51 to remote locations in the Galapagos Islands without disturbing marine life. Franklin Braeckman: Our fleet of icestrengthened vessels enables us to adapt our itinerary programme and routes to meet customer demand. For instance, the 108-passenger ship Ortelius is rated equivalent to Ice Class 1A, which means it can navigate through solid one-year sea ice and loose multi-year pack ice. Stephen Winter: Ponant has never ceased to innovate in the design of its ships. With a fleet of 13 small exploration ships, all sustainably certified by Bureau Veritas, Ponant enables its guests to get as close as possible to nature and ancestral cultures, far from the crowded maritime routes. Le Commandant Charcot features lowimpact polar navigation tools including a hybrid-electric engine powered by LNG to sail in protected areas. Sarah Schlederer: When it comes to polar expeditions, a cruise line is only as good as the ships that it operates. And our fleet of small polar vessels, including icebreakers and expedition ships, takes guests to places where larger ships can’t navigate. Our micro-auto gasification system onboard our latest vessel Ultramarine converts waste into energy, allowing us to operate with reduced emissions. Carly Perkins: Seabourn has two purpose-built ultra-luxury expedition ships with a Polar Class 6 rating, ice-strengthened hulls and advanced manoeuvring technology for superior stability, safety and comfort. Plus, the modern hardware and technology onboard Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit extends their global deployment capabilities. How do your onboard facilities enhance the expedition cruise experience? SR: We combine exploration with indulgence onboard our ships, offering everything from lecture lounges, libraries and mudrooms to speciality restaurants, spa and gym facilities. The outdoor BBQ Decks on Ocean Albatros and Ocean Victory immerse guests in the destinations while they’re eating, and the observation lounges offer floorto-ceiling windows so they can admire views from inside the ship. FG: Our onboard facilities are designed to deliver comfort without compromising on the expedition experience, ensuring a blend of luxury and adventure. The lounges on both our vessels feature large windows to provide uninterrupted views of the scenery. Onboard dining combines the best local ingredients for guests to taste dishes from the destinations that they visit. AR: We run a number of citizen science programmes onboard our vessels where guests can assist with water sampling and collecting penguin eggshells for analysis in Antarctica. Lectures about our scientific work are delivered in our lecture room and Photo: Christian Kruse Albatros Expeditions’ ships have multiple Zodiac-loading locations for easy access for shore excursions FEATURE
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