WHY IT RATES: It's not every day you can cruise to the North Pole, let alone with a "National Geographic" photographer. -Jason Leppert, Cruise Senior Writer
Guests on three July 2018 departures aboard a nuclear-powered icebreaker-the most powerful ever built and bound for the North Pole-will reap the advantages of scientific inquiry and out-of-this-world exploration shared by distinguished scientists, scholars and photographic adventurers.
Acclaimed specialists in Arctic and Polar cruising, Poseidon Expeditions is hosting four renowned scientists, climate change expert and polar filmmaker aboard 50 Years of Victory for roundtrip voyages from Murmansk, Russia, to the geographic North Pole. This icebreaker was purpose-built to pilot scientific and cargo ships to hard-to-reach areas of the Arctic and along the Northeast Passage. The scheduled lecturers and departures are:
July 8-20 James Balog - This Emmy Award-winning, National Geographic photographer explores the relationship between humans and nature. Since the early 1980s, he has photographed endangered polar ice. In January 2016, he began production on a feature-length documentary film, Life Tectonic (working title), exploring the environmental effects of the Anthropocene. The film is scheduled to debut in early 2018.
July 19-31 - Donald Perovich - This climate change scientist created the Ice Mass Balance Buoy that measures ice thickness and temperature data over time. He uses this data to study the changes in Arctic sea ice cover.
July 30-Aug. 11 - Scott Parazynski and his wife, Meenakshi "Meena" Wadhwa- Scott is a physician and former NASA astronaut. In 2016 he was inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame. Wadhwa is Director of the Center for Meteorite Studies and Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University. She has worked as a science team member for NASA.
Each celebrity guest will offer multiple presentations for passengers and be available during the day in public areas as "ambassadors for exploration" for other passengers to meet informally, ask questions and socialize.
To make a great opportunity even better, Poseidon is also offering a special discount; $2,500 per person, double for any suite booked on any of these three expeditions. For more details on all the North Pole journeys offered by Poseidon Expeditions please see: poseidonexpeditions.com/northpole/.
50 Years of Victory
This world-class nuclear icebreaker can smash through 10 feet of ice in the high Arctic latitudes. The 525-foot, working vessel carries 128 passengers in comfortable accommodations, all with exterior views and en-suite facilities. Public spaces include a dining room; aft salon for lectures, presentations and socializing; a bow-facing bar and lounge; library; plus a gym, two saunas and swimming pool with heated seawater. The ship is equipped with a modern clinic and physician.
The Journey
From Murmansk, the ship moves north via Kola Bay-a fjord in the Barents Sea and part of the Arctic Ocean that is off the coasts of Norway and Russia. This biologically diverse region is important for reserves of oil and gas, as well as cod and other fish populations. Enroute, a resident helicopter offers passengers rarely seen panoramas of the Arctic world. Guests disembark at the North Pole where they can straddle the Eastern and Western hemispheres, enjoy a 90º North barbecue and take a plunge into the Arctic Ocean.
Activities center on discovery, history and wildlife. Puffins, gannets, guillemots, humpback, fin and minke whales, walruses and seals are often spotted. Sightings of Ursus maritimus (polar bear) is a highlight in a wonderland of glaciers, fjords and waterfalls, all created by the terrific force of the island's massive ice cap. Guests explore climate and environmental issues affecting the regions and seasonal ice cover.
The homeward voyage brings guests through Franz Josef Archipelago, a frozen necklace of some 190 islands in the Russian Arctic. Thanks to 24 hours of daylight, photographers are lured to the railing when not in Zodiacs spotting polar bears, walrus and immense seabird colonies perched overhead on towering cliffs.
All departures feature informative presentations by resident scientists and the multi-lingual, international expedition staff; excursions onto the sea ice and ashore via Zodiac landing craft in Franz Josef Land; helicopter flightseeing, and more.
While Standard Twin cabins are completely sold out for all three departures, Poseidon is offering $5,000 per couple savings on remaining available suites, with rates (after discount) starting at $30,295 per person. Included are one-night pre-cruise hotel accommodation in Murmansk with breakfast, airport and port transfers, cruise accommodation and all meals, activity-related gear, helicopter sightseeing tours, a barbecue on ice at the North Pole and more.
Please see www.poseidonexpeditions.com for complete 2017-18 Arctic and Antarctic schedules, rates and special offers. An 80-page catalog detailing the company's ships and activities is also available and can be requested online or through any of the Poseidon Expeditions offices.
For inquiries and reservations in North America, or to request a catalog, agents can contact the company's Providence, RI, sales and reservation office at [email protected] or by telephone at 347-801-2610.
In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, contact Poseidon's Hamburg office - [email protected] or telephone +49-40-7566-8555.
In the UK and elsewhere on the globe, contact [email protected] or telephone +44-870-068-9142
About Poseidon Expeditions
As a member of the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators and the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, Poseidon Expeditions is committed to the further development of Arctic and Antarctic conservation and support of related scientific research. With offices in the US, UK, Germany, Russia and China, Poseidon Expeditions is a leading provider of polar expeditions in the cruise industry.
The company is committed to safe and environmentally responsible polar travel.
Source: Poseidon Expeditions press release
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