MV Sea Spirit

MV Sea Spirit was built in 1991 by Nuovi Cantieri Apuania in Marina di Carrara, Italy, and originally launched as Renaissance V for Renaissance Cruises. Before joining Poseidon Expeditions, she sailed under several names, including Spirit of Oceanus for Cruise West, and underwent a major refit in 2010 when her hull was ice-strengthened for polar cruising. She began charter operations for Poseidon Expeditions in May 2018 and now operates as a small, boutique expedition vessel carrying around 100 to 114 passengers, making her one of the smallest ships in active service.

She's purpose-built for polar exploration, with all-suite accommodations sized to match the intimate expedition ethos, ranging from 20 to 40 square metres. Onboard, guests will find two lecture lounges, a full-service restaurant, a polar library, and expansive outdoor deck space for observation. Dinner each evening runs to a four-course menu, served with open seating in the Main Deck Restaurant, while coffee, tea, cocoa, and bottled water remain available complimentary around the clock.

Her ice-strengthened hull allows her to operate exclusively in Arctic and Antarctic waters. In April 2019, she received two Rolls-Royce Zero Speed Stabilizers, reducing rolling when anchored or drifting, lowering dynamic drag while cruising, and cutting vibration and noise throughout the ship. Thanks to her size, Sea Spirit can navigate protected channels and bays that stay out of bounds to larger cruise vessels, and allows all passengers to go ashore together, avoiding queues.

Optional excursions include kayaking, birdwatching, snorkelling, and hiking, with daily naturalist briefings preparing passengers for upcoming activities and wildlife encounters. With an expedition staff-to-passenger ratio of one to nine, Sea Spirit maintains one of the most personalised expedition experiences available in polar cruising.

MV Sea Spirit suits adventurous travellers with an authentic, intimate approach to exploring the polar regions, rather than the crowds of mainstream ships.

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