Ocean Nova
Ocean Nova

A Classic Expedition Experience

With a maximum of just 80 passengers, Ocean Nova offers the best advantages of a small ship adventure – a small enough size to maneuver into the most intimate and pristine landscapes, and a superior guide-to-passenger ratio, ensuring a highly personalized experience for everyone both onboard and off. Our unique Panorama Lounge, at the heart of Ocean Nova, and its accompanying outside deck offer unparalleled wildlife viewing.

Wildlife Viewing, Polar Plunge, Kayaking, Citizen Science, Photography Coaching

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What to expect from Ocean Nova

Overview

A Classic Expedition Experience

With a maximum of just 80 passengers, Ocean Nova offers the best advantages of a small ship adventure – a small enough size to maneuver into the most intimate and pristine landscapes, and a superior guide-to-passenger ratio, ensuring a highly personalized experience for everyone both onboard and off. Our unique Panorama Lounge, at the heart of Ocean Nova, and its accompanying outside deck offer unparalleled wildlife viewing.

Decks

Top Deck

  • Panorama Lounge
  • Observation Deck
  • Bar

Bridge Deck

  • Explorer Twin
  • Aft Saloon
  • Polar Library
  • Gym
  • Bridge

Upper Deck

  • Reception
  • Dining Room
  • Single
  • Classic Twin
  • Triple
  • Explorer Twin
  • Comfort Twin
  • Quad 

Main Deck

  • Zodiac Landing Area
  • Clinic

Gratuities

Any tipping is at your discretion and entirely optional. Should you choose to tip, the suggested amount for recognition of service on the ship is USD $20 per passenger, per night. We’ll update you in the final documents of the recommended amount for later seasons. This can be added to your shipboard account and paid by credit card. The gratuity is divided among the Expedition Team, the Hotel Department (stewards and stewardesses, chefs and galley team), and the ship’s crew (Deck/Engine Department crew).

Entertainment

On board, our unique Panoramic Lounge, at the heart of Ocean Nova, and its accompanying outside deck offer unparalleled wildlife viewing, though our focus is always on getting you off the ship and into this magnificent wonderland. From the start, Ocean Nova was designed with the fragile Antarctic environment in mind – not just exploring it, but protecting it in every way possible. it boasts one of the lowest carbon footprints in all of Polar Travel, part of a broader commitment to minimizing our impact in every aspect of our business and travel experience.

Panoramic Lounge

On board, our unique Panoramic Lounge, at the heart of Ocean Nova, and its accompanying outside deck offer unparalleled wildlife viewing, though our focus is always on getting you off the ship and into this magnificent wonderland.

Aft Saloon

Cozy lounge ideal for small gatherings or quiet reflection. Unwind with serene views from the ship’s stern.

Polar Library

Shipboard library with comfortable seating, perfect for quiet reading and relaxation.

Enrichment

Activities That Will Get You Fully Engaged With Antarctica and the Arctic

Every experience we offer on board and off, as well as pre- and post-voyage, has been designed with a single purpose in mind – to ensure that you have the most immersive adventure in these unforgettable corners of the world. Whether your explorer’s spirit calls you to kayaking, snowshoeing, camping, or cultural immersion, there’s an adventure activity that can bring you up close and personal with everything the polar regions have to offer. There are excursions over land and in the sky, a Citizen Science program where you can assist in meaningful environmental research, and for those ready to take the plunge, we offer two options: our always-popular polar plunge, and for the truly adventurous, our unforgettable polar wedding experience.

Whatever adventure you choose, our professional photography coaches are on board and eager to help you capture it all in epic fashion.

Kayaking

To experience the polar regions in a truly intimate way, there’s really no better seat than the one in your kayak, just inches above the water, navigating among icebergs and glacial ice dating back 30,000 years. Gliding through an otherworldly landscape with a small team, led by our expert guides and occasionally joined by playful wildlife, this is about as magical as it gets.

Polar Plunge

It sounds like a crazy thing to do, but there are actually a number of reasons why hurling oneself into freezing cold water is one of our top activities.

Did you know that cold dipping is a long-standing Scandinavian tradition that has numerous health benefits? Taking a plunge in the coldest of waters provides plenty of perks for your well-being, including reducing stress, boosting energy, improving your immune system, and relieving pain. Doing a polar plunge on New Year’s Day is a way to celebrate a new beginning. “Polar Bear Plunges” are held in many parts of the world as a way to raise money for charities. And did you know that every December, the polar plunge is held as part of the “midsummer” celebration in Antarctica? It’s a rite of passage for scientists and visitors at several of the research bases.

But the biggest reason to take the plunge? Because sometimes, you just want to do something completely crazy! And we must have a lot of crazy passengers, because our polar plunge never fails to draw a huge crowd.

Camping

An Uninhabited Continent Opens Its Doors for One Incredible Night

What’s camping in Antarctica like? Long after most passengers are tucked away in their cabins, chances are you’ll still be lying awake, cozy in your sleeping bag, captivated by the ethereal sounds of gently lapping waves, creaking glaciers and perhaps the blow of a whale passing in the night.

The air seems even more pure than in the daytime, the scale of your surroundings even more humbling, and by morning you’ll find yourself wondering how you could possibly describe this once-in-a-lifetime experience to friends back on board.

Photography

Award-Winning Coaches for Every Skill Level and Camera

Whatever your ambition and level of experience, and whatever camera you happen to carry, our award-winning photography coaches will help you bring home images that capture the unparalleled natural beauty and sheer magic of your Antarctica or Arctic adventure. We offer two options for our camera-carrying explorers: for the truly obsessed, there’s our small group, immersive program led by a dedicated photography instructor, and on hand for all passengers, our onboard professional photography coach, offering tips, advice, and technical assistance throughout the expedition.

Citizen Science

Citizen Science on Every Voyage

Having a Citizen Science program on every voyage is an effort we pioneered, as the very first Antarctic operator to officially collaborate with The Polar Citizen Science Collective. We continue to team up with them on several projects, giving our passengers the chance to play a meaningful role in recording and better understanding the Antarctic ecosystem and the impact of climate change. This is particularly helpful in the Antarctic, where we support long-term academic observation teams that would find it nearly impossible to be as ever-present on their own.

The projects offered may vary slightly by voyage and scientific need. Everyone is welcome to participate. If interested, please see the onboard daily bulletin and join the scheduled Citizen Science Introduction Meeting at the start of your voyage. There is no additional cost.

(Citizen Science is offered on Antarctica expeditions only.)

Other Cruise Information

ClassCruise Type: ocean

Class:

Ship Size: mini

Style: expedition

Operator Reference: polar-latitudes

Nursery: none

Child Facilities: none

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