City

Arctic Explorer Ship

A City ship big enough to actually float, with an orca that steals the whole show.

Brick Rated Score

4.0/5

Set 60368 · 2023

Pieces817

Minifigs7

Year2023

Set number60368

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The verdict

This is the rare City set that made me grin the moment it was finished, mostly because the ship is so much bigger than the box suggests.

The brand new orca, the ROV sub, and the little Viking shipwreck give you real reasons to keep playing after the build is done. The one thing I keep coming back to is the price, which asked a lot for what is still a play set. If you love the Arctic sub-theme or want a centerpiece boat that genuinely sits on water, this one earns its spot.

Best for: City fans who want a big play-focused ship and a display-worthy orca

The full review

What it is

The first time I set the finished ship down next to its box I actually laughed, because there is no way something this long came out of a box that size. The Arctic Explorer Ship is one of those City sets that feels significant the moment it is done, a proper research vessel with a helicopter on the back deck, an ROV sub tucked away for launching, and a chunky hull that is the real star for me. LEGO leaned into the idea that kids will take this into the bath or the pool, and it does float, which is the kind of detail that turns a shelf model into an afternoon. Then there is the orca. It is a brand new animal element for 2023, its jaw clicks open to show a mouth full of teeth, it has a tiny blowhole on top, and it even takes Friends hair pieces if you want to get silly with it. I did not expect a whale to be the thing I kept picking up, but here we are.

The catch

I will be straight with you about the money, because that is where the honest conversation lives. At 159.99 RRP this landed on the higher end for City, and when you break it down to close to twenty cents a piece it is not the bargain the theme usually offers. The build itself takes around two hours and stays gentle throughout, which is lovely for a relaxed evening but means engineering-hungry builders will not find much to chew on. A few of the smaller elements, the dinghy pieces especially, come loose easily, so if you do float the ship expect to go fishing for a stray part or two. The Viking shipwreck and treasure chest are a fun idea, but they read more like a bonus scene than a second model worth the box space.

Who it's for

If you have a soft spot for the Arctic sub-theme, or you just want a big City boat that becomes the centerpiece of a play shelf, this is an easy one to love. Kids in the seven-and-up range are the obvious audience, and the mix of float-and-launch features gives them plenty to do beyond the build. If you are chasing clever techniques or the best value per piece, though, I would tell you to wait for a discount or look elsewhere, because the price is the one thing holding it back. Now that it has retired, the sensible move is to grab it when a deal appears rather than paying a premium.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

Building this one is calm and satisfying rather than challenging, which suits a set aimed squarely at younger hands. It arrives in nine numbered bags with the two large pre-formed hull halves and a cardboard envelope for the instructions, and the roughly two-hour build flows in clear stages so each session gives you a new section to admire. There are some genuinely nice moments, like assembling the deck details and slotting the ROV sub into its bay, but you will not hit any head-scratching engineering. It is the kind of build I would happily do on a slow evening with a cup of tea, no pressure and a lot of small payoffs.

The headline part is unquestionably that new orca, a mold that debuted here and instantly became the reason a lot of people bought the set. Beyond the whale you get seven minifigures wearing new-for-2023 Arctic gear, and I love that no two share a torso or face print, with four of the crew exclusive to this box. The helicopter, dinghy, and printed treasure chest round things out, and while the raw part-count value sits on the pricey side for City, the animal element and the exclusive figs are where the real collectible pull lives.

Fun facts

01The orca introduced in this set was a brand new LEGO animal mold for 2023, complete with a hinged jaw and a blowhole, and it can even hold LEGO Friends hair accessories.
02The ship is designed to actually float on water, and kids can launch the ROV sub from it to explore the seabed.
03All seven minifigures wear new-for-2023 attire with no repeated torso or face printing, and four of them are unique to this set.
04The set was available from June 2023 until it retired at the end of July 2026, carrying a 159.99 USD retail price.