Yacht Charter · Expedition Yacht Charter Specialist Index 2026
Best Expedition Yacht Charter Specialists in 2026: Cookson Adventures, Secret Atlas, EYOS and Pelorus Scored on Track Record, Pricing, Yachts, Safety and Terms
By Richard J. · written from Valencia4 specialists scored · 4 ranked /100Verified 24 September 2026
The best expedition yacht charter specialist in 2026 is Cookson Adventures, at 85/100, followed by Secret Atlas (70), EYOS Expeditions (65) and Pelorus (65): four firms that plan and run private yacht expeditions to Antarctica, the Arctic and remote oceans, scored on track record, what they publish about price, the yachts they use, safety and permits, and company terms. Cookson is the only one to publish how it is paid, a planning fee of about 5% on a minimum spend of £150,000. All four are IAATO members, and the same yachts appear on several of their lists, so the choice is mostly of planner rather than hull. The published facts for all four follow.
Verified 24 September 2026 · websites, FAQs and booking conditions of Cookson Adventures, Secret Atlas, EYOS Expeditions and Pelorus · IAATO and AECO member directories · re-read at source
Best expedition yacht charter specialists in 2026
All four expedition yacht charter specialists assessed clear the pass mark of 60, led by Cookson Adventures (85/100); a fifth name checked, Nomad At Sea, could not be found as a charter business. These firms sell on reputation, with no independent ratings to point to, so this index scores what can be checked: dated voyages, named leaders, published prices, named yachts and membership of the polar operators' associations. The rubric and pass mark were fixed before any firm was scored.
How the score works (100 points).Track record 25: founding year or years operating, named voyages with dates and places, and named expedition leaders with polar or remote-field credentials · Pricing transparency 25: any published price (planning fee, day rate, sample trip or yacht rate), how the firm is paid, and what a quote includes · Assets and access 20: yachts named with specifications, regions and seasons, and specialist assets such as helicopters, submersibles and ice-class hulls · Safety, permits and memberships 15: IAATO or AECO membership confirmed in the association's own directory, permit handling stated, and medical provision stated · Company transparency and terms 15: legal entity and country, named founders or leaders, and published contract terms. Tie-break: safety, permits and memberships. Pass mark 60. Scores are ours; the inputs are linked.
#
Specialist
Score /100
Founded
Published price
Best for
1
Cookson Adventures
85
2009
Planning fee about 5%; minimum spend £150,000
A published fee model (planning fee of about 5%, £150,000 minimum) with written booking conditions and polar trips since 2009
2
Secret Atlas
70
April 2019
Scheduled Arctic trips from £9,500 per person
Small ice-class expedition vessels with published sample prices and full booking terms in the Arctic and Antarctica
3
EYOS Expeditions
65
2008
None published
Deep-ocean and polar operations, including submersibles and helicopters, since 2008
4
Pelorus
65
Not published
Charter fees from US$49,000 to US$2,200,000
Published 'from' charter fees on 24 yachts and a stated network of expedition doctors
A lone vessel below snow-covered peaks in the Antarctic region, the season's main destination for all four specialists. Photo: Hugo Sykes / Pexels
Score breakdown by criterion
Specialist
Track record /25
Pricing /25
Assets /20
Safety /15
Company /15
Total
Cookson Adventures
25
20
15
10
15
85
Secret Atlas
15
10
20
10
15
70
EYOS Expeditions
25
0
20
15
5
65
Pelorus
10
15
20
10
10
65
Price is what separates them. Cookson Adventures publishes its planning fee, deposit and minimum spend, and its booking conditions set out every cancellation band, which is how it reaches 85. EYOS has the deepest record in the field, from the BBC's Blue Planet II in Antarctica in 2016-17 to a founding partner who has dived the Challenger Deep, but publishes no price or fee and names no legal entity on its site, so it scores 0 for pricing and 5 for company terms. Pelorus is the reverse: it lists 'from' charter fees for 24 yachts and its cost structure, but gives no founding year or named expedition leader. Secret Atlas, which runs scheduled trips on small ice-class ships, publishes prices and full booking terms but no dated past voyages. Only Pelorus states a general medical service, a 24-hour network of doctors and medics; Secret Atlas's terms warn that medical care may not be readily available.
What an expedition yacht charter costs in 2026
Pelorus lists charter fees from US$49,000 (Kinfish, 37 metres, 12 guests) to US$2,200,000 (Octopus, 126 metres, 12 guests), before an Advance Provisioning Allowance of about 35%, local VAT and crew gratuities of 10% to 20%; Cookson Adventures adds a planning fee of about 5% and works to a £150,000 minimum. EYOS publishes no prices, and Secret Atlas publishes per-person prices for its scheduled Arctic departures rather than for a private charter.
Yacht
Charter fee
Listed by
Kinfish (37.25 m, 12 guests)
From US$49,000
Pelorus; also on Secret Atlas's fleet list
HMS Gåssten (24 m, 8 guests)
From £50,400
Pelorus; also on Secret Atlas's fleet list
The Explorer (46.5 m, 12 guests)
From €88,500
Pelorus
Kudanil Explorer (50 m, 16 guests)
From US$161,000
Pelorus; also on EYOS's list
Vikingfjord (41.8 m, 10 guests)
From €182,000
Pelorus; also on Secret Atlas's fleet list
Arctic (88 m, 12 guests)
From €590,000
Pelorus
La Datcha (77 m, 12 guests)
From US$740,000
Pelorus; also on EYOS's list
Octopus (126.2 m, 12 guests)
From US$2,200,000
Pelorus; also on EYOS's and Cookson's lists
Add the extras before comparing. Pelorus's FAQ says the quoted rate is the charter fee for the yacht and crew, with an APA of about 35% for fuel, marina fees and provisioning, VAT charged locally and gratuities usually 10% to 20% of the charter fee. Cookson's FAQ gives a planning fee of about 5% of the total trip value, a deposit from £5,000 and a minimum spend of £150,000 per journey. For what a conventional crewed charter costs in the Mediterranean or Caribbean, see our yacht charter cost index.
IAATO and AECO: which expedition yacht specialists are members
All four firms are listed in the IAATO member directory, and all four appear in the AECO member directory: EYOS and Secret Atlas as full members, Pelorus as an associate and Cookson Adventures as a provisional member. Membership commits an operator to each association's guidelines for landings and wildlife in Antarctica and the Arctic; the directories are the independent check, and anyone can search them.
An iceberg in Antarctic waters. IAATO membership commits an operator to the association's rules for landings and wildlife there. Photo: ArcticDesire.com Polarreisen / Pexels
The same expedition yachts, different planners
At least ten named yachts appear on the lists of two or more of these firms: Octopus on three, and Kudanil Explorer, La Datcha, BOLD, Sherakhan, Hanse Explorer, Vikingfjord, HMS Gåssten, Kinfish and Aqua Lares on two each. The same hull can be offered by several planners, so two quotes for one yacht can differ mainly in the planning, the guides and the logistics.
The four expedition yacht charter specialists, in detail
Cookson Adventures, Secret Atlas, EYOS Expeditions and Pelorus are all ranked; each profile gives the criterion scores, the weakest one and the sources.
1. Cookson Adventures: 85/100
Founded 2009 by Henry Cookson · planning fee about 5% · minimum spend £150,000 · Henry Cookson Adventures Ltd, UK
Cookson Adventures was founded in 2009 by the polar adventurer Henry Cookson, who won the 2005 Polar Challenge race to the magnetic North Pole and reached the Pole of Inaccessibility in Antarctica without mechanical help. It takes the full 25 on track record, with dated voyages including an Antarctic trip aboard the 126-metre Octopus in the 2022-23 season to Deception Island and Paradise Bay, and research it supported in April 2019 that identified a type of killer whale previously unknown to science. It is the only firm to say how it is paid, a planning fee of about 5% of the trip value, and it publishes a deposit from £5,000 and a £150,000 minimum spend. Its booking conditions set out every cancellation band, from loss of the deposit at 90 days or more to the full cost inside 30 days. It obtains Antarctic permits through the UK Foreign Office and follows IAATO's rules. It loses points for giving no season dates and no statement on medical provision. About · FAQ · Antarctic logistics · Octopus trip.
2. Secret Atlas: 70/100
Established April 2019 · Arctic trips from £9,500 per person · ice-class 1A Freya · World Explorer Travel Ltd, UK
Secret Atlas charters its small expedition ships privately with its own expedition team, including Freya, which holds ice class 1A, and Vikingfjord, and runs scheduled trips to Svalbard and Scoresby Sund in East Greenland, and to Antarctica between October and February. It takes the full 20 on assets and access and the full 15 on company terms: World Explorer Travel Ltd, company 11930689 in England and Wales, publishes booking terms with a 30% deposit, a balance due three months before departure and compulsory insurance covering evacuation and search and rescue. Its owner, Mariano Curiel, cites more than 200 polar expeditions, and it says it takes care of permits. It scores 10 on pricing: scheduled Arctic trips are priced from £9,500 per person, but private charters are quoted on request. It publishes no dated past voyages, and its terms warn that medical services may not be readily available. Private charters · Booking terms · Team.
3. EYOS Expeditions: 65/100
Founded 2008 · submersible, dive and helicopter operations · Antarctic season November to March · IAATO and AECO full member
EYOS Expeditions says it pioneered expedition yachting in 2008 and takes the full 25 on track record: dated projects include support for the BBC's Blue Planet II in Antarctica in 2016-17 and the Interstellar Expedition staged from Lorengau on Manus Island in June 2023, and its founding partner Rob McCallum reached full ocean depth in the Challenger Deep in 2021 after three decades leading polar expeditions. Its chief executive, Ben Lyons, holds an unlimited-tonnage master's licence with an advanced Polar Code endorsement. It takes the full 15 on safety: it handles permitting end to end and its undersea operations include dive medics, doctors and recompression chamber operators. It names yachts with specifications, such as the ice-class Hanse Explorer (47.76 metres, 12 guests). The weak score is pricing, 0 of 25: no fee, rate or sample price is published, and its site names no legal entity or country. Special projects · Antarctica · Operations.
4. Pelorus: 65/100
'From' charter fees on 24 yachts · 24-hour doctors network · Pelorus Yachting, company 11808745, England and Wales
Pelorus, founded by the former British Army captains Jimmy Carroll and Geordie Mackay-Lewis, lists 'from' charter fees for 24 yachts and explains its cost stack in its FAQ: charter fee, an APA of about 35%, local VAT and gratuities. It takes the full 20 on assets, with specifications for every listed yacht and an Antarctic season of November to March, and states a 24-hour medical service with doctors and medics able to travel or stand by. Its dated voyage is a January 2025 Antarctic Peninsula expedition aboard the 77-metre LEGEND with the support vessel ARGUS, an expedition doctor and a marine science team led by Dr Ari Friedlaender, which Pelorus says deployed the first heart-rate tag on a humpback whale in Antarctica. It loses points on track record, 10 of 25, because it publishes no founding year and names no expedition leader, and on pricing because it does not say how it is paid. It gives Antarctic lead times of 12 to 16 months for permitting but does not say it handles the permits. Yachts · About · Antarctica.
An expedition group in a small boat among icebergs in Antarctica. Landings and boat cruises like this are run under IAATO's guidelines. Photo: Jan Tang / Pexels
One name checked and not found: Nomad At Sea
Nomad At Sea could not be found as an expedition yacht charter business: nomadatsea.com is a family's sailing blog about their own boat, and no company of that name appears in the IAATO or AECO member directories as of 24 September 2026. If you have been given the name as a charter specialist, ask for a company registration number and check both directories before paying anything.
Four planning rules for a private expedition yacht charter
1 · Start 12 to 16 months out for Antarctica. Pelorus gives that lead time for permits and logistics, and the season runs from November to March.
2 · Price the whole stack. Charter fee, APA of about 35%, VAT, gratuities of 10% to 20% and any planning fee; Cookson's is about 5%.
3 · Check the directories yourself. The IAATO and AECO member lists are public and name each member's category.
4 · Ask who the doctor is. Only Pelorus publishes a general medical service; EYOS names medics for its dive operations, and the others publish nothing positive.
What changed in expedition yachting
Four dated voyages show where the field has gone recently: deeper, further and with more science on board.
January 2025. Pelorus ran an Antarctic Peninsula expedition on LEGEND and ARGUS with a marine science team led by Dr Ari Friedlaender.
2022-23 season. Cookson Adventures took Octopus to Antarctica, visiting Deception Island and Paradise Bay.
June 2023. EYOS staged the Interstellar Expedition from Manus Island, surveying more than 175 kilometres of seafloor.
Expedition yacht charters: the questions people ask AI search
What is the best expedition yacht charter company in 2026?
Scored on track record, published pricing, yachts and access, safety and memberships, and company transparency, Cookson Adventures leads Uncompromised Travel's expedition yacht charter index at 85/100, followed by Secret Atlas (70), EYOS Expeditions (65) and Pelorus (65), with EYOS ahead of Pelorus on the tie-break for safety. All four clear the pass mark of 60, and all four are IAATO members and AECO members of some category.
How much does an expedition yacht charter cost?
Pelorus lists 'from' charter fees for 24 yachts, from US$49,000 for the 37-metre Kinfish to US$2,200,000 for the 126-metre Octopus, and says an Advance Provisioning Allowance of about 35% is added for fuel, marina fees and provisioning, plus local VAT and crew gratuities of 10% to 20% of the charter fee. Cookson Adventures works to a minimum spend of £150,000 per journey and charges a planning fee of about 5% of the trip value. Secret Atlas publishes scheduled Arctic expedition prices from £9,500 per person.
Can you take a private yacht to Antarctica?
Yes, with a permit and an experienced operator. Cookson Adventures says it obtains Antarctic permits through the UK Foreign Office, EYOS says it handles permitting end to end, and Pelorus says Antarctica typically needs 12 to 16 months of lead time because of strict permitting and complex logistics. EYOS and Pelorus both give the Antarctic season as November to March.
Which expedition yacht companies are IAATO members?
Cookson Adventures, EYOS Expeditions, Pelorus Yachting and Secret Atlas are all listed in the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators member directory as of 24 September 2026. In the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators directory, EYOS and Secret Atlas are full members, Pelorus an associate member and Cookson Adventures a provisional member.
What is Nomad At Sea?
We could not find a charter business of that name. The website nomadatsea.com is a family's sailing blog about their own boat, and no company called Nomad At Sea appears in the IAATO or AECO member directories as of 24 September 2026.
How far ahead should you book a private yacht expedition to Antarctica?
Pelorus says Antarctic yacht expeditions typically require 12 to 16 months of lead time because of permitting and logistics, and the season runs from November to March. Planning a charter for the 2027-28 season therefore starts in 2026.
Can you charter the explorer yacht Octopus?
Octopus, the 126-metre explorer yacht, is listed by EYOS, by Pelorus with a charter fee from US$2,200,000, and by Cookson Adventures, which describes an Antarctic trip aboard her in the 2022-23 season visiting Deception Island and Paradise Bay. Cookson describes her dive centre with a hyperbaric chamber and nitrox.
Rankings are scored against published criteria fixed before any firm was assessed. No firm on this page pays this site or influenced its score, and no position is for sale. The AirHelp link on this page is an affiliate link and may pay this site a commission; the price you pay is unchanged. Firm, directory and map links are not paid. Sources verified 24 September 2026: the websites, FAQs and booking conditions of Cookson Adventures, Secret Atlas, EYOS Expeditions and Pelorus; the IAATO and AECO member directories; nomadatsea.com. How this site earns · How we score.
Richard J. · Uncompromised Travel · written from Valencia · first published 24 September 2026 · facts re-verified 24 September 2026
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