29 November 2022
We have to start there, because a traveller searching this ship's name will
find it. On 29 November 2022, southeast of Cape Horn, a rogue wave struck Viking
Polaris and broke cabin windows. An American passenger died and four people were
injured.
Norway's accident investigation authority published its report in 2023. It
concluded that the cabin glazing had not withstood the load and recommended
design changes. The ship was repaired and returned to service.
We neither hide this event nor dramatise it. It is verifiable, documented by
a public authority, and part of what a traveller is entitled to know before
choosing a cruise in the Southern Ocean.
The hull
Two hundred and five metres, about 30,150 gross tons, seven decks, 378 guests
in 189 cabins and 256 crew. Ice-strengthened hull, straight bow, stabiliser fins
and U-tanks. Viking Octantis is its sister, delivered a year earlier.
Cabins have a Nordic balcony: an enclosed glazed veranda whose upper section
lowers, rather than an open outdoor balcony. It is an adaptation to polar
conditions, and better understood before boarding.
What the ship makes possible
Two submersibles for six passengers, inflatables, kayaks, an enclosed hangar
with a launch ramp, a scientific laboratory and a panoramic auditorium. The
submersible outing is included in the package, which is not the dominant
practice among Antarctic operators.
Viking Vela opens the newest ocean series, while Viking Sky and Viking Mars belong to the 2015 series.
Those are ships of another nature, built for ports rather than for ice.
What the package contains
Every port of call carries an included excursion. Meals are included,
specialty restaurants among them. Beer, wine and soft drinks are served at lunch
and dinner. Wi-Fi is included, with no commitment on speed. The Nordic Spa and
the fitness room are freely accessible. Port taxes and fees sit inside the
package.
Gratuities are not included, unlike the practice at some luxury river lines.
Prepaid or settled aboard, they come on top.
Optional excursions, drinks outside mealtimes, spa treatments and airfare
booked elsewhere are added as well.
What you will not find
No casino, on any ship in the fleet. No children's club. No musical revue. No
compulsory dressy evening. The minimum age is eighteen on embarkation day, and
no cabin takes a third occupant.
The trade-off fits in one sentence: days ashore are long and evenings are
quiet, with lectures, chamber music and a library where the casino would be.
Know which of the two you want before booking.
Leaving from Quebec
Allow a connection, sometimes two, and plan to arrive the day before. A ship
does not wait for a delayed flight. Travellers who arrive the same day take a
risk their insurance does not always cover the way they imagine.
Voyages AquaTerra is licensed by Quebec's Office de la protection du
consommateur. Money paid goes to the trust account Quebec law requires, and the
Compensation Fund for Customers of Travel Agents applies to your booking.
