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Despite fears that North Pole voyages will no longer operate
after this year, Poseidon Expeditions has announced three departures in 2016.
The 14-day polar expeditions will be aboard the 128-passenger, nuclear-powered
icebreaker named 50 Years of Victory.
The voyages to 90º North — the geographic North Pole — take place at the height
of the summer season: July 10, July 21 and Aug. 1, 2016. The programs also
include Franz Josef Land, an infrequently visited region in the Russian High
Arctic. Rates range from $26,995 per person for a standard stateroom to $41,995
for the Arktika Suite.
In early 2014, it was feared that North Pole expeditions would end this year
after the 50 Years of Victory stopped operating passenger voyages in favor of
more lucrative work clearing the way for cargo and scientific ships in Arctic
waters. But in October, Poseidon announced that the owner of the icebreaker,
Atomflot, decided once again to operate passenger voyages through 2018.
“We are pleased that our partner in this venture — the vessel’s owner, Atomflot
— has decided to continue making this unique vessel available to tourism with
departures in 2016 and beyond,” said Poseidon President Nikolay Saveliev.
“Fortunately, Atomflot’s earlier plans that summer 2015 would be 50 Years of
Victory’s swan song insofar as carrying passengers to the North Pole did not
materialize.”
The company said it was “happy” to resume the North Pole program. For a taste of
the reaction, check out this lip dub video produced last August during the final
North Pole cruise of 2014. |
