Polar Latitudes Expeditions
Expedition Cruising
Polar Latitudes Expeditions is a name I trust for clients who want a genuine polar expedition rather than a floating hotel that happens to visit Antarctica. The merger of Polar Latitudes and Albatros Expeditions has created a four-ship fleet that gives real flexibility — the Ocean Albatros and Ocean Victory are modern Ulstein X-BOW vessels with Ice Class 1A Super ratings, balcony cabins, and a noticeably smoother ride across the Drake Passage, while the Seaventure and Ocean Nova offer a more intimate, classic expedition feel with no more than 78 to 139 guests. What sets them apart is the citizen science programme — guests contribute to real research on whale feeding, penguin populations, and phytoplankton in partnership with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The passenger-to-staff ratio of around 7:1 means you are spending serious time off the ship, averaging six hours a day in Zodiacs and on landings. For clients who want substance over sparkle, Polar Latitudes delivers.
Polar Latitudes Expeditions was formed in 2025 through the merger of two respected polar operators: Polar Latitudes, founded in 2012 by John McKeon and Shanchen Ting with a mission to build an expedition company they would want to travel with themselves, and Albatros Expeditions, established by Danish biologist Soren Rasmussen. The original Polar Latitudes was one of the few operators sailing exclusively in polar waters, and that single-minded focus has carried through to the combined entity. Headquartered in White River Junction, Vermont and Copenhagen, Denmark, the company is a member of IAATO, AECO, and USTOA.
The merged fleet comprises four ice-strengthened expedition vessels. The Ocean Albatros (2022) and Ocean Victory (2021) are modern Ulstein X-BOW Infinity-class ships with Ice Class 1A Super and Polar Code 6 ratings, diesel-electric propulsion systems delivering a fifty per cent lower carbon footprint, and balcony cabins as the predominant stateroom category. The MS Seaventure carries the highest ice-class rating awarded to passenger vessels (1A Super) and features a purpose-built citizen science laboratory, heated saltwater pool, and sauna. The classic Ocean Nova, originally built in Denmark in 1992 for Greenland’s ice-choked waters, rounds out the fleet as the most intimate option at just 78 passengers. All voyages are capped at a maximum of 180 guests.
The expedition programme is built around maximising time off the ship. Passengers average six hours a day on landings and Zodiac excursions, supported by a staff-to-guest ratio of between 7:1 and 8:1. Activities include sea kayaking, polar camping, photography workshops, hiking, and the company’s pioneering citizen science programme, which invites every guest to participate — at no extra cost — in research projects studying whale behaviour, penguin populations, phytoplankton distribution, and water clarity in partnership with institutions including the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Secchi Disk Foundation.
Destinations span both poles and the sub-polar regions between them. Antarctic itineraries cover the Antarctic Peninsula, crossings of the Antarctic Circle, the Falkland Islands, and South Georgia. Arctic voyages visit Svalbard, Greenland’s Disko Bay, Iceland, the Scottish Isles, and the Faroe Islands. For travellers who want an expedition operator whose entire identity is polar exploration — backed by genuine scientific partnerships and a fleet purpose-matched to the environment — Polar Latitudes Expeditions is a compelling specialist choice.
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