
One of the key benefits of any polar expedition cruise is knowing that you’re on an ice-class vessel designed to safely operate in icy waters. Depending on the classification of the ship, you’ll be able to travel through slushy ice and bergy bits at a minimum, brash ice and possibly even thicker first-year ice.
Comparing the ice class of one ship to another can sometimes be challenging, as a variety of national and international registers exist, each with its own nomenclature and designations. You can do the research, but rest assured: your captain or ice master is experienced in the waters through which you’ll be traveling, and fully knows the capabilities and limitations of the ship that he’s commanding.