Viking is celebrating the start of its third expedition season in Antarctica, as the Viking Octantis and her identical sister ship, the Viking Polaris have arrived again in the region. Both ships will spend the Austral summer in Antarctica before returning to North America’s Great Lakes for voyages throughout the spring, summer and early fall.
To meet strong demand for Antarctica voyages, Viking has also announced that the 2025-2026 season is now open for booking, including a new 87-day expedition From the Arctic to Antarctica, sailing from Nuuk, Greenland, to Ushuaia, Argentina. Departing in September 2025, this epic journey will allow guests to explore the natural beauty and historic waterways of the Canadian High Arctic before travelling down the east coast of North and South America, calling on ports in the Caribbean, Peru, and exploring the Chilean glaciers before continuing to Antarctica.
The arrival of Viking’s expedition ships in Antarctica also marks the completion of two inaugural Longitudinal World Cruises—the 71-day Longitudinal World Cruise II, from Duluth to Ushuaia, and the 70-day Longitudinal World Cruise III, from Milwaukee to Ushuaia. These highly-rated Grand Journeys offer guests a variety of travel milestones in a single itinerary, sailing from the heart of North America through the engineering wonders like the Welland and Panama Canals, into the Chilean fjords and finally Antarctica. Following Viking’s upcoming third season in the Great Lakes, the Viking Polaris will sail the Longitudinal World Cruise IV from Milwaukee to Ushuaia in October 2024 and the Viking Octantis will embark on another sailing of the Longitudinal World Cruise II.
The Polar Class Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris host 378 guests in 189 staterooms. The vessels are built specifically for expeditions at an ideal size for safety and comfort in remote destinations. With more indoor and outdoor viewing areas than other expedition vessels, guests are as close as possible to the most magnificent scenery on earth.