Reminiscing: Where We Slept

Quark’s Ultramarine, from what photos I’ve seen, looks to be quite different from the vessels that previously took us to the polar regions. I already reminisced about those ships. Now to take a look at our accommodations.

Our cabins were utilitarian on Professor Molchanov and 50 Let Pobedy. Even the suite we were upgraded to on 50 Let Pobedy, which turned out to be the Chief Engineer’s cabin, cannot be described as anything but practical and functional, with the sofa serving as the second bed. These ships, after all, were designed to be “working vessels” — to conduct research in the polar regions in the case of the former, and to break a path through the thick sea ice for other vessels to follow in the case of the latter. But those cabins had everything we could possibly need on an expedition, so we were more than OK with them.

Our cabin on Sea Spirit was more like a cruise ship cabin. Not surprising as the vessel used to be owned by Renaissance, a cruise line that went defunct in the aftermath of 9/11. Though we booked a cabin with a picture window, we were later offered an upsell to a veranda cabin, which we took since the difference in price was quite reasonable.

What will our accommodations be like on Ultramarine? We’ll have to wait and see.Read more