On Sunday, July 21st, I had an amazing opportunity presented to me. I have been a huge ambassador of the ‘cruise ship visits’ to Thunder Bay. On air – I always have fun ‘joking’ about the fact that one day…maybe I can make my way onto one of those ships for a visit / a tour. Well, that opportunity came true. It happened.
First…I need to extend my biggest thanks and gratitude to these amazing individuals who made it happen. Embark Port Services staff – Kerry Berlinquette (Mgr Shore Excursions and Support), Sean Davies (Maintair Aviation Services)and also the help of Anthony Foglia (Transportation Museum VP) and Tourism Thunder Bay’s Paul Pepe. I cannot thank you enough for this amazing chance to go on board THE VIKING POLARIS.
ALSO – there’s another person I have to thank: Todd Miller. Todd is a retired teacher who has strong ties with Silver Islet. He was instrumental in guiding former Viking passengers on tours. He just spent 43 days on the Viking Polaris as a lecturer. He spends his days speaking to Polaris guests onboard the ship / and gives daily lectures on everything there is to know about the Great Lakes. He’ll be back on the Viking cruise ship this Fall…..and will stay on board until December! AMAZING.
Based on my conversations and time with Todd, he is so knowledgeable about the Great Lakes, and also every facet of the Viking Polaris ship. Todd was our Tour Guide.
As we entered the ship – I had to clear security via Passport / and Driver’s License I.D. Once that was done….we made our way through the ship.
The VIKING POLARIS was built in 2022. It’s known as an “expedition ship”. It’s 665 feet long. It can accommodate up to 380 guests; and has over 250 staff. There are 6 decks.
There are no “inside rooms”. Every passenger’s room has a “window view”. There are various types of rooms that a passenger can reserve, including the “Owner’s Suite”. Can you believe this suite is over 1,200 sq feet? Panoramic views; your own library. The “Nordic Jr Suite”; “Nordic Penthouse”; and others.
The SHIP also features a hair salon, fitness centre, Nordic Spa. I also had a chance to visit the 2 bars on the Polaris: Aquavit Terrace & Bar and the Explorer’s Bar. I enjoyed an amazing lunch at one of the restaurants on board. Including pizza, and something called “Roasbiff” – roast beef and fried onion with tartar sauce. One of the restaurants had a ‘private dining’ room that held hundreds of bottles of fine wine. (each bottle was locked in place with a leather strap, so they won’t fall in case of heavy waves). Wild.
This ship is truly remarkable in every way. State of the art 100%. These passengers are there to not only relax, but to “learn”. This is an expedition ship that explores the Great Lakes. Todd shared many stories with me of the amazing journey’s he / and the guests have shared. There are 4 underwater submersibles that can go as deep as 300 feet. They launch weather balloons as they’ve partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. These balloons collect data on wind speed, wind direction, temperature and more.
Another amazing feature to this ship is “The Aula and Finse Terrace” – described as ‘the world’s most advanced venue for learning at sea’. The Aula is a panoramic auditorium, perfect for entertainment and lectures. In fact, this is where Todd Miller holds many of his lectures about the Great Lakes. Passengers have the perfect view, alongside floor to ceiling windows with amazing views. I was also intrigued – while Todd was giving us this tour…he found things that were new to him, and was taking pics and saying “this will be a great subject for a future lecture”.
The VIKING POLARIS and OCTANTIS are sister ships (they are identical) – and are set to return to Thunder Bay in mid-August and September.
This truly was a highlight of 2024 for me. Thanks again to the amazing individuals who made this happen.
Thunder Bay is so fortunate to have these ships visit our city and especially the hundreds and hundreds of tourists who visit Thunder Bay during each stop. We all should be proud that Thunder Bay is now a ‘cruise ship port’.
I’ll leave you with this quote found on The Viking Polaris:
“Live life with no excuses, travel with no regret” – Oscar Wilde (1854-1900).
