Poseidon Expeditions: one small ship and a North Pole on hold
A polar specialist since 1999 that once sold the North Pole on a nuclear icebreaker. Today it runs one 114-guest ship, Sea Spirit — listed by its owner for sale or charter from October 2028, with a new ship due that September.
Poseidon is still sailing, but it’s a smaller company than its history suggests. The North Pole voyages that made its name have been suspended since 2022. What’s left is one ship, Sea Spirit, running Antarctica in the austral summer and Svalbard, Iceland and Greenland in the northern one.
The product is simple, and the Antarctic fares are published. About 100 guests, everyone ashore at once, drinks included from 2026, and Antarctic fares from about $740 a day on the deals we saw. The catches are an older ship, a mandatory $200,000 evacuation policy and a new ship in 2028 that nobody has described yet.
Book the 2026–27 or 2027–28 season with confidence. Wait for the specs before you book anything later.
Smaller, not finished
Poseidon Expeditions is headquartered in Cyprus, with sales offices in the US, the UK, Germany and China. It belongs to IAATO and AECO, the Antarctic and Arctic operator bodies, and its North American office moved from Rhode Island to Miami in 2025.
The fleet is one ship. Sea Spirit was built in 1991 as a Renaissance Cruises yacht and converted for expeditions in late 2010. Poseidon has chartered it since 2014 or 2015, by Cruise Industry News’ accounts.
That’s a narrower operation than the one that ran Russian icebreakers to 90° North — a specialist with one hull, not a fleet.
The 2026–27 and 2027–28 seasons are on sale. The 2028 ship is still a sketch.
In October 2026, Cruise Industry News reported that Sea Spirit’s owner lists it for sale or charter from October 2028. Poseidon has agreed to operate a United Waterways newbuild, due from China Merchants in September 2028.
The guest count, cabins and ice class of that ship weren’t published on November 1, 2026 — a plan, not a product yet. Read the fleet guide for what’s known so far.
The icebreaker years, and why they stopped
Built from Poseidon’s press releases and trade reports from 2013 to 2022. Each card carries the date it happened.
North Pole on sale
Poseidon dates its North Pole itinerary to 2001 and counted more than 4,600 guests on it by 2021.
The hundredth arrival
Poseidon’s voyage on 50 Years of Victory reached the Pole on July 30, 2013 — the 100th time in icebreaker history, by its account.
A “final” season, then more
In 2014 Poseidon announced the last passenger voyages for 2015. By 2016 the owner, Atomflot, had kept the ship in tourism through 2018, per TravelPulse.
Two last departures
Two voyages sailed in July 2021, carrying almost only Russian nationals because of COVID travel rules, per Seatrade Cruise News.
Russian waters dropped
Poseidon cancelled three North Pole departures and rerouted four Sea Spirit voyages away from Franz Josef Land — to Svalbard and Kvitøya instead. Guests could take a credit or a full refund.
For two decades, Poseidon’s signature was a 13-day voyage on 50 Years of Victory, with a hotel night in Murmansk first. The ship is a Russian nuclear icebreaker owned by Atomflot. The 2022 season was priced from $30,395 a person.
In March 2022, CEO Angelica Vorea told Cruise Industry News that “the terrible situation in the Ukraine makes planned operations in Russian waters untenable.”
Poseidon’s North Pole page still says it is “currently unable to market or operate” those cruises, and it lists no departures. It hopes to resume when the situation permits.
Quark, which also sold the icebreaker, keeps those trips off sale too. Want the Pole now? Price Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot, not a Russian charter.
The Sea Spirit year, month by month
The North Pole row stays empty. It’s there so you can see what went missing in 2022.
Where Sea Spirit sails
From Poseidon’s voyage pages and its January 2026 season release. Tap a month for the departure behind it.
One ship means one calendar — a north-south swing, not overlapping seasons. Sea Spirit spends November to March in the south, then sails north through the British Isles in May for Iceland and Svalbard.
The Greenland row is pale on purpose. Poseidon sailed Greenland in 2026, but we couldn’t read dated 2027 departures on its pages, so we’ve marked those months as shoulder, not peak.
Start with the region. Our Antarctica, Arctic and Greenland guides explain what each month trades away.
What the fare covers, pole by pole
From Poseidon’s voyage pages, its FAQ and its January 22, 2026 release. Bold means it’s in the fare.
| Item | Antarctica | Arctic | Where it says so |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suite, meals, Zodiacs and landings | Included | Included | Antarctica page and FAQ |
| Pre-voyage hotel and transfers | Included, Ushuaia or Buenos Aires | Included, Longyearbyen | Voyage pages |
| Beer, wine, house spirits, soft drinks | Included from 2026 | Included from 2026 | January 2026 release |
| Wi-Fi | Included, limited speed | Included | Voyage pages |
| Parka and rubber boots | Not stated on the page we read | Included | Arctic voyage pages |
| Sea kayaking | Extra, price not shown | Extra, $655 | Voyage pages |
| Staff gratuities | Extra | Extra | Arctic voyage pages; no amount |
| Flights | Extra | Extra | Voyage pages |
| Evacuation insurance | Required, $200,000 minimum | Required, $200,000 minimum | Voyage pages |
The drinks line is the 2026 change. Before it, Poseidon poured alcohol only at lunch and dinner — a meal-time bar, not an open one; from May 2026 it pours all day, and its January 2026 release extends that to every 2027–28 sailing.
Some older voyage pages still list drinks as extra. Go by the release, and ask us to confirm it on your invoice.
Poseidon also adds a free two-hour Longyearbyen sightseeing tour on 2027–28 Arctic voyages that end there.
What it doesn’t include is the usual expedition list: flights, tips, kayaking and the evacuation policy. Budget those before you compare lines.
Start with the fare, then add the cold-weather extras
Price a Sea Spirit voyage
Pick a departure. Tick what you’ll add and type your own figures where Poseidon doesn’t publish one.
Fares are Poseidon’s lowest published “from” prices per person in US dollars, as published on November 1, 2026. The November 28, 2026 fare carries a 25%-off promotion and Poseidon runs frequent sales, so fares move. Lines at $0 have no published price; we’ll quote them for your dates.
Two numbers will matter most: the flight to Ushuaia, and the evacuation policy — required, and priced by your age.
Get both quoted before you compare Poseidon with a bigger ship.
What an Antarctic day costs on Sea Spirit
About $740 to $1,040 a day this season on Poseidon’s lowest fares. Next season starts higher, because the sale prices haven’t reached it.
Who owns it, on the public record
Measured and attributed. We quote what reputable trade press reported, with the date.
A UK company run from Cyprus
Seatrade Cruise News, March 2022: co-founded in 1999 by Nikolay Saveliev, a Russian national; incorporated in the UK and headquartered in Cyprus, with a sales office and operations department in Moscow at the time. Cruise Industry News, the same month: CEO Angelica Vorea owns Poseidon Arctic Voyages Ltd., the parent company.
No sanctions report
We searched Cruise Industry News, Seatrade Cruise News and the maritime press on November 1, 2026 and found no report of sanctions against Poseidon or Sea Spirit. That’s the absence of a report, not a clearance. Sea Spirit is Madeira-flagged and chartered from SunStone Ships.
The two 2022 descriptions don’t conflict — they answer different questions. One names a co-founder, the other the owner of the parent company as of March 2022. We found no later public ownership record, so we don’t go further than they do.
What the record does show is the business decision. Poseidon dropped every itinerary in Russian waters for 2022, and its North Pole page still says it can’t sell them.
For a US traveler, the practical questions are the ship, the terms and the cover — not the shareholder register.
If ownership matters to your decision, tell us. We’ll put the question to Poseidon in writing before you pay a deposit.
Before the deposit, confirm these
Tap a card for the detail and the source.
None of these rules Poseidon out. Each one is a question for the booking, not a reason to skip it.
Compare evacuation limits in our expedition insurance guide before final payment.
Book Poseidon, or book around it
You want a small group ashore at once
Poseidon says Sea Spirit runs no landing rotations: about 100 guests go ashore together, for about 2.5 hours a site.
You want South Georgia with time to spare
Three 21-to-23-day voyages a season, and a 2027 photo expedition with a full week in South Georgia.
You’re traveling solo
Sea Spirit has a dedicated Single Suite with a picture window. Ask us for the solo fare; Poseidon doesn’t publish one.
You want the North Pole
Poseidon can’t sell it. Ponant sells 90° North on its PC2 icebreaker.
You want a newer, ice-classed ship
Sea Spirit dates to 1991. Compare Aurora and Oceanwide, or Lindblad’s PC5 pair.
You’re bringing children under 12
Poseidon’s terms set 12 as the polar minimum, with 6 to 12 only at the owner’s discretion. Lindblad takes children from 4 in Antarctica.
What people ask about Poseidon
Does Poseidon Expeditions still sail to the North Pole?
No. Poseidon's North Pole page says it is currently unable to market or operate the North Pole icebreaker cruises that travel in Russian territory, and it lists no departures. Those voyages ran on the Russian nuclear icebreaker 50 Years of Victory, last in July 2021; the 2022 season was cancelled in March 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Poseidon says it hopes to resume when the situation permits. For a North Pole voyage today, Ponant's Le Commandant Charcot is the ship to price.
What ship does Poseidon Expeditions use?
One ship: Sea Spirit, which carries up to 114 guests and about 100 on most sailings. Poseidon has chartered it since 2014 or 2015, by Cruise Industry News’ accounts. Cruise Industry News reported in October 2026 that the owner lists Sea Spirit for sale or charter from October 2028, and that Poseidon has agreed to operate a United Waterways newbuild due in September 2028. Poseidon hasn't said whether Sea Spirit leaves its program when the new ship arrives.
What's included in a Poseidon fare?
Your suite, meals, Zodiac cruises and landings, port fees, a pre-voyage hotel night with transfers, and onboard Wi-Fi at limited speed. From the 2026 seasons, Poseidon also includes soft drinks, beer, house wine and house spirits all day. Flights, kayaking, staff gratuities and the mandatory evacuation insurance are extra.
Is travel insurance required on Poseidon?
Evacuation cover is. Poseidon's voyage pages list mandatory emergency evacuation insurance with a minimum benefit of US$200,000 per person. Cancellation and baggage cover are not included, and Poseidon's terms strongly recommend cancellation insurance. The CDC says a medical evacuation from a remote place can cost more than $250,000.
Who owns Poseidon Expeditions, and is it affected by sanctions?
Reports differ by description, so we quote them. Seatrade Cruise News wrote in March 2022 that Poseidon was co-founded in 1999 by Nikolay Saveliev, a Russian national, and is incorporated in the UK and headquartered in Cyprus. Cruise Industry News described CEO Angelica Vorea that month as the owner of Poseidon Arctic Voyages Ltd., the parent company. We found no trade-press report of sanctions against Poseidon or Sea Spirit. Poseidon dropped its Russian itineraries in 2022.
What happens to bookings after Sea Spirit's October 2028 sale-or-charter date?
Nothing changes for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons, which Poseidon sells on Sea Spirit. Sea Spirit's owner lists it for sale or charter from October 2028, and a new United Waterways ship is due from China Merchants in September 2028, and Poseidon expects it in service in late 2028. Its size, cabins and ice class weren't published as of November 1, 2026, so we would not book a 2028-29 voyage without them.
Is Poseidon a good choice for solo travelers?
It can be. Sea Spirit has a dedicated Single Suite of 21 square meters with a picture window, so you aren't forced into a double. Poseidon doesn't publish a single supplement on the pages we read, and it doesn't say how many Single Suites the ship has. Ask us for the solo price on your date.
Weighing Sea Spirit? We’ll fill in what the site leaves blank.
Send us the region, the month and who’s traveling. We’ll get the solo fare, the flight cost and the current US terms from Poseidon, and set the total beside one or two other lines.
- Solo and Single Suite pricing for your date
- Which ship sails your departure, if it’s late 2028 or after
- An evacuation policy that meets the $200,000 rule
No fee, no obligation. You pay the cruise line’s own fare. A real advisor replies, usually within one business day.
Ask about Poseidon
Answers come straight from this guide.
Answers come from our guides and are general information. Confirm details with us before you book.
Where each figure came from
Fares, inclusions, dates and ship details are Poseidon’s own published figures, or trade-press reports, on the date shown. The per-day costs, the calendar shading for months Poseidon doesn’t date, and the fit verdicts are our arithmetic and judgement. We couldn’t open Poseidon’s US terms, FAQ or insurance pages on November 1, 2026; your invoice governs.
Where to go next
The voyage, the gateway night, and the cover that matters out there.
Expedition trips have more moving parts than a Caribbean week: a charter flight, a night in a gateway city, gear lists and an evacuation clause the line sets for you. We book them together and check that the dates and the fine print agree.