| Spotlight on NEW Member Cruise Line – Quark Expeditions

AS announced last week, the latest
cruise line to throw their support behind
our thriving industry is Quark
Expeditions.
As the name suggests, Quark does not
operate traditional cruise ships or luxury
liners capable of carrying many
thousands of guests. Expedition cruising
is more about the itinerary or the
experience off the ship as opposed to on
board activity.
The focus of Quark Expeditions is the
Polar Regions (both the Arctic and
Antarctic) of the world where itineraries
operate during the spring and summer. In
the Arctic that’s June to September, and
in Antarctica, November to March.
With vessels carrying fewer than 130
passengers, Quark’s fleet of ships feature
ice-strengthened hulls for navigation in
ice-packed polar waters and are all
equipped with Zodiacs (inflatable landing
craft) for shore transfers/landing – the
heart of expedition cruising.
Two ships in the Quark fleet (Kapitan
Dranitsyn and 50 Years of Victory) are
actual icebreakers – enormously
powerful ships, carrying the highest ice
rating in the world and each equipped
with helicopters for aerial sightseeing.
Quark’s expedition vessels are known
as “Polar Adventure Ships,” built for polar
sailing and their crew boast decades of
experience navigating icy waters.
When perusing potential itineraries it is
easy to see that Quark’s ships will get
your clients to some of the most isolated
and breathtaking wilderness areas in the
world.
For more details go to
www.quarkexpeditions.com or contact
the ICCA and we will connect you with
Quark’s Australian based representative.