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Swan Hellenic’s three ships: two sisters and a larger third

Every Swan Hellenic voyage sails on one of three Finnish-built ships delivered between 2021 and 2023. The choice is narrower than it looks — pick the region, and the ship mostly picks itself.

3Ships, all from Helsinki Shipyard
152Guests on Minerva and on Vega
192Guests on SH Diana
12,255Gross tons, SH Diana (ship page)
By Joey Boleslawski, founder & travel advisorFacts checked November 1, 2026
The short answer

Minerva and Vega are near-twins; Diana is the bigger ship. The sisters carry 152 guests on PC5 hulls. Diana carries 192 on a PC6 hull, with large tenders as well as Zodiacs.

In 2027 the region decides the ship. Minerva has Asia and the Pacific, Vega the Arctic and Brazil, Diana West Africa. All three run Antarctica.

If group size matters more than the itinerary, choose a sister. Otherwise, choose the trip, not the hull.

01
Sort the fleet

Three ships, measured the same way

Tap a sort button. The meters redraw against the largest ship in each measure.

Guests, staterooms, length and Diana’s tonnage come from Swan Hellenic’s ship pages. Vega’s figures and the sisters’ 10,500 tons come from the line’s 2022 release and Cruise Industry News, because Vega’s own page wouldn’t load for us. “Staff per 10 guests” is our arithmetic, not a published ratio.

The line publishes no Zodiac count, so the meter reads “Not stated”. Its homepage calls the guest-to-crew ratio “nearly 1:1”; its FAQ gives a “0.8 crew-to-passenger ratio”. Sort by staff if service matters most to you.

02
The one real choice

Two sisters, or forty more guests

The sisters

SH Minerva & SH Vega

152 guests in 76 staterooms on a PC5 hull, about 113 meters long. Most cabins have balconies. Vega lists an expedition laboratory, a marine life library and an expedition launch room.

vs
The larger third

SH Diana

192 guests in 96 staterooms on a PC6 hull, about 125 meters and 12,255 gross tons. A Junior Suite category the sisters don’t sell, plus large tender boats alongside the Zodiacs.

Polar classes run from PC1, the most capable, to PC7. Transport Canada describes PC5 as year-round operation in medium first-year ice, and PC6 as the same ice in summer and autumn only — and every Swan Hellenic polar voyage sails in the polar summer.

Ask us what the class means for your route. It matters most on the deep-south grand voyages, not the 9-night classics.

Diana’s other difference is the boats. Seatrade reported it was the first Swan Hellenic ship to carry large tender boats as well as Zodiacs.

If you want the smallest group, book a sister. If you want Diana’s Junior Suite or its itinerary, accept the extra 40.

03
Staterooms

How much room you actually get

Square meters from Swan Hellenic’s SH Vega voyage page; square feet are our conversion.

CategorySH Vega sizeMinervaDiana
Oceanview20 m² · about 215 sq ftSoldSold
Balcony25 m² · about 269 sq ftSoldSold
Junior SuiteNot sold on VegaNot soldSold; size not published
Suite40 m² · about 431 sq ftSoldSold
Premium Suite47 m² · about 506 sq ftSoldSold
Staterooms in all767696

Every cabin on Vega faces outside, per Baird Maritime, and the line says most have large balconies. The Premium Suite at about 506 sq ft is the top of the range — generous for an expedition ship, not a penthouse.

Diana’s extra 40 guests come with 20 more staterooms, not bigger ones — at least on paper, since Diana’s sizes aren’t published.

Diana’s deck plan shows armchair beds and third- and fourth-guest berths in some cabins. Minerva’s ship page lists the same four categories as Vega.

Ask us which cabins take a third guest before you book a family into one room.

04
Ship by ship

What each hull carries ashore

Size
152 guests, 76 staterooms, 117 staff, 9 decks
Hull
“Ice-resistant PC5 hull”; 372 ft (113.5 m)
Venues
Observation lounge for lectures, infinity pool, open-deck jacuzzi, panoramic sauna, spa and gym
Team
Up to 13 guides, speakers and lecturers (March 2026 release)
2027
Asia-Pacific from March 8 to October 12; Antarctica and the Ross Sea grand voyage
The ship to pick for New Zealand, Melanesia, Raja Ampat and Japan — it’s the only one there in 2027.
Size
152 guests, 76 cabins and suites, an onboard team of 120
Hull
PC5, ice-strengthened, Lloyd’s Register class; 113 m
Kit
Expedition laboratory, marine life library, expedition launch room, kayak and hiking-gear storage
Engines
4.6 MW diesel-electric, 14.5 knots, range about 8,000 nautical miles (Baird Maritime)
2027
Arctic from May 20; Brazil and the Amazon in April and October; Antarctica
Vega carries every Greenland departure on the line’s 2027 Arctic page, and shares Svalbard with Diana.
Size
192 guests, 96 staterooms, 127 staff on the ship page
Hull
“Ice-resistant PC6 hull”; about 410 ft; 12,255 gross tons
Venues
Observation lounge, heated infinity pool, spa and beauty salon, sauna, jacuzzi, gym
Kit
Zodiacs plus large tender boats, a first for the line (Seatrade)
2027
West Africa in spring and fall; Norway and Svalbard in June; Antarctica
Trade press gives Diana 141 crew and a 2022 release said 140; the ship page says 127 staff. We use the ship page and flag the gap.

Kit and staffing come from the ship pages, the line’s releases and Baird Maritime’s vessel review. Swan Hellenic doesn’t publish Zodiac or kayak counts, so we don’t either.

Ask us to confirm the team and the kayak program for your date, not the brochure’s.

05
How the fleet got here

Built in three years, owned outright by 2025

Dates from Cruise Industry News, Seatrade Cruise News, Maritime Executive and the line’s own releases.

Dec 2021Delivered

SH Minerva

The first of the Helsinki trio leaves the yard on December 3, 2021, for Antarctica from Ushuaia.

152 guestsPC5
2022Sanctions

Leases unravel

The ships were to be leased from GTLK, a Russian-owned lessor. After 2022 sanctions, Minerva is laid up in Uruguay and Vega is bought direct; it sails from Tromsø in July.

Vega in service
Apr 2023Delivered

SH Diana

Swan Hellenic wins the yard’s December 2022 tender for the unfinished hull. Diana is handed over on April 4, 2023, and sails from Palermo on April 15.

192 guestsPC6
Jul 2025Bought back

Minerva returns

The lessor’s liquidators clear the sale. Swan Hellenic buys Minerva on July 25, 2025, with shareholders’ funds, per Maritime Executive.

Back in service Nov 2025
2026–27Spread

Asia, Ross Sea

Minerva opens Asia-Pacific in 2026 and doubles it to ten voyages for 2027. For 2027–28 its Ushuaia-to-Dunedin voyage is billed as exploring the Ross Sea.

Three ships, six regions

Vega and Diana were bought from the yard; Minerva was bought from the lessor’s liquidators in 2025. The detour cost Minerva three seasons at anchor, not its place in the fleet — and we found no fourth ship announced through November 1, 2026.

Read the ownership record on our line guide before you book.

06
Filter by ship and region

Who sails where in 2026–27

Try “Ross Sea”. One ship answers.

Ship
Region
SH Minerva

Antarctic Peninsula

Nov–Mar

9-to-10-night round trips from Ushuaia; the season opens November 11, 2026.

Best for: the classic first trip.

SH Minerva

Ushuaia to Dunedin

32 days

The grand voyage to New Zealand; billed as exploring the Ross Sea in 2027–28.

Best for: the far south.

SH Minerva

Asia & Pacific

Mar–Oct 2027

New Zealand, Vanuatu, the Solomons, Papua New Guinea, Raja Ampat, the Philippines, Japan and Busan.

Best for: Melanesia and Japan.

SH Vega

Antarctic Peninsula

Nov–Mar

The same round trip; from $10,800 on December 4, 2026.

Best for: a sister-sized group.

SH Vega

Svalbard, Iceland & Greenland

May–Sep 2027

Halifax to Reykjavik, Svalbard, then Greenland’s west coast into September.

Best for: Greenland.

SH Vega

Brazil & the Amazon

Apr, Oct–Nov 2027

Amazonia in Depth from $6,035; Bridgetown to Rio as one 29-night run.

Best for: the Amazon delta.

SH Diana

Antarctic Peninsula

Nov–Mar

Round trips from Ushuaia, and a 20-day Cape Town-to-Ushuaia grand voyage via Saint Helena.

Best for: the Atlantic crossing.

SH Diana

Norway & Svalbard

June 2027

Amsterdam to Tromsø, Tromsø to Longyearbyen, and Svalbard round trips.

Best for: fjords into ice.

SH Diana

West & Southern Africa

Spring & fall 2027

Cape Town to Lisbon northbound, Lisbon to Cape Town southbound.

Best for: the coast few ships work.

No ship matches that pair. Widen one filter.

Deployments follow Swan Hellenic’s voyage pages and its 2026 announcements. For the places themselves, read our Antarctica landing sites, Greenland and polar bear guides. There’s no Galápagos ship here; our Galápagos visitor sites guide covers the lines that go.

07
Four things to check

Before you pick the ship

Tap a card for the detail.

None of these rules a ship out. Each one changes what you should ask for in writing — ask before the deposit, not after it.

08
Our picks

Which Swan Hellenic ship, for which trip

Our judgement, built on the line’s published specs and schedules. Use it to narrow to one ship, then compare dates.

First Antarctic trip

SH Vega or SH Minerva

A PC5 sister with 152 guests on the 9-night Peninsula round trip. Compare dates first; the fare spread is wide.

The Ross Sea

SH Minerva, 2027–28

The only Swan Hellenic ship on the Ushuaia-to-Dunedin grand voyage.

Greenland and the Arctic

SH Vega

It carries every Greenland departure on the line’s 2027 Arctic page.

West Africa

SH Diana

Large tenders for the ports and a Junior Suite category the sisters don’t sell.

Look elsewhere if

You want the strongest ice class

No Swan Hellenic ship goes beyond PC5. For the Geographic North Pole, price Ponant.

Look elsewhere if

You want fewer than 150 guests

Every ship here carries 152 or more. Lindblad runs 100-guest Quest and Venture and 102-guest Orion.

09
Fleet questions

Straight answers on the ships

How many ships does Swan Hellenic have?

Three, as of November 1, 2026: SH Minerva, SH Vega and SH Diana, all built by Helsinki Shipyard in Finland. Minerva and Vega are 152-guest sisters with PC5 hulls; Diana is the larger 192-guest ship with a PC6 hull. A March 2026 trade report called all three PC5; we follow the ship pages. We found no sale, rename or new build announced in the trade press through November 1, 2026.

What is the difference between SH Diana and its sisters?

Size, mostly. SH Diana takes 192 guests in 96 staterooms against 152 in 76 on Minerva and Vega, and its ship page gives 12,255 gross tons and about 410 feet against Minerva's 372 feet. Diana's hull is rated PC6 and the sisters' PC5. Seatrade Cruise News reported that Diana was the first Swan Hellenic ship to carry large tender boats as well as Zodiacs.

What happened to SH Minerva?

It was stuck for three years and is now back. Swan Hellenic leased Minerva from a subsidiary of Russia's state-owned leasing group GTLK, which came under sanctions after the 2022 invasion, and the ship was laid up in Uruguay from spring 2022. After the lessor's liquidators cleared the sale with sanctions authorities, Swan Hellenic bought Minerva on July 25, 2025, using shareholders' funds, per Maritime Executive. It returned to service in November 2025.

Which Swan Hellenic ship goes to Antarctica?

All three. Swan Hellenic's Antarctic Peninsula page lists the 9-to-10-night round trip from Ushuaia on SH Minerva, SH Vega and SH Diana, with 37 departures from November 2026 to March 2028. Minerva also runs a 32-day grand voyage from Ushuaia to Dunedin, which the line says will explore the Ross Sea in 2027-28.

How big are the staterooms?

On SH Vega, Swan Hellenic's voyage pages list Oceanview staterooms at 20 square meters (about 215 sq ft), Balcony at 25 (about 269), Suite at 40 (about 431) and Premium Suite at 47 (about 506). Minerva shares Vega's categories. Diana adds a Junior Suite, but its ship page doesn't list sizes.

How many expedition staff sail on each ship?

Swan Hellenic's March 2026 release puts up to 13 expedition guides, speakers and lecturers on SH Vega and SH Minerva and 15 on SH Diana. Its standard description says up to 12 guides. The ship pages list 117 staff on Minerva and 127 on Diana; a 2022 release gave Vega an onboard team of 120.

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Ask about Swan Hellenic’s ships

Answers come straight from this guide.

How many ships does Swan Hellenic have?What is the difference between SH Diana and its sisters?What happened to SH Minerva?Which Swan Hellenic ship goes to Antarctica?

Answers come from our guides and are general information. Confirm details with us before you book.

10
Sources and verification

Where every spec came from

SH Minerva ship pageGuests, staff, decks, staterooms, length, PC5 wording, venues.
Checked November 1, 2026
SH Diana ship pageGuests, staff, staterooms, length, 12,255 gross tons, PC6 wording, categories.
Checked November 1, 2026
Swan Hellenic release, February 2022SH Vega: 152 guests, 120 crew, 113 m, 10,500 GRT, PC5, lab and library.
Checked November 1, 2026
Swan Hellenic release, December 2022The SH Diana tender; 192 guests, 96 staterooms, PC6.
Checked November 1, 2026
Iceland to Svalbard voyage pageSH Vega stateroom sizes in square meters.
Checked November 1, 2026
Antarctic Peninsula and Arctic pagesWhich ship runs which departure, 2026–28.
Checked November 1, 2026
Baird Maritime vessel review, November 2022SH Vega beam, engines, range, Lloyd’s Register class, all-outside cabins.
Checked November 1, 2026
Seatrade Cruise News, April 2023SH Diana handover, tenders and Zodiacs, 141 crew.
Checked November 1, 2026
Cruise Industry NewsSH Minerva delivery (December 2021); Asia-Pacific 2027 (July 2026).
Checked November 1, 2026
Maritime Executive, July 2025SH Minerva’s repurchase and return to service.
Checked November 1, 2026
Transport Canada, Polar ClassesWhat PC5 and PC6 mean, from PC1 to PC7.
Checked November 1, 2026
Swan Hellenic release, March 2026Grand voyages, the Ross Sea, expedition team sizes.
Checked November 1, 2026

Ship figures are Swan Hellenic’s own, from its ship pages first and its releases second. Where trade press differs (Vega at 10,600 gross tons in Maritime Executive; Diana at 141 crew in Seatrade) we use the line’s number and say so. Vega’s length in feet is our conversion of 113 m. “Staff per 10 guests”, the square-foot conversions and the picks are our arithmetic and judgement.

Joey Boleslawski · Founder, Seabound Journeys · CLIA-affiliated travel advisor · 20+ years in hospitality

Joey Boleslawski founded Seabound Journeys after more than 20 years in hospitality. This fleet guide was compiled on November 1, 2026 from Swan Hellenic’s ship pages, voyage pages and releases, with Baird Maritime, Seatrade Cruise News, Cruise Industry News and Maritime Executive for build and ownership history. It describes the ships as the line publishes them, not from a firsthand sailing.

Keep planning

Where to go next

The lineSwan Hellenic Expedition CruisesFares, inclusions, ownership and a six-region calendar.Start hereExpedition Cruises, DecodedShip sizes, ice classes and seasons across every line.DestinationAntarctica CruisesWhen to go and how the Drake works.DestinationArctic CruisesSvalbard, Greenland and the Canadian Arctic.DestinationGreenland CruisesDisko Bay, the fjords and the ice cap.Compare fleetsPonant’s ShipsExplorers, sisterships and a PC2 icebreaker.Compare fleetsAurora’s ShipsAnother small-ship polar fleet to set beside these three.CoverExpedition Cruise InsuranceSwan Hellenic requires it. What to check first.
One advisor, the whole expedition

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.

01The voyageMatched to the region, the season and the ship size that fit you, at the line’s own fare.Get a free quote → 02The region and the seasonAntarctica, the Arctic, Galápagos, the Kimberley: when to go, and what each season trades away.Expedition cruises, decoded → 03The coverMany expedition lines set their own minimum for evacuation cover. We check your plan against it before you sail.Expedition insurance →

How we work. Seabound Journeys is an independent travel advisory. We aren’t affiliated with or endorsed by any cruise line on this page. When we book a voyage, the cruise line pays us a commission, at no extra cost to you; some links may be affiliate links, and they’re always labeled. None of that changes what we write. Fares, ships, itineraries and inclusions change often, so every figure here comes from the line’s own published materials on the date shown, and the line’s booking terms govern.

Last reviewed November 1, 2026 · Seabound Journeys · Founder/advisor Joey Boleslawski · Florida Seller of Travel Ref. No. ST15578 · CLIA-affiliated