The Holiday Gift for Travelers who want the Ultimate Arctic Adventure

WATERBURY, Vt., Nov. 9, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1991, Quark Expeditions sailed to the North Pole for the very first time. The polar expedition specialist's 15-day, 20th anniversary cruise to the top of the world begins June 23, 2011 in Helsinki, Finland. A cabin for two costs USD$48,760 for the ultimate Arctic cruise experience under the midnight sun. A voyage to the North Pole is the ultimate Arctic holiday gift for travelers.

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50 Years of Victory: The ice-crushing power of 75,000 horses

Travelers cruise to the North Pole in the most-sophisticated icebreaker on the planet – 50 Years of Victory. The pride of the Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet can cruise at 21 knots in open water and crush through ice 10 feet thick. The icebreaker carries a maximum of 128 guests in cabins with exterior views and facilities ensuite. Public spaces include two bars, a library, gym, saunas and a swimming pool. When Victory is not acting as a passenger vessel, the ship escorts merchant vessels through the treacherous Northeast Passage, during the uninterrupted polar darkness of winter.

5 Cabin Categories

In addition to the twin cabin category, the ship has mini-suites, suites, one Victory suite and five Arkitka suites that cost USD$70,160 per cabin. An Arkitka suite has a spacious bedroom with a single bed and a sitting room with a sofa bed. The private facilities have a bathtub. Amenities include a TV/DVD combination, coffee maker, and safe.

The All-Inclusive Adventure

All meals, accommodation and activities are included in the prices quoted,  as is the charter air transportation between Helsinki and Murmansk, Russia, the embarkation and disembarkation point. The champagne toast and barbecue on the ice is a highlight of the adventure.

Helicopter sight-seeing as the ship crushes through the Arctic Ocean pack ice is also part of the package price. Southbound shore landings will be made in Franz Josef Land, remote islands just 10 degrees from the North Pole. Polar bear and walrus inhabit the Arctic paradise.

Sophisticated Dining and Unparalleled Photo Opportunities

Shipboard menus are never repeated. A choice of three entrees are offered at lunch and dinner, including a vegetarian option. Breakfast is buffet style. The wine menu is eclectic. Unreserved single seating ensures travelers mix and mingle quickly.

Because a voyage to the North Pole is rare and there is no commercial traffic to Franz Josef Land, photo opportunities during this voyage result in truly rare images.

Book Online

Travelers can book online (www.quarkexpeditions.com) or call Quark Expeditions directly: toll free 1.888.892.0171 or +1.203.803.2666.

About Quark Expeditions

Since 1991, Quark Expeditions has specialized in expedition cruising to the Arctic and Antarctica, in ships with ice-strengthened hulls or in icebreakers. The first voyage operated by Quark was The Transpolar Bridge Cruise in 1991. The ship was the nuclear powered icebreaker Sovetskiy Soyuz. She sailed across the top of the world via Franz Josef Land, the North Pole, the New Siberian Islands, the Wrangel Island area and the Chukotka Peninsula, disembarking in Provideniya, Russia. 2011 is Quark Expeditions 20th anniversary as a polar adventure specialist.

SOURCE Quark Expeditions