Gulf War Forces Antarctic Expedition Firm to Replace Historic Liner
The start-up Terra Nova Expeditions announced this week that it has been forced to change plans for its inaugural expedition cruise season to Antarctica. The company had planned to bring back the historic liner St. Helena for a new career as an expedition ship, but was forced to replace the ship, creating an uncertain future.
St. Helena, built at the Appledore Shipyard in the UK and commissioned in 1990, provided a vital service to the island of the same name located more than 1,100 miles west of Africa and became one of the last RMS (Royal Mail Ships) in service. She is 344 feet (105 meters) in length and approximately 6,800 gross tons. She plods along at 14 knots, but her service primarily between Cape Town and Saint Helena, and continued to Ascension Island, was vital to maintaining a link to the outside world before there was an airport. The introduction of air service was her death knell, and despite the protests of her loyal following, St. Helena was retired in 2018.
The historic ship cheated the scrappers, finding a repurposing. She was briefly used as a vessel-based armory in the Gulf of Oman and later sold to the car racing group Extreme E, which used her as a transport for materials and cars. The company extensively renovated the ship in 2022, retrofitting her engines, updating her systems, and refurbishing her cabins and public spaces.
Terra Nova Expeditions emerged in 2025, saying they had chartered the quirky little ship and were refitting her to commence Antarctic voyages in 2026-2027. The first voyage was planned for December 2026.
The company reported this week that St. Helena is currently unable to reposition from the Persian Gulf in a safe and timely manner for the start of the 2026/2027 Antarctic season due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East. According to her AIS transmissions, the ship, which is currently registered in Djibouti, has been caught in the Dubai area and last reported near Port Rashid in the United Arab Emirates.
Terra Nova Expeditions said it spent several months working to secure an alternate vessel and has been forced to abandon plans for St. Helena and proceed with an alternate ship. It reports it secured a three-year season charter for the vessel that formerly operated as the Expedition and G Expedition, which it will rechristen Terra Nova Adventurer.
Terra Nova Adventurer will be a suitable replacement but is not the quirky St. Helena (Terra Nova Expeditions)
The replacement ship has a long history as well, and Terra Nova has the advantage of having an extensive history of expedition cruising in Antarctica, the Arctic, and other remote destinations. She had been sailing for the Canadian company G Adventures since being rebuilt for expedition cruising in 2008. The 6,333 gross ton ship started her life as a passenger car ferry in the Baltic, built in 1972. Currently, she appears to be laid up as the Vestland Adventurer, registered in Liberia.
Terra Nova Expeditions says it will undertake a series of enhancements ahead of the vessel’s first season with the company. Alongside new soft furnishings and décor throughout the ship, the project will include the remodeling of the bar and lounge areas and the addition of a Jacuzzi and new sauna on Deck 5. It reports, “The result will combine the vessel’s established expedition credentials with a refreshed onboard experience aligned with Terra Nova Expeditions’ approach to small-ship polar travel.
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The company says that its Antarctic itineraries and expedition program will continue as planned aboard Terra Nova Adventurer. Under the charter, the ship will remain with the company through the 2028/29 season.
The fate of the historic St. Helena, however, appears uncertain at best.
