Cruise passengers boarding the Viking Polaris in Duluth, Minnesota, within the autumn of 2023 will embark on an epic 71-day, eight-country, three-continent voyage that features stops in Canada, New York Metropolis and Mexico, a transit of the Panama Canal and every week in Antarctica, earlier than disembarking in Argentina.
Viking Cruises’ expedition ship Octantis has already begun plying the Nice Lakes this spring, with Duluth as one port of name. Its new sister ship Polaris will sail from Duluth to Toronto and again on Nice Lakes grand excursions subsequent summer time.
However now the Swiss-based cruise line has quietly began promoting tickets for a blockbuster new itinerary that begins in Duluth on Sept. 12, 2023. The “Longitudinal World Cruise II” will discover the Nice Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, the U.S. East Coast and the Caribbean, Chilean fjords and glaciers and elements of Antarctica earlier than terminating on Nov. 21 in Ushuaia, Argentina, some 7,000 miles south of Duluth.
That makes it a roughly north-south voyage between the world’s farthest-inland seaport (Duluth) and the southernmost metropolis on the planet (Ushuaia).
Pricing for this novel itinerary begins at an equally eye-popping $49,995. A present promotion on Viking’s web site gives unspecified financial savings and free worldwide airfare by way of June 30.
“Viking’s world cruise from Minnesota is completely unprecedented,” mentioned Colleen McDaniel, editor in chief of Cruise Critic, a TripAdvisor web site. “It is an unbelievable itinerary that no different cruise line gives. The worth is completely according to different ships of comparable nature — and the fare features a ton, too, which helps ship even better worth to vacationers.”
The “Longitudinal” journey is what’s often known as a repositioning cruise, through which a cruise ship transitions between areas — comparable to transferring from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean — originally or finish of a season. On this case, the Viking Polaris will probably be concluding its Nice Lakes season and repositioning to the Antarctic area for the Southern Hemisphere summer time.
The Duluth-to-Ushuaia cruise will probably be Viking’s second “Longitudinal” voyage of 2023. For the primary one, the Octantis will reposition from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Milwaukee from March 2 to Could 5, excluding Duluth. That 65-day voyage begins at $44,995.
The midsize, 378-capacity Octantis and Polaris are themselves unprecedented in Nice Lakes cruising. The Polar Class 6 luxurious expedition vessels characteristic an in-ship marina referred to as the Hangar, which may launch expeditions on particular boats, kayaks and even six-passenger submarines.
“We’re seeing an unlimited curiosity in these kinds of world cruises,” mentioned McDaniel. “They’re an thrilling trip possibility for individuals who are desperate to see the world, and achieve this in a cushty and handy manner.”
Here’s a partial record of stops on the Longitudinal World Cruise II.
Nice Lakes/Canada
Duluth, Minnesota
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Mackinac Island, Michigan
Door Peninsula, Wisconsin
Alpena, Michigan
Georgian Bay, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Cleveland
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Toronto
Quebec Metropolis
Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Atlantic/Caribbean
New York Metropolis
Norfolk, Virginia
Charleston, South Carolina
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Cozumel, Mexico
Colon, Panama
Panama Canal
South America/Antarctica
Manta, Ecuador
Lima, Peru
Iquique, Chile
Santiago, Chile
Castro, Chile
Tortel, Chile
Punta Arenas, Chile
Cape Horn
Drake Passage
Damoy Level, Antarctica
South Shetland Islands, Antarctica
Ushuaia, Argentina
———
