Astronaut and geology professor Dr. Sian Proctor will be aboard Ultramarine in her new godmother role for a special sailing in Antarctica.
Listen to this articleOn June 8, 2023, Quark Expeditions announced that Dr. Sian Proctor will serve as godmother to their newest expedition ship Ultramarine. Dr. Proctor invites guests to join her for the celebrations onboard during the expedition to Antarctica’s legendary Snow Hill in November 2023.
Dr. Proctor’s role as godmother will carry on a long-standing nautical tradition of celebrating strong women as touchstones for a ship’s good fortune and safe voyage at sea. But, like Ultramarine on its legendary polar excursions, ship godmother Sian will go beyond tradition and the expected.
Related: What Is a Cruise Ship Godmother (or Godfather)?
Choosing the perfect godmother for Ultramarine
“Our team put significant time and innovative thought toward the perfect godmother relationship, and we are ecstatic to have found a truly extraordinary partner for Ultramarine,” said Andrew White, president of Quark Expeditions.
“We look forward to working with Sian in ways that will transcend any dockside champagne ceremony—not just to go beyond as a leader onboard Ultramarine with our polar explorers, but to go together for years to come in supporting the work of our company and our teams around the world,” continued White in a press release.
Dr. Proctor, the first Black woman to pilot a spacecraft, is a trailblazer who has been steadfast and unwavering in her pursuit of the remarkable. She embodies Ultramarine‘s ability to explore deeper and farther by traveling to some of the world’s most distant locations in addition to leaving the globe as an astronaut.
“When I saw our polar regions from space, as beacons of earthlight, I knew I wanted to make these places part of my work. What better place than the far edges of the planet to expand our awareness of what it means to be a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive society,” said Proctor.
According to the cruise line, Sian will provide a compelling perspective as a companion who has already joined Ultramarine guests and adventures on the ship’s maiden Antarctic journeys. She is a persistent advocate for diversity and capability and a geoscience expert, so she understands individuals’ internal strengths as well as the uniting power of the external landscapes they share.
Dr. Proctor will be onboard Ultramarine in Antarctica throughout the special November 24, 2023 sailing of Emperor Penguin Quest: Expedition to Snow Hill.
Related: What Is an Expedition Cruise (and Why You Should Consider One)
Ultramarine is the newest addition to the Quark Expeditions fleet
Ultramarine, the newest member of the Quark Expeditions fleet, is a game changer in polar exploration. The ship transforms how guests can explore the polar regions, with her two twin-engine Airbus 145 helicopters, 20 quick-launching Zodiacs, and the industry’s widest array of off-ship adventure options.
Related: What Is a Zodiac Boat on an Expedition Cruise?
Onboard features include a spa, a sauna with floor-to-ceiling windows, a fitness center and yoga space. The ship also offers two restaurants, a lounge, and a presentation theater.
Ultramarine was designed with innovative sustainability technologies to help preserve the polar regions for future explorers. Her 1A+ Ice Class rating and PC6 Polar Class rating contribute to the ship’s outstanding safety standards.
A micro auto gasification system (MAGS) capable of transforming onboard trash into energy—avoiding the need for waste transportation—is one of Ultramarine‘s novel sustainability elements that help lower her environmental footprint.
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