Ocean Nova and Exploris One will debut for the summer Arctic season
Adventure Canada will debut two new-to-them vessels for the 2026 season, Ocean Nova and Exploris One. Replacing Ocean Endeavour, the ships will set off for the summer season on itineraries to Scotland, Iceland, The Faroe Islands, Greenland, the Northwest Passage and beyond.
The 144-passenger Exploris One was purpose-built for expedition travel. Adventure Canada says the ship is a cozy mode of travel for company clients when it plies Arctic waters that have hosted such famed explorers as 19th-century British naval officer Sir John Franklin, and in doing so will provide its passengers with a level of comfort that those who sailed to Arctic tragedy on the Franklin Expedition could only have dreamed of.
Adventure Canada director Jason Edmunds – whose company is best known for Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Greenland itineraries – noted that Exploris One has been “battle-tested in some of the world’s most extreme places. It’s just a joy to sail on her.
“It makes adventure feel effortless, where comfort is a companion… We’re incredibly proud to welcome Exploris One to the Adventure Canada family,” he said.
The 5-deck vessel was designed for expedition cruising and has a “long history of travel” in the Arctic and Antarctic, Edmunds added. “It makes some of the most remote places in the world feel welcoming.”
Among Arctic locales Adventure Canada visits is Beechey Island, home to graves of Franklin Expedition members.
The Exploris One features the likes of a restaurant, fitness centre, spa, lounges and observation deck. All cabins are exterior and have climate control.
“This might be a small ship… but it has a lot of comfort,” Edmunds said.
Edmunds added that Adventure Canada’s Ocean Nova serves as a “platform of adventure and leisure.” That 4-deck vessel has lounges, a dining room, observation deck, medical clinic, gym and library. It was designed for efficiency, functionality, and connection with nature. Edmunds praised the “amazing” Ocean Nova food, adding dietary restrictions can be accommodated.
Staff also work to accommodate those with different interests and abilities, he continued.
The Ocean Nova has Zodiac rafts to carry passengers on excursions.
The vessel has different cabin categories and the units have the likes of bathrooms with showers, desks and hair dryers.
Edmunds reported the ship can carry 78 passengers, adding it’s “the pinnacle of small-ship cruising.”
