Poseidon and Quark cancel North Pole, Russian Arctic expeditions

The North Pole expeditions for each company would have operated on the chartered Russian icebreaker 50 Years of Victory.

Poseidon also drops Franz Josef Land

Poseidon also canceled four trips to Franz Josef Land in the High Russian Arctic on Sea Spirit, which were to sail from Longyearbyen, Svalbard. Steve Wellmeier, managing director of Poseidon's North American office, said Svalbard and East Greenland itineraries are being developed in their place. 

Travelers on Poseidon's canceled North Pole trips may move their reservation to 2023 with the 2022 rate protected. Or, like travelers on the cruises dropping Franz Josef Land — should they decide not to continue on a revised itinerary — they may shift to a different voyage in the Arctic or Antarctica that operates through 2024, or request a refund.

Poseidon was co-founded by Nikolay Saveliev, a Russian national, in 1999. The company is incorporated in the UK and headquartered in Cyprus. It has a sales office and operations department in Moscow, but all cruise revenue transactions are handled through Cyprus, the US and Switzerland.

Quark

Besides the North Pole cancellation, Quark Expeditions is canceling all voyages in or through Russian territory in the 2022 Arctic season.

Passengers may rebook on the same expedition in 2023, pending availability, with their 2022 rate protected. Or they may request a 100% future cruise credit to apply to any voyage departing within three years of the canceled trip's date or a full refund.