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Review: World Navigator

An intimate ship that doesn't skimp on creature comforts
Gold List 2024
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Pedro Machado/Atlas Ocean Voyages
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What is the line? Atlas Ocean Voyages

Name of ship? World Navigator

Passenger occupancy? 196 (but there were only 70 aboard on this sailing)

Itinerary? Eight-night sailing Longyearbyen round-trip, circumnavigating Norway's Svalbard archipelago.

Seeking an adventure on the farthest reaches of earth but without forgoing any of the finer touches of life? Atlas is the ultimate luxury expedition trip, designed for travelers looking to wade knee-deep through riverbeds while hiking to remote Arctic glaciers before ending the night in high-design comfort with plenty of caviar on hand.

Start out with the big picture—what is this cruise line known for?

While Atlas is a relatively new brand—this sailing was during the first anniversary of its maiden voyage—it distinguishes itself as a luxury expedition brand, with an ace expedition team guiding a busy schedule of twice-daily zodiac excursions and plenty of cosseting comforts to welcome you back aboard. It's also one of the most eco-friendly ships on the seas, so it attracts a conscious traveler in pursuit of adventure in hard-to-reach places.

Tell us about the ship in general

World Navigator was launched in August 2021, and can hold 196 passengers across 98 staterooms and suites. Because it’s so new, it’s built to the latest standards with state-of-the-art technology that makes it one of the most eco-friendly ships on the seas. Atlas worked with Rolls-Royce to develop hybrid engines that don’t rely on the use of heavy fuels and anchorless positioning that doesn’t harm marine life.

Who is onboard?

During the very first briefing, the expedition leader asked how many of us have been to Antarctica. Nearly everyone raised their hands. That says a lot about the travelers here: adventurous travelers who venture far off the beaten path, many of whom tend to skew older—there are lots of well-traveled retirees—or are bringing multiple generations of their family along.

Describe the cabins

I was in a 300-square-foot Veranda deluxe stateroom, a spacious room with a balcony with outdoor seating. There was plenty of space and storage for two people as well as a small sitting area, a desk with mini bar, and TV. The bathroom was snug but nicely appointed with L'Occitane products, and the multi-jet shower was a dream after a tiring excursion. Other categories range from Solo rooms to Horizon rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows to the top-category Navigator Suites, spread across 465 square feet complete with standalone bathtubs; while my room was beautifully designed and comfortable, I'd say any of the suites, with an extra sitting room, larger closets with dressing areas, and double-length decks, would be the ones to book.

Tell us about the crew

Atlas has put together an impressive expedition team—PHDs, polar meteorologists, and lifelong adventure guides with hundreds of Arctic and Antarctic expeditions among them. In their capable hands, the excursions through choppy weather and to remote stretches of coastline were seamless and fascinating, and time and time again other guests agreed that this expedition team was a highlight that sets them apart from others. But the rest of the crew was also wonderful; warm, friendly, and remembering your preferences before you’ve even had a chance to form them.

What food and drink options are available on board?

It’s a small ship, so food and drink options are limited: Paula's café has grab and go sandwiches, pastries, smoothies, and coffee; the Dome observation lounge serves drinks all day and an afternoon tea; there's a pool bar that was closed the whole time we were at sea (though the self service ice cream cart was parked and available there all day); the Atlas lounge has a bar and serves happy hour treats; and there's a room service menu with staples like club sandwiches, burgers, Caesar wraps, and osetra caviar. But most meals take place at the Porto restaurant, which serves breakfast and lunch buffets and a different themed dinner every night—Japanese, Italian, French, Indian, Ukrainian—along with a classic menu with steak, chicken, fish options. While there were some standout dishes, overall the food, while plentiful, was not out of this world—solid and bountiful but not mindblowing.

Is there a spa on board and is it worth visiting?

The L’Occitane SeaSpa, the French brand’s first-ever spa at sea, has two treatment rooms, a relaxation lounge, and an infrared sauna. My aromatherapy spa treatment was lovely; while I thought the room temperature was too cold, the heated massage bed was a nice touch.

Activities and entertainment

The swimming pool and hot tubs were mostly bypassed given the freezing temperatures, but most guests did get a thrill out of the polar plunge on the third day of the sailing. The twice daily zodiac excursions keep us plenty busy, followed by talks by guest lecturer Dr. Ed Sobey, a polar oceanographer, on what we'd been seeing as well as other issues relating to Arctic wildlife, exploration, and climate change. There was also a daily briefing on the next day's excursions. If we were able to find downtime in between all of that, there was the spa, the gym, and an outdoor running track (though it was usually too slippery to attempt whenever I went to investigate), plenty of books and board games in the Atlas Lounge, as well as nightly entertainment by two on-board entertainers, a violinist and a piano player. One night cruise director Michael Shapiro, who has a musical theater background, performed a New York-style cabaret. But ultimately the entertainment is not the point here—whiling away the 24 hours of daylight in any of the decks—which, given the intimacy of the ship, you can often expect to have to yourself—or the seventh floor Dome observatory with wraparound views of the glaciers and fjords is the best way to spend time between outings.

How was the experience for families?

We had a 10 year old and two teens on our sailing and there wasn't much geared toward them specifically apart from board games as far as I could see. Internet doesn't work at this latitude so we were offline for the entire duration, so if you're bringing kids, be sure to bring books and download plenty of entertainment for them beforehand.

Where did it sail and how were the excursions? Did anything stand out?

We set sail on an eight-night sailing through the fjords of Norway’s remote Svalbard archipelago in July, which is peak summer in the region—24 hours of sun and balmy weather in the 40s. We flew an Atlas charter flight from Oslo to Longyearbyen, before setting sail on a very unique itinerary—most cruise lines don't attempt this route, as it takes several months of summer before the ice has melted enough to allow for passage all the way around Svalbard. This is not the kind of route that would be easy to chart out in any way other than a ship like World Navigator, and they make it seem effortless despite the challenges of exploring such a remote region—because of the positioning of satellites, phone and internet signals fade away before you reach the 80th parallel, so the entire trip took place without any contact with the rest of the world. The first port was the research settlement of Ny-Aselund, where we explored a small town and shopped at a gift shop—this the last time we encountered established communities in the entire trip. The rest of the itinerary was filled with zodiac excursions, some to moonlike landscapes where we hiked and explored remnants of historic settlements (Ny-London had well-preserved wooden cottages from an abandoned English marble mining town; on Kinnvika, we met three Swedes who were there in complete isolation for a week to restore buildings from an old Swedish polar research center) as well as sailing tours of glaciers and remote beaches to spot walruses, reindeer, arctic foxes, and a variety of arctic birds. We also glimpsed seven polar bears from the ship on our final days. Everything felt so remote, desolate, and beautiful in an otherworldly way, and it was amazing to explore this region of extremes with a skilled expedition team and retreat to creature comforts afterwards.

Are there any stand out sustainability or green initiatives about this cruise?

The standout is the ship itself, with its cutting-edge design aimed to have a minimal ecological footprint—all the more important in remote ecosystems like this one. Atlas also got guests to participate in cleanup initiatives across Svalbard, and we collected discarded fishing nets and plastic and trash that washed ashore on all of our excursions—expedition leaders bagged them all and took them to get recycled in Longyearbyen at the end of our cruise.

Anything we missed

There's a certain kind of traveler that's drawn to these kinds of experiences in these kinds of locations, and I loved getting to know my fellow cruisers—ranging from professors and archaeologists to retired spies. The intimate size of the sailing led to much camaraderie and intimacy, and direct access to the knowledge and expertise of the expedition guides as well as on-board experts like Dr. Sobey. 

Why is the cruise worth booking?

It’s hard to wrap our heads around the impact of climate change on the polar regions unless you see it for yourself—seeing the majesty of the Arctic first-hand, with expert guidance to understand how fragile the region is and aboard a ship that’s at the vanguard of sustainability-minded cruising—really helps bring perspective back home.

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