November 24, 2019 - Brodosplit is building a technologically advanced polar expedition ship, contracted by American company Quark Expeditions, which will be called ‘Ultramarine’ and will be able to accommodate 200 passengers. 

Splitski Dnevnik reports that the construction was contracted with the American company Quark Expeditions, part of the Travelopia Group, which brings together a diverse range of world-class companies specializing in adventure travel, according to a statement from Brodosplit.

The 128-meter-long polar expedition vessel, which will be 21.5 meters wide and weigh 13,500 gross tons, will sail in 2020, and will be able to accommodate up to 200 passengers in spacious cabins and public areas, the Split shipyard added.

“Ultramarine will be an unprecedented operating base for polar adventures. A new ship in the hands of the most experienced expedition team will allow guests to go deeper into the polar regions than ever before, maintaining the same respect for nature, which has always been Quark Expeditions' guiding principle. In addition, it will allow guests to spend their days experiencing the off-ship adventures that made Quark Expeditions so popular. And once they return to the ship after a day spent on polar exploration, they will be able to rest and relax in a modern, contemporary, premium quality space,” the statement added.

The Ultramarine will be the new pride of Croatian shipbuilding and a definite leap forward for Brodosplit into the market of passenger ships up to 200 meters in length, where Croatian shipyards can compete as an indispensable European shipyard that builds very complex ships on which it generates profit and achieves high competitiveness, the Split shipyard conduced. 

You can see a new promotional video of the Ultramarine polar expedition ship below. 

Over the last seventy years, Brodosplit has delivered more than 450 ships with a total carrying capacity of over 10 million tonnes. Eighty percent of Brodosplit’s production goes to foreign customers. Many of these ships have received accolades from reputable international institutions, and in the last twenty years alone, ten boats from Split have been on the list of the best projects in their categories. The authority with which Brodosplit operates in international shipbuilding circles today and the trust that numerous clients give to its experts are the results of many years of successful work and a high-quality and wide product range.

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August 5, 2019 - Quark Expeditions®, the leader in polar adventures, held the keel-laying ceremony for its pioneering new ship Ultramarine on August 2 at Brodosplit, officially kicking off the next stage in the ship’s construction: the build of its hull and superstructure.

Held at the largest shipyard in Croatia, the event was attended by a mix of senior staff from Brodosplit, its parent company DIV Group, Quark Expeditions, its parent company Travelopia, and private equity investors KKR. Speeches were given by Joerg Metzner, Director at KKR, Andy Duncan, CEO at Travelopia, Malcolm Ellis, Senior VP Operations at Quark Expeditions and as well as representatives from both DIV Group and Brodosplit.

“We thank the team at Brodosplit for hosting this ceremony,” says Malcolm Ellis, Senior VP Operations at Quark Expeditions. “A lot of hard work from a lot of talented people has been required to get us to this point. It’s exciting to see our collective vision for this ship come to life, and to have the opportunity to thank everyone involved for their tremendous dedication and effort.”

The keel-laying event, which also marks formal recognition of the 128m, 199-passenger vessel, included a Croatian folk music performance, as well as the centuries-old coin ceremony, in which a specially chosen coin is welded into the ship’s hull to ensure good fortune during the build and subsequent voyages.

“The coin we chose is a beautiful silver coin featuring two Emperor penguins,” says Ellis. “We chose this coin because it perfectly embodies Quark’s mission: to push the boundaries of polar exploration. In our three decades of operation, Quark Expeditions has accomplished a long list of polar firsts, including being the first to take guests to Snow Hill Island to engage with Emperor penguins in their natural habitat. Ultramarine’s mix of design ingenuity and technological innovation will allow us to continue adding to that list of firsts by taking guests further into the polar regions than ever before.”

Ultramarine will join Quark Expeditions’ fleet in late 2020 for the Antarctic 2020.21 season.

“Ultramarine is purpose-built for the polar regions,” adds Ellis. “With this ship, in the hands of the industry’s most knowledgeable, experienced and dedicated team, we will continue to define what is possible in polar exploration while delivering transformational experiences to our guests.”

All photos by Quark Expeditions

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