Poseidon Expeditions

Is Poseidon Expeditions good for Antarctica?

Yes, if you want a small ship and a fare that bundles the extras other lines charge for. Poseidon Expeditions sails one ship, the 114-passenger Sea Spirit, to Antarctica from October to April and to the British Isles, Iceland, Svalbard and Greenland from May to September.¹²³ Its 2026-27 Antarctic fares start at $8,846 per person, after a 25% discount, and every fare we read includes a hotel night before the voyage, a drinks package and a parka to keep.⁴⁵

Weigh three limits. The ship was built in 1991 and renovated in 2017.⁶⁷ Every Antarctic trip crosses the Drake Passage by sea in both directions; none flies.² And the trips Poseidon was founded to run, nuclear icebreaker voyages to the North Pole by way of Franz Josef Land in the Russian Arctic, have been on hold since 2022.⁸⁹ We have not sailed with Poseidon and do not summarize passenger reviews; this page is built from its published fares, itineraries and terms, and from IAATO and AECO records.

Does Poseidon Expeditions still go to the North Pole?

No. Poseidon's North Pole page says that, as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, it is "currently unable to market or operate the North Pole icebreaker cruises that travel in Russian territory," and that it looks forward to resuming them "when the situation permits." The page lists no departures.⁹ Its company history dates the pause to 2022.⁸ Those trips sailed on the Russian nuclear icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy (50 Years of Victory) and called at Franz Josef Land.⁹ They were Poseidon's original business: it was founded in 1999 to run icebreaker cruises, sailed its first North Pole voyage on the nuclear icebreaker Yamal in 2001, and says it has reached 90°N more than 40 times.⁸³

No departure Poseidon lists for 2027, or for its 2027-28 Antarctic season, goes to Franz Josef Land or anywhere else in Russia.⁹ The closest it comes is Kvitøya, at Svalbard's northeastern tip, which Poseidon calls one of the islands closest to Franz Josef Land and says is not always accessible.⁵ Some Poseidon pages still name Franz Josef Land among its Arctic destinations, but no departure or quote-form option goes there.¹³⁹ What it sells instead is all on Sea Spirit; the Sea Spirit page has the month-by-month schedule, and the fares are below. If the Pole itself is your goal, start with our guide to North Pole cruises.

Who is Poseidon Expeditions, and where is it based?

Poseidon Expeditions is the trading name of Poseidon Arctic Voyages Ltd, a company founded in the UK in 1999 and based in Limassol, Cyprus.⁸¹⁰ It gives its primary markets as the US (35%), Germany (20%), Canada (5%) and Switzerland (5%), and runs every voyage in English and German.¹¹⁰ It has belonged to IAATO since 2011 and is a full member of AECO, listed under its legal name.¹¹¹ Its history lists Antarctic Peninsula voyages on the 116-passenger Sea Explorer in 2013-14, then Sea Spirit in both polar regions from 2015.⁸ IAATO counted 9 Antarctic voyages with 977 passengers on Sea Spirit in 2025-26 and estimates 11 voyages with 1,078 passengers in 2026-27.¹²

Which ship does Poseidon Expeditions use?

Only Sea Spirit, an all-suite ship whose smallest suite is 20 m² (215 sq ft).⁷⁴ Its specs, all eight suite types with fares, and how it compares with similar ships are on our Sea Spirit page.

Because Poseidon has no other ship, one date matters if you plan far ahead. SunStone Maritime Group, which lists Sea Spirit in its fleet, says the ship is available for sale or charter from October 1, 2028.¹³ Every departure Poseidon has published ends by March 31, 2028, so no trip on sale now is affected.⁹ Poseidon has not yet published a later season; when it does, check which ship it names.

How much does a Poseidon Expeditions cruise cost?

Poseidon's 2026-27 Antarctic fares start at $8,846 per person, and its Antarctic trips cost about $640 to $1,020 per person per day at the lowest published fare (our arithmetic: fare divided by program days, which count the hotel night).² These are USD fares read on October 15, 2026, for the first open departure of each trip; on every Antarctic departure we opened, the lowest fare was for the Triple Suite, which three people share:

The "was" fares come from Poseidon's Seasonal Savings offer: 25% off the October 23 and November 28 departures and 10% off those of December 8, 18 and 28, with a one-category cabin upgrade when available, for new bookings made between October 1 and November 30, 2026.²⁴ Two Classic Antarctica departures, February 8 and February 28, were already sold out.² Waiting a year costs more: the same 12-day Classic trip starts at $14,195 for November 2027.²

The 2027 Arctic season is priced in the same range. All but the Greenland trip start in Longyearbyen:

The Arctic offer is 20% off every cabin except the Triple Suite on selected 2027 departures, booked by November 30, 2026.²¹¹⁸ That creates an oddity worth using: on the July 25 Svalbard trip, a two-person Main Deck Suite at $7,996 each costs less than a bed in a Triple Suite at $8,495.¹⁸

What is included in a Poseidon Expeditions fare?

More than most fares in this price range: a hotel night before the voyage, group transfers, a drinks package, port and IAATO or AECO fees, a parka to keep, loaned rubber boots and Wi-Fi.⁴⁵ In Ushuaia the hotel is the Arakur Ushuaia Resort and Spa; Arctic trips include a night in Longyearbyen or Reykjavík.⁴⁵²⁰ The drinks package covers soft drinks, house wine and beer, and house spirits.⁴

Flights, insurance, tips and optional activities cost extra. Poseidon requires evacuation and repatriation cover of at least US$200,000 per person on polar voyages and suggests tipping 31 USD per person per day.¹⁰²² The add-ons:

Camping is for adults 18 and over, and kayaking and camping places are limited, so book them early.²²⁴ A worked example: two people sharing a Classic Suite with a picture window on the New Year voyage pay $15,746 each, or $31,492 together.¹⁵ Add $682 in suggested tips for 11 days on board, then flights to Ushuaia and insurance.²² Our guide to Antarctica trip costs has the rest of the budget.

How many passengers go ashore at once with Poseidon?

On most Antarctic departures everyone can land together, but not on a completely full ship. Poseidon says all 114 guests go ashore at once with no group rotations, while quoting IAATO's limit of 100 visitors ashore at one site at a time, which does not count expedition staff.¹²³ On a sold-out sailing, then, a few guests would be kayaking, in a Zodiac or on board. On average the ship sails below capacity: IAATO's 2026-27 estimate works out to 98 passengers per Sea Spirit voyage (our arithmetic from its totals).¹² How a landing day runs on the ship is on the Sea Spirit page.

What are Poseidon's booking and cancellation terms?

Strict. A non-refundable deposit of 20% holds the cabin, the balance is due 90 days before departure, and cancelling within 90 days forfeits the whole fare.¹⁰ Poseidon may add a fuel surcharge, even to bookings paid in full, if marine gas oil prices rise more than 20%, and it strongly advises cancellation insurance.¹⁰

Solo travelers can share a suite with a guest of the same gender, book one of the two Single Suites, or pay 1.7 times the shared fare for a Main Deck, Classic or Superior Suite alone (2 times for larger suites).⁴ If Poseidon cannot find you a cabin-mate, it waives the single supplement.²² Children under 12 are accepted case by case, and repeat guests get $450 off a second trip, rising to $750 by the fifth.¹⁰²⁴

Which Poseidon trip should you choose?

Pick by what you want to see, then by the date that carries a discount.

For how the months compare in the south, see best time to visit Antarctica; for the north, our Svalbard cruises and Greenland cruises guides.

How does Poseidon compare with Oceanwide and Aurora?

Poseidon sits between them on price. All three sail an 11-day New Year trip from Ushuaia on almost the same dates; fares read October 14 and 15, 2026:

Oceanwide is cheaper for a couple, but most Plancius cabins are about 12.5 m² (135 sq ft), against 20 m² (215 sq ft) for Sea Spirit's smallest suite.²⁹⁴ Aurora's Sylvia Earle is a 2022 ship with an X-Bow hull.³⁰ Pick Poseidon for space and an all-in fare, Oceanwide to save money, Aurora for a newer ship.

Who should not book Poseidon Expeditions?

Skip Poseidon if you want to fly over the Drake Passage, since every Antarctic trip sails both ways; our guide to flying or sailing the Drake lists the alternatives.² Skip it if the North Pole or Franz Josef Land is the point, because no departure goes to either.⁹ Balcony hunters have few suites to choose from; the Sea Spirit page counts them, and our balcony guide has other ships.

It is also a poor fit if your dates may change, given the full-fare penalty inside 90 days, or if you need walking assistance, which Poseidon's FAQ advises against.¹⁰²² Travelers happy in a shared four-bed cabin will pay less with Oceanwide.²⁵