Quark Ultramarine

The 2021-built MS Ultramarine cruise ship was constructed at Brodosplit Shipyard (Split Croatia) and delivered in 2021 February. The vessel was specifically designed to navigate the ice-filled polar waters. This technologically advanced ship has max passenger capacity 200 and is ice-classed 1A (polar class 6 / PC6 for passenger ships).

Like all Quark ships, Ultramarine is guided by a professional crew highly experienced in polar navigation. Quark Ultramarine's current fleetmates are Ocean Adventurer, Ocean Diamond, Ocean Endeavour, Ocean Nova, World Explorer. The company also charters seasonally two Russian nuclear icebreakers - 50 Years of Victory and Kapitan Khlebnikov.

History and ownership

The shipowner and operator is the polar expedition travel company Quark Expeditions - 1991-founded by Mike McDowell and Lars Wikander. The company specializes in polar cruises to ports and destinations in Antarctica (from South America) and the Arctic (Northern Europe, Iceland-Greenland, Canada) via vessels with ice-strengthened hulls. In 1998, Wikander became the company's majority owner. In 2001 he became Board Chairman, with Patrick Shaw appointed as the company's President and CEO. Since May 2007, Quark Expeditions is part of the UK-based TUI Travel PLC Group of Companies.

The vessel (IMO number 9861017, with yard/hull number "BRODOSPLIT 487") is currently France-flagged (MMSI 538009302) and registered in Majuro/Marshall Islands.

Shipboard facilities

Quark Expeditions' Ultramarine ship was named after the color ultramarine - deep-blue pigment originally made by grinding into a powder of Lapis lazuli (metamorphic rock / semi-precious stone). Ship's name also means "beyond the sea".

The vessel by design has spacious indoor and outdoor observation areas, bar lounge, two restaurants (Main Dining Room, Bistro with a terrace), wellness facilities. MV Ultramarine combines advanced safety systems and the latest maritime technologies providing passengers with faster disembarkation (via Zodiac boats) and Zodiac hangar with four embarkation points. These boats (20x) are quick-launching and used for coastal cruising and shoreside wilderness exploration.

The ship carries 2x twin-engine helicopters parked on two helipads (on Helideck). This special feature allowed Quark to develop an immersive (helicopter-tour-based) adventure program that, at additional charge, offers unique activities like heli-hiking, heliskiing, alpine kayaking, flightseeing, private tours and fly-transfers, heli-landings (to polar destinations accessible only by air).

Both (model Airbus H145) helicopters are with capacity 8 passengers (plus the pilot) and specifically designed with exceptional viewing spaces and meeting the industry's highest safety standards. The aircraft features an advanced autopilot system, great fuel efficiency and reduced noise levels (eco-friendly), interior padding (quiet flight), separated seats (comfort), large windows (scratch-proof) for taking photos.

The cruise ship also has 4 lifeboats (fully enclosed tender boats) and 2 rescue boats.

Quark Ultramarine deck plan shows 2 dining venues, 4 bars, Panorama Bar Lounge (with Library), Lecture Theater (Conference Room), Polar Boutique (Shop), wellness complex (on deck 7). There are also two Ready Rooms (aka Mudroom for expedition gear storage, fitted with individual lockers and benches) and Promenade Deck (full-circling Deck 5). All wellness facilities are with floor-ceiling windows and include Spa (massage rooms, heated loungers, relaxation area with padded loungers), Yoga Room (with exercise mats, yoga balls, jump ropes), Sauna Room, Fitness Center (large gym room with free weights, treadmills, cross trainers, stationary bikes, strength training machine, resistance band wall).

Complimentary ashore activities include Zodiac boat tours and hiking,.As optional 9at extra cost) are offered flightseeing tours, sea kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, guided mountaineering, paddle tours, camping, cross-country skiing, helicopter tours and transfers (heli-hiking and trekking, tundra skiing, lake kayaking, overnight fjord camping, visits to Kujataa Greenland / UNESCO Site).

Two Lifts (passenger elevators) connect all decks except Helideck (deck 8). All decks are interconnected via stairs (forward, midship and aft) including interior and exterior staircases.

Decks and Cabins

Quark Ultramarine ship staterooms (a total of 103) are in 11 cabin grades, all are outside and ~60% of them are with step-out balconies. Of all cabins, 6 are single (category spa bathrobes) and can be booked with no-supplement single rates. Solo cabins are with a floor-ceiling window. Category Explorer Triple are triple-occupancy shared cabins (aft location on Deck 3) designed for solo passengers sharing the cabin with two other same-gender travellers or for 3-person groups. Each stateroom has 3 separate (fixed single) lower beds.

The boat has 8 decks, of which 7 are passenger-accessible and 4 with cabins.

All passenger cabins offer as standard (complimentary / cruise price inclusive) amenities smart HDTV (infotainment system, satellite Internet and TV programming), electronic safe box (in the closet), custom-made premium bed (Queen-size double bed convertible to two twin beds), premium bedding sets and pillows, bedside cabinets, wall-mounted reading lamps, writing desk with chair, minibar (refrigerator), slide-opening wardrobe, seating area (2 armchairs, low table, sofa / 2-seater couch), en-suite bathrooms (WC-toilet, glass shower, large mirror, heated floor, single-sink vanity with under-sink storage, plush towels, spa bathrobes), individually controlled air-conditioning, USB charging ports, 220V Europlug power outlets (2-pin European plugs).

Most staterooms are in category Balcony Suite (standard balcony cabins) with double-occupancy. Cabin balconies are furnished with low tables, luxury deckchairs and padded loungers. The only cabins without balconies are in categories Explorer Suite, Explorer Triple, and Solo Panorama.

Ship's largest and most luxurious staterooms are the Ultra Suite and the Owner Suite. Both accommodations are 3-Room suites and feature a larger bathroom, separate dining room, bedroom (with walk-in closet) and living room (lounge with L-shaped sofa and coffee table). All top-tier suites (Ultra, Owner, Penthouse, Terrace, Deluxe Balcony) have a bathtub in their bathrooms.

Inaugural itineraries 2021

Quark Expeditions opened bookings for Ultramarine cruises on January 8, 2020.

The ship's inaugural season included voyages in the Canadian Arctic (including Northwest Passage), Greenland, Spitsbergen Norway. The itineraries included:

• 2021 (May 3, 16, 21, June 7) 7-day itinerary "Spitsbergen Highlights: Expedition in Brief" (priced from USD 12,200 pp) is inclusive of Oslo Norway (airport hotel), flight to Longyearbyen Spitsbergen (embarkation), Spitsbergen Island Svalbard cruising, Longyearbyen (debarkation), group charter flight to Oslo.
• 2021 (May 8, June 2, June 12) 10-day itinerary "Intro to Spitsbergen: Fjords, Glaciers and Wildlife of Svalbard"(from USD 15,100 pp) is inclusive of 2 domestic flights (to/from Oslo) to/from Longyearbyen (embarkation/debarkation).
• 2021 (June 25) 15-day itinerary "Essential Greenland: Southern Coasts and Disko Bay" (from USD 8,500 pp) is inclusive of Reykjavik Iceland (arrival, overnight hotel, embarkation), East Greenland cruising (days 4-5), South Greenland cruising (days 6-7), West Greenland cruising (days 8-9-10-11-12-13), Kangerlussuaq Greenland (debarkation), flight to Reykjavik (overnight hotel).
• 2021 (July 10, 17, 24) 9-day itinerary "Greenland Adventure: Explore by Sea, Land and Air" (from USD 17,600 pp) is inclusive of Reykjavik (embarkation), Southern Greenland cruising (days 2-3-4-5-6-7), Narsarsuaq Greenland (debarkation), flight to Reykjavik (overnight hotel).
• 2021 (August 2) 17-day itinerary "Northwest Passage: In the Footsteps of Franklin" (from USD 32,100) is inclusive of Toronto Canada (hotel), charter flight to Kangerlussuaq Greenland (embarkation), West Greenland cruising (days 3-4), Canadian Arctic cruising (days 6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15), Resolute, Cornwallis Island, Nunavut Canada (debarkation), charter flight to Toronto (hotel overnight).
• 2021 (August 16) 9-day itinerary "Arctic Express Canada: The Heart of the Northwest Passage" (from USD 15,300 pp) is inclusive of Toronto (hotel), charter flight to Resolute (embarkation), Canadian Arctic cruising (days 3-4-5-6-7), Resolute (debarkation), charter flight to Toronto (hotel overnight).
• 2021 (August 22) 12-day itinerary "Canada's Remote Arctic: Northwest Passage to Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands" (from USD 22,200 pp) is inclusive of Toronto (hotel), charter flight to Resolute (embarkation), Canadian Arctic cruising (days 3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10), Resolute (debarkation), charter flight to Toronto (hotel overnight).
• 2021 (August 31) 17-day itinerary "Northwest Passage: Epic High Arctic" (from USD 32,100 pp) is inclusive of Toronto (hotel), charter flight to Resolute (embarkation), Canadian Arctic cruising (days 3-4-5-6), Smith Sound (days 7-8, North Atlantic crossing from Ellesmere Island to Greenland), Qaanaaq Greenland (Thule), West Greenland cruising (days 11-12-13-14-15), Kangerlussuaq Greenland (debarkation), charter flight to Toronto (hotel overnight).

The maiden voyage to Antarctica departed out of Ushuaia Argentina on December 23, 2021. The 18-day roundtrip visited the Antarctic Peninsula, Elephant Island (South Shetlands), and the UK's South Georgia Island.

Itineraries 2022

Quark Expeditions Ultramarine schedule 2022 featured a Northern Lights voyage (part of an Iceland plus Greenland itinerary), various voyages through Svalbard Islands (Norway) (7-14 days long) and a 14-day photography-themed cruise to Spitsbergen Island.

Quark Ultramarine's 2022 Arctic season featured the following regions (itineraries):

Norway (May-June-July)

• 7-day Spitsbergen Highlights: Expedition in Brief
• 10-day Introduction to Spitsbergen: Fjords, Glaciers, and Wildlife of Svalbard
• 12-day Spitsbergen Explorer: Wildlife Capital of the Arctic
• 14-day Spitsbergen In Depth: Big Islands, Big Adventure
• 14-day Spitsbergen Photography: In Search of Polar Bears

Greenland (August-September)

• 9-day Greenland Adventure: Explore by Sea, Land, and Air
• 14-day Under the Northern Lights: Exploring Iceland and East Greenland
• 15-day Essential Greenland: Southern Coasts and Disko Bay

Canada (September)

• 9-day Arctic Express Canada: The Heart of the Northwest Passage
• 12-day Canada's Remote Arctic: Northwest Passage to Ellesmere Island
• 17-day Northwest Passage: In the Footsteps of Franklin
• 17-day Northwest Passage: Epic High Arctic
• 20-day Best of the Western Arctic: Canada and Greenland

Russia

• 16-day Jewels of the Russian Arctic: Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya
• 22-day High Arctic Odyssey: Remote Russian Archipelagos

Multi-Destination

• 14-day Arctic Saga: Exploring Spitsbergen via the Faroes and Jan Mayen
• 15-day Three Arctic Islands: Iceland, Greenland, Spitsbergen

Itineraries 2024

Quark Ultramarine's Arctic 2024 season (opened for booking on January 12, 2023) featured three main regions - the European Arctic (Svalbard), Greenland, and the Canadian Arctic.

The Svalbard itineraries included 7-day "Spitsbergen Highlights", 14-day "Spitsbergen In Depth" and "Arctic Saga" (relocation from Aberdeen to Longyearbyen/Spitsbergen), 15-day "Three Arctic Islands - Iceland, Greenland and Spitsbergen" (from Helsinki to Reykjavik) and 18-day "Four Arctic Islands - Spitsbergen, Jan Mayen, Greenland and Iceland".

The Greenland itineraries included 12-day "Gems of West Greenland - Fjords, Icebergs, and Culture" (inclusive of flights to/from Reykjavik), 15-day "Essential Greenland - Southern Coasts and Disko Bay" (Reykjavik to Kangerlussuaq/flight to Reykjavik), 14-day "Under the Northern Lights - Exploring Iceland and East Greenland" (roundtrip from Reykjavik), 20-day "Best of the Western Arctic - Canada and Greenland" (Toronto, flight to Kangerlussuaq for a roundtrip cruise/flight to Toronto).

The Canadian Arctic itineraries included 12-day "Canada’s Remote Arctic - Northwest Passage to Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands" (roundtrip from Toronto with embarkation/debarkation in Resolute) and 17-day "Northwest Passage - Epic High Arctic" (Toronto, flight to Reslotute, cruise to Greenland's Qaanaaq and Kangerlussuaq/debarkation, flight to Toronto).

Quark cruise deals

Quark Expeditions cruise deals are inclusive of:

• 1-night pre-cruise hotel stay, group transfers (airport-hotel on the day prior departure, and hotel-ship on embarkation day)
• onboard accommodation (daily housekeeping service)
• all onboard meals (breakfasts, lunches, dinners) - know that the ship's galley/kitchen can't prepare kosher meals
• all Zodiac landings (daily, weather permitting) and Zodiac transfers and cruising (daily)
• media presentations by Expedition Team members and special guest lecturers
• waterproof expedition boots (onshore landings)
• complimentary Quark Expeditions logoed parka
• lifejackets and immersion suits
• complimentary coffee, tea and cocoa (24 / 7)
• hairdryer and bathrobe (in all cabins)
• pre-departure materials (including maps)
• all service taxes and port fees
• all onboard luggage handling
• emergency evacuation (medevac) insurance to a max benefit USD 100,000 pp
• Fly-cruise deals are inclusive of complimentary house wines (by the glass), beers and spirits on the ship, also of all gratuities (staff and crew) and all domestic flights (prior to embarkation).
• Shipboard laundry and Ironing services are available at additional cost.

Ship-to-shore communications are via Inmarsat Capsat Fleet 77 (satellite phone and Internet) and cost extra.

The vessel's construction officially started with the steel-cutting ceremony on January 29, 2019. The special event was attended by Andrew White (Quark Expeditions' President). Vessel's keel-laying ceremony at Brodosplit Shipyard (in Split Croatia) was held on August 2, 2019. During the ceremony, to the keel was also welded a specially-minted coin for good luck.

With its superstructure completed, the ship was launched (floated out from drydock) on May 16, 2020.

The vessel left Brodosplit on December 18, 2020, and on December 19 (at 9 am) berthed at Viktor Lenac Shipyard (Rijeka Croatia) for drydocking. In January 2021, the ship returned to Brodosplit Shipyard for the installation of final equipment and machinery tests.

The boat's official delivery to Quark Expeditions was on April 1, 2021. The ceremony was held at Luka Split (Port Split, Croatia) and attended by Malcolm Ellis (Quark's Senior VP of Operations), Andrew White (Quark's President) and the Brodosplit Shipyard's employees.

In June 2023 was announced that the ship's godmother will be Sian Hayley Proctor (1970-born in Guam commercial astronaut, geology professor/PhD, aerospace education officer/Civil Air Patrol major). On September 15, 2021, Dr Sian "Leo" Proctor was launched as the pilot of the space capsule Crew Dragon 2 (a private orbital spaceflight), thus becoming the world's first Black woman piloting a spacecraft. Ultramarine's official naming ceremony is currently planned for November 2023, to be held at Snow Hill Island (off Antarctic Peninsula's east coast) during the 14-day voyage "Emperor Penguin Quest: Expedition to Snow Hill" (Buenos Aires, flight to Ushuaia) leaving on Nov 24th.

The Marshall Islands-flagged MV Ultramarine is the only polar-class cruise ship (ice-classed 1A / PC6) to offer all off-ship adventure activities currently offered by Quark Expeditions. These options include paddling, stand-up paddleboarding, sea kayaking, mountaineering, hiking, cross-country skiing, and (for the first time) - helicopter flightseeing tours, heli-skiing, heli-hiking. The boat's low draft (only 5 m / 16 ft) allows safe near-shore navigation in scenic coastal destinations and on inland waterways.

The vessel has a fleet of 22x quick-deploy Zodiacs (large-capacity, motorized high-speed RIBs/ rigid inflatable boats) used for inland and coastal cruising and landings in remote areas. The Zodiacs are positioned close to the waterline, which allows quick deployments from both sides of the ship (aft) and from the stern. Zodiac boarding operations are facilitated at 4 embarkation/assembly points accessible from 2 rooms. Cruise passengers can get off the ship in less than 20 min (half the industry's average boarding time) for off-ship sea and land travel adventures.

The ship's 22x Zodiacs are "Mark 5" speed boats manufactured by EYOS Tenders (Binissalem Mallorca-based company) specializing in yacht tenders and toys supply and maintenance. The company also delivered the Zodiacs' lifting system. All the equipment was delivered in December 2020.

The ship's operational range is 70 days. This is accomplished by implementing optimized onboard fuel-water-provisioning-waste-handling systems. In keeping with Quark's Polar Promise (sustainability strategy),

Quark Ultramarine's technical features minimize the vessel's environmental footprint to an extent unseen for a ship of this size (length 128 m, GT 13,000 tons). Among these environmentally-friendly innovative maritime technologies is DP/Dynamic Positioning (computer-controlled system) that automatically maintains the ship's position by using its own thrusters (propulsion units). This eliminates the need to anchor in areas with sensitive seabeds.