Quark Takes Delivery of New Expedition Cruise Ship Ultramarine
U.S.-based Quark Expeditions has taken delivery of its new polar expedition cruise ship Ultramarine from the Brodosplit Shipyard in Croatia.
The 128-meter Ultramarine has accommodations for 199 passengers in 103 cabins, plus 140 crew members. It features two twin-engine helicopters and two heliports as well as 20 quick-deploy Zodiacs for off-ship adventuring.
Andrew White, president of Quark Expeditions, said, “Every aspect of Ultramarine has been designed and engineered to enable our teams to get guests off the ship and deep into the polar wilderness better than ever before. This new vessel–in the hands of the most experienced team in the expedition industry–will allow us to create truly immersive off-ship adventures for our guests while providing them with a superior onboard experience.”
The vessel’s sustainability features include the Micro Auto Gasification System (MAGS), which converts waste into energy at the site that it's generated. MAGs eliminates the environmental impact of waste transportation, offering an innovative sustainability feature that exceeds all industry standards.
“This game-changing ship was delivered after more than five years of dedicated work and considerable financial resources,” White said. “This commitment of time and money, especially during an industry-challenging pandemic, reflects our confidence in the future of polar travel and underscores our commitment to delivering life-changing polar experiences no one ever thought possible.”
Tomislav Debeljak, Brodosplit CEO, said, “When we laid the keel for the newbuilding 487 last year, we were at the very end of the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic. At that time, no one thought the COVID-19 would continue to be one of the largest worldwide threats for such a long time. Since then, with all the limitations, dangers, and threats that the pandemic brought, we have managed to complete the construction of the Newbuilding 487, Ultramarine, which depicts the ability of Brodosplit to complete the ordered work in the most difficult conditions within the agreed deadlines.”
“The completion of Ultramarine—with its superior on-ship amenities and advanced technology—is a testament to the community of engineers, naval architects, welders, structural fabricators, riggers, electricians and all of the other crew at the Brodosplit shipyard—as well as the designers, innovators and operational team members in the Quark Expeditions head office—who’ve worked long and hard over the last three years,” said Malcolm Ellis, Senior Vice-President of Operations for Quark Expeditions. “So many people have contributed to the building of this vessel—and that includes our expedition team whose input spurred so many of the innovations that catapult Ultramarine into a league of its own.”
In February 2021, Ultramarine underwent rigorous sea trials during which every aspect of the ship was tested. “The Quark Expeditions team and the shipyard crew put our purpose-built ship through its paces, testing every technological development that makes Ultramarine unique. It’s vitally important to us that our guests experience the polar adventure they’ve long waited for, and that’s why we test every aspect of the ship from speed to dynamic positioning to launching the Zodiacs—and so much more,” Ellis said.