MS Balto

The elegant expedition ship for Greenland

The MS Balto is named after the lead sled dog of the 1925 Serum Run to Nome. It was built to the highest ice class in Rauma, Finland, to serve as a government vessel in the Baltic Sea. Between 2019 and 2020, she underwent a complete renovation and is now one of the most spacious and elegant small polar expedition ships in service.

The MS Balto offers comfortable, luxury accommodations for 12 passengers in 7 outside cabins, all with private bathrooms and lower berths. The spacious cabins include 1 Owner’s Cabin, 1 Superior Twin Cabin, 1 Double Cabin, 2 Twin Cabins, and 2 Single Cabins. The Owner’s Cabin is 30 m² in size, has 6 windows, and features a double bed; the Superior Twin Cabin has two single beds, while the Double Cabin has a double bed. The Owner’s Cabin and the Superior Twin Cabin also feature a separate seating area. All cabins are equipped with a desk, a chair, and a wardrobe.

The guest deck also features a sauna for 4–6 people, complete with a cold shower and a small changing room.

The spacious salon and the beautiful dining room feature mahogany paneling, a bar, a card table, a library, and coffee and tea stations. The MS Balto offers a large, open restaurant-style galley where you can sample the ship’s chefs’ culinary skills and enjoy freshly baked bread.

There are several open and semi-enclosed decks from which you can enjoy the breathtaking Arctic scenery. You’ll be welcomed by an international crew, and the bridge is open to visitors.

The ship is equipped with an electric-diesel propulsion system that allows for versatile maneuvering and speeds, enabling vibration-free exploration of the surroundings. It is therefore ideally suited as a film and photography platform. It also features a storage room for expedition gear and two Zodiacs for excursions into the wilderness and out to the open sea.

The MS Balto is truly one of a kind when it comes to small polar expedition ships. A voyage on this unique 12-passenger vessel offers a completely different and much more intimate experience of Greenland compared to a larger expedition ship.

A small group of just 12 passengers allows for greater flexibility, unique itineraries, and more time for shore excursions. Plus, your environmental footprint is much smaller! The MS Balto is designed to explore the most remote fjords , visit isolated Inuit settlements, take you to secret anchorages, and maximize every passenger’s experience in the untouched wilderness. This is true micro-expedition.