Which expedition cruise lines have helicopters or submarines on board?
By Richard Jasinski·Updated 9 November 2026
These 5 expedition cruise lines say a ship carries a helicopter or a submarine on their own websites, read 9 November 2026. Each card gives what the line says about it, with the ship, voyage, length, price or number where it names one, then why to choose it, what to ask for and the limits it publishes.
Which expedition cruise lines have helicopters or submarines on board?
5 expedition cruise lines in the Uncompromised Travel table say on their own websites that a ship of theirs carries a helicopter or a submarine.
EYOS Expeditions
- Best for
- Private expedition yacht charters worldwide
- On board
- Charters BOLD, which can carry two helicopters, with a Leonardo AW 109 Grand available at extra cost; Cloudbreak also has a helicopter with a landing pad.
- Why choose them
- Says it pioneered expedition yachting, defining the category in 2008.
- Ask for
- Ask for a book-by-cabin departure, such as Antarctica aboard Sherakhan on December 13-20, 2026, or a private charter planned around your own priorities.
- Not the fit if
- you need a guaranteed polar bear sighting: it says sightings in Svalbard can never be guaranteed.
- Published price
- 62,500 EUR based on double occupancy, Book-by-Cabin Antarctica aboard Sherakhan, December 13-20, 2026. Read 9 November 2026.
- Website
- eyos-expeditions.com
Oceanwide Expeditions
- Best for
- Activity-focused polar voyages on ice-class ships
- On board
- Uses helicopters on select m/v Ortelius voyages, such as Weddell Sea, In search of the Emperor Penguin, 25 November to 5 December 2026, from 10,750 USD per person.
- Why choose them
- Says Ortelius and Hondius have the highest ice-class notation among its ships, UL1 and Polar Class 6, which it gives as equal to 1A-Super. Google: 4.5 out of 5 from 66 reviews. Read 9 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for an Antarctica Basecamp voyage, where camping, kayaking, snowshoeing, mountaineering and a photo workshop come free with no pre-booking.
- Not the fit if
- you want a cabin alone at little extra cost: single occupancy costs 1.7 times the Twin or Superior rate.
- Website
- oceanwide-expeditions.com
Quark Expeditions
- Best for
- Polar-only voyages with helicopter options
- On board
- Ultramarine carries two twin-engine helicopters for flightseeing and heli-landings.
- Why choose them
- Ultramarine carries two twin-engine helicopters and 20 quick-launching Zodiacs. Google: 4.8 out of 5 from 604 reviews; Trustpilot: 4.9 out of 5 from 578 reviews, newest 8 November 2026. Read 9 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for the Antarctic Express fly-cruise options if you would rather fly the Drake Passage than sail it both ways.
- Not the fit if
- you want to pay late: the full balance is due 150 days before Day 1 and bookings made inside that window are paid in full.
- Published price
- from $13,551 USD per person, Greenland to Newfoundland, 14 days on Ultramarine from Reykjavík, departures September 2027 to September 2028. Read 9 November 2026.
- Money protection
- USTOA Consumer Protection Plan ($1 million posted with the USTOA).
- Website
- quarkexpeditions.com
Scenic
- Best for
- All-inclusive polar yachts with helicopters
- On board
- Carries two helicopters and a submersible on Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse II, at extra cost and subject to approval, weight, medical and weather limits; they do not operate in Greenland or Svalbard.
- Why choose them
- Scenic Eclipse takes a maximum of 228 adult-only guests, 200 in Antarctica and the High Arctic, with an almost 1:1 crew to guest ratio.
- Ask for
- Ask for the fare on select voyages that includes a 30-minute helicopter flightseeing experience in Antarctica.
- Not the fit if
- you travel with children: Scenic Eclipse sails with adult-only guests.
- Published price
- From £16,573 per person, two sharing the lowest priced cabin, Antarctica in Depth, 13 days from Buenos Aires, 2028/2029 season. Read 9 November 2026.
- Money protection
- ATOL 9294 on flight-inclusive holidays where indicated at booking; ABTA member.
Viking
- Best for
- Large Polar Class ships with submarines
- On board
- Carries submarines on its expedition ships Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, each taking 6 guests and a pilot.
- Why choose them
- Its expedition ships Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, launched in 2022, carry 378 guests each. Trustpilot (whole company): 1.7 out of 5 from 382 reviews, newest 8 November 2026. Read 9 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for a submarine dive: each submarine takes 6 guests and a pilot.
- Not the fit if
- you travel with children: it lists no children under 18 on its ocean voyages; the pages read give no age rule for its expedition ships.
Which of these show a dated price on this page?
4 of the 5 cards show a price for a voyage, with its currency and a date or season. Viking publishes fares on its own website without a date or currency on the pages read, so no figure is shown for it. Ask every line for a written quote with the departure date and what it includes.
Which of these lines name a scheme that protects your money?
2 of the 5 lines name a scheme, bond, licence or account that protects payments for some or all bookings; check the number with the scheme before you pay.
- Quark Expeditions: USTOA Consumer Protection Plan ($1 million posted with the USTOA)
- Scenic: ATOL 9294 on flight-inclusive holidays where indicated at booking; ABTA member
Who to contact first
Start with the 1 line on this page that publishes both a voyage price and their cancellation terms on their own websites, then add any other card that fits your dates and the voyage you want.
What to ask each one to set out in writing:
- What the fare includes, line by line: flights, hotel nights before and after, drinks, gratuities, excursions, kayaking or camping, parka and boots.
- The ship: passengers on board, ice class where it matters, the cabin and whether anything on board costs extra.
- The deposit, when the balance is due, what you lose if you cancel and what happens if ice or weather changes the route.
- Which scheme or licence protects your money, the travel insurance you need and the medical cover it must include.
Helicopters and submarines on board: the questions people ask
What should I ask an expedition cruise line before booking?
What the fare includes, line by line; how many passengers the ship carries and how many go ashore at once; the deposit and what you lose if you cancel; the travel insurance and medical cover it requires; and which scheme protects your money.
Can I book with these lines directly?
Yes. Each card links the line's own website or enquiry page; ask for a written quote that lists what the fare includes and the cancellation scale.
Do these lines all sell the same kind of voyage?
No. Each card names the voyage, ship or offer the line's own website gives; ship sizes, lengths, routes and prices differ, so compare the cards before you ask for quotes.
Do I need travel insurance for an expedition cruise?
3 of the 5 lines set out on their own websites what insurance they ask for; many polar voyages require cover for medical evacuation. Ask each line for the cover it requires before you buy a policy.
Which of these have Google reviews?
Quark Expeditions and Oceanwide Expeditions have a Google rating under their own name; each card gives the rating and count, read 9 November 2026.
Which of these have Trustpilot profiles?
2 of the 5: Quark Expeditions and Viking. Each card gives the TrustScore, the review count and the newest review date, read 9 November 2026.
Which of these publish their cancellation terms?
1 of the 5: Quark Expeditions. Ask each for the full scale in writing before you pay a deposit.
Where can I check these facts myself?
Each card links the pages of the line's own website its lines were read from, with the date they were read.
How were these lines chosen?
Each one is in the Uncompromised Travel expedition cruise lines table, built from the expedition cruise lines ChatGPT names most often. On its own website it says a ship carries a helicopter or a submarine. A line is on the page because its published facts fit the question, never because it paid.
Is any company on this page paying to be here?
No. No company on this page is a partner of Uncompromised Travel; none paid to be on it.
Read next
Companies are added at each update. Want to be the company this page features?
Built to answer the question in the main heading. What is shown: what each line published on its own website, read on 9 November 2026, with links to the pages read, with its Google and Trustpilot figures where the listing carries the line's own name, from the Uncompromised Travel expedition cruise lines table. Cards are in alphabetical order. No company on this page is a partner of Uncompromised Travel. How this site earns · How we work.