A familiar name in polar cruising is heading for a new chapter. The Sea Spirit, a 114-passenger expedition vessel that has spent years carrying travellers to the ice, will be offered for sale or charter from October 2028, according to owner SunStone Ships. Until then it continues sailing for Poseidon Expeditions, whose long-term charter wraps up around the same time.
The ship has a longer history than most guests realise. It began life as the Renaissance Five, one of Renaissance Cruises' original series of megayachts, built at the Nuovi Cantieri Apuania yard in Carrara, Italy. After stints with Star Cruises, Sun Cruises, Cruise West and Quark Expeditions, it was converted into an expedition ship in late 2010 and chartered to Poseidon in 2014. By 2026 it had notched up 35 years of service overall — a rarity in a market that constantly churns tonnage.
In its current form, the 4,200-ton Sea Spirit carries 60 guest cabins plus a solid set of expedition-friendly facilities: a 128-seat restaurant, a 110-seat presentation lounge for briefings and lectures, a mud room for coming back from shore landings, a specialty restaurant, gym, wellness area, medical centre, gift shop and an outdoor jacuzzi area. There are kayaks and Zodiacs for excursions, zero-speed stabilisers to make anchorages steadier, full air conditioning, two elevators and berths for up to 85 crew. A $2.5 million ship-wide refurbishment in 2017 refreshed the public areas and staterooms.
For Poseidon, the departure is part of a planned upgrade. From September 2028 the operator will take delivery of a newbuild from United Waterways, developed under United's white-label ocean platform — details are still under wraps. So anyone who has sailed the Sea Spirit to Antarctica or the Arctic should expect a different experience on future Poseidon bookings.
Why should travellers care? If you have been eyeing a Poseidon polar trip, 2028 is the crossover year: the final seasons on a well-regarded small ship, then a brand-new vessel. And for the charter or expedition market, a proven polar-capable ship of this size coming available is notable — small expedition ships with ice-ready layouts and stabilisers are in short supply, and whoever takes the Sea Spirit on will inherit a vessel with three decades of hard-earned track record. Watch this space if you like the idea of a small-ship polar voyage; the class of ship it represents is exactly what many travellers prefer over the big new expedition builds.
