Quark Expeditions

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Quark Expeditions
Founded1991
HeadquartersSeattle, United States
Key people
Andrew White, President
Services
  • Polar Expeditions
  • Polar Cruises
  • Adventure Travel
  • North Pole Travel
  • Passenger Transportation
ParentTravelopia
Websitewww.quarkexpeditions.com

Quark Expeditions is a travel company that offers polar region expeditions aboard expedition ships and icebreakers.

History[edit]

Quark Expeditions was founded in 1985 by Mike McDowell, initially specializing in small-ship dive expeditions. It then transitioned to polar expeditions, where McDowell had prior experience as the expedition leader of the MV Explorer.

In 1990–1991, McDowell chartered the MV Frontier Spirit during its inaugural season of operations for several voyages to Antarctica from Hobart, Australia and Bluff, New Zealand. After these voyages, Mike McDowell partnered with Lars Wikander.

In 1998, McDowell sold his interests to Lars Wikander, who then became the company's majority owner. Three years later, Wikander became chairman of the board when Patrick Shaw joined the company as president and CEO.[citation needed]

In May 2007, the company became part of the UK-based TUI Travel group of companies; subsequently, in 2016, it became part of Travelopia, a division comprising some brands from the former TUI Specialist Group.[citation needed]

In 2012, the company advertised that it was offering the first "carbon-neutral" polar expeditions with the Ocean Diamond. The former ro-ro ship uses Bunker C heavy-duty oil, and one voyage produces an estimated 5,682 tons of CO2. The tour operator signed a contract with the certifier The CarbonNeutral Company.[1]

In 2016, the company mounted an Arctic expedition involving internet personalities and YouTube creators including Ben Brown, Tim Kellner and Tom Scott led by retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield.[2]

The company's summer 2019 program in the Arctic included sailings to Greenland, Canada's High Arctic, the Northwest Passage and the North Pole.[3]

In April 2021, Quark took delivery of its first solely owned ship Ultramarine from Brodosplit shipyard in Croatia.[4]

Polar fleet & land expeditions[edit]

In 1991, Quark Expeditions was the first consumer-led expedition to the North Pole.[5] The company has the largest and most diverse fleet of passenger vessels in the Antarctic.[6] Quark offers both cruises and land-based expeditions. Expeditions are held on the following ships:

Fleet
Icebreakers
Name Year Completed Shipyard Passenger Capacity Ice-class Notes
50 Let Pobedy (50 Years of Victory) 1993 Baltic Shipyard 128 LL1 (the highest rating possible) [7]
Kapitan Khlebnikov 1981 Hietalahti Shipyard, Finland 108 LL3[8]
Expedition Fleet
Ocean Adventurer 1975 Brodogradilište, Kraljevica, Yugoslavia SFR Yugoslavia (now Croatia) 128 1A To be retired from Quark expedition service in October 2024[9]
World Explorer 2019 WestSEA Shipyard, Viana do Castelo, Portugal 172 1B Chartered from Mystic Cruises, will be renamed STAR EXPLORER and will be handed over to Windstar Cruises in December 2026.[10]
Ultramarine 2021[11] Brodosplit shipyard, Croatia 199 1A+, PC6[12] First ship fully owned by Quark Expeditions
Ocean Explorer 2021 Haimen shipyard, Jiangsu, China 138 1A, PC6[13] Chartered from Sunstone 2024/25 Antarctic season replacing Ocean Adventurer[14]

Sustainability & charitable initiatives[edit]

Quark Expeditions is a long-time, active member of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators and Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators, and promotes various sustainability initiatives.[15][16] In 2012, the Ocean Diamond made a carbon-neutral voyage to Antarctica.[17]

Recognition[edit]

Quark has received several industry awards, including from Travel Weekly and National Geographic.[18][19][20][21][22][23]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Quark Expeditions Offers First Carbon Neutral Voyages in Polar Travel History". Adventure Travel Trade Association. 2012-04-20. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  2. ^ Bishop, Jordan (2016-10-26). "This 7-Minute Video Will Make You Drop Everything And Visit The Arctic". Forbes. Retrieved 2016-11-10.
  3. ^ "Quark Expeditions Announces Arctic Program for Summer 2019". Cruise Industry News. 2018-02-04. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  4. ^ Industry News, Cruise. "Quark Takes Delivery of New Expedition Ship Ultramarine - Cruise Industry News | Cruise News".
  5. ^ Elmhirst, Lynn (2021-10-19). "Quark Expeditions' New Ship, Ultramarine, is an Expedition Cruising Gamechanger". Open Jaw. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  6. ^ "Ships". www.antarcticaguide.com. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  7. ^ "50 Years of Victory: Polar Icebreaker | Quark Expeditions". www.quarkexpeditions.com. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  8. ^ "Kapitan Khlebnikov: Russian Icebreaker | Quark Expeditions". www.quarkexpeditions.com. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  9. ^ Wenger, Dr Michael. "Last season for popular Polar expedition ship". Polarjournal. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  10. ^ "Windstar Cruises to acquire two ships from Mystic Invest". Shippax. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  11. ^ "Brodosplit Delivers Luxury Expedition Cruise Ship Ultramarine". The Maritime Executive. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  12. ^ "Ultramarine | Quark Expeditions". www.quarkexpeditions.com. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  13. ^ "Ocean Explorer | Quark Expeditions". www.quarkexpeditions.com. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  14. ^ "Ocean Explorer going to Quark, Ocean Odyssey leaving cruise service (updated)". Seatrade Cruise News. 2024-01-22. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  15. ^ "Sustainable, Responsible Polar Tourism with AECO & IAATO". Quark Expeditions. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  16. ^ Lestin, Yveneka (2019-04-22). "Quark Expeditions Unveils "Polar Promise" Sustainability Strategy". Luxury Travel Advisor. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  17. ^ "Quark Expeditions Offers First Carbon Neutral Voyages in Polar Travel History". Adventure Travel News. 2012-04-19. Archived from the original on 2012-05-11.
  18. ^ "World's Leading Polar Expedition Operator 2013". World Travel Awards.
  19. ^ "WTM London 2014 - Amadeus & WTM Travel Experience Awards Winners". Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  20. ^ "Winners List". Travel Weekly Magellan Awards.
  21. ^ "50 best trips for 2013". Wanderlust. 2012-12-27.
  22. ^ Loftus, Margaret (20 April 2010). "Best Tours in Europe". National Geographic. Archived from the original on January 29, 2017.
  23. ^ "The Wanderlist". Outside Online. 1 March 2006.
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