SEATTLE — Quark Expeditions has added Ocean Explorer to its fleet.

The 138-passenger polar expedition ship will set sail under the Quark Expeditions banner at the start of the Antarctic 2024/2025 season.

“Going beyond in the polar regions requires the best expedition team operating the best ships,” says Andrew White, President of Quark Expeditions. “And we’ve got both. Ocean Explorer is the perfect addition to our fleet – for adventure, for luxury, and for leading-edge technology, this purpose-built polar expedition ship truly delivers for our discerning polar explorers.”

With its distinctive X-Bow design and two-storey forward lounge, Ocean Explorer sets a striking stage for unforgettable polar expeditions, adds White.

“The depth and breadth of our portfolio of innovative itineraries and polar experiences – from kayaking in Antarctica to flightseeing over the Greenland Ice Sheet – is made possible by the depth and breadth of our fleet,” he says. “Maintaining such a diverse fleet of small polar ships enables guests to customize their voyage, to choose how they want to explore the Polar Regions and experience their expedition of a lifetime.”

The Infinity class polar expedition ship was delivered in 2021 by Quark Expeditions’ partner SunStone Maritime Group, the largest expedition-only ship-building provider in the world.

Ocean Explorer’s rated Ice Class 1A and PC6 place it in the same league as its soon-to-be sister ship, the technologically-advanced Ultramarine. Quark Expeditions is currently taking bookings on Ocean Explorer for the Antarctic 2024/2025, Arctic 2025 and Antarctic 2025/2026 sailing seasons.