Ultramarine
Antarctica and the polar regions (Quark Expeditions)
Location
Antarctica and the Arctic
Ultramarine sails Antarctica, including the remote eastern Peninsula by helicopter, and the Arctic, on eight to twenty-three-day itineraries embarking Ushuaia, reached via Buenos Aires.
Transfer
Embarkation at Ushuaia
Itineraries embark Ushuaia at the southern tip of Argentina, reached via Buenos Aires and a charter flight south; the Drake Passage is crossed by ship to the Antarctic Peninsula.
Villas
Around 102 staterooms
199 guests across around 102 staterooms, about 60 percent with balconies, with heated bathroom floors and dual showerheads, plus six no-supplement Solo Panorama Suites — cabins built for an expedition ship, with the polar light filling the rooms.
Best For
Who it suits
Active travellers who want maximum access — helicopter flightseeing and landings, kayaking, mountaineering and camping — and solo travellers who want no single supplement, aboard the adventure-first flagship of the Quark fleet.
Board Basis
Core voyage inclusive
The core voyage includes Zodiac tours, hiking and lectures; adventure activities such as helicopter flightseeing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, mountaineering and camping are add-ons, confirmed by fare.
Overview
An adventure-first expedition flagship
Ultramarine is Quark Expeditions' adventure-first flagship — a 199-guest polar ship built to get you off the ship faster and further, with two twin-engine Airbus H145 helicopters delivering the fleet's most robust off-ship adventure portfolio, from heli-flightseeing to heli-landings into terrain other ships cannot reach. Around 102 spacious staterooms add heated bathroom floors, balconies on roughly 60 percent and no-supplement solo cabins; onboard are two restaurants, the Tundra Spa with a sauna and steam room, and the Ambassador Theatre. The ship sails Antarctica, including the remote eastern Peninsula reached by helicopter, and the Arctic, on eight to twenty-three-day voyages embarking Ushuaia at the southern tip of Argentina, reached via Buenos Aires and a charter flight south. Days bring Zodiac cruising among icebergs, guided landings at penguin rookeries, and the chance of humpback and minke whales, leopard seals and the great tabular bergs of the Weddell Sea. Built for explorers who want maximum access, with the core voyage inclusive and an a-la-carte adventure menu layered on top.
Accommodation
Staterooms and suites
199 guests sail across around 102 staterooms, about sixty percent with balconies, in cabins with heated bathroom floors and dual showerheads, plus six no-supplement Solo Panorama Suites for travellers going alone. This is a ship built for access first: the staterooms are a warm base to return to between helicopter excursions and Zodiac landings, the polar light filling the cabins through the long days at sea. The Solo Panorama Suites carry no single supplement, a rarity in expedition cruising, and the balcony cabins frame the passing ice from the warmth of the stateroom.
Solo
Solo Panorama Suite
Sleeps one. A solo suite with a floor-to-ceiling window and no single supplement.
No single supplementFloor-to-ceiling window
Entry
Balcony Suite
Sleeps two. The most common cabin, with a step-out balcony, heated bathroom floor and a dual showerhead.
Step-out balconyHeated bathroom floor
Upper
Penthouse Suite
Sleeps two. A suite of around 369 square feet with a balcony and a bed facing the view.
About 369 square feetBalcony
Top
Owner's Suite
Sleeps two to four. A three-room suite of around 446 square feet with a separate bedroom, living and dining and a walk-in closet, plus a spa package and a pre- or post-cruise hotel.
Three roomsAbout 446 square feet
Food & Drink
Dining
Two restaurants run from the main Balena to the relaxed all-day Bistro 487, joined by the Panorama Lounge and Bar with its expedition views over the ice. It is easy, expedition-paced dining, the day shaped around the landings and the helicopter flights as much as the table. The all-day Bistro 487 keeps things relaxed between excursions, and the panoramic lounge is the gathering point as the ship works south through the ice.
Main
Balena
Balena, the main restaurant.
Casual
Bistro 487
Bistro 487, relaxed all-day dining.
Bar
Panorama Lounge & Bar
Panorama Lounge & Bar, with expedition views.
Wellbeing
The Tundra Spa
The Tundra Spa brings a sauna and steam room, joined by a fitness room and a library — a place to recover between landings and helicopter excursions — with two dedicated ready rooms getting guests off the ship in half the time. Wellness aboard is built around the expedition, the sauna and steam the reward at the end of a day on the ice.
A sauna and steam room
A sauna and steam room, in the Tundra Spa.
A fitness room
A fitness room, and a library.
Two ready rooms
Two ready rooms, off the ship in half the time.
Activities & Experiences
Signature Experiences
Helicopters and the biggest off-ship adventure menu in the fleet define a voyage — take to the air for heli-flightseeing, land by helicopter into terrain other ships cannot reach, and add kayaking, paddleboarding, mountaineering and camping on the ice. Zodiac cruising among icebergs, guided landings at penguin rookeries and the wildlife of the Peninsula round out the days.
Helicopter flightseeing
Helicopter flightseeing, from two onboard helicopters.
Heli-landings
Heli-landings, into terrain other ships cannot reach.
Kayaking and paddleboarding
Kayaking and paddleboarding, among the ice.
Mountaineering and camping
Mountaineering and camping, on the ice, by arrangement.
Penguins and glaciers
Penguins and glaciers, on guided landings.
Getting There
Location & transfers
By air
Buenos Aires to Ushuaia
Buenos Aires to Ushuaia for embarkation, reached via a charter flight south.
By sea
To the Peninsula
Across the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula, the eastern Peninsula reached by helicopter.
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Good to Know
Good to know
Board basis
- Core voyage inclusive; adventures are add-ons.
Two helicopters
- Two helicopters, for the fleet's biggest activity menu.
Solo travellers
- Six no-supplement Solo Panorama Suites.
Getting there
- Embarks Ushuaia, via Buenos Aires.
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Dates, party size, villa preference and budget.
Dates & party
Date flexibility
Adults
2
Children
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Budget & accommodation
Budget per person (flights + hotel)
£4,500
£500£50,000+
Villas Preference
Flights
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