Small, ice-strengthened ships built for landings, not lounging: Antarctica and the Arctic since 1991, with an expedition team, Zodiacs and, on Ultramarine, two helicopters doing the exploring.
Quark Expeditions has specialised in the polar regions since 1991 and sails only Antarctica and the Arctic, nowhere else. Its ships are small and ice-strengthened, built to push into pack ice and put guests ashore by Zodiac several times a day rather than tender them into a port. An expedition team of naturalists, historians and glaciologists leads every landing and evening lecture. It suits travellers who want to get off the ship, not swim, dine and shop their way around it, and who are comfortable with a plan that bends to the ice and the weather.
Australians fly to Buenos Aires, then join Quark’s included group charter flight to Ushuaia at the foot of Patagonia, where every Antarctic voyage departs and returns. Some 2026 to 27 departures also offer Antarctic Express: Fly the Drake, a charter flight between Ushuaia and Punta Arenas that turns one crossing of the Drake Passage into a flight instead. Quark’s Arctic season runs the other half of the year, sailing from Svalbard and Greenland during the Australian winter, and Australian, New Zealand and UK travellers are well represented on board alongside a larger North American contingent.
Three ships share the work. Ultramarine carries 199 guests, launches its 20 Zodiacs from a water-level hangar and is the only one with two helicopters for flightseeing and reaching landings no Zodiac can. Ocean Explorer is smaller and quicker at 138 guests, with an Ulstein X-Bow hull for a smoother ride through swell. World Voyager, chartered in for the 2026 to 27 Antarctic season, adds all-balcony suites throughout and a Science Hub where the onboard research team shares each day’s findings.
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Call a Cruise Expert · 1300 214 840 Enquire TodayThree small ships rotating between Antarctica and the Arctic through the year.
The flagship, and the only Quark ship with helicopters: two twin-engine Airbus H145s fly guests further into the ice than a Zodiac can reach (not used on Svalbard voyages). A water-level hangar launches its 20 Zodiacs in half the time of a side-deck ship. Onboard, the Balena Restaurant, Bistro 487, Panorama Lounge and Tundra Spa give the biggest range of suites and public spaces in the fleet.
The smaller of the two ships that work both poles, with an Ulstein X-Bow hull that cuts through swell rather than slamming into it. The Latitude Bar seats 46 for a quiet drink, a two-storey library climbs the atrium staircase, and the Observation Lounge and outdoor decks on 7 and 8 give some of the clearest wildlife-watching sightlines in the fleet.
The newest ship in the fleet, on charter for the 2026 to 27 Antarctic season and the first with all-balcony suites throughout. The Beacon Restaurant, a wellness deck with a spa, sauna, pool and jacuzzis, and a Science Hub where the onboard research team shares each day’s findings set it apart from the rest of the fleet.
Also in the fleet, in some years: the nuclear icebreaker 50 Years of Victory, on a two-week charter voyage to the geographic North Pole from Murmansk.
What each cabin type gives you. Fares vary by ship, sailing and date, so ask us for the rate on the departure you want.
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A taste of the restaurants, bars and spaces. Anything marked Included carries no extra cost.
Ultramarine’s main dining room, seating two to ten at a table, with sea views from every seat and direct access to the wraparound deck.
Ultramarine’s casual alternative, indoor or outdoor, for an early breakfast, a light lunch or a late-night snack between landings.
A glass-enclosed lounge forward on Ultramarine for a drink with a view, a board game or dancing after dinner.
Ocean Explorer’s social hub on Deck 5, with sofas and marble-topped tables seating 46 for a quiet drink or a crowd.
World Voyager’s main restaurant, serving three meals a day to match the ship’s all-balcony suites and wellness deck.
A dedicated space where World Voyager’s onboard scientists and expedition guides share the day’s findings, part of Quark’s Science and Discovery programme.
Massages and facials on Ultramarine, next to a sauna with floor-to-ceiling windows over the water.
Small inflatable boats for wildlife-watching and shore landings, most days of the voyage, weather and ice permitting.
Guided sea kayaking or stand-up paddling around icebergs and calm bays, booked in advance as places are limited.
An overnight under canvas on the ice or the tundra, one of the most requested add-ons and the first to sell out.
Ultramarine’s two twin-engine helicopters fly guests over and into terrain no Zodiac can reach, weather permitting and not offered on Svalbard voyages.
A quick, optional swim in the polar ocean, roped in and warmly welcomed back aboard with a hot drink.
Quark includes the landings, the meals, bar service and the parka you keep. Flights and the end-of-voyage tip are yours to arrange.
The hotel night and transfers are itinerary-specific, so we confirm them for the voyage you pick.
You fly to Buenos Aires, then join Quark’s included group charter flight to Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city and the departure point for every Antarctic voyage, with a group transfer to the ship at the other end. Some 2026 to 27 departures also offer Antarctic Express: Fly the Drake, a charter flight between Ushuaia and Punta Arenas that turns one crossing of the Drake Passage into a flight instead.
Your cabin, all meals, water, coffee and tea around the clock, beer and wine with dinner, and at least one included excursion most days, such as Zodiac cruising, hiking, snowshoeing or the polar plunge. You also keep a Quark-branded parka and borrow expedition boots for the voyage. Spirits, extras such as kayaking and camping, and gratuities are additional.
Ultramarine for the helicopters, the widest range of adventure options and the most spacious suites. Ocean Explorer for a slightly smaller, quicker ship running the same expedition programme, usually at a lower fare. World Voyager, new to the fleet for 2026 to 27, for all-balcony suites and the Science Hub’s onboard research programme. All three carry under 200 guests and land you ashore the same way.
Fit, curious travellers who want to be outdoors rather than poolside: there is a lot of standing in Zodiacs, walking on uneven ground and dressing for the cold. Quark welcomes solo travellers, with Explorer Triple and Solo Panorama cabins built for one, and families with children aged 8 and over on school holiday departures. It is not the trip for guests who want a fixed daily programme.
Zodiac cruising and shore landings are included on most days. Kayaking, stand-up paddling, an overnight camping ashore and, on Ultramarine, helicopter flightseeing are optional extras booked in advance, as places are limited and sell out early. The polar plunge, a quick swim in the polar ocean, is included and entirely optional.
Antarctica runs the Australian summer, November to March, with penguin chicks and more whales later in the season and the most ice earlier on. The Arctic runs May to September, the Australian winter, for the midnight sun, polar bears and the far north’s brief summer bloom. The two seasons do not overlap, so the choice comes down to which pole, and which of our seasons, you would rather travel in.
Tell us the season and ship you are considering in the enquiry form on this page, or call 1300 214 840. We are an independent Australian cruise agency: we confirm what is included against what is not, quote the total for two in AUD with taxes and fees, and one specialist looks after your booking from deposit to disembarkation.
Call 1300 214 840, message us on WhatsApp, email, or tell us what you want and a Quark Expeditions specialist will come back with a quote.
Enquire TodayLuxury Cruises Guide is an independent Australian cruise agency operated by Orange Ninja Pty Ltd, ABN 17 682 640 713. It is not owned or operated by Quark Expeditions. Quark Expeditions and its ship names are trademarks of their owner and are used here to identify the cruise line. Fares shown were published by the cruise line at the time of writing and change with availability.