Useful Information: Polar Explorer & Arctic Explorer

At a glance

Terminal address: Axelsviksvägen 291C, 95295 Båtskärsnäs, Sweden.
Free parking is available at the cruise terminal. No parking reservation is needed.
Boarding starts 30 minutes before departure and closes 10 minutes before departure.
If you travel with our shuttle, be at your pickup location 10 minutes before the shuttle departure.
Bring a valid passport or national ID if your route crosses the Finland-Sweden border.
Dress warmly. Survival suits for the ice floating activity are provided on board.

Itinerary

Click to watch the video of the itinerary of the day!

Prepare for swimming

How to prepare for the floating activity

How can you prepare for the floating activity? Watch this video so you know what’s going down in our dressing room!

Your ship

There are two ships: Polar Explorer and Arctic Explorer. Both sail from the same terminal and both include ice floating in survival suits when conditions allow.

Polar Explorer is the flagship: 3-hour cruise, 185 explorers, restaurant, cinema, full guide team, and optional business class.
Arctic Explorer is the best-value ship: 2.5-hour cruise, 80 explorers, small cafe, no restaurant, no cinema, and no business class.

Cruise times

The public timetable has three cruise windows during the season. Your booking confirmation is the authority for your exact departure.

Polar Explorer

Early season (selected dates 23 November–20 December 2026): 10:00–13:00 Swedish local time (CET). Late season (selected dates 30 March–14 April 2027): 10:00–13:00 CEST.
Morning (selected dates 21 December 2026–25 March 2027): 09:00–12:00 Swedish local time (CET).
Afternoon (selected dates 22 December 2026–29 March 2027): 13:00–16:00 Swedish local time (CET/CEST).

Arctic Explorer

Early season (selected dates 29 November–20 December 2026): 10:15–12:45 Swedish local time (CET).
Morning (selected dates 21 December 2026–25 March 2027): normally 09:15–11:45 Swedish local time (CET). Check your booking confirmation for your exact time.
Afternoon (selected dates 22 December 2026–27 March 2027): 13:15–15:45 Swedish local time (CET). Finland is one hour ahead. Shuttle pickup times use the local time of the pickup location.

Shuttle products start earlier because the displayed start time may be your pickup time, not the ship departure time. Finland is one hour ahead of Sweden, so check whether your time is Finnish time or Swedish time.

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Getting here

Map showing the location of the Polar Explorer Cruise Terminal near Luleå, Sweden, with surrounding cities Boden, Älvsbyn, Piteå, Haparanda, Kemi, Ii, Oulu, and Rovaniemi marked.

You can arrive by your own transport or book a product with shuttle transfer.
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By car
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Use this address for navigation: Axelsviksvägen 291C, 95295 Båtskärsnäs, Sweden. The terminal coordinates are 65.7700815, 23.3698463.

Approximate driving times listed on icebreaker.fi:

Rovaniemi: 168 km, about 2 h 15 min.
Kemi: 73 km, about 1 h.
Tornio: 45 km, about 35 min.
Luleå: 100 km, about 1 h 15 min.
Haparanda: 45 km, about 35 min.
Kalix: 23 km, about 20 min.

By shuttle bus

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Shuttle pickups are available from Rovaniemi, Kemi, Tornio, Luleå, and Haparanda depending on the product and date. You choose your pickup and drop-off location during the reservation process.

The Rovaniemi shuttle is a full day plan. The confirmed Polar Explorer Rovaniemi product is about 8 hours 30 minutes from pickup to return.

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First pickup times from the current 2026-2027 schedule:

Rovaniemi shuttle: 07:25 early season, 06:25 morning, 10:25 afternoon, Finnish time.
Kemi/Tornio shuttle: 09:05 early season, 08:05 morning, 12:05 afternoon, Finnish time.
Luleå/Haparanda shuttle: 08:00 early season, 07:00 morning, 11:00 afternoon, Swedish time.

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What is included

Sun setting over a frozen sea viewed from the snow-covered deck of a large ship.

Exact inclusions depend on the ship and product you book. For Polar Explorer, confirmed inclusions include:

3-hour icebreaker cruise.
Hot drink on board.
Guided tour through 7 decks.
Live English guide and audio guide in 16 languages.
Film in the Icebreaker Cinema.
Ice floating in survival suits, conditions permitting.
Walk on the frozen sea, conditions permitting.
Cruise & Swim Certificate signed by the captain.
Round-trip shuttle when you book a shuttle product.

For Arctic Explorer, the cruise is shorter and simpler: 2.5 hours, ice floating when conditions allow, small cafe, no restaurant, no cinema, no business class, and no full guide team.

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Food and upgrades

Chef wearing an orange cap and black uniform placing garnish on a plate of salmon and peas with tongs, next to a plate of Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes, pickles, and lingonberry sauce.

Polar Explorer has an onboard restaurant. Lunch is optional and can be added to your booking. Check the current price and available options when booking.
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Polar Explorer also offers an optional business class upgrade when available. Business class includes the VIP Panorama Lounge, drinks and snacks, a private guided 7-deck tour, and priority for the ice floating activity.
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Arctic Explorer has a small cafe. It does not have a restaurant, cinema, or business class.

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What to wear and bring

Child wearing a colorful knit hat and red winter coat sitting in the snow and smiling.

Warm thermal layers.
Winter jacket and warm trousers.
Hat, gloves or mittens, and a neck warmer.
Insulated, waterproof winter boots with good grip.
Valid passport or national ID.
Camera or phone, with battery kept warm when possible.
Snacks for a long shuttle day if you are travelling from Rovaniemi.

For the floating activity, we provide survival suits. Avoid skirts, dresses, and high heels on board

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Ice floating

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Ice floating is optional and always supervised by the crew. You wear a survival suit over your clothes, and the suit keeps you floating in the water. You do not need to know how to swim.

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The confirmed minimum height for the activity is 125 cm. The crew makes the final decision on the day if weather, ice, health, or fit makes floating unsuitable.

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Luggage storage

Two people standing with black hard-shell rolling suitcases, one holding the telescopic handle, both wearing red outerwear and one with red sneakers.

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There is no luggage storage on the ship, and large bags are difficult to carry due to narrow pathways and steep stairs. You only need your phone and wallet during the cruise.If you have luggage, you can safely store it in our onshore storage, just ask a guide for help.If you’re arriving by shuttle bus, you may leave your belongings on the bus.

Walking on ice

Walking on the frozen sea is possible when the ice is thick enough. This is always the captain's decision and cannot be guaranteed for every departure, especially early in the season or during changing weather.

Photos

Smiling person in an orange survival suit waving while climbing a ladder out of cold water with others in survival suits floating behind.

You are welcome to bring your own camera or phone for photos and video. Ask the crew about photography options available on your departure.

Drones

Large red icebreaker ship in an icy frozen body of water with people in orange survival suits floating in a cleared ice pool and others observing from the ice.

Only fly a drone when the ship is stopped. Please ask the crew before flying and follow their instructions.

Please note:

You fly at your own risk; we are not responsible for any accidents or losses.

Before flying, check the current Swedish drone rules and local airspace restrictions. Registration, pilot competency or other permissions may be required, depending on your drone and flight.

Swedish drone rules ↗Airspace map ↗

Is it cold to swim?

Is it cold? Do I need to know how to swim?

Person in an orange survival suit floating and smiling on water with arms outstretched.

You’re not the only one asking—we hear this at least 2,038 times a day!

The good news: you’re wearing a survival suit for a reason. Made of insulating neoprene, it’s designed to keep you warm and help you float. The suit has multiple layers to block the cold and traps air inside, giving you extra air for floatation. It’s not meant to be tight, so don’t worry if it feels loose.

No swimming skills required—just relax and enjoy the experience!

Can my child swim?

Can kids join the swim?

Two children floating on their backs in icy water wearing bright orange survival suits near an ice edge.

Yes, if they’re at least 125 cm tall. If you’re not sure, just stop by the dressing room and our guides will help check.

Safety comes first, so we always look at each child’s situation individually.

Safety and accessibility

Person in a red jacket and headphones standing inside an industrial engine room with machinery and control panels.

This is a real industrial icebreaker. Expect stairs, thresholds, outdoor decks, winter conditions, and movement around the ship. The ship is not wheelchair accessible.

If you have a heart condition, serious back problems, recent surgery, epilepsy, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or if you are pregnant, check with your doctor before taking part in ice floating. You can always stay on board and watch.

Weather and changes

The expedition runs in real Arctic conditions. Ice floating and ice walking depend on weather and ice, and the captain may change, pause, or cancel an activity for safety. If severe weather affects the departure itself, the team will contact guests using the details in the booking.

Cancellation

Small sunlit room with three large windows showing an outdoor industrial waterfront, a gray sectional sofa with orange pillows, matching ottoman, and an orange rug on the floor.

For direct bookings, cancellation terms depend on your ship and booking date. Polar Explorer: the EUR 30 booking fee per person is non-refundable. No additional cancellation fee applies 31 or more days before departure; 100% applies 30 days before departure or later. Arctic Explorer bookings made from 23 July 2026: the EUR 30 booking fee per person is non-refundable. No additional cancellation fee applies 4 or more days before departure; 100% applies 3 days before departure or later.
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For Polar Explorer direct bookings with cancellation insurance purchased at booking, cancellation is available up to 48 hours before departure. Both the booking fee and the insurance fee remain non-refundable. Check the terms in your booking confirmation. Partner bookings may have different terms.

Read the Polar Explorer booking conditions or Arctic Explorer booking conditions for the policy applicable to your booking.