We very much looked forward to cruising on the Octantis, which is one of two new Viking expedition ships, and it did not disappoint. This is a ship built for rugged adventure cruising. It holds only 380 passengers and it is equipped to handle the icy waters of Antarctica and the Arctic. What is most unusual, is that the expedition ships are scientific research labs as well as very comfortable cruising vessels.

Below are pictures of the expedition center, where the expedition team, with degrees in astronomy, geology, botany and more, share information and lectures with passengers. The science team also has their own lab section where they collect data as the ship cruises. The chief science officer, Jason, explained that they are unlike most research vessels, which are always scrambling to get funding for even one voyage. Viking ships give the science team the unique ability to replicate their studies again and again as they pass over the same areas, making the data much more useful. They have equipment to analyze the water, soil, air and more in dozens of ways. And they collaborate with major universities and organizations around the world to share their data. Jason said, “Most groups conducting scientific research hoard their data because they had to go to so much trouble to fund it. But ours is paid for by the public (Viking passengers), so we share it with the public.” You’re welcome!

The big white balloon below is a weather balloon, made of biodegradable material and made to carry scientific equipment. The balloons are regularly launched by Viking at times to exactly coordinate with hundreds of other launchings around the world. As they go up, they collect and transmit data on each layer of the atmosphere’s temperature and composition.

Below Jason oversees the inflation and release of our balloon at exactly 8 pm. The hope was that the balloon would rise to a height consistent with other launches before it burst. It did just that, rising about 19 miles and completing its mission beautifully.

On the stern of the ship is a lounge area with three pools, one with warm water, one tepid and one cold. It’s a Nordic tradition to enjoy going from hot to cold while relaxing in a pool.

A unique feature of the tepid center pool is that it is both indoors and outdoors. When the ship is in cold regions people can soak in the pool indoors, below, and they can also slide under the lower window where the pool extends to the outdoors.

Below is a cozy area called the Hide. It is indeed in a hard to find area of the ship but worth the search. It’s a place for small group discussions or just some quiet private time.

We had a few opportunities to explore the backstage areas of the ship. One was a bridge tour where the captain and his officers explained some of the sophisticated tools they have for navigating the ship.

More important to me was the galley tour where we got to watch the army of cooks working on our wonderful meals.

We got to see the results of some of their work that same afternoon when the kitchen presented us with a special dessert buffet at lunch. It was gorgeous.

There are lots of lovely lounges and places to relax and meet other people.