MS Expedition

The 1972-built MS Expedition cruise ship is an ice-strengthened polar vessel owned and operated by the Canada-based travel company G Adventures (fka Gap Adventures).

History - construction and ownership

MS Expedition was built as a Ro-Pax vessel (car and passenger ferry) in 1972 under the name "MS Kattegat" for the company Jydsk Færgefart. The vessel was subsequently operated under the name "NF Tiger" (by P&O Normandy Ferries), "Tiger" (by Townsend Thoresen) and "Alandsfarjan" (by VIKING LINE), prior to its 2008 conversion into a cruise ship. The vessel's hull is ice-strengthened and ice-classed 1B. Only two higher ice classes exist - 1A Super and 1A).

The ship has a forward-looking sonar that increases its safety by reducing the risk of grounding accidents or collisions with uncharted rocks and reefs. The vessel is also equipped with 4 covered lifeboats (capacity 220 people / all passengers and crew) and 6 liferafts (capacity 150 people).

Cruise itinerary program

The Arctic season of MS Expedition usually includes 3 land-tour types. The first starts in Edinburgh (Scotland's capital) and visits Orkneys, continues along the Norwegian coast and ends at Longyearbyen Spitsbergen Island. The following tours circumnavigate Norway's Svalbard islands, starting and finishing at Longyearbyen. Season's final tour visits Greenland - from Longyearbyen to Reykjavik Iceland.

Antarctic cruisetours on MS Expedition offer itineraries starting from either Montevideo Uruguay or Ushuaia Argentina. Voyages include crossing the Drake Passage and cruising along the Antarctic Peninsula. These itineraries visit South Shetland Islands, Falkland Islands, Weddell Sea, South Georgia Island. On all Antarctic cruises, the ship's 69 crew includes a team of 14 expedition staff members.

In mid-July 2020, G-Adventures released its Arctic 2022 schedule of MS Expedition. The program features 12 new itineraries (May through September) to the Norwegian Fjords and Arctic territories  The program includes the new 22-day itinerary "Norwegian Fjords and Realm of the Polar Bear" (Edinburgh to Longyearbyen) priced from ~EUR 8080 pp (~USD 9240 pp).

Cabins

Completely drydock refurbished in 2009, MS Expedition ship has all-outside cabins. Each of the staterooms has ocean-facing windows (or portholes) and en-suite bathroom. Four different cabin types are available (categories 1 through 4) plus Category 5 Suites (with floor-ceiling windows).

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

The dining room Albatross seats everyone at once and offers starboard, port and forward-facing views. It features buffet-style breakfast and lunch, while dinner is a served 4-course meal. Vegetarian options are available, and, when possible, onboard meals feature regional foods bought locally.

There is a vast outdoor observation deck (top deck 6), as well as other open-air areas (including the forward Observation Deck / raised viewing platform on deck 4) that provide panoramic views. The large aft-located sun deck (deck 5) has BBQ facilities for alfresco dining and is served with drinks by the Polar Bear bar.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

MS Expedition has a max passenger capacity of 134 and cruises in both polar regions (Arctic and Antarctica) carrying professional tour guides and scientific experts. Numerous shore excursions are arranged for cruise passengers to explore the geology, flora, fauna and landscapes, by using Zodiacs (large-capacity, rigid-hulled inflatable boats, each powered by 4-stroke diesel engines). Tour guides are trained in the use of flare guns and rifles in the Arctic due to the possibility of polar bear encounters. The ship has a heated Mudroom in which clothing and boots can be stored after shore excursions. The ship provides complimentary Wellington Boots (rubber boots / Bogs Neoprene) for the duration of the voyage.

Onboard, there are viewing platforms, a bar (Polar Bear Pub), a full-capacity Discovery Lounge (doubles as a lecture hall for daily media presentations and lectures). Live entertainment in the evening is offered in the Polar Bear bar. There is also a library (Lonely Planet), computer room (fitted with internet stations), gift shop, gym and sauna, infirmary (Medical Clinic). Passengers can keep in touch with the outside via a satellite-linked internet system.