Poseidon Expeditions

Towards the North Pole with 75,000 hp

As a specialist in Arctic and Antarctic travel
Poseidon Expeditions sets course for the geographic North Pole several times a year. A unique experience, as Jan Bryde, Expedition Leader and Senior Vice President at Poseidon Expeditions, reports.


They still exist,
the very special trips to the very special places that are reserved for only a few people, even in the jet age. A trip to the geographic North Pole belongs in this category! Especially when it takes place on board the world's largest and most powerful atomic icebreaker and landing at "90°'0000N" is guaranteed ...


Mr. Bryde,
Expedition cruises are currently very much in vogue. How do your North Pole voyages differ from a classic expedition cruise to the far north?

The biggest difference
is that our ship, the "50 Years of Victory", is a working ship that was not built for cruises. It belongs to the Russian state and is used in winter to supply the hard-to-reach settlements on the edge of the Arctic and to enable cargo and research ships to make their way through the Northeast Passage. With its spoon-shaped bow, it ploughs through even three-meter-thick ice with ease. As this is not necessary in summer, we can charter her for tourist purposes during this time and offer North Pole cruises. The officers then vacate their cabins for our guests and move into accommodation on the lower crew decks.


How should we imagine these cabins?

Although they look rather spartan, they are large and comfortably furnished. You feel at home there and enjoy the very special ambience.


And what is life on board like?

Life on the "50 Years of Victory" is casual and relaxed. There are several lounges where you can meet during the day or in the evening or listen to lectures by the experts traveling with you. The ship also has a passenger restaurant with fine gourmet cuisine prepared by an Austrian catering team, who even bring their own cutlery and crockery every year. What our maximum of 126 guests per voyage love is the "open bridge policy": anyone who wants to can go up to the bridge at any time and watch the captain and his crew at work.


On the way to the North Pole
and back again, several landings are offered every day. What is special about this?

For excursions,
Zodiacs and our own helicopter are available for excursions. We use them to explore Franz Josef Land with its many islands, for example. We often spot whales, seals and walruses. The tours are always accompanied by our 14 expedition members, who ensure the safety of our guests and introduce them to the unique nature on hikes or from the water.
The excursion program is of course always dependent on the weather.
It can also happen that we have to reschedule a landing at short notice because a polar bear suddenly appears on land. Fauna and flora always have priority in such a sensitive ecosystem. The highlight of every trip is the landing at the geographic North Pole.


How is this unique moment
celebrated on site?
As soon as we have reached and marked the North Pole, we hoist the national flags of all the nationalities on board in the perpetual ice. Then we gather in a large circle, go "once around the world" and also commemorate the more than seven billion people south of us. This is always a very moving moment that never fails to impress me. Some passengers toast with champagne afterwards, others cry, pray or want to be alone for a moment. The particularly brave can even take a dip in the ice water. The final event is a big BBQ at the pole before we go back on board, leaving nothing but footprints in the eternal ice.


Speaking of footprints:
Sustainability is a big issue in the cruise industry ...
This is also of central importance to us. However, the "50 Years of Victory" is absolutely emission-free due to its nuclear propulsion. Many guests ask about radiation exposure. We can reassure them: On a flight from Germany to New York, the radiation is higher than during the entire journey. Incidentally, a senior engineer gives a great lecture on the subject.


Who books with Poseidon Expeditions
the trip to the North Pole?
That's impossible to say. We have families, couples and individual travelers from all over the world and from all age groups. We have wealthy sheikhs as well as couples who have been saving for this trip all their lives. We have already celebrated 80th birthdays with children and grandchildren on board. But also wedding anniversaries, engagements ... What all guests have in common, however, is this dream of the North Pole, which they would like to fulfill once in their lives.


How simple - or complicated
- is the journey to the ship?
Completely uncomplicated! Our base port is Murmansk, which can be reached several times a day by plane via Moscow or St. Petersburg.


How many trips
are planned for the next summer season?
As in previous years, three twelve-day North Pole voyages will take place between mid-July and mid-August 2020. The cabins are in high demand, so early booking is highly recommended!

www.poseidonexpeditions.de