It’s the final countdown! 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1!🇦🇶

9 days to go…I have been checking off all the things that need to happen prior to departure. Work, school, Christmas festivities…each tick mark represents another step closer to the 7th continent. Laura and I were talking and it’s kind of surreal. Our Antarctica adventure is right around the corner (well, around the corner meaning waaaay down south)

So let’s talk about our actual ship, Ultramarine. You will find a little more about it in my first blog post. The company we are going through is Quark Expeditions, which has specialized in polar adventures since 1991. Their fleet of research vessels were purpose built for navigating the polar regions, and their newest ship is no exception. Ultramarine has an ice strengthened hull and is still in her inaugural season. Our expedition will round out her first year exploring Antarctica and the Artic.

There is capacity for 199 people + 140 crew. THIS IS IMPORTANT because 200 people is the maximum number that can leave any ship at the same time in the Antarctica, according to IAATO regulations.

Ultramarine is 420 feet long with a cruising speed of 16 knots. There are two twin-engine airbus H145 helicopters on deck and we have two opportunities while in Antarctica to fly on them.

Our room is on the 4th deck toward the middle. We have a balcony, which will be amazing to take in the sites.

There is a water-level zodiac hanger (see prior post), and two ready rooms where we change in and out of our expedition gear (parkas, boots, rain pants, etc) as we use the zodiacs.

The ship has plenty of amenities, such as a polar boutique, restaurant, bistro, ambassador theater, sauna, spa, fitness center, lounge and bar. The focus is also on environmentally responsible tourism and Ultramarine leads the way with special systems to convert waste to energy. This minimizes fuel consumption and helps navigate narrow passages without impacting the land or seabed.

Happy holidays to all my family and friends. I will be dreaming of a white after-Christmas with visions of penguins dancing in my head!

Here is a link to a short video featuring Ultramarine: https://youtu.be/Su2ATds1SLg