This review is based on my Expedition Svalbard voyage aboard the 50-guest Quest, plus tours of the 12-guest Stockholm and Sjoveien. Read on for my personal takeaways, highlights, and considerations to help decide if Polar Quest is right for you.
Key takeaways
Choosing your ship
Overall standout – Fall travel
What sets Polar Quest apart – Size, guides & authenticity
Don’t miss – Scandinavian flavors
Best wildlife moment – Curious walrus
Best nature moment – Walking on the moon (pack ice)
Consider – Simplicity over amenities
If I booked again – Longer zoom lens & larger cabin
ABOUT THE EXPERT: MARY MONTALBANO
• AdventureSmith expert since 2017
• Annually updates more than 70 Arctic trips
• Experience aboard 20- to 114-guest ships
• Sailed both Antarctica & now the Arctic
Key Takeaways
- Overall: Polar Quest offers Arctic micro cruises focused on camaraderie and exploration, with Scandinavian touches.
- Simple ships: Repurposed, no-frills vessels are comfortable and capable.
- Unique personalities: Each ship has distinct style, ice capabilities and solo supplement.
- Efficient operations: Collective outings of 12-50 guests make operations smooth and flexible.
- Outstanding guides: Smart, kind, and clearly love what they do.
- Local feel: Swedish ownership and extra time in Longyearbyen enrich the experience.
Choosing Your Ship
The Polar Quest fleet is comprised of three ships carrying 12-50 guests on micro expedition cruises in the Arctic. Each ship is unique, so carefully consider your priorities. Here are my summaries after personally inspecting each ship:
Stockholm (12 guests): A charming historic ship with teak decks, brass fittings and antique furniture. Her classic style feels like stepping back in time, making her a guide (and repeat guest) favorite. Cabins are small with fixed bunks, but each has an ensuite bathroom. The dining room glows from skylights but has no windows. A small help-yourself bar is complimentary. The ship’s crew is often 100% Swedish (although English-speaking). Watch out for her 1.8x single supplement. Note that she can drift (but not motor through) the pack ice, limiting her range.
Sjoveien (12 guests): A former research vessel transformed into a clean, Scandinavian retreat. I loved her bright dining room/lounge with picture windows and the deck’s wood-fired hot tub. Cabins are comfortable with lower berths (double and twin options) and private baths. Main Deck cabins are easiest to access, but #303 uniquely has both interior and exterior doors. Drinks are self-serve with an honor system tab, and the 1.4x single supplement is a bonus. Note that she cannot enter the pack ice.
Quest (50 guests): A former Greenland ferry that’s fast (11 knots) and ice-capable (the only Polar Quest Svalbard ship that can motor through the pack ice). My voyage aboard her combined friendly, international guests and crew (including the ship’s doctor). Cabins are practical but improved with heated bathroom floors and USB ports. I especially enjoyed the Panorama Lounge—lively, social, a hosted bar and walls of windows. Triple cabins are a bonus.
Overall Standout – Fall Travel
Svalbard in autumn was magical. The soft, low-angle light transformed everything. Each time I put my camera away, something new appeared—puffins beside our Zodiac, a polar bear with cubs, a fox changing its coat, pink mountain tops mirrored on glassy water.
With most ships gone for the season, we saw only two others in 11 days, making this remote region feel even more untouched. Snow-free land allowed longer hikes, even one heart-pounding peak climb for those up for it.
Receded ice let us circumnavigate Svalbard and visit remote northern islands like Phippsøya, Karl XII-øya and Kvitøya—some of our guides had never reached them before. Having cruised Antarctica in high season, I found Svalbard’s fall solitude extraordinary.
What Sets Polar Quest Apart – Size, Guides & Authenticity
With just 12-50 guests, these are the smallest ships AdventureSmith offers in Svalbard. Other micro vessels include the 30-guest Aqua Lares and 33-guest schooner Rembrandt van Rijn, whereas other Svalbard ships range from 108-245 passengers–a big jump.
This micro cruise size makes a big difference (and is ideal for charter cruises). On Quest, I could meet nearly everyone on board without losing privacy. The guides felt like a tight-knit family, sharing stories about training guides for other companies, conducting research work and general Arctic life. Their energy and teamwork made the trip feel both professional and personal. And I appreciated that they lived in cabins down the hall, not tucked away in the hull of the ship.
All three ships offer one dining area, one lounge, the bridge and an open-air deck. These limited social spaces mean you’re mingling with other guests when not in your cabin. I enjoyed this, although it made it difficult to find a quiet moment outside of my cabin.
The company’s Scandinavian roots and local connections also shine through. Every guest enjoys a pre-cruise night in Longyearbyen. On embarkation day, a group lunch and museum visit provides the chance to meet fellow travelers before boarding. That grounding in place and people made embarkation day smooth and meaningful.
Don’t Miss – Scandinavian Flavors
Food on Quest was international, with staple dishes that were satisfying but not elevated (for example: vegetable soup, garden salad, roasted chicken, fried fish and pasta aioli). My favorites were the regional options: Norwegian brown cheese on waffles with strawberries, pickled herring and lox at breakfast, and one evening’s fresh-caught fish courtesy of the captain. The on-deck BBQ was another highlight.
Best Wildlife Moment – Curious Walrus
Even after seeing 20 polar bears, the moment that stuck with me was a group of inquisitive walrus surfacing beside our Zodiacs for an extended period—snorting, popping up like prairie dogs and circling with gentle curiosity. Drifting along with these creatures for a long time felt special. Fog and calm water made it surreal. Our guides kept a respectful distance, ensuring the encounter stayed natural and safe.
This occurred along the eastern island of Edgeøya. Our guide shared that her wildlife encounters along eastern Svalbard are often more intimate in this way: lengthier and at closer range. Because fewer ships travel there, the animals are often more relaxed and less on alert.
Best Nature Moment – Walking on the Moon (Pack Ice)
The varied Arctic landscapes were astounding–my favorite being the otherworldly pack ice. Zodiac cruising among softly cracking ice with glowing blue beneath each ridge was a thrill. And stepping out onto that frozen world, wrapped in mist, felt like walking on the moon. I came for wildlife, but left equally awed by the Arctic landscapes.
Consider – Simplicity Over Amenities
Polar Quest keeps things simple—Zodiac cruises and guided walks only (plus a polar plunge), no kayaking or other add-on activities. I thought I might want more variety in activities but never did, as outings were so diverse in scenery and wildlife. And without guides dedicated to a specific activity like kayaking, I could enjoy outings with each one of them through the course of the cruise.
Also consider that these are older, repurposed ships, reminiscent of the early days of expedition cruising. They’re more about connection and immersion than fine dining or spa luxuries. If camaraderie and time outdoors matter more than amenities, you’ll love it.
If I Booked Again – Longer Zoom Lens & Larger Cabin
Next time, I’d bring a 600mm lens—my 400mm wasn’t quite enough for distant wildlife and guide photos aren’t provided (beyond the slideshow video). I’d also book a larger cabin for more personal space and easier movement around my cabinmate. Cabins on these ships are cozy, and on Quest my room was my only quiet retreat when I needed to recharge.
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