Terra Nova Expeditions
Antarctica's newest independent expedition line, built on a back-to-basics idea: maximize time on the ice, fold every activity into one flat all-inclusive price, and put the destination ahead of the ship. One vessel, one focus — the 98-guest RMS St. Helena.
Terra Nova is the newest name on the ice, and one we've been watching closely — Erin is already fielding client interest for the inaugural 2026/27 season. The pitch is refreshingly contrarian: while much of the expedition world races toward bigger ships and longer champagne lists, Terra Nova is sprinting the other way, back toward what the word 'expedition' used to mean.
Founded by Greg Carter (a co-founder of Chimu Adventures) and named for Robert Falcon Scott's storied polar ship, the line runs on one flat, all-inclusive price — kayaking, camping, snowshoeing, the polar plunge, gratuities, and beer and wine at dinner all folded in, with no upselling and no discount roulette. Every sailing carries a working science lab with scientists in residence. The whole ethos fits on a bumper sticker: expedition first, comfort always, hidden costs never.
The fleet is deliberately tiny — a single ship, the 98-guest RMS St. Helena, a former British Royal Mail vessel given a second life below the Antarctic Circle. For travelers who'd rather spend their money on time ashore than on marble bathrooms, Terra Nova is one of the most interesting arrivals in polar travel in years.
