ONBOARD THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC RESOLUTION -- Lindblad Expeditions' two newest ships have all the things that most upscale ships have: a spa, a lounge, two bars, a long table for hosting tasting-menu dinners, tasteful decor, excellent food.
They also have igloos.
An aft view of the Resolution shows where the two igloos are located. Photo Credit: Rebecca Tobin
It's often best if a ship has some sort of marquee perk or a design innovation; the better to get advisors and clients talking and media stories percolating. The Resolution, and its sister, the Endurance, have state-of-the-art technology and ice-rated hulls, but when it comes to unique, on-deck wows, it's surely the igloos.
Cantilevered over the two aft corners of the ships, the igloos are glassed-in domes that enable guests to sightsee in secluded bliss. Because the ships are purpose-built for cold-weather cruising, passengers can hang out in the igloos safe from wind and snow (not safe from the exaggerated swells of Antarctica's Drake Passage, but that's another story).
But one of the coolest things about the igloos is that they're a 24-hour operation.
Each night of a voyage, two couples can bunk in the igloos. They're exclusively theirs, from just before dinnertime to just after breakfast.
And on a brief cruise of western Greenland with my teenage daughter, that's what we did.
The first thing to know, as hotel director Laura Fuentes mentioned during her welcome lecture, is that the igloos are neither heated nor curtained. That can be an issue if it gets super cold, since guests must exit the igloos to use the restrooms in the nearby Sanctuary spa. Also, when it's summer in the Arctic, it doesn't get dark at night.
But it's also a night in an igloo, so solutions must be found. For example, each guest gets a heavy-duty eye mask, earplugs, heated water bottles wrapped in fuzzy coverings and two bathrobes and water-resistant blankets to wrap up in during forays to the bathroom or as an extra layer on the bed.
There are no electrical plugs. My daughter and I were encouraged to charge our phones in our cabin pre-igloo, which we did. Then we stuffed a backpack with our PJs, slippers, toiletries and swimwear (more on that in a second) to take upstairs.
The writer's daughter inside one of the igloos after it was set up for an overnight stay. Photo Credit: Rebecca Tobin
During the day, the igloo has a queen-size daybed with a waterproof mattress and a fur throw, and guests can sit, lounge and nap, sightsee or read. At night, the same bed is made up for sleeping with crisp sheets, comfy pillows, a plaid accent blanket and a little wooden tray with two battery-powered lanterns and cute LED votive candle. The igloo glass that faces the deck is tastefully frosted, so other passengers can't see in, but the water-facing side and ceiling are clear.
However, the igloo experience isn't all about sleeping. Directly adjacent to the domes are the ship's two glass-walled hot tubs that comfortably accommodate about five -- why tuck in when the sun is shining all night? Another popular pastime in the wee hours is to head to the bridge. Lindblad has an open-bridge policy, and passengers pop in and out at all hours to look at the sea, sun, icebergs and, maybe, spot some whales.
I'm not sure how late I stayed up, but my last photo of my daughter, sleeping with a water bottle in her arms, reads 2:30 a.m. But whatever the time, I put on my sleeping mask and was instantly, soundly asleep. At 6:30 a.m. exactly, our wake-up call sounded in the form of a crew member bringing coffee, water and hot chocolate.
By 7:30 a.m., I was downstairs in the restaurant, where all the passengers we knew (and Fuentes, who was serving that morning behind the pastry display) were curious to hear about our time in the igloo.
The igloos on Lindblad's National Geographic Resolution are conveniently located next to the ship's glass-walled hot tubs. Photo Credit: Rebecca Tobin
"It was awesome," my daughter said. "It was very comfortable; I went to sleep faster in there than I did in our other room. And the hot tub was right there, which was nice."
And by the way, all of this is included in the fare. Suite guests get first dibs on an igloo as soon as they get onboard, but then it's opened up to all on a first-come, first-served basis. Noah Brodsky, Lindblad's chief commercial officer, told me they do book up.
"There's nothing else in the world like those igloos," Brodsky said. "It's so unique and special and spectacular."
In fact, Brodsky was booked into the igloo opposite ours that night. That igloo faced the nonsetting sun, so the masks were of critical importance. He said the experience of being under the midnight sun in the Arctic was "magical."
But here's a pro tip on being under the midnight sun in the Arctic: Bring sunblock to wear with your mask. I noticed the next day my nose was prominently red.
Of course, that could have also been from any of our hikes in Greenland with the Lindblad expedition team, sailing among the icebergs the previous day, standing out on the bridge at 2 a.m. watching for whales or spending just a bit too much time in the hot tub.