Polarfront: A Small Ship Built for Big Arctic Adventures

Polarfront isn’t just another expedition vessel—it’s a purpose-built platform for exploring the high Arctic in comfort, flexibility, and style. With space for just 12 guests, this ship delivers an expedition experience that’s personal, quiet, and deeply connected to the places we visit.

Originally built in 1976 as a Norwegian weather station, Polarfront has spent decades withstanding the toughest North Atlantic conditions. After her service ended in 2010, she was rebuilt as an expedition vessel—refurbished in 2018 and upgraded again in 2020 to provide a modern, comfortable home base for Arctic travellers.

Cabins are all twin suites with private bathrooms, porthole windows, and thoughtful details like robes, hair dryers, and eco-friendly bath products. You won’t find flashy extras, but you will find quiet luxury, warm hospitality, and everything you need for a comfortable journey through some of the world’s most rugged terrain.

The ship’s size is its greatest strength. Two zodiacs get everyone ashore quickly, and the crew-to-guest ratio means your days are flexible and responsive to wildlife encounters, weather shifts, and spontaneous discoveries. Outside decks are spacious and uncluttered—ideal for photography, wildlife viewing, and just taking it all in. When the cold sets in, warm up in the panoramic sauna or the hot tub on the aft deck. Both offer wide views of Arctic landscapes and, if conditions are right, even the northern lights.

Coriolis Lounge

Nordic Sauna

Panoramic Bridge

Aft Deck Hot Tub

Gymnasium and Lounge

Guest Library

Polarfront in the Ice

The bridge is open most of the time, so you’re welcome to join the captain and crew to watch for whales or ask about the day’s route. Downstairs, the lounge becomes the heart of the ship—part briefing room, part social space, and always stocked with snacks, drinks, and good conversation.

What sets Polarfront apart isn’t just the comfort—it’s the quiet. A major retrofit in 2024 introduced state-of-the-art electric propulsion and noise-reducing systems that cut fuel use by 35% and reduce sound impact underwater. That’s good for the planet, good for marine life, and good for the kind of calm, immersive experience we value. The upgrades also include catalytic exhaust systems to reduce nitrogen oxide pollution, high-efficiency boilers, and shore power compatibility for cleaner port calls.

We explore wild places. That means traveling with care. Polarfront is setting a new standard for sustainability in small ship cruising—without compromising the spirit of expedition.

Whether you're scanning the ice edge for polar bears, kayaking in silent fjords, or swapping stories in the lounge after a long day outside, Polarfront is built to take you there—and to do it right. Small group travel, minimal impact, maximum experience.

From the propeller to the bridge, all systems will be powered by:

Electric propulsion with two motors;
5-blade fixed propeller, larger diameter, without nozzle;
3 main generator sets with catalytic exhaust gas reduction systems (to avoid pollution by nitrogen oxides) + one mooring generator set
Electrical connection at the quayside when ports allow it
High efficiency boiler combined with an engine heat recovery system