Cruise
Another Viking Masterpiece Aboard the Polaris to the End of the World!
Article and photography by Michael Morcos
With one small step out of the Zodiac, I would complete my goal to step upon all seven continents. I took a moment to take it in, noticing the two active Fin Whales behind us, the three lazy seals sleeping in the snow and a host of penguins buzzing all around, then we made our first of many Viking excursion landings. Oh what a feeling! It was magical, memorable, and perfect.
Having read and seen many interpretations of explorers visiting this hostile land, we would venture in their footsteps but this time in the warmth, comfort, luxury, and safety of the Viking Polaris. The staff made it all so seamless, guiding us every step of the way, making sure we were adequately bundled up with warm clothing and that our life jackets were properly fitted. Every excursion from our state room was well coordinated and we were comfortable at every step.
This comfort was exemplified by our comfortable state room, but the question arose anyway: could anything go wrong? The answer is, absolutely. After all, we were in one of the harshest places on earth. Antarctica is very well known for having extreme weather with low temperatures and fierce winds, and the Drake Passage has some of the roughest waters on earth. Having said all that, Viking has done a wonderful job of keeping guests and crew safe, sheltered, and in good spirits. As Viking will always say ‘Exploring the World in Comfort,’ and we could not agree any more.
In this part II of our Viking Antarctica Explorer itinerary cruise, we will focus on the remarkable Polaris, the magnificent landscape, and exciting landings.
Excursions
As a Viking promises on every one of their cruises, there is an excursion in every port of call, but in our case, it was weather permitting. As I would later find out from a staff member, we were extremely fortunate to have had only one excursion cancelled, due to packed ice along the shore. Otherwise, Viking knew exactly the best places for Zodiac landings to visit and explore. On our first landing, we would find an abandoned scientific station. The cabin, which looked comfortable enough to house many researchers, was still extremely rustic as compared to our posh Viking Polaris accommodations. Later in the week, we visited a large penguin colony and then hiked along guided routes to discover the surroundings and wildlife, enjoy panoramic vistas and the magnificence of Antarctica. My favorite excursion was on a beautiful sunny day with blue skies and a light breeze, where we would be delighted at the sight of Penguins swimming so gracefully in the water then waddle their way along the rocky shores. It was fascinating, and yet humbling how we were so out of place and yet these little creatures could survive and thrive in such harsh conditions.
Staterooms
Our accommodations were a spacious Nordic Penthouse stateroom that had ample room to walk around and a carnivorous amount of storage that easily held our two checked and two carry-on bags. The washrooms, as in all Viking ships, were immaculately clean, ultra efficient, perfectly lit, well thought out and handsomely designed and came with maybe the best part for such a cruise, heated floors.
All staterooms on the Polaris are outward facing where there are no interior cabins. One noticeable difference on the Polaris to our other Viking River and ocean ship staterooms was that there were no verandas. Instead, there was a floor to ceiling window that had the large top window roll down horizontally offering plenty of fresh ocean breezes and offered much more daylight and magnificent views of our surroundings. This design delivered lots of extra interior living space that would normally be lost to the veranda.
The Polaris and public spaces
The Polaris, like its identical sister ship the Octants, is where art and science harmoniously come together. They are both stunningly beautiful and incredibly sophisticated at the same time. It seems like every section of the ship was thoughtfully planned out, masterfully built, and richly decorated.
With only 189 staterooms and a capacity of 378 guests, the Polaris feels more like a large luxury yacht than a full-size cruise ship. On our cruise, we found more space per passenger than any other ship we have ever sailed on. There were rarely any line-ups and we navigated around the ship with ease. Elegant Nordic design dominates the interior of the Polaris, and it emulates Viking’s other ships, whether it be the Longships (rivers) or the ocean vessels, with the same relaxing look and feel. We found many locations on different decks that passengers could choose to lay back and relax, like the ‘Living Room’, the ‘Explorers’ Lounge’ and the ‘Library’. Other public treasures include: ‘Aquavit Terrace,’ the ‘Finse Terrace’ the ‘Hide’ for late-night drinks, the Aula where meetings and lectures took place and the Nordic Spa and Fitness Center.
Cuisine
Sailing and gastronomy go hand-in-hand and diets do not always do well on cruises, but we did not hold back, and we would indulge a bit of everything that the talented chefs on-board served. The dining options included buffets, sit down service and in-room dining. Our favourite was the World Café, were we had a cornucopia of choices including a sushi bar and a grill. Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant was easily booked by reservation, and Mamsen’s was open for breakfast and for delicious afternoon snacks. On top of these choices there were selected wines, beer and soft drinks included in our stateroom fare.
The Hanger
The piece de resistance of the Polaris is the Hanger. This space redefines expedition cruising, as in addition to the usual equipment like Zodiacs and kayaks, the Hanger houses some fascinating modern equipment. If you can imagine, there are two state of the art submarines and two Special Operation Boats (SOB). These vessels are more than toys; they are also used for ongoing research where they can gather samples for scientific research on the health of the environment, including the infiltration of plastics in the far reaches of the world. Rides on both the Special Operation Boats and in the submarine were once-in-a-lifetime experiences for most passengers.
Impeccable is the best word to describe the service of the dedicated Viking staff. Time and time again, on our many cruises over the years with this company, we have always been treated to the same incredible attention to detail that is consistent with the wonderful Viking experience. On this cruise it was a repeat, every request was handled smoothly, and we were completely pampered by an attentive and smiling staff. Add to it, sailing on the best expedition ship ever built and an amazing out of this world destination and we have another Viking masterpiece!
