Quark Expeditions will soon be able to call itself a shipowner.
The Andrew White-led charterer of expedition vessels has ordered a 200-passenger polar expedition newbuild from Croatian shipyard Brodosplit. Delivery is set for 2020, the company said.
"More people are interested in exploring the polar regions than ever before, and this new ship will allow Quark Expeditions to keep up with the increased demand," Quark said.
The vessel with 103 cabins and 116 crew members will be built at a cost of EUR 100m ($130m), Brodosplit said.
The ship will weigh more than 13,000 gross tonnes and feature 13 redundant critical systems and an emergency bridge.
Four diesel-electric motors stored in two engine rooms will produce 4,400 kw of power able to bring the ship to a top speed of 16 knots.
The vessel, which will carry 20 zodiacs for exploring, will be designed by Norway-based LMG Marin and Quark. It will also have two helicopter pads.
“This ship will be more than just a ship – it will be an unrivaled operational base for polar expeditions”, said White, Quark Expeditions president.
Quark currently charters five small expedition ships and two icebreakers. The company has not immediately returned an email seeking information on any future newbuilds.
Quark Expeditions is a member of Travelopia, a group of travel brands recently acquired by investment firm KKR.
