Poseidon Expeditions Blog

Poseidon Expeditions // July 16, 2020

Voyage to the North Pole: What Makes an Icebreaker Different from other Ice-Class Ships

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.

Steve Wellmeier // June 24, 2020

North Pole Adventure

Recollections of My North Pole Adventure

By Steve Wellmeier

You say you love to travel and you’ve been all over the world, even to Antarctica, the Seventh Continent. Oh, a member of the Travelers’ Century Club, are you? You’ve been to all the capital cities of Europe, to game reserves in Kenya and Tanzania. Places filled with culture, restaurants and museums on one hand and, on the other, remote environments where wildlife reigns and mere mortals pay homage to Mother Nature.

After all of that, “Why?,” you say. “Why would I want to go to the North Pole?” You’re not the bucket-list type, you add, and you really don’t see the point, when you’ve already experienced Arctic wildlife in Svalbard and seen massive icebergs in East Greenland.

Poseidon Expeditions // June 16, 2020

Poseidon Expeditions Polar Book Club - The Terrors of Ice and Darkness

The dramatic events surrounding the Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition

There is probably no other novel that is as suitable for getting in the mood for an expedition to the remote Russian archipelago of Franz Josef Land than The Terrors of Ice and Darkness, the debut work of the Austrian author Christoph Ransmayr, first published in 1984. Thirty-six years later, Ransmayr, who was recently awarded the Ludwig Börne Prize, one of the most important literary awards in German-speaking countries, is now one of the major contemporary German-language authors.

Poseidon Expeditions // June 12, 2020

Poseidon Expeditions Polar Book Club - The Greatest Show in the Arctic

Walter Wellman (center), in Tromsø on board the Frithjof during his 1898-1899 expedition to Franz Josef Land.

Try, Try and Try Again: American Expeditions to the North Pole, 1898 to 1905

By Steve Wellmeier, Sales Director of Poseidon’s US office

For me, as an American who’s been involved in polar travel for more than 20 years, some of the most fascinating episodes about Franz Josef Land are the multiple times American adventurers in the late 19th- and early 20th-centuries selected it as a base station to reach the North Pole.

Poseidon Expeditions // May 16, 2020

Famous Arctic Expeditions

The same trip to the Arctic today and a hundred years ago are two drastically different things. For one, the time to get there – a few days on a modern expedition ship versus several years with dog sleds, skis, vessels getting stuck in the pack ice, and even on foot. Then there are everyday activities of the voyage – today, you may go on a Zodiac cruise and chill in the Jacuzzi among icebergs, when early explorers had their hands full with chipping ice off the decks, melting snow for freshwater or hunting for food. This makes us appreciate the early Arctic explorers even more – driven by sheer will and passion, they faced challenges and braved seas, making their way into history books and our memories.

Poseidon Expeditions // April 30, 2020

Aboard 50 Years of Victory

Our North Pole cruises take place aboard the most powerful icebreaker in the world, 50 Let Pobedy, which stands for 50 Years of Victory. This vessel is truly a masterpiece of engineering and an enduring symbol of Arctic shipping. But what is a day aboard an icebreaker like for our passengers? Let’s take a virtual tour!

Chantel Loura // March 2, 2020

Explore the Polar World with Poseidon Expeditions

Where will your spirit of adventure lead you next? Embark on an expedition ship for the experience of a lifetime. The polar regions may seem cold and distant, but there are full of warm memories to make and inviting to discerning travelers and sustainable tourism.

Chantel Loura // January 17, 2020

Interview with the Captain of 50 Years of Victory Nuclear-Powered Icebreaker

No one can talk more authoritative than Captain Dmitry Lobusov, with 32 years of icebreaker experience, including 14 years as captain of nuclear-powered vessels and a dozen years as master of 50 Years of Victory. We were lucky to get this rare interview with the man who has been to 90º north more than most people on earth.

Chantel Loura // January 4, 2020

Diving in the North Pole

On an expedition cruise to the North Pole, Poseidon Expeditions offered a diving option for the bravest explorers of the polar regions. They were able to plunge into the icy waters and see the other side of the thick sea ice.

Chantel Loura // December 13, 2019

Cruise to the North Pole with Poseidon Expeditions

Get the unique experience of traveling aboard the most powerful nuclear icebreaker on an expedition cruise with Poseidon Expeditions to the North Pole.