Interesting Facts About Modern Cruises to the North Pole

The North Pole is basically a large ice floe, relentlessly drifting in the Arctic Ocean. Doesn’t it sound enticing? Its wildness, defiance and neglect of ownership fascinate and attract all kinds of tourists. People are equals there, on the land – ice – that bears no flag. No citizenship, no laws matter – it’s just you and an endless white desert. If you find yourself dreaming about crossing the ocean to see crashing massive icebergs, if you want to be proud of the fact that you were among the few to stand at 90 degrees north, then we’re sure you’ll want to learn how to book The North Pole Adventure. The North Pole Adventure is a cruise that will safely take you to the North Pole and back in just over 2 weeks. The booking procedure is straightforward: select the dates and that’s all there is to it. All that remains is to arrive at the seaport on time.

But, if the quick description of what the North Pole essentially is didn’t inspire you to visit, you’ll find some interesting facts about traveling to the North Pole below. They might convince you to think twice before refusing to take this opportunity.

1. There have only ever been 10 atomic icebreakers in the world’s history

How is this fact connected with traveling to the North Pole? Only 10 atomic icebreakers were ever built. The thing is, one of them, the icebreaker ’50 Years of Victory’, is the vessel that takes travelers to the North Pole. It’s not a tourist ship, though. The ’50 Years of Victory’ spends most of the year working as an escort for cargo and scientific vessels that head to the North Pole. Only during the summer months, when the ice is more malleable, is the icebreaker used for tourism. Traveling to the North Pole via Poseidon Expeditions is a unique opportunity to see nuclear power in action.

You should probably be warned that the icebreaker isn’t called so for nothing. With its 75,000 horsepower capacity, it crushes ice 2.5-3 meters thick. So, if one day your morning is accompanied by grinding and screeching sounds, don’t go looking for the life vest. Everything is going according to plan. Enjoy your morning routine!

2. You will be met with a polar day

You should also know that there will be no morning. Or evening. Or anything besides the sun floating just above the horizon all day long. Summer is the only season when tourists can visit the North Pole, and the sun doesn’t go down at all. So, taking a blindfold with you on a trip might be very beneficial. And earplugs to try to muffle the sound of the ice being crushed.

3. You will be at 90 degrees north for just a moment

The Arctic, unlike the Antarctic, is not a continent. As was mentioned above, it’s a large sheet of ice that is constantly floating at the top of the planet. As a result, the ship, which is moored to the ice, is also moving. The GPS sensor, located at the stern, will capture the moment the 90 degrees north point is reached; the ship horn will buzz to notify you of reaching the North Pole, and that’s it – you’ve moved on.

Christopher Michel, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

4. You can have a yoga class at the top of the planet

Just imagine – there is a gym on board. What an opportunity to do the northernmost push-ups and squats, the northernmost splits and to have the northernmost ping-pong match!

The icebreaker ’50 Years of Victory’ also has a sauna and swimming pool on board. The pool is filled with ocean water. A little warmed, though. How many people alive can boast of having visited a polar sauna?

5. You can have an Arctic drink

You have plenty of time to entertain yourself before getting off the ship and stepping out into the permafrost. You can attend a lecture about the history and geology of this unique region in the lecture hall.

Christopher Michel, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Or, you can visit the library. It’s a cozy place to spend some quality time. There are a bunch of different books, including a variety of polar literature, quite fitting, considering where you are!

Going to the polar bar and having a polar drink is a great opportunity to meet other non-polar people. These trips are multinational, so it’s a good place to share your thoughts and learn more about the perspectives of others.

6. You can dive into the Arctic Ocean

When the vessel is moored, tourists are allowed to get off and walk around. And while regular people will be busy taking pictures for their Instagram, the bravest ones will seize the once-in-lifetime opportunity and plunge into the Arctic Ocean. They probably won’t be able to swim due to the sudden temperature change.

Wendyapplenian at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Don’t worry about safety, though. The ship’s crew will set up a font with a wooden ladder. The divers will be tied around their waists for the crew to be able to pull them back. Furthermore, there will be people with rifles stationed around the perimeter. These people will protect you from polar bears.

Conclusion

Well, however beautiful the words used in the article were, they still can’t express any of the beauty you will experience when sailing to the North Pole. It’s almost impossible to imagine what it’s like standing there, surrounded by the endless icy plain, in the freezing cold, at the very top of the world. You won’t get that until you’re actually there, heading south wherever your feet land, your compass spinning erratically.

But, if you do want to experience it for yourself, you know what to do. Join the crew right now, book the cabin and find yourself at the top of the world this summer.