Travelers who want a modern, comfortable small polar ship for Arctic trips.
Think twice if: Ship is chartered, not owned by Quark; check which operator runs your specific sailing.
See her Europe sailings ↓ · Where is she now? → · Quark Expeditions's page for this ship →
What she's like
Quiet and personal. Small enough for little harbours big ships can't use. About 60 tons of ship per guest. As a rule of thumb, 40 or more feels roomy and under 30 feels busy.
Unknown from line's site.
Our judgment, from $ (budget) to $$$$$ (ultra-luxury).
Since the Antarctic 2024/25 season: complimentary Wi-Fi and alcohol on all voyages ('Raise a Glass and Stay Connected').
The line doesn't say.
The line doesn't say.
Where she sails in Europe
Svalbard/Arctic
Listed for 14-night Spitsbergen Circumnavigation July 2026 on agency sites.
We don't have her sailing-by-sailing schedule yet. See the line's site for dates.
What it costs beyond the fare
| Tips for the crew | Not found on line's pages read. |
|---|---|
| Drinks package | Included: 'Beer, standard wines and spirits, as well as cocktails, will be available to guests at no charge during bar service hours and dinner.' |
| Wifi | Included: one device at a time, basic browsing and voice apps; premium packages sold. |
| Money on board | not published (US dollar payments accepted for bookings). |
How tipping and money work on a European cruise → · Build a full trip budget →
Her restaurants · 0 included, 0 extra
| Where to eat | Cost |
|---|---|
| Main Dining Room | Not stated |
| Private Dining Room (up to 36 guests) | Not stated |
Which cabin to book, and which to avoid
| Cabin type | Size | Decks |
|---|---|---|
| Studio Single | about 166 sq ft | 3 |
| Veranda Stateroom | 173-272 sq ft | 4, 6, 7 |
| Deluxe Veranda Forward | 182-195 sq ft | 4 |
| Veranda Suite | about 205 (200-205) sq ft | 4, 6 |
| Triple Suite | 443 sq ft | 6 |
Good to know before you pick
- Lifeboats sit on Deck 7 aft beside the Polar Deck; no cabins next to them
- Deck 6 aft cabins sit below the Deck 7 Polar Deck and Bar and jacuzzis
- Deck 4 aft cabins sit below the Deck 5 Main Dining Room; Deck 4 forward cabins below the Explorer Lecture Lounge
- Accessibility-modified cabins marked on Deck 4 (424, 425)
- Interconnecting suites marked on Decks 4 and 6
If you use a wheelchair or walk with difficulty
Elevators: One elevator ('E') midship, decks 3-8 Our accessibility guide →
Find your way around
Our own deck plans, drawn from the line's official plan: tap a deck to see it from above, with what's at the front, middle and back of the ship. Use “Find on board” to light up every deck with a pool, a bar or a restaurant. Not to scale.
- Deck 9 · Top Deck , Top Deck
- Deck 8 , Observation Deck (aft); Observation Bistro; Observation Lounge & Bar; Observation Deck (forward)
- Deck 7 , Polar Deck and Bar; Jacuzzis (two); Gym; Tundra Spa & Sauna; Bridge / Bridge Deck
- Deck 6 , The Discovery Library; Cabins
- Deck 5 , Main Dining Room; Private Dining Room; Reception; Latitude Bar & Lounge; Polar Boutique; Explorer Lecture Lounge
- Deck 4 , Expedition Desk; Cabins
- Deck 3 , Zodiac Boarding and Ready Room; Medical Facilities
What to book, and when
The line doesn't publish its booking windows where we could find them.
The ship in numbers
- Cruise line
- Quark Expeditions
- Kind of ship
- Expedition
- Built
- 2021
- Guests
- 138
- Crew
- 105
- Guest decks
- 6
- Gross tons
- 8,228
- Length
- 104 m (343 ft)
- Flag
- Portugal
- Ship number
- IMO 9883194
- In Europe 2026–27
- Svalbard/Arctic
Highlights
- 138 guests; Ulstein X-Bow for a smoother ride
- Ice class 1A, PC6; 15 Zodiacs
- Almost all cabins have a balcony
- Chartered from SunStone (Wikipedia)
More pictures
Sources & what we could not confirm · 5 sources · checked 2026-11
- Quark Expeditions official ship page: Ocean Explorer
- Quark Expeditions (Wikipedia, secondary)
- VesselFinder registry entry
- Quark press release: free Wi-Fi and bar service (Dec 2023)
- Quark expedition terms and conditions
- Decks 3 and 4 listed on Quark page without named venues; only decks 5-8 included.
- Class not stated in sources opened; left null.
- Quark page does not state dining charges; cost left null.
- Quark Expeditions: Gratuities
- Quark Expeditions: Dress code
- Quark Expeditions: Kids
- Quark Expeditions: Booking/cancellation
- Quark Expeditions: Accessibility
- Quark Expeditions: Whether 2023 press release still reflects 2026-27 policy
- Deck plan: Ship page lists more size ranges (146-186, 296-299, 269, 162 sq ft) whose categories could not be matched with certainty (likely Studio Veranda Single, Penthouse and Owner's suites)