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Industry | Cruise line |
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Founded | 1999 |
Headquarters | Limassol , Cyprus |
Services |
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Website | poseidonexpeditions.com |
Poseidon Expeditions, a travel company founded in 1999, offers expedition cruises to the polar regions of Arctic, Antarctic and the North Pole (until 2022). With its headquarters in Cyprus and offices / representations in the UK, US, Germany and China the company markets travel programs worldwide.
Poseidon Expeditions long-time operation in the expedition travel market is acknowledged by several world-level awards in travel industry:
As of 2025, Poseidon Expeditions operates expedition cruises to:
For 26 years of polar cruising, Poseidon Expeditions has charted a number of vessels such as the Yamal icebreaker, the 100-passenger, conventionally propelled icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn, 115-passenger conventionally propelled Marina Tsvetaeva ship (now MV Ortelius) and the Sea Explorer [8] . From 2008 to 2022 Poseidon Expeditions has operated North Pole cruises aboard the 124-passenger nuclear-powered Russian icebreaker 50 Years of Victory [9] , equipped with helicopter that enabled travelers to explore wild Arctic areas. This icebreaker is capable of breaking through ice up to 2.5 meters (9.2 feet) thick.
Currently Poseidon Expeditions operates its Arctic and Antarctic cruises aboard the Sea Spirit expedition vessel. Due to its size this ship navigates into protected channels and bays that are out of bounds to larger cruise vessels, and allows all the passengers to go offshore at the same time, avoiding any queues. It offers accommodation up to 114 passengers, has an ice-strengthened hull, a fleet of Zodiac boats for observation trips and a set of retractable fin stabilizers for smoother sailing. [10]
Operating in fragile polar regions, the company is committed to safe and environmentally responsible travel. Poseidon Expeditions is a member of IAATO (International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators) and AECO (Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators) following all strict regulations concerning the cruise operations.
Company supports South Georgia Heritage Trust and Polar Bears International.
Other steps of commitment to the further development of Arctic and Antarctic conservation include active participation of naturalists and scientists in expedition programs. Poseidon Expeditions’ onboard team includes polar specialists: conservationists, prominent guest scientists, marine biologists, ornithologists, climate specialists, geologists and sea ice experts. While involving the passengers into true polar experience, company highlights the importance of keeping the polar regions pristine for future generations.
In Spitsbergen Poseidon Expeditions staff take part in the “Clean Up Svalbard” initiative, reducing beach waste on each of tourist landings, often joined by passengers of the cruise.
During shore excursions tourists and staff follow the guidelines established by AECO and IAATO to protect the local flora and fauna, including rigorous bootwashing before and after landings to prevent accidental transmission of biological pathogens between penguin colonies. All passengers vacuum their outwear and backpacks to eliminate any possibility of transporting an alien species of seed or other flora.
Travelers are offered to participate in citizen science projects through observation. Photographs and descriptions become high-value data if the image is of good quality and has a verifiably correct date and location for GLOBE Clouds, cloud observations platform, and Happywhale platform, serving the research community as a data source for studies of many whale and seal species.