Photo: Quark/Gajan Balan INTERVIEW It’s all about polar adventures Conservation and community are at the heart of Quark Expeditions’ unique polar cruise offering. Susan Parker talks with president Sam Seward Quark Expeditions (Quark) was set up in 1991 and has singlemindedly focused on being a polar specialist ever since. When Sam Seward was asked to join as president in 2025 after running adventure travel businesses for Travelopia, the decision was an easy one. He had travelled with Quark on Ultramarine in Svalbard with his mother in 2023 and was already hooked. Moving to Toronto, Canada, with his young family to join Quark was a no-brainer. With the expedition sector expanding, Seward sees new opportunities for Quark. “Telling our story of being polar only and being really invested in the quality of our expedition team, which we believe is the best in the world, is critical for brand differentiation purposes,” he says Ensuring all the passengers get off the ship into the environment together at every opportunity is also a must. “We’re focused on that and on maintaining a 1:6 staff-to-guest ratio, so we can offer wholeship activities,” says Seward. “You don’t want to be stood on the balcony watching someone having an amazing interaction with a pod of humpbacks from the side of a Zodiac; you want to be there with them.” The onboard team are vital to delivering these experiences. Quark is unique in the industry in having an academy in Ushuaia, Argentina, where it trains its team to ensure they have all the skills and experience “ We have reduced the average age of our fleet from 37 years to five since 2019” 56 Quark Expeditions aims to maximise opportunities for guests to get up close to whales and other wildlife
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