Operator Review
Quark Expeditions
The only polar fleet with onboard helicopters, built for Antarctica and the Arctic exclusively.
What It Is
Quark Expeditions runs a 3-ship fleet, Ultramarine, Ocean Explorer, and World Voyager, carrying 168 to 199 guests. Ultramarine, the flagship since 2021, is the only ship in this ranking that carries 2 onboard helicopters. The company sails Antarctica and the Arctic exclusively, without the warm-water itineraries that Lindblad or UnCruise also offer.
How It Works
Booking runs through Quark's own site, with cabin categories ranging from standard staterooms to owner's suites. Once onboard, Ultramarine's ice-class hull and helicopters extend Quark's reach beyond what Zodiac-only fleets can access, including flightseeing and scouting landing sites from the air. Quark's polar specialization includes North Pole crossings, an itinerary fewer than half of the 8 operators here attempt.
How It Compares
Quark's Svalbard voyages start from $9,761 per person, above Lindblad Expeditions' Galápagos entry fare, and Quark concentrates that price entirely on polar regions instead of spreading across the Galápagos and Arctic. Against Ponant, Quark offers helicopters onboard Ultramarine, a feature Ponant's Le Commandant Charcot does not carry, though Charcot counters with hybrid-electric propulsion. Repeat polar travelers who want aerial access get the strongest match with Quark among the 8 operators.