MS ''Expedition'' is an expedition
cruise ship
Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports-of-call, where passengers may go on tours known as "s ...
owned and operated by the
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
-based
G Adventures
G Adventures is an operator of small-group escorted tours. It is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with 28 offices worldwide. It offers more than 700 itineraries in more than 100 countries, and carries 200,000 travelers from 160 countries each ye ...
(formerly known as
Gap Adventures). She was built as a
car/passenger ferry
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
in 1972 by Helsingør Skibsværft og Maskinbyggeri A/S,
Helsingør
Helsingør ( , ; sv, Helsingör), classically known in English as Elsinore ( ), is a city in eastern Denmark. Helsingør Municipality had a population of 62,686 on 1 January 2018. Helsingør and Helsingborg in Sweden together form the northern ...
,
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
as ''Kattegat'' for
Jydsk Færgefart A/S. Subsequently, she sailed under the names ''nf Tiger'' for
P&O Normandy Ferries, ''Tiger'' for
Townsend Thoresen and ''Ålandsfärjan'' for
Viking Line
Viking Line Abp is a Finnish shipping company that operates a fleet of ferries and cruiseferries between Finland, the Åland Islands, Sweden and Estonia. Viking Line shares are quoted on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. Viking Line is operated from ...
, prior to conversion into a cruise ship in 2008.
The MS ''Expedition'' has the
IMO number
The IMO number of the International Maritime Organization is a generic term covering two distinct meanings. The IMO ship identification number, is a type of hull number used as a unique ship identifier, and the IMO company and registered owner ...
7211074 and is ice-strengthened, having an
ice class
Ice class refers to a notation assigned by a classification society or a national authority to denote the additional level of strengthening as well as other arrangements that enable a ship to navigate through sea ice. Some ice classes also have r ...
of 1B. There are two higher classes, being 1A Super and 1A.
Service history
As a car ferry
The ''Kattegat'' was delivered in 1972 and placed on the intra-Denmark
Grenå
Grenaa (or Grenå) is a Danish town and seaport on the east coast of the Jutlandic peninsula. Tourism, education and commerce are important sectors in the economy of Grenaa. It is the only larger town on Djursland. Grenaa is the municipal seat, an ...
—
Hundested
Hundested is a town with a population of 8,543 (1 January 2022) and a former municipality (Danish, '' kommune'') in Region Hovedstaden in the northern part of the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in eastern Denmark.
The former municipality is sur ...
service of
Jydsk Færgefart A/S. She stopped serving on that route in December 1977. In March 1978 she was sold to the
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
-based
Midland Montague Leasing Ltd who leased the ship to
P&O Normandy Ferries Ltd, also based in London. After rebuilding at
Caillard S.A.,
Le Havre
Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, the ship was renamed ''nf Tiger'' and placed on the
Dover
Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...
—
Boulogne-sur-Mer
Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the ...
service. In 1985 P&O Normandy Ferries was bought by
Townsend Thoresen. The ship's name was shortened to ''Tiger'', but she remained on the same service.
In July 1986 the ship was laid up, and in November of the same year she was sold to
Finlandshamnen AB, a subsidiary to
SF Line
SF may refer to:
Locations
* San Francisco, California, United States
* Sidi Fredj, Algeria
* South Florida, an urban region in the United States
* Suomi Finland, former vehicular country code for Finland
In arts and entertainment Genres ...
, one of the owners of the
Viking Line
Viking Line Abp is a Finnish shipping company that operates a fleet of ferries and cruiseferries between Finland, the Åland Islands, Sweden and Estonia. Viking Line shares are quoted on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. Viking Line is operated from ...
consortium. After being rebuilt, the ship was renamed ''Ålandsfärjan'' (in English "The Åland Ferry") and was placed on the
Mariehamn
Mariehamn ( , ; fi, Maarianhamina ; la, Portus Mariae) is the capital city, capital of Åland, an autonomous territory under Finland, Finnish sovereignty. Mariehamn is the seat of the Government of Åland, Government and Parliament of Åland, ...
—
Kapellskär
Kapellskär () is a port about north of Stockholm, in Sweden. It is located by the Baltic Sea, in Norrtälje Municipality, Stockholm County.
Services
The port is served by frequent passenger ferry services to Mariehamn, Åland, Finland, operated ...
service in May 1987. In 1993, following bankruptcy of the other Viking Line partner,
Rederi AB Slite, the ''Ålandsfärjan''s route was extended into
Naantali
Naantali (; sv, Nådendal) is a town in southwestern Finland, and, as a resort town during the summer, an important tourist centre of the country. The municipality has a population of
(), and is located in the region of Southwest Finland, west ...
—Mariehamn—Kapellskär (freight only on the Mariehamn—Naantali part of the route), but this solution was found impractical and soon the ship reverted to the earlier route).
![Ålandsfärjan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/%C3%85landsf%C3%A4rjan.jpg)
In 2002 the ship was rebuilt at
Baltic Ship Repairers,
Tallinn
Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...
,
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
, where
sidesponsons were added for increased stability.
In January 2007, Viking Line ordered a replacement for her to be delivered in summer 2009, codenamed ''
Viking ADCC
MV ''Madeleine II'' is a cruiseferry operated by the Canadian company Coopérative de Transport Maritime et Aérien (CTMA). It was previously operated by the Spanish company Trasmediterránea as the MV ''Villa de Teror''.
Originally ordered by ...
''.
On 23 October 2007, the ''Ålandsfärjan'' touched the bottom near Mariehamn. Passengers were readied for evacuation, but an inspection of the ship revealed no major damage and she was able to continue to Mariehamn under her own power, arriving some 30 minutes behind schedule. As a result of the accident, all departures until 22 November were cancelled. Investigations revealed that the cause for the accident was the new duty rosters: the officer on duty was inspecting the new roster and because of that failed to notice that the ship should have made a course change whilst approaching Mariehamn.
In September 2007 an Ålandian newspaper claimed that the ''Ålandsfärjan'' would be replaced on the Mariehamn—Kapellskär route in spring 2008, when
''Rosella'' would take over the route. On 8 April 2008, Viking Line confirmed the claim
and on 30 May, the ''Rosella'' replaced the ''Ålandsfärjan'' on that route.
As the MS ''Expedition'' cruise ship
![MS Expedition at Krossfjorden, Arctic in 2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/MS_Expedition_at_Krossfjorden%2C_Arctic_in_2010.jpg)
On 27 May 2008, Viking Line revealed that they had sold the ''Ålandsfärjan'' to
Gap Adventures with delivery in June 2008. Following delivery to her new owners, the ship was renamed ''Expedition'',
and on 27 June the ship sailed for
Aker Yards
Aker may refer to:
Places
* Aker, Norway, a geographic area in Oslo and a former municipality in Norway
* Vestre Aker, a district of Oslo within former Aker municipality
* Nordre Aker, a district of Oslo within former Aker municipality
* Aker Br ...
Rauma Shipyard. On that day she was also formally
registered in the name of ''Expedition'' under the Liberian
flag
A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...
in the ownership of the Expedition Shipping Company LTD (FME)
Monrovia
Monrovia () is the capital city of the West African country of Liberia. Founded in 1822, it is located on Cape Mesurado on the Atlantic coast and as of the 2008 census had 1,010,970 residents, home to 29% of Liberia’s total population. As the ...
,
Liberia
Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...
.
Aker Yards subsequently drew up plans for the conversion and refurbishment of the vessel, and on 10 September 2008 the conversion contract was signed between Aker Yards and Gap Adventures. The conversion cost thirteen million dollars. The ''Expedition'' then re-entered service on 4 January 2009, re-launching GAP's polar cruise program which had been halted due to the sinking of their previous ship,
Explorer
Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians.
Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...
. MS ''Expedition'' was formally christened at
Las Palmas
Las Palmas (, ; ), officially Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is a Spain, Spanish city and capital of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands, on the Atlantic Ocean.
It is the capital (jointly with Santa Cruz de Tenerife), the most populous city in th ...
,
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa which is part of Spain. the island had a population of that co ...
,
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...
on 11 October 2010.
Between June and September 2009 the ''Expedition'' was chartered to
Spitsbergen Travel, a daughter company of the Norway-based
Hurtigruten
''Hurtigruten'' (), formally Kystruten Bergen-Kirkenes ("coastal route Bergen- Kirkenes"), is a Norwegian public coastal route transporting passengers that travel locally, regionally and between the ports of call, and also cargo between ports no ...
, for week-long cruises around
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen (; formerly known as West Spitsbergen; Norwegian: ''Vest Spitsbergen'' or ''Vestspitsbergen'' , also sometimes spelled Spitzbergen) is the largest and the only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norw ...
. Following this, she underwent further repair work in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria after she developed engine problems in October 2009. A major overhaul was done on both main engines and at the same time there were repairs to a corroded deck, renovation of crew cabin areas and also the removal of some
asbestos
Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...
. The work was due to be completed by December 2009, but ultimately resulted in the cancellation of much of the first Antarctic season.
![MS Expedition at Enterprise Island, Antarctic in 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/MS_Expedition_at_Enterprise_Island%2C_Antarctic_in_2012.jpg)
In February 2010 she arrived in
Ushuaia
Ushuaia ( , ) is the capital of Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur Province, Argentina. With a population of nearly 75,000 and a location below the 54th parallel south latitude, Ushuaia claims the title of world's southern ...
,
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, for the remainder of her first season in the
Antarctic
The Antarctic ( or , American English also or ; commonly ) is a polar region around Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Plateau and other ...
with GAP Adventures, before returning to the
Arctic
The Arctic ( or ) is a polar regions of Earth, polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenla ...
in June 2010 for her first full season in the north. Since then she has been alternating between the two polar regions each year during their respective
summer
Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wit ...
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
s and offering additional cruises during the transitional journeys from one
pole
Pole may refer to:
Astronomy
*Celestial pole, the projection of the planet Earth's axis of rotation onto the celestial sphere; also applies to the axis of rotation of other planets
*Pole star, a visible star that is approximately aligned with the ...
to the other. These included a cruise along the west coast of Africa and a cruise along the west coast of South America, stopping at
port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
s along the way.
On 23 July 2012, the ''Expedition'' touched bottom at
Isispynten, east of
Nordaustlandet
Nordaustlandet (sometimes translated as North East Land) is the second-largest island in the archipelago of Svalbard, Norway, with an area of . It lies north east of Spitsbergen, separated by Hinlopen Strait. Much of Nordaustlandet lies under la ...
in the Arctic. Reports state that the ship was travelling at a low speed at the time and that nobody was ever in any danger. The ship freed itself under its own engine power and continued on its way. One reason given for this was the buildup of
rubbish
Rubbish may refer to:
*Waste
*Garbage
* ''Rubbish'' (magazine), a fashion magazine
* ''Rubbish'' (radio series), a British radio series
*"Rubbish", a song by Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine
*An adjective which is colloquially used in British En ...
in the bottom of the channel which had severely restricted the depth of water in an area that the ship had regularly travelled through.
In November 2014, several trips had to be cancelled when her
port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
engine failed unexpectedly whilst the ship was berthed in Ushuaia, Argentina. This was fully repaired and trips are now running again normally. However, at the end of the 2015 Arctic season, she was due to have both engines replaced.
In November, 2015 two trips were cancelled because of delays in the shipyard in Italy.
MS ''Expedition'' tours
Arctic tours
The 2015 Arctic season typically includes three different types of tour. The first starts in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, Scotland, and visits
Orkney
Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...
, travels the Norwegian coast and then finishes at
Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen (, locally lɔ̀ŋjɑrˌbyːən "The Longyear Town") is the world's northernmost settlement with a population greater than 1,000 and the largest inhabited area of Svalbard, Norway. It stretches along the foot of the left bank ...
,
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen (; formerly known as West Spitsbergen; Norwegian: ''Vest Spitsbergen'' or ''Vestspitsbergen'' , also sometimes spelled Spitzbergen) is the largest and the only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norw ...
. Following tours circumnavigate the islands of
Svalbard
Svalbard ( , ), also known as Spitsbergen, or Spitzbergen, is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. North of mainland Europe, it is about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. The islands of the group range ...
, starting and finishing at Longyearbyen. The final tour of the season travels from Longyearbyen to
Greenland
Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...
and finishes in
Reykjavik, Iceland.
Antarctic tours
The Antarctic season includes various tours starting at either
Ushuaia
Ushuaia ( , ) is the capital of Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur Province, Argentina. With a population of nearly 75,000 and a location below the 54th parallel south latitude, Ushuaia claims the title of world's southern ...
, Argentina or
Montevideo
Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
, Uruguay, crossing the
Drake Passage
The Drake Passage (referred to as Mar de Hoces Hoces Sea"in Spanish-speaking countries) is the body of water between South America's Cape Horn, Chile and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It connects the southwestern part of the Atla ...
and travelling along the
Antarctic Peninsula
The Antarctic Peninsula, known as O'Higgins Land in Chile and Tierra de San Martín in Argentina, and originally as Graham Land in the United Kingdom and the Palmer Peninsula in the United States, is the northernmost part of mainland Antarctic ...
, visiting the
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands. By the Antarctic Treaty of 195 ...
, the
Weddell Sea
The Weddell Sea is part of the Southern Ocean and contains the Weddell Gyre. Its land boundaries are defined by the bay formed from the coasts of Coats Land and the Antarctic Peninsula. The easternmost point is Cape Norvegia at Princess Martha ...
, the
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouzet ...
and
South Georgia
South Georgia ( es, Isla San Pedro) is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean that is part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It lies around east of the Falkland Islands. Stretching in the east ...
.
Cruising style
The ship carries a maximum of 134 passengers and travels the polar regions with a number of on-board guides and scientific experts/lecturers in relevant fields. Numerous trips ashore are arranged to see the
landscape
A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...
s,
geology
Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...
,
flora
Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''.
E ...
and
fauna
Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...
, by using 12-man
Zodiac
The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the Sun path, apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. ...
inflatable boat
An inflatable boat is a lightweight boat constructed with its sides and bow made of flexible tubes containing pressurised gas. For smaller boats, the floor and hull is often flexible, while for boats longer than , the floor typically consist ...
s. In the Arctic, the guides are
armed
Armed (May, 1941–1964) was an American Thoroughbred gelding race horse who was the American Horse of the Year in 1947 and Champion Older Male Horse in both 1946 and 1947. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in ...
and trained in the use of
flare guns
A flare gun, also known as a Very pistol or signal pistol, is a large-bore handgun that discharges flares, blanks and smoke. The flare gun is typically used to produce a distress signal.
Types
The most common type of flare gun is a Very (so ...
and rifles, due to the possibility of
polar bear
The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear specie ...
encounters and are in constant radio contact with the ship and each other. The ship contains a heated
mudroom
A lobby is a room in a building used for entry from the outside. Sometimes referred to as a foyer, reception area or an entrance hall, it is often a large room or complex of rooms (in a theatre, opera house, concert hall, showroom, cinema, etc.) ...
in which boots and clothing can be stored after excursions, enabling anything wet to dry out quickly.
On board, there are viewing platforms, a bar and restaurant, five different standards of cabin (all
en-suite
A bathroom or washroom is a room, typically in a home or other residential building, that contains either a bathtub or a shower (or both). The inclusion of a wash basin is common. In some parts of the world e.g. India, a toilet is typically ...
) and a lounge big enough to accommodate all passengers in which lectures and presentations can be given. Live evening entertainment is provided in the Polar Bear Bar. There is also a gym, sauna, library, computer room and a gift shop. Passengers can also keep in touch with the outside world via a
satellite
A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotope ...
-linked
internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
/
phone
A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into ele ...
system.
References
External links
G Adventures official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Expedition
Ferries of Finland
Ships built in Helsingør
1972 ships