What It’s Like to Sail to Antarctica on Viking’s Luxe New Expedition Ship

Just last week I sat in a Norwegian hot tub known as a badestamp, the steam rising to meet the crisp air of Antarctica that flushed my cheeks. As our ship sailed at a leisurely pace past brilliant blue icebergs, I kept an eye out for the occasional crabeater seal—usually perched on ice floes, they’d lazily lift their heads to glance over at us. I lived like that—in this delicate sweet spot where great adventure and comfort meet—for a full eleven days on board the brand-new Viking Octantis.

This is only a sliver of the experience on the ship, which just completed the first four sailings of its shakedown season in Antarctica. Announced in early 2020, the 378-passenger ship—which will also sail around the Great Lakes and South America in the year ahead—is the first in the brand’s new line of expedition ships (the second, Viking Polaris, will begin sailing late this summer).

Many on board had spent the last two years looking forward to the ship's launch, which took place at the start of 2022. The consensus: the experience was well worth the wait.

The ship delivers on Viking trademarks that guests love, with all-new offerings geared toward adventure travel: There are zodiacs and sightseeing boats that can be launched off the back of the ship, a science lab where guests can learn from the marine biologists onboard, and an expedition center where wildlife sightings are charted daily beside interactive maps of the region, to name just a few. And when you need a minute between all that activity? You’ll find that beloved Nordic design Viking is known for, with quiet nooks for reading, comfy chairs with stellar views, and more.

Here's what else you'll find aboard the Viking Octantis. 

A ship designed for learning

Chairman Torstein Hagen often says that Viking is “the thinking person’s cruise.” Make of that what you will, but it’s something I thought of many times on the Octantis.

For starters, take the size of the Living Room, a space filled with leather reading chairs, puzzles, and a wealth of thoughtfully selected books curated by London’s Heywood Hill (purported to be the favorite bookstore of Queen Elizabeth II) and Cambridge University’s Scott Polar Research Institute. While it’s not the only area for unwinding, it dwarfs the Explorer’s Lounge, which serves top-shelf cocktails and the sounds of live piano every afternoon, and the chaise-filled Aquavit Terrace pool bar on the back of the ship. (The latter two spaces are also found on other Viking ships.) Though there are always quiet nooks to escape to—the size really is notable—the Living Room hosts a rotation of activities, too, including daily workshops with the resident photographer.

On the back of the ship, a remarkable room called the Aula functions as a lecture hall—if, you know, your college lecture hall had plush pleather seats draped in wool blankets and a help-yourself espresso machine parked outside. Massive windows on three sides make it possible to steal glimpses of the very surroundings a cast of lecturers educate passengers on: Daily talks range from an 45-minute “Diversity of Penguins” seminar from on-board ornithologists, to a discussion on Antarctica’s formation from a geologist. Many evenings, documentaries are played here as well (a favorite featured original footage from Roald Amundsen's 1910 to 1912 South Pole expedition).

Guests have a chance to turn their curiosity into action in The Science Lab, where they can learn about active research projects being conducted onboard (thanks to partnerships with the University of Cambridge and Norwegian research institute Akvaplan-Niva). There’s a citizen science element as well—laymen can sign up for a laboratory experience that involves helping the team count microplastics found in water samples, or preparing bait for an underwater camera that documents local wildlife. (Though, frankly, I felt most helpful taking a tour then leaving them to get back to the real work.)

Outdoor spaces for taking in the destination

With so many great spaces indoors, you might be surprised to learn that the bow was my favorite spot on the entire ship. The wildlife watching, made easy thanks to pro binoculars in every stateroom, was addicting; add in the expedition staff—a mix of marine biologists, cetologists, historians, and adventure tour guides with many years of expertise in the region—and their regular presence on the deck made it hard to step away. What a privilege to be able to point out something moving in the water and have an expert just feet away immediately identify the animal to you, then answer every question you could have about their behavior, lifecycle, and tips for identifying them on your own. Even greater: I found the on-board geologist just as able to answer my questions about Gentoo penguin behavior as a member of the excursion team could pick out humpback whales on the horizon—everyone is an expert in everything, it can seem.

Inside, the scenery still takes the lead

For those less comfortable amid the elements, take comfort in knowing the indoors are designed for appreciating the outdoors. The Shelter is a covered space between the ship and the bow with heated railings to warm cold hands and plush seats. On the back of the ship, the Finse Terrace got a bit less wind, but was also great for bird and whale watching. (It appears a plush set of lounge chairs will fill that area in warmer climes.) And make sure to find secret-spot The Hide before disembarking: Right in the bow of the ship on Deck 1, the speakeasy style enclave has a fireplace and front-row seats to the lashing waves outside, with nightly storytelling hours featuring members of the expedition team. 

As for the staterooms? Nordic balconies, as Viking calls them, ensure everyone can hear the blow of minke whale spouts right from bed—just hit a button and the top half of floor-to-ceiling windows recedes, allowing guests to feel the fresh air from the comfort of their couch. 

Active excursions

While excursions offered on the Octantis will vary by destination, the ship’s hangar full of toys gives passengers a glimpse of what to expect wherever they sail with the ship. It currently houses 16 kayaks, 17 zodiacs, two special operations boats, and two yellow submarines (named John and Paul, as if there were any other option; the Polaris will have George and Ringo).

All of these activities were included in the trip cost, which isn’t always the case on other ships where special experiences like submarine rides can run about $500 a pop. Viking is known for always including one excursion per destination; in Antarctica, landings are guaranteed once per day. Though landing destinations can vary greatly based on conditions, we got to visit an abandoned whaling station at Deception Island, the largest Gentoo penguin colony in the Antarctic Peninsula at Cuverville, and a number of research bases where we could snowshoe to viewpoints (surrounded, of course, by more adorable penguins). 

One big letdown: The submarines weren’t operating for the first three Antarctic sailings due to technical difficulties, and only quietly began running on the last days of the fourth sailing that I was on. Guests were offered a chance to ride on an invitation-basis leaving a good number grumbling about not being asked. (I was among those enviously watching the dozen or so who made the cut.) The submarine did reach depths of over 200 meters—subs on other liners stay closer to 100–where one guest one board said they observed the seabed with a very rare sighting of a 30-foot-long phantom jellyfish. 

It's a reminder that Antarctica requires a high level of flexibility—you might get a day of rough seas on the Drake Passage (we, miraculously, had smooth sailing both ways), weather can lead to canceled landings, sometimes more than once on a single trip, and that submarine just might not work. Consider that when booking, and you'll be in for a better experience over all. 

COVID-19 requirements in place

Like Viking ocean ships, Octantis has an onboard lab that processes over 500 COVID-19 tests daily. At the moment, every day starts with guests leaving a test tube of saliva outside their door for PCR testing, and contact-tracing devices are to be carried or worn throughout the trip. Vaccinations are required, as are masks in indoor areas. Good thing: As I spoke to friends on other Antarctic cruises this season, many smaller than ours across a number of lines, every one reported a few COVID cases on their ship. Not ours; not one.