Quark Expeditions Building New Ship
By Anne Kalosh.
Quark Expeditions, one of the leading companies for polar adventures, has ordered a 200-passenger, ice-class new build. With this, Quark joins the growing list of operators that are constructing small expedition ships.
Quark’s new build will measure more than 13,000 gross tons and carry a fleet of 20 Zodiacs that will be rapidly deployable from an internal Zodiac hangar with four embarkation points. For spectacular flight-seeing, heli-skiing and to access places too remote for Zodiacs, the ship will have two simultaneously operable helipads.
The new ship will have two simultaneously operable helipads.* Rendering: Quark Expeditions
Spacious cabins with large windows or private balconies, two gourmet restaurants, a spa and fitness facilities are among the amenities. There will be space for 116 crew.
The blueprint is by Norway’s LMG Marin, which has designed more than 100 ferries, RoPax vessels and passenger vessels of various kinds, built at shipyards worldwide. The Quark vessel is LMG Marin’s first in the polar expedition cruise ship segment. It will be built to Polar Class 6 standard.
Croatia’s largest shipyard, Brodosplit, will handle the construction. Brodosplt is also building HONDIUS for Oceanwide Expeditions and FLYING CLIPPER for Star Clippers.
The Quark ship is due for delivery in fourth quarter 2020, in time for the 2020/21 Antarctica season.
Rendering of new build for Quark Expeditions.
Quark the Ship Charterer
Quark has traditionally chartered its vessels, including Russian icebreakers like KAPITAN KHLEBNIKOV and the nuclear-powered 50 YEARS OF VICTORY. Among its ice-strengthened ships are OCEAN ADVENTURER (formerly SEA ADVENTURER), which underwent a significant renovation in 2017; OCEAN ENDEAVOUR, a ship focused on health and wellness, with a spa operated by organic spa provider VOYA; the 189-passenger OCEAN DIAMOND; and the 78-passenger OCEAN NOVA.
A new build in Quark’s chartered fleet this year will be WORLD EXPLORER, under construction in Portugal by Mystic Cruises. WORLD EXPLORER will debut in November and is chartered by Quark for the next two Antarctica seasons (2018/19 and 2019/20). That will be the operator’s newest vessel until its own new build arrives in 2020.
Don’t miss a post, subscribe to QuirkyCruise.com for monthly updates of our best posts!
© This article is protected by copyright, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the author. All Rights Reserved. QuirkyCruise.com.
HEIDI SARNA
