WHY IT RATES: Quark Expeditions, the polar adventure company specializing exclusively in Antarctica voyages, names pioneering Black astronaut, spacecraft pilot and geoscience expert Dr. Sian Proctor as godmother to its newest ship. She is contributing to more than just the cruise line’s traditional dockside ceremony, joining guests aboard several ship’s voyages, including a special November 24, 2023 sailing to Snow Hill’s Emperor Penguin colony. — Laurie Baratti, TravelPulse Associate Writer
Quark Expeditions, the global leader in polar adventures, is thrilled to announce Dr Sian Proctor as godmother for their newest expedition ship, Ultramarine, and invites guests to join her for celebrations onboard the expedition to Antarctica's legendary Snow Hill in November 2023.
In her godmother role, Dr Proctor will continue a longstanding maritime tradition: the celebration of strong women as touchstones for a ship's good fortune and safe passage at sea. But just as Ultramarine does on its unmatched polar expeditions, ship godmother Sian will go beyond tradition, and beyond the expected.
"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."
Embodying the ship's ability to go deeper and go farther, Dr Proctor is a trailblazer who has been resolute and uncompromising in her quest for the extraordinary. Along with voyages to the world's most remote regions, she has left the planet as an astronaut and is the first Black woman to pilot a spacecraft.
"When I saw our polar regions from space, as beacons of earthlight, I knew I wanted to make these places part of my work," said Dr Sian Proctor. "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."
As a partner who has already joined Ultramarine guests and adventures as part of the ship's first Antarctic voyages, Sian offers a compelling voice. She is a tireless advocate for inclusivity and capability as well as an expert in geoscience, so she understands both the internal strengths of individuals and the uniting power of the external landscapes they share.
And as an artist and career educator, Sian bring a tremendous ability to illuminate Ultramarine's capabilities for polar explorers—she understands that it is not just the vessel alone; it is the ability of the ship's stories and images to galvanize polar ambassadors worldwide.
Quark Expeditions welcomes explorers to join Dr Proctor onboard Ultramarine in Antarctica throughout the special November 24, 2023 sailing of the voyage Emperor Penguin Quest: Expedition to Snow Hill—contact the company's polar travel advisors for details.
SOURCE: Quark Expeditions press release.
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