By
Rebecca Gibson |
Poseidon Expeditions is to continue to provide North Pole icebreaker expeditions onboard the nuclear-powered 50 Years of Victory until 2018.
The 525ft vessel’s owner Atomflot revealed the vessel would be used in the tourism industry earlier this week as part of a deal related to the earlier-than-planned deployment of a different icebreaker named Soviet Union.
Poseidon will now be able to use 50 Years of Victory for tourism cruises for at least three years beyond 2015, despite announcing earlier this year that the ship would be used to facilitate scientific exploration and transport in remote and hard-to-reach regions of the Arctic and the Northeast Passage.
“The Atomflot announcement came as a surprise, but a very pleasant one,” said Nikolay Saveliev, president of Poseidon Expeditions. “We are pleased to continue partnering with Atomflot to provide this experience for travellers looking for such a unique voyage. We have operated 29 North Pole cruises onboard the nuclear icebreakers Yamal and 50 Years of Victory since 2001, and will operate four programmes in 2015.”
Departure dates and rates beyond the 2015 season are still to be determined. Meanwhile, Poseidon is currently in negotiations with Atomflot to operate the vessel for an additional three seasons.
50 Years of Victory accommodates 128 passengers in cabins with exterior views and also features a dining room; an aft salon for lectures and presentations; a bow-facing bar and lounge; a library and lounge; a gym, two saunas and swimming pool with heated seawater. In addition, the ship has a clinic and a physician.