Swan Hellenic: Expedition Cruises and Ships

About Swan Hellenic

Swan Hellenic is a cruise company founded in the United Kingdom in 1954. Relaunched in 2020, it proudly carries forward the spirit of the cultural expeditions that made the brand famous in the last century. Today, the company offers expedition cruises to remote regions including the Arctic, Antarctica, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

An onboard team of historians, naturalists, and photographers accompanies each voyage. Each cruise carries no more than 200 guests, ensuring quick and efficient shore landings. This allows travelers more time to explore on land and enjoy scenic cruising along the coast.

The Swan Hellenic Fleet

The fleet consists of three ships: SH Diana, SH Vega, and SH Minerva, all built at Helsinki Shipyard in Finland. Compact and highly maneuverable, the vessels feature advanced stabilizers, reinforced hulls, and enhanced ice-class capabilities, allowing them to reach destinations inaccessible to conventional cruise ships.

On board, guests will find dedicated basecamp areas for expedition preparations and polar plunges, lecture halls, fitness facilities, spas, and fine-dining restaurants. Shore landings follow international environmental and safety protocols to ensure minimal impact on nature. Polar plunges take place only in calm conditions and under the supervision of safety staff.

SH Diana

Ice class: PC6
Capacity: 96 cabins, 192 guests, and 127 crew members

SH Diana primarily operates cultural and historical voyages in Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean, although she also ventures into polar waters.

On board SH Diana, guests can unwind in a Finnish sauna, enjoy world-class cuisine featuring fresh seafood, and admire Arctic landscapes from cabins with panoramic windows.

SH Vega

Ice class: PC5
Capacity: 76 cabins, 152 guests, and 117 crew members

SH Vega was designed specifically for expedition cruising in the polar regions. Like SH Diana, the ship features a restaurant, a spa, and panoramic cabin views. Additional amenities include:

• A heated infinity pool overlooking the ocean
• A panoramic sauna
• A 120-seat lecture hall
• A dedicated gear-drying room

SH Minerva

Ice class: PC5
Capacity: 76 cabins, 152 guests, and 117 crew members

SH Minerva is the flagship of the Swan Hellenic fleet and the sister ship of SH Vega, launched earlier. She is most often deployed on the company's more demanding expedition routes, including voyages to Antarctica.

On board, guests will find restaurants, a panoramic bar, a library, and a dedicated photo lab.

What Is Included in a Swan Hellenic Cruise?

Your cruise fare covers virtually all essential travel expenses.

• Accommodation: Choice of cabin categories, from standard staterooms to spacious suites
• Dining: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, 24-hour snacks, and room service
• Beverages: Unlimited wine, beer, spirits, soft drinks, coffee, and tea
• Expedition activities: Zodiac landings, expert guides, lectures, and workshops
• Equipment: Branded expedition jacket, rubber boots, trekking poles, and a waterproof backpack
• Additional services: Basic Wi-Fi, port fees, and crew gratuities

Life On Board

Mornings on an expedition cruise are usually full of excitement. After breakfast, you'll board Zodiac boats and head ashore to explore spectacular destinations. Depending on the region, you might encounter penguins, hike to volcanic landscapes, or observe polar bear mothers and their cubs in the wild.

You'll typically return to the ship around lunchtime. The afternoon is often dedicated to expert lectures, offering deeper insight into the history, geology, wildlife, and ecosystems of the places you're exploring.

In the evening, guests gather for a daily briefing with the expedition team to discuss the next day's plans. During your free time, you can unwind in the sauna or lounge, enjoy a gourmet dinner, and take in passing icebergs or other breathtaking scenery through panoramic windows.

At night, while you relax in the comfort of your cabin, the ship sails toward the next destination. This means valuable expedition time is spent exploring rather than in transit. Occasionally, however, nature puts on a nighttime show of its own: the Northern Lights may appear overhead, or whales may surface alongside the ship, drawing guests to the outer decks for an unforgettable spectacle.

Why Book a Swan Hellenic Cruise with RussiaDiscovery?

RussiaDiscovery has specialized in expedition travel since 2005 and has partnered with Swan Hellenic since 2020. Over the years, we have become the brand's largest authorized partner by the number of travelers sailing with us. We do more than simply sell cabins—we charter entire Swan Hellenic vessels and create our own signature expeditions in the Arctic, Antarctica, the Kuril Islands, and Africa.

Tours can also be booked directly on the Swan Hellenic website. However, as an authorized agent, we offer prices at the same level as Swan Hellenic—or sometimes even lower—add cashback, and take care of visa and travel logistics support.

Supporting You from Your First Inquiry to Your Return Home

Our team has personally traveled on Swan Hellenic voyages, explored the itineraries, and met the expedition leaders and captains. That means our recommendations are based on real experience, not brochures. We can tell you which cabins are the quietest, which itinerary is ideal for a first trip to Antarctica, and how the experiences aboard SH Diana and SH Vega differ.

• We'll help you choose the right voyage, whether you're dreaming of your first Antarctic expedition or planning a return trip to the Kuril Islands.
• We assist with visas, travel insurance, and other necessary documents.
• We can help arrange flights and connecting hotel stays.
• If unexpected situations arise, such as flight delays, we're there to help.

Best Price Guarantee

Our prices match those offered by Swan Hellenic and can sometimes be even lower thanks to our purchasing volume. If you find the same Swan Hellenic cruise at a better price elsewhere, we'll match it.

Cashback for Your Next Adventure

When you book a Swan Hellenic cruise through RussiaDiscovery, you receive cashback equal to 3–10% of the trip cost. The reward can be used toward your next journey from our collection, whether that's a cruise to Antarctica, an expedition to Wrangel Island, or a voyage to Svalbard. For frequent travelers, this makes every expedition an investment in the next adventure.

Swan Hellenic Cruises Operated and Offered by RussiaDiscovery in 2026–2027

Antarctica

RussiaDiscovery operates an exclusive New Year’s cruise to Antarctica with a fully Russian-speaking program. The itinerary includes landings at penguin colonies, kayaking among icebergs, and lectures on climate and geology. Bookings open 12–18 months in advance, with departure on the SH Minerva from Ushuaia, Argentina.

RussiaDiscovery also offers places on other Swan Hellenic Antarctica itineraries. These voyages aboard SH Vega, SH Minerva, or SH Diana explore the White Continent and the South Shetland Islands. The route also includes parts of the sub-Antarctic region, where milder temperatures create landscapes and wildlife habitats distinct from those found elsewhere in Antarctica.

Chukotka: Wrangel Island

This expedition takes travelers to Wrangel Island, home to the world's largest concentration of polar bear maternity dens. Guests have a rare opportunity to observe polar bear families in their natural habitat, along with the other members of the Arctic "Big Five": musk oxen, reindeer, whales, and walruses.

The voyage aboard SH Minerva travels through the UNESCO-protected Wrangel Island Nature Reserve and Beringia National Park. Access by sea is possible only during the brief Arctic summer, when the coastal ice retreats.

The Kurils: Expedition Across Ten Islands

This is the only expedition cruise aboard a modern expedition ship that covers the entire Kuril Island chain, from Kamchatka to Sakhalin, without any domestic flights. The voyage is operated by RussiaDiscovery aboard SH Minerva.

Guests visit active volcanoes, soak in natural hot springs beside the Pacific Ocean, and observe Steller sea lion rookeries. The expedition's special guest is volcanologist Sergey Samoylenko, who helps travelers gain a deeper understanding of the archipelago's remarkable landscapes.

Africa: Seychelles, Tanzania, and Kenya

This itinerary aboard SH Diana explores the coast and islands of East Africa, taking guests to coral atolls, white-sand beaches, tropical forests, and historic towns known for their distinctive architecture.

Travelers can encounter unique wildlife, including giant fruit bats (flying foxes), enjoy snorkeling and diving, explore remote islands by Zodiac, and visit Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Arctic: Svalbard

This voyage aboard SH Diana circumnavigates the Svalbard archipelago. Guests can hike across the famous five-kilometer-long Monaco Glacier and admire Svalbard's longest fjord, stretching nearly 100 kilometers.

Along the way, travelers can observe immense seabird colonies, walruses, polar bears, and whales, admire the Arctic tundra in bloom, and stroll through Longyearbyen, one of the world's northernmost towns.