Cape Town’s beloved RMS St. Helena gets new life as Antarctic expedition cruise ship

The RMS St. Helena, long known for her service between Cape Town and the remote British territory of Saint Helena, is being refitted for a new life as a small expedition cruise ship, with operations set to begin in December 2026.

The vessel, remembered fondly by many Capetonians, was retired in 2018 following the opening of Saint Helena’s first airport. Built at Appledore Shipyard in the UK and launched in 1990, the RMS St. Helena was for decades the lifeline to the isolated island some 1,100 miles west of Africa.

She routinely sailed between Cape Town, Saint Helena, and Ascension Island, carrying both passengers and cargo, some of which was Royal Mail, earning her the rare RMS designation. With no port facilities at her destinations, the ship was built with cranes and a design suited to offshore cargo transfers—features that will now serve her in a different context.

Terra Nova Expeditions, a company founded in 2024, has acquired the vessel and plans to operate her as a rugged, small-scale Antarctic expedition cruise vessel. She will sail from Ushuaia, Argentina, to the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands.

“There’s something special about a ship with history, character, and a renewed sense of purpose. St. Helena embodies what Terra Nova is all about … going further with less, and doing it with meaning,” said Greg Carter, Founder of Terra Nova Expeditions.

Following her retirement in 2018, the ship narrowly avoided the scrapyard. She was first used as a floating armoury in the Gulf of Oman before being purchased by the Extreme E motorsport group.

In 2022, she underwent a substantial refit that included updated engines, modernised systems, and redesigned cabins and lounges. She will retain her UK registry in her new role.

Following her refit for Terra Nova, the ship will carry just 98 passengers across 51 cabins, served by a crew of 81. She will offer 10-day voyages from Ushuaia across the Drake Passage, with activities such as kayaking, snowshoeing, trekking, and the famed “polar plunge”.

The ship will be equipped with twelve Zodiacs for landings and exploration, and up to 40 guests per sailing will have the rare opportunity to camp overnight on the Antarctic continent.

Terra Nova will also operate a companion experience on Icebird, a six-passenger sailing yacht billed as the world’s first sail/cruise expedition boat.