Terra Nova Expeditions recently revealed plans to turn the former RMS St. Helena into an expedition cruise ship.

According to its website, the startup company intends to offer “authentic small-ship adventures” in Antarctica.

With the RMS St. Helena serving as the fleet’s flagship, the company plans to start operations in late 2026.

Terra Nova is described as a “group of like-minded people who believe in doing tourism differently.”

“What unites us is our passion for sustainable, ethical travel and a shared vision for the future of Antarctica,” the company’s website reads.

Greg Carter, who co-founded Chimu Adventures, is Terra Nova’s founder and CEO.

“At Terra Nova, we long for the return of true expedition travel—where the focus is on the destination, not the ship; on the purity of the places we visit, not ticking boxes,” he is quoted as saying.

“Our journeys are immersive, respectful, and deeply human, aboard our truly unique fleet. Antarctica is what we do, day in and day out. This is our passion and our sole focus.”

With a background that also includes a stint as CCO at Albatros Expeditions, Carter leads a team that also includes Beth Mercier.

Joining the company as Chief Commercial Officer, Mercier is said to have over 15 years of experience in the cruise industry, having held positions at Quark Expeditions and Hurtigruten North America.

In addition to the former ship that linked the St. Helena archipelago with South Africa in the past, Terra Nova plans to operate a tall ship named the Icebird.

The company said that the six-guest vessel will be the first sailing expedition vessel, featuring an ice-enforced aluminum hull.

The St. Helena is described as “a storied vessel with a legacy of resilience, reliability, and global connection.”

The ship is said to have undergone an extensive refurbishment and renovation in 2022, which saw an investment of eight million pounds.

According to AIS information, the St. Helena is currently anchored off Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates.

Originally built in 1989, the vessel served the British overseas territory of Saint Helena for nearly three decades before being retired in 2018.

The former Royal Mail Ship then briefly served as a floating armory in the Gulf of Oman before being sold to St. Helena LLC and converted into a transportation hub for a circuit of SUV races.

As built, the 98-guest vessel was designed to transport guests and goods.

Terra Nova’s inaugural sailing is currently scheduled for December 2026, with the St. Helena embarking on an expedition cruise from Ushuaia, Argentina.

HX Expeditions announced its new Director of Expedition Operations, Kelvin Murray, who will report directly to Chief Operations Officer Iain McNeill and join the Operations Leadership Team.

In this role, Murray will work across both operations and commercial teams to elevate and ensure a consistent and outstanding guest expedition experience.

“Murray is a world-class expedition leader and operational strategist with an instinct for people, place, and purpose,” said Iain McNeill, COO of HX.

“At this moment, 130 years into our history, Murray’s vision and experience will be instrumental in raising the bar for our guests and our expedition teams. He joins us with an impeccable record and a passion for excellence that matches HX’s legacy,” added McNeill.

Murray said: “I’m thrilled to join HX and help build upon its successful and extensive expedition heritage.”

“These trips are as much about people as they are places, and I’m looking forward to working with the team to continue HX being a safe, sustainable, mindful and cool way to explore the world, Murray added.

The company said in a press release that Murray brings a global reputation and deep operational expertise to HX, honed over decades of leadership in the field.

Most recently, he served as head of expeditions at EYOS Expeditions, where he led trips across every continent and ocean. He has also worked with other expedition cruise companies, including Oceanwide Expeditions and Lindblad.

Murray was also involved in some groundbreaking activities, including taking the largest passenger ship to date through the Northwest Passage, producing the first live 4K broadcast from Antarctica, and guiding record-setting submersible explorations of the deep ocean.

He served on AECO’s Executive Committee and several IAATO committees and held roles with conservation societies and the British Antarctic Survey. He is also known for his TEDx talk on Expedition Resilience.

Always come prepared.

Nothing is worse than finally embarking on a cruise ship vacation that you had planned for months — only to get there and make a mistake that could potentially ruin the rest of your trip.

Thankfully, expert Alley Kerr, a dancer and singer who has worked on more than 100 cruise ships and now writes travel content on her site Wanderlust Alley, gave insight into the one mistake cruise goers often make that can be easily prevented.

If you’ve ever been on a cruise before — you know just how chaotic the first day is.

“…That’s the day that everybody is trying to book their shore excursions, trying to get their internet sorted, trying to book restaurants and any extra add-ons,” she told the Independent.

“…if you can avoid waiting for embarkation day and get it done in advance, your life is going to be so much easier.”

As the saying goes — failure to prepare is preparing to fail. So, waiting to book excursions and other fun activities at the ports the cruise is stopping at is where most cruise rookies go wrong.

“People who have never cruised before often get on the ship and then suddenly at the end of the day, they’re like, ‘Oh, everything’s sold out,’” she told the outlet.

“I feel that this is one of the worst things that could happen, because you’ve missed out. There’s limited availability for a lot of things.”

And no one wants to be stuck going down the water slide for the 109th time to keep themselves occupied while the ship is docked and everyone is off having fun.

Passengers on a recent Celebrity Cruises vacation had a flub in their travel plans — but unfortunately, it was completely out of their control and had nothing to do with planning.

The Celebrity Constellation lost power for three hours due to a technical issue while on an 11-night Mediterranean voyage.

Passengers were stuck on the massive ship without lighting, air conditioning, toilets and kitchen facilities.

Although it was confirmed to USA Today by a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson — the parent company of Celebrity Cruises — that the loss of power was caused by a technical issue, no other details were provided.