Poseidon Expeditions operates the 114-passenger Sea Spirit sailing expedition itineraries.

In an expedition market where operators have raced to add new ships over the past decade, that single-ship strategy looks like a total outlier, but in an interview for the 2026 Expedition Market Report by Cruise Industry News Angelica Vorea, Poseidon’s CEO and founder, said it is the company’s strategy.

“Operating a single ship has always been a very conscious choice,” Vorea explained. “It allows us to stay hands-on with every part of the guest experience, from our expedition leadership to our onboard service. There’s a level of consistency here that’s very hard to achieve when you scale quickly.”

Growth has not been affected. North America now accounts for 35 to 40 percent of all Poseidon’s passengers, up from a much smaller share just a few years ago.

The company has also relocated its U.S. office from Warwick, Rhode Island, to Miami and has since expanded its sales team with new leadership.

Vorea sees even more room to push its North American market share even higher.

“The goal isn’t just volume,” she said. “We want to grow thoughtfully with North America moving closer to 45 to 50 percent of passengers over time, while we still maintain a healthy international mix.”

Poseidon still has plans to expand geographically, especially during times when they have to pivot quickly.

In 2022, the Russian invasion of Ukraine completely shut down access to Franz Josef Land and the North Pole for the company, which had previously chartered the 50 Years of Victory, a Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker, to reach the North Pole.

Those voyages had been signature products for Poseidon since its founding in 1999.

“Closing the North Pole and Franz Josef Land routes in 2022 was a major shift for everyone,” Vorea said. “We had to move so fast, but also very carefully.”

The solution came through expanding Svalbard and East Greenland programs and developing new British Isles itineraries.

The Sea Spirit now operates in the British Isles during shoulder seasons and visits coastal areas and smaller islands that are inaccessible to larger vessels.

“It doesn’t replace the High Arctic experience, but it has diversified our offerings and, in a way, made the overall Arctic program even more balanced,” Vorea explained.