Antarctic Explorer
Antarctic Explorer
Cruise overview
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About Ushuaia
At 55 degrees latitude south, Ushuaia (pronounced oo-swy-ah) is closer to the South Pole than to Argentina's northern border with Bolivia. It is the capital and tourism base for Tierra del Fuego, the island at the southernmost tip of Argentina.Although its stark physical beauty is striking, Tierra del Fuego's historical allure is based more on its mythical past than on rugged reality. The island was inhabited for 6,000 years by Yámana, Haush, Selk'nam, and Alakaluf Indians. But in 1902 Argentina, eager to populate Patagonia to bolster its territorial claims, moved to initiate an Ushuaian penal colony, establishing the permanent settlement of its most southern territories and, by implication, everything in between.When the prison closed in 1947, Ushuaia had a population of about 3,000, made up mainly of former inmates and prison staff. Today the Indians of Darwin's "missing link" theory are long gone—wiped out by diseases brought by settlers and by indifference to their plight—and the 60,000 residents of Ushuaia are hitching their star to tourism.The city rightly (if perhaps too loudly) promotes itself as the southernmost city in the world (Puerto Williams, a few miles south on the Chilean side of the Beagle Channel, is a small town). You can make your way to the tourism office to get your clichéd, but oh-so-necessary, "Southernmost City in the World" passport stamp. Ushuaia feels like a frontier boomtown, at heart still a rugged, weather-beaten fishing village, but exhibiting the frayed edges of a city that quadrupled in size in the '70s and '80s and just keeps growing. Unpaved portions of Ruta 3, the last stretch of the Pan-American Highway, which connects Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, are finally being paved. The summer months (December through March) draw more than 120,000 visitors, and dozens of cruise ships. The city is trying to extend those visits with events like March's Marathon at the End of the World and by increasing the gamut of winter activities buoyed by the excellent snow conditions.A terrific trail winds through the town up to the Martial Glacier, where a ski lift can help cut down a steep kilometer of your journey. The chaotic and contradictory urban landscape includes a handful of luxury hotels amid the concrete of public housing projects. Scores of "sled houses" (wooden shacks) sit precariously on upright piers, ready for speedy displacement to a different site. But there are also many small, picturesque homes with tiny, carefully tended gardens. Many of the newer homes are built in a Swiss-chalet style, reinforcing the idea that this is a town into which tourism has breathed new life. At the same time, the weather-worn pastel colors that dominate the town's landscape remind you that Ushuaia was once just a tiny fishing village, snuggled at the end of the Earth.As you stand on the banks of the Canal Beagle (Beagle Channel) near Ushuaia, the spirit of the farthest corner of the world takes hold. What stands out is the light: at sundown the landscape is cast in a subdued, sensual tone; everything feels closer, softer, and more human in dimension despite the vastness of the setting. The snowcapped mountains reflect the setting sun back onto a stream rolling into the channel, as nearby peaks echo their image—on a windless day—in the still waters.Above the city rise the last mountains of the Andean Cordillera, and just south and west of Ushuaia they finally vanish into the often-stormy sea. Snow whitens the peaks well into summer. Nature is the principal attraction here, with trekking, fishing, horseback riding, wildlife spotting, and sailing among the most rewarding activities, especially in the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego (Tierra del Fuego National Park).
About Antarctic Experience
About Antarctic Experience
About Antarctica
About Antarctica
About Antarctica
About Antarctica
About Antarctic Experience
About Ushuaia
At 55 degrees latitude south, Ushuaia (pronounced oo-swy-ah) is closer to the South Pole than to Argentina's northern border with Bolivia. It is the capital and tourism base for Tierra del Fuego, the island at the southernmost tip of Argentina.Although its stark physical beauty is striking, Tierra del Fuego's historical allure is based more on its mythical past than on rugged reality. The island was inhabited for 6,000 years by Yámana, Haush, Selk'nam, and Alakaluf Indians. But in 1902 Argentina, eager to populate Patagonia to bolster its territorial claims, moved to initiate an Ushuaian penal colony, establishing the permanent settlement of its most southern territories and, by implication, everything in between.When the prison closed in 1947, Ushuaia had a population of about 3,000, made up mainly of former inmates and prison staff. Today the Indians of Darwin's "missing link" theory are long gone—wiped out by diseases brought by settlers and by indifference to their plight—and the 60,000 residents of Ushuaia are hitching their star to tourism.The city rightly (if perhaps too loudly) promotes itself as the southernmost city in the world (Puerto Williams, a few miles south on the Chilean side of the Beagle Channel, is a small town). You can make your way to the tourism office to get your clichéd, but oh-so-necessary, "Southernmost City in the World" passport stamp. Ushuaia feels like a frontier boomtown, at heart still a rugged, weather-beaten fishing village, but exhibiting the frayed edges of a city that quadrupled in size in the '70s and '80s and just keeps growing. Unpaved portions of Ruta 3, the last stretch of the Pan-American Highway, which connects Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, are finally being paved. The summer months (December through March) draw more than 120,000 visitors, and dozens of cruise ships. The city is trying to extend those visits with events like March's Marathon at the End of the World and by increasing the gamut of winter activities buoyed by the excellent snow conditions.A terrific trail winds through the town up to the Martial Glacier, where a ski lift can help cut down a steep kilometer of your journey. The chaotic and contradictory urban landscape includes a handful of luxury hotels amid the concrete of public housing projects. Scores of "sled houses" (wooden shacks) sit precariously on upright piers, ready for speedy displacement to a different site. But there are also many small, picturesque homes with tiny, carefully tended gardens. Many of the newer homes are built in a Swiss-chalet style, reinforcing the idea that this is a town into which tourism has breathed new life. At the same time, the weather-worn pastel colors that dominate the town's landscape remind you that Ushuaia was once just a tiny fishing village, snuggled at the end of the Earth.As you stand on the banks of the Canal Beagle (Beagle Channel) near Ushuaia, the spirit of the farthest corner of the world takes hold. What stands out is the light: at sundown the landscape is cast in a subdued, sensual tone; everything feels closer, softer, and more human in dimension despite the vastness of the setting. The snowcapped mountains reflect the setting sun back onto a stream rolling into the channel, as nearby peaks echo their image—on a windless day—in the still waters.Above the city rise the last mountains of the Andean Cordillera, and just south and west of Ushuaia they finally vanish into the often-stormy sea. Snow whitens the peaks well into summer. Nature is the principal attraction here, with trekking, fishing, horseback riding, wildlife spotting, and sailing among the most rewarding activities, especially in the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego (Tierra del Fuego National Park).
- Largest suite on board: 1,223 sq. ft. with a 792 sq. ft. private garden lounge area with badestamp
- All amenities of the Explorer Suite, plus:
- Priority stateroom access
- Floor-to-ceiling drying closet
- Four guaranteed priority reservations at each alternative restaurant (100 days prior to departure)
- First priority expedition activity reservations (107 days prior to departure)
- First priority booking of spa treatments (100 days prior to departure)
- Dinner & guided tour with ship officers (subject to availability)
- Large master bathroom, plus one guest bathroom
- Separate dining area/board room that seats six guests
- Private library, wine & music collections curated by Chairman Torstein Hagen
- And more; ask for details
Size including Nordic Balcony & private veranda: 580 sq. ft.
- 11 AM stateroom access
- Floor-to-ceiling drying closet
- Priority expedition activity reservations (97 days prior to departure)
- Three guaranteed priority reservations at each alternative restaurant (90 days prior to departure)
- Priority booking of spa treatments (90 days prior to departure)
- Mini-bar with alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, water & snacks, replenished once daily
- In-suite binoculars, coffee & Marius-weave blanket
- Laundry, dry cleaning, pressing & shoe shine services
- Welcome bottle of champagne
- Exclusive access to shared Explorer Suite private garden lounge area
Size including Nordic Balcony: 322 sq ft
- 11 AM stateroom access
- Floor-to-ceiling drying closet
- Priority expedition activity reservations (87 days prior to departure)
- Three guaranteed priority reservations at each alternative restaurant (80 days prior to departure)
- Priority booking of spa treatments (80 days prior to departure)
- Mini-bar with alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, water & snacks, replenished once daily
- In-suite binoculars, coffee & Marius-weave blanket
- Laundry, dry cleaning, pressing & shoe shine services
- Bottle of champagne
Size including Nordic Balcony: 269 sq ft
- 1 PM stateroom access
- Floor-to-ceiling drying closet
- Priority expedition activity reservations (77 days prior to departure)
- Two guaranteed priority reservations at each alternative restaurant (70 days prior to departure)
- Priority booking of spa treatments (70 days prior to departure)
- Mini-bar with alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, water & snacks, replenished once daily
- In-suite binoculars, coffee & Marius-weave blanket
- Pressing & shoe shine services
- Bottle of champagne
Size including Nordic Balcony: 222 sq ft
- 2 PM stateroom access
- Floor-to-ceiling drying closet
- Priority expedition activity reservations (67 days prior to departure)
- One guaranteed priority reservation at each alternative restaurant (60 days prior to departure)
- Priority booking of spa treatments (60 days prior to departure)
- Mini-bar with soft drinks, water & snacks, replenished once daily
- In-suite binoculars, coffee & Marius-weave blanket
Size including Nordic Balcony: 222 sq ft
- 3 PM stateroom access
- Floor-to-ceiling drying closet
- Expedition activity reservations (60 days prior to departure)
- Mini-bar with soft drinks, water & snacks
- In-suite binoculars & Marius-weave blanket
Viking Polaris
First, we invented modern river cruising. Then, we redefined ocean cruising. Now, experience all the comfort and elegance of our award-winning fleet with an expedition ship built specifically to explore the world's most remote destinations and allow you to immerse yourself in these regions.
Ship Facts
| Speed | 18 | ||||||
| Width | 21 | ||||||
| Length | 205 | ||||||
| Capacity | 378 | ||||||
| Currency | EUR | ||||||
| Language | en | ||||||
| Crew Count | 260 | ||||||
| Deck Count | 6 | ||||||
| Refit Year | |||||||
| Cabin Count | N/A | ||||||
| Launch Year | 2022 | ||||||
| Gross Tonnage | 30150 | ||||||
| Electrical Plugs |
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| Large Cabin Count | N/A | ||||||
| Wheelchair Cabin Count | N/A |
Deck A
- The Hangar
- Medical Center
- Embarkation
- Lifts
Deck 1
- The Hangar
- The Science Lab
- Manfredi's Italian Restaurant
- Guest Services
- Bathrooms
- The Hide
- The Restaurant
- Lifts
Deck 2
- The Aula
- Hair Salon
- Fitness Center
- The Nordic Spa
- Finse Terrace
- Expedition Central
- Lifts
- Nordic Balcony Staterooms
Deck 3
- The Aula (upper level)
- The Nordic Shop
- Travel Consultant
- The Shelter
- The Bow
- Deluxe Nordic Balcony
- Lifts
Deck 4
- Explorers' Lounge
- Bar
- Deluxe Nordic Balcony
- Nordic Junior Suite
- Nordic Penthouse
- Lifts
Deck 5
- Aquavit Terrace
- The Pools
- Bar
- World Cafe
- Mamsen's
- Promenade Deck
- Bar
- The Living Room
- The Library
- Explorers' Lounge
Deck 6
- Owner's Suite & Garden
- Explorer's Suite & Garden
- Open Deck
- Bridge
- Lifts
Choose from six dining options, all at no additional charge.
The World Cafe
Mamsen's
The Restaurant
Manfredi's
24-Hour Options
Innovative, light-filled spaces where comfort meets discovery.
Explorers' Lounge
The Pools
Aquavit Terrace & Bar
The Living Room
The Library
Finse Terrace