Secret Atlas
Expedition Cruising
Secret Atlas is the polar expedition operator for people who want to go where the big ships simply cannot. With just 12 guests in the Arctic and 48 in Antarctica, the flexibility is extraordinary — if a polar bear appears, everyone is in a Zodiac within fifteen minutes. There is no fixed itinerary; the expedition leaders follow nature and make decisions in real time. It is raw, authentic, and genuinely transformative — and surprisingly more affordable than the larger expedition lines.
Secret Atlas pioneered the concept of “expedition micro cruising” when co-founders Andy Marsh and Michele D’Agostino launched the company in 2019, filling a gap in the market for genuinely small-ship polar exploration. Where conventional expedition lines carry 150 to 500 passengers, Secret Atlas operates with just 12 guests in the Arctic and 48 in Antarctica, using ice-strengthened expedition vessels that were purpose-built for polar waters. The result is a fundamentally different kind of expedition — more flexible, more intimate, and closer to the wildlife and landscapes than larger operations can achieve.
The absence of a fixed itinerary is central to the Secret Atlas philosophy. Expedition leaders — who collectively bring over three decades of polar navigation experience — read the conditions each day and follow where nature leads. If a pod of whales surfaces or a polar bear is spotted on the ice, the entire group can be in Zodiacs within minutes, without the queuing and rotation systems that larger ships require. Dinner can be delayed if the light is extraordinary. Landings can be extended when the wildlife cooperates. This responsiveness to the moment is what makes micro-expedition cruising so compelling for serious nature enthusiasts and photographers.
The fleet includes vessels like Freya and Vikingfjord — converted, ice-strengthened working ships that prioritise function and safety over luxury. Accommodation is comfortable but expedition-focused, and the emphasis is firmly on what happens outside the ship rather than within it. Meals are freshly prepared onboard, and the small group size creates a camaraderie among passengers and crew that is impossible to replicate on a larger vessel. Secret Atlas is a member of both AECO and IAATO, adhering to strict environmental guidelines and carbon-offsetting all voyages through a partnership with Greenland Trees.
Destinations span Svalbard, East Greenland, the Northeast Greenland National Park (the world’s largest), Antarctica, and South Georgia. For travellers who measure the quality of an expedition by time spent in the field rather than the thread count of the sheets, Secret Atlas offers polar experiences that are as authentic and immersive as it gets.
Tell us your travel dates and our Secret Atlas specialists will create a tailored proposal.