Fittingly, the ship’s inaugural
Fabulous amenities on Ultramarine . See page 48
November 1996 Quark Expeditions begins a circumnavigation of Antarctica for commercial passengers, the first-ever voyage of its kind.
August 2024 Quark expeditions wins Virtuoso Travel Award for “best expedition cruise line”.
Learn about our sustainability strategy on page 42
April 2011 Quark Expeditions’ Three Arctic Islands voyage is voted one of National Geographic Traveler’s “50 Tours of a Lifetime.”
CIRCUMNAVIGATION
August 1991 Quark Expeditions becomes the first polar operator to take commercial guests to the North Pole. August 1991 Quark Expeditions celebrates the first-ever passenger transit of the Northeast Passage.
October 2024 Quark Expeditions expands Arctic portfolio to include Iceland.
July 1999 Quark Expeditions completes its first passenger circumnavigation of the Arctic Ocean.
Check out our Three Arctic Islands itinerary on page 32
voyage is a celebration of the life of polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton.
June 2012 Quark Expeditions becomes the first tour operator to successfully offer passengers hot-air ballooning at the North Pole. February 2013 Quark Expeditions hosts Jonathan Shackleton (Ernest Shackleton’s cousin) and Falcon Scott (Robert Falcon Scott’s grandson) as they walk, and camp, on the 7th Continent. October 2017 Quark Expeditions launches Quark Academy training program for expedition team members, the first training program of its kind in the industry.
Why is Ultramarine so popular? See page 46
Choose from 13 amazing Arctic itineraries starting on page 16
See page 18 for our Iceland voyages.
July 2022 For the first time ever, guests take to the polar skies in Ultramarine 's two twin-engine helicopters.
November 2003
November 2024 The state-of-the-art Ocean Explorer joins our fleet for the first time.
December 1991 Quark Expeditions charters the first series of
Quark Expeditions passengers become the first humans to witness a Total Solar Eclipse in Antarctica.
oceanographic research vessels specially converted for adventure travel, heralding a new phase in polar exploration.
Read about our unbeatable
helicopter excursions on page 62
November 2004
Our brand-new ship: Ocean Explorer . See page 50
Quark Expeditions becomes the first operator to confirm the existence of the Snow Hill Emperor penguin colony.
November 1993 For the first time, Quark Expeditions guests retrace the voyage of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance .
January 2025 Quark Expeditions announces another new ship: World Voyager .
July 2022 We present the first Tundra to Table: Inuit Culinary Experience with local chefs on board Ultramarine during a voyage to Greenland. November 2023 Quark Expeditions hosts two successful landings at the legendary Emperor penguin colony at Snow Hill.
Meet our polar-obsessed team on page 8
March 2006 Quark Expeditions breaks Roald
To find out more, watch our Tundra to Table video on page 35
Amundsen’s record set nearly 100 years earlier, attaining the most southernly latitude of any vessel.
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