If you want to take a holiday cruising the Arctic, but prefer to do so in private five-star style, then the Ida Pfeiffer might be the yacht for you. Developed by Globe Regal Yachting in conjunction with Gill Schmid Designs of New York and Dörries Yachts of Bremerhaven, the 1,500-tonne (1,653-ton), diesel-electric luxury cruiser is designed to carry 14 guests and 15 crew into the coldest waters on Earth ... along with a small armada of tenders, rescue boats, sailboats, and even a helicopter and a Triton submarine.
There was a time when heading into the polar waters of the Arctic or Antarctic was an exercise in high adventure, carried out in specially hardened vessels by people willing to risk being trapped in the thickening ice and even being stranded as they watched the hull of their ships being slowly crushed. Though both regions remain dangerous places that demand respect, modern engineering and a better understanding of ice conditions have opened the way to not only adventure tourism, but even private luxury cruising in areas once visited only by the brave or the foolhardy.
At 70 m (230 ft) long, the yet-to-be-built Ida Pfeiffer has a range of 7,000 mi (11,200 km). Though she has a beam of 12.75 m (41.83 ft), she only draws 3.75 m (12.3 ft) – allowing her to operate in relatively shallow waters. The hull is of steel with a blunt bow for better ice-handling, and the aluminum superstructure boasts a helipad with a telescoping hangar to protect the aircraft in inclement weather. Cruising speed has not been disclosed.
As to the interior, the Ida Pfeiffer, which is named after the famous 19th century Austrian travel writer, has seven guest cabins, an owner's suite, captain's suite, crew quarters, several lounges, an upper deck Jacuzzi, and room for any number of auxiliary vehicles, including a Triton submarine and two motor cars. To handle all of these, there is a side-launching garage and a large A-frame crane dominating the stern. There are even provisions for separate guest and crew ladders for going between decks.
With all these amenities, it isn't surprising that the Ida Pfeiffer falls into the if-you-have-to-ask-you-can't-afford-it category. The price is available on application.
Source: Global Regal