August 18 – September 6, 2028 · 20 Days
Sail the Northwest Passage with Bob Ramsay and Jean Marmoreo aboard Quark Expeditions' 199‑guest Ultramarine — from Reykjavík through Greenland and the Canadian High Arctic to the shores of Ellesmere Island, before easing home through Kangerlussuaq.
A Bob & Jean Expedition
Roald Amundsen finally broke through that ice in 1906. Now it's melting faster than anyone predicted, and the Arctic our grandkids inherit will not be the Arctic we can still see today.
China is already staking its Polar Silk Road on that opening — a shipping route that will cut the distance from East Asia to Europe nearly in half. For now polar bears still hunt on the ice, and narwhal and walrus still work the leads between the floes. But nobody who knows the Arctic will tell you it's going to stay this way.
If we want to see this Canada — the wild, ice‑bound, genuinely northern Canada — we are running out of decades, not centuries. We have a third ocean that most Canadians have never laid eyes on, and in the summer of 2028, we mean to.
Bob Ramsay & Jean Marmoreo
Your Hosts
Trip curator, writer, host
Bob is a Toronto writer, travel curator, and speaker series host. He’s been designing group journeys for more than two decades, and writes the weekly Omnium Gatherum blog. His Bob & Jean trips are known for pairing serious logistics with an unusually good roster of speakers and a strong sense of hospitality.
Physician, co‑host, Arctic Fly‑In Doctor
Jean is a Toronto physician who has spent part of the past four years as a fly‑in doctor across the High Arctic. She is a marathoner, an author, a member of the Order of Canada and Bob's co‑writer on the Open Jaw Travelling While Old column.
Beechey Island
Where Franklin's men are buried, and his doomed search for this very passage still hangs in the air.
The Route
Two charter flights, one great ship, and roughly 3,600 nautical miles between Reykjavík and Kangerlussuaq — reaching as far north as Cape Norton Shaw at about 76°N.
Day by Day
Reykjavík · Kangerlussuaq · Baffin Island · Pond Inlet · Lancaster Sound · Beechey Island · Arctic Bay · Sisimiut · Kangerlussuaq
As always in the Arctic, the itinerary is a guide, not a guarantee. Ice, weather, and wildlife can rewrite any day.
Watch
The voice in this short film belongs to Wayne Broomfield, an Indigenous expedition guide from the remote north coast of Labrador. He has spent more than 25 years guiding travellers through the Canadian High Arctic, and few people alive know this coast better. Give him a few minutes and he'll show you why we can't wait to go.
The Ship
A luxury polar expedition ship purpose‑built for the ice.
Launched in 2021, Ultramarine carries 199 guests and 140 crew across 128 metres of Ice Class 1A+, PC6 polar steel. She was designed to go where other ships can't — with two twin‑engine Airbus H145 helicopters, twenty Zodiacs deployed from a water‑level hangar, cabins running up to 563 sq ft, and a sustainability system that exceeds every current industry standard.
Sources: Quark Expeditions — Ultramarine · Wikipedia
Off the Ship
A larger fleet of off‑ship craft than any other expedition ship in the High Arctic — and an expedition team of paddle guides, photographers, geologists, ornithologists and historians.
Twenty Zodiacs deployed from an internal water‑level hangar in half the time of other ships — for closer, longer looks at icebergs, ice floes, and wildlife.
Polar bears, narwhal, beluga, walrus, musk ox and migratory seabirds along the East Baffin coast and Lancaster Sound.
Beechey Island graves, Inuit communities, whaling stations and 19th‑century cairns — landings the ship makes possible.
Time in Inuit communities such as Pond Inlet, Arctic Bay and Sisimiut — carvers, culture houses and conversations with the people who have always lived on this coast.
A dedicated Photo Guide travels with the ship. Onboard workshops, field coaching and daily edits.
Ashore, the expedition team leads guided walks across the tundra — a single file of yellow parkas on ground that very few people ever get to stand on.
The Helicopters
Ultramarine is one of very few ships this far north that carries helicopters at all — and she carries two. From three hundred feet up, a glacier stops being a wall of ice and becomes a river of it, cracked and blue‑veined, reaching miles inland. Sea ice resolves into a maze of leads and pressure ridges that a polar bear can read like a highway map.
Musk ox herds become dark commas on a white page. You finally see the true scale of Lancaster Sound the way no book and no Zodiac ride can ever show you. Two helipads, six window seats in each aircraft, and a helicopter Quark calls the safest in its category, with enough capacity for scouting flights, remote landings, and hovering at a respectful distance when something extraordinary appears.
Every passenger receives one helicopter sightseeing flight, complimentary. More flights can be purchased throughout the trip.
Dining
Deck 5 · Wraparound views
The main dining room. Tables of two to ten, direct access to the wraparound deck, and a menu shaped around Arctic ingredients and the culinary traditions of the North.
Deck 7 · Indoor–outdoor terrace
Casual, indoor‑outdoor, always open. Early risers' breakfast, afternoon tea, light lunches, late‑night snacks — and the best seat on the ship for a passing iceberg.
Spa & Sauna
Deck 7's Tundra Spa is quiet, cedar‑scented, and completely at odds with what's happening outside the window. Treatments crafted for the voyage. A steam room next door. A sauna with floor‑to‑ceiling glass, looking straight out onto the pack ice. And a fully equipped fitness centre with a yoga studio for anyone who wants to move before the day begins.
The Faculty
Every Quark expedition carries expert naturalists, historians, scientists and storytellers. Because this is a Bob & Jean trip, we're adding guest speakers of our own. Here are three of them, with others to be confirmed.
Three Generations
A rare holiday that works across three generations at once to forge an anchoring memory for your entire family.
Ultramarine's two Explorer Triples sleep three comfortably — ideal for a parent travelling with two kids, or a grandparent bunking in with grandchildren. Cabins range from 132 to 563 sq ft, so a large family can spread across several types and still gather easily in the Panorama Lounge, at Balena, or in the mudroom before a landing.
Teenagers and young adults light up over the helicopters, kayaks, paddleboards and snowshoes. Adult children in their thirties and forties tell us that 20 days together is the best thing that happens to their family all year. Those of us in our seventies and beyond appreciate the spa, and an expedition team that plans excursions with a full range of mobility in mind.
But in our experience, what actually bonds a family is standing together at the rail as Ultramarine reaches Beechey Island. Watching from the same Zodiac as a pod of beluga whales passes by. Sitting at the same dinner table afterward with nothing pulling anyone's attention away. Twenty days, it turns out, is long enough for a family to remember how to talk to each other.
Minimum age is 8. Some activities are limited to guests 16 and older.
Cabins
Ultramarine carries 199 guests in suites across nine categories, from six solo cabins to a single Ultra Suite. Pick a deck, then click a suite to see its size, view and group fare.
RAMSAY Group Fares
Because you're travelling with the RAMSAY Group, these fares include our special group discount and Quark's CAD $2,700 early‑booking bonus, plus the Charter Flight & Hotel Package. They hold only until October 31, 2026. Canadian dollars, per person, not subject to sales tax.
Spread over 20 days, the Explorer Suite fare works out to about CAD $1,350 per person per day. That covers your suite, every meal, the helicopter flight, the Zodiac landings, the lectures and the charter flights from Reykjavík. After October 31, 2026, the early‑booking bonus ends and rates may rise.
Explorer Triple is per person with three sharing. Solo Panorama suites are for one guest. Premium suites (Deluxe Balcony and up) carry a higher single rate. Deposit shown is for the sharing fare, or the solo fare for Solo Panorama. Source: Quark Expeditions pricing chart for the RAMSAY Group, valid until October 31, 2026. See what your fare covers.
No Surprises
Seasoned travellers know the real price is the fare plus the extras. Here is the whole list, straight from Quark.
Charter flights allow one checked bag and one carry‑on, with lower weight limits than international airlines, and extra bags can't be added.
The Operator
Polar‑obsessed since 1991. The company's line — Polar Is All We Do — is not a slogan; they simply don't sail anywhere else.
Founded by Mike McDowell and Lars Wikander in 1991, Quark took the first commercial travellers to the North Pole that same year aboard the Russian icebreaker Sovetskiy Soyuz. Today they sail three expedition ships, Ultramarine, Ocean Explorer and World Voyager, and are members of AECO and IAATO, the Arctic and Antarctic operator associations that set the environmental rules for polar travel.
Sources: Quark Expeditions — About · Wikipedia
In Their Words
Quark is rated 5 out of 5 from 251 reviews on Trustpilot. Here’s what guests say, starting with those who have sailed the Arctic.
An amazing Arctic adventure following Franklin's footsteps, led by knowledgeable guides… over 25 polar bears including a mother and her 2 cubs, hundreds of narwhals, many bowhead whales… The helicopter rides added to the adventure with amazing views from above of glaciers and whales.
Words are not enough to describe the amazing Canadian High Arctic expedition on Quark's Ultramarine.
A trip of this nature isn’t cheap and visiting the Arctic and Greenland had been a dream for a long time. By the end I felt every penny spent had been more than worth it.
Our trip to the Arctic was one of the best travel experiences I’ve ever had… And I’ve traveled in all seven continents.
Our trip through the Canadian Arctic and Labrador/NFLD was a fantastic trip of a lifetime… I would highly recommend traveling with Quark on the Ultramarine.
Let’s make it clear you’re going to the Arctic and things can change very rapidly… The Ultramarine is a stunning ship but what makes it really special is the enthusiasm of the guides, the crew and all of the staff.
There is a reason Quark is the best in polar exploration!
The Expedition Team is knowledgeable, fun and go out of their way to ensure you have the best possible experience every time.
Great guides great educational programs, great food, great ship. Hard to imagine a better trip
Guest reviews from Trustpilot, as shown on Quark Expeditions' guest reviews.
Good Questions
The Expedition Team helps everyone on and off the boats, walks vary in length, and you choose what you join. Suites 319 and 322 have modified layouts for wheelchair access. If you have any doubts, talk to Quark before you book.
The two open‑water crossings, the Davis Strait on the way out and Baffin Bay on the way home, can be lively. Bring whatever remedy works for you, and see the ship's doctor if you need to. Sea days are also lectures, wildlife watching from the bridge, and the Tundra Spa.
Yes. Ultramarine has both a full‑time doctor and nurse working from the clinic on Deck 3. But this is remote country. Quark warns that it could take up to 72 hours to reach adequate medical facilities, which is why medical and evacuation insurance is a must.
Less than you think. Quark gives you a parka to keep and lends you waterproof boots. You will need waterproof pants, plus layers, gloves, a warm hat and sunglasses. Pack in one checked bag and one carry‑on, because the charter flights have lower weight limits and extra bags can't be added. Quark sends a full packing list and final weight limits with your travel documents.
Check in at the group hotel by 3 pm on August 18, 2028, for a mandatory briefing. Arrival transfers aren't included, but taxis are easy. Many guests fly in a day or two early to see Iceland and to protect against flight delays.
A 25% deposit holds your suite. You can cancel free of charge within 15 days of your booking confirmation. After that, Quark's cancellation fees apply:
| When you cancel | Fee, per person |
|---|---|
| Day 16 after booking confirmation up to 120 days before departure | 25% of the booking |
| 119 to 90 days before departure | 75% |
| 89 days or fewer before departure | 100% |
Full terms are in Quark's booking terms and conditions. Cancellation insurance is worth having.
Wi‑Fi on one device is included, good enough for email, browsing and messaging. Premium packages are available for heavier use. In the High Arctic, service depends on geography and weather.
Reserve · By October 31, 2026
Cabins fill fastest at the two ends of the price ladder — the Solo Panoramas and the Ultra Suites. The Solo Panoramas are already sold out, and the Owner's Suite is on hold. Reserve before October 31, 2026, to lock in the early‑booking bonus and secure the suite you want.
Save CAD $2,700
The early‑booking bonus is already built into the RAMSAY Group fares. It ends October 31, 2026.
To book, there are two ways:
(i) Tell the Quark agent you are booking with the RAMSAY GROUP, and
(ii) Give the promo code
RAMSAY
to get our group discount.
A 25% deposit holds your suite, with free cancellation within 15 days of your booking confirmation. Fares are in Canadian dollars and not subject to sales tax.
Reykjavík Extension
Because the trip begins and ends in Reykjavík, you have an easy way to turn one flight into two trips — and we'd encourage you to take it.
Reykjavík is compact, walkable, and has one of the best small‑city food scenes on earth, easily worth two or three nights on its own. A short drive gets you the Golden Circle: Þingvellir, the geysers at Geysir, and the falls at Gullfoss.
Not included in our group package. Quark offers a 3‑day / 2‑night extension for up to 12 guests — or plan your own. Reykjavík's flight connections are excellent and hotels are plentiful.
Come with us and…
And finally…
I'll let two great Canadians wind up. They said it better than we ever could:
Ah, for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage,
To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea,
Tracing one warm line through a land so wild and savage,
And make a Northwest Passage to the sea.
— Stan Rogers, Northwest Passage (1981)
“But along the way — and this is what became so clear in Pond — experience and imagination have merged; the two norths have become one. And that one is the land itself, with all its stretching, untrammelled beauty, a land like no other place on earth, that is ours, that shapes us and defines us and makes us who we are. So that to go there, even for the first time, is to also go home.”
— Peter Gzowski
We'll be tracing that line ourselves — the line etched by Franklin's ghost, by Amundsen, by the Inuit who were there long before any of them, and by every soul who has ever looked north and asked, I wonder what else is up there?
Jean and I are going to find the answer for ourselves. We very much hope you'll join us.
Onward,
Bob Ramsay & Jean Marmoreo