59 INTERVIEW (retiring) and World Voyager],” says Seward. “However, through a renewal process and a huge amount of capital investment, we have reduced the average age of our fleet from 37 years to five since 2019. That has reduced the emissions at a guest level by a bit more than one-third.” And Quark isn’t stopping there; it is exploring a fourth Antarctic vessel to come on stream in 2029-2030. “This would allow us to meet demand,” says Seward. “We have very high occupancy levels this year. It will probably be our best year on record in terms of booking levels. We want to bring a fourth ship on line which caters for the evolving demands of the industry. That might be a smaller vessel more suited to the fly-cruise programme, or a ship offering more of a science programme. We are working through different options. “We are also looking carefully at what this next round of investment will mean for the Antarctic fleet. I’m hoping what we will see is older tonnage being retired and moved out of the regions, rather than being repurposed by new entrants as it’s not good for the industry’s overall emissions profile.” Quark is talking to two shipbuilders about new concept vessels and two others that have developed ships like those Quark is using, such as Ocean Explorer with its X-bow. However, it is too early to disclose names. Conservation also comes in the form of investing in scientific research. This is either through the guest auction programme onboard, which directed $350,000 to charities, such as Penguin Watch and the High Arctic Gull Research Group, in 2025. Or through Quark donating $700,000 in berths since 2024 to help researchers reach, for example, remote penguin rookeries and nurseries for data collection. A straw poll of guests conducted in January 2026 revealed they are drawn to Quark because of its polar specialism and the promise of maximising time off the vessel. Although the research side is not a direct pull, Seward believes it is one of the aspects driving guests to return. “They find it very interesting and motivating. For instance understanding the relationship between krill fishing and whale and penguin activity is a ‘scales off the eyes moment’ for a lot of people.” Looking ahead, Seward is keen to continue maximising the guest experience whilst investing in technology to create a lower friction rate. Whilst acknowledging that the use of artificial intelligence will inevitably play a part in improving both onboard and pre/post-trip experiences, he says: “My sense is that, with increasing automation, guests are going to place increasing emphasis on the quality of human interaction and experiences. The more time you spend talking to a chatbot to pay the gas bill, the more time you are yearning to be around like-minded people. That trend will keep amplifying.” With his 25-year background in adventure, small group touring and active holidays, Seward is working on building “a set of really brilliant pre- and post-cruise experiences to give guests the Quark experience for a longer period, not just on the voyage”. He views this as a priority because they have not been offered by Quark before and they provide a chance to break up the journey. “One of the opportunities we have with international travel is to reduce the number of long-haul flights we take, so if people are willing to stretch their itineraries and add on experiences before and after voyages, that will benefit emissions as well.” It is clear that Quark’s president is fully onboard with the company’s ethos of not only exploring the polar regions, but protecting them too. Quark Expeditions visits destinations such as Kulusuk, a settlement in the Sermersooq municipality in southeastern Greenland
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