#21
Freya | The expedition ship that sails with heart, soul, and spirit
In a world dominated by giant floating hotels, one ship cuts a different wake. Meet Freya, the Swedish expedition vessel with steel bones, a poet's soul and a owner who looks like he just wandered off the set of Netflix’s latest Viking drama.
More than a means of transport, Freya is a character. She’s sturdy, soulful, and smart. A ship with presence, purpose, and the kind of charm that lingers in the memory. She’s not here to conquer the polar regions with bravado, but to explore them with respect.
Built for the grind, reborn for adventure
Freya was forged in the Baltic, originally designed for fairway renovation and lighthouse service. She was no sleek cruise liner; she was a workhorse. Her reinforced hull could nose onto rocky outcrops. Ice didn’t scare her—it was part of the job description.
Her second life began when she was purchased by a visionary and then passed into the hands of a young officer who would change her course entirely: Edvin Vidarsson.
Edvin Vidarsson: Freya’s owner
Edvin is not your average ship’s owner. Handsome in a fresh, Nordic way, his top knot sits on his head like a ceremonial sculpture—equal parts Easter Island and Valhalla. He’s thoughtful, observant, and possesses the calm confidence of a man who has learned to read both storms and people.
He started aboard Freya as a freshly certified young captain, doing everything from navigation through rolling seas to sorting logistics. When the ship’s former owner passed away, Edvin was asked to take the helm and buy the ship. “I was just happy-go-lucky back then,” he laughs. “I thought it would be a fun adventure.”
It was more than that. Under Edvin’s leadership, Freya became something rare: a ship with a mission.
Family-run
Step aboard Freya and you’ll feel it instantly—this is something deeply personal. Run by Edvin and the team, Freya reflects a bond that goes beyond business. Their shared history, passion, and attention to detail are woven into every part of the experience, creating an environment that feels like family.
A small ship with a big conscience
Sustainability on board is a lifestyle, not a line in a brochure. Food is often sourced from their own Swedish home town farm—growing vegetables, pressing apple juice, and even infusing drinks with lilac blossoms. Imported oranges? Forget it. Freya’s menu comes with a side of environmental integrity.
It goes deeper. Edvin invests in heat recovery systems that re-use waste energy from the engines. The crew is trained in conscious water use. Waste is carefully sorted and compacted. Even the soap is sustainably sourced from the organic Swedish bodycare brand Rapsodine.
"It’s a small thing,” Edvin says. “But it means you're thinking about the details and that’s where sustainability lives.”
Discover more about Freya
Hosting just 12 guests, with a high ice-class rating, a sauna, hot tub, and plenty more to make every expedition unforgettable.
The many facets of Freya: a dependable, deep-thinking ship
Freya is tough, and trust us when we say she’s got character. Edvin describes her as the reliable neighbourhood handyman: “A bit of a belly, but solid as a rock and always ready for the next adventure.” Those who have visited Freya beg to differ. She has newly refitted interiors with a maritime elegance, with a palette of deep blue, brass and wood, making her feel cosy and inviting. Perfect for polar travel and a welcome respite from the chill and thrill of watching for wildlife deckside.
She carries no more than 12 guests, creating space for deep connections rather than surface-level spectacle. It’s not about chandeliers and floor shows. It’s about shared glances with a walrus and the crunch of sea ice under the hull. You'll be swapping stories with others just like you who have come to the edge of the earth to experience the true wild.
Freya offers intimacy over indulgence, and authenticity over opulence. But her cooking is legendary, with freshly baked goods daily and a crew that returns with affection for more work and exciting expeditions often. Her Arctic voyages change people, not by dazzling them, but by grounding them. Somehow, on a ship like Freya with a crew full of heart, you find your place in the universe. You'll experience unusual friendships forged while gazing at waterfalls pouring off glaciers and marvelling at thousands of seabirds diving into the ocean for their first flights.
A crew that thrives, not just survives
Edvin know that a ship runs only as well as its crew. That’s why that on Freya the crew is given plenty of rest time, which creates a workplace where people feel refreshed and are able to continue offering an excellent service.
Edvin often says: “These are long seasons. You can’t just squeeze people like lemons and expect them to smile.” The result? A tight-knit, passionate crew that runs like clockwork, and wants to come back.
The Secret Atlas partnership: aligned on values, not just voyages
Freya found her match in Secret Atlas. We are a small but well thought out expedition company that believes in low-impact travel with meaning. Since our exclusive partnership with Freya has undergone upgrades to improve fuel efficiency, waste management, and onboard comfort. But more importantly, she’s part of a vision: to explore the polar regions in ways that are both bold and responsible.
“I just can't take people to the Arctic and then leave the responsibility to them to understand climate change and the challenges we have as tour operators.” Edvin candidly reflects. “I have to say it's a big conflict within me, being in the Arctic with my ship. But I do hope that conflict always stays with me, because this drives me to do my part, continue to develop my values and take responsibility where I stand. If experiencing the Arctic and our work to safely bring guests there inspires those who come onboard… it's a big plus and truly fantastic. But it doesn't take away the responsibility to always do my part.” — Edvin Vidarsson
And so, Freya sails on—unpolished, uncompromising, and unforgettable. Not the biggest ship. Not the flashiest. But perhaps one of the most honest.
She’s the voice inviting you aboard!
Join Secret Atlas aboard Freya for a new kind of expedition
Svalbard Spring Photo Tour
78°13’N, 15°38’E
Landscape photographers adore Svalbard in the early season, when puzzle-piece sea ice and snow-enrobed shorelines glow under pastel sunrises and sunsets.
- 12 guests
- 8 — 10 days
Svalbard Spring Photo Tour with Randy Hanna
78°13’N, 15°38’E
Head north with world-renowned photographer and tutor Randy Hanna, capturing the frozen Arctic landscape of Svalbard in the spring.
- 12 guests
- 10 days
Svalbard Spring Micro Cruise
78°13’N, 15°38’E
A frozen fairytale of iceberg-strewn fjords, snowy peaks, and puzzle-piece sea ice – as animals take their first steps following winter.
- 12 guests
- 8 — 10 days
Svalbard Summer Micro Cruise
78°13’N, 15°38’E
Set sail in summer, when Svalbard blooms with life, the best time to spot wildlife in Europe’s last great wilderness.
- 12 guests
- 10 days
Svalbard Summer Solstice Micro Cruise
78°13’N, 15°38’E
Our longest photo tour sails when the midnight sun is at its zenith, providing 24-hour photo opportunities in the company of your pro photographer guide.
- 12 guests
- 10 days
Svalbard Summer Photo Tour with Paul Goldstein
78°13’N, 15°38’E
Paul Goldstein is a nature-photography heavyweight, a go-hard, all-hours maestro – and the perfect guide to take your wildlife photography up a gear (or 10) in Svalbard.
- 12 guests
- 10 days
Svalbard Circumnavigation Micro Cruise
78°13’N, 15°38’E
The big one. As the sea opens up under the midnight sun, take the unique opportunity to circumnavigate Svalbard, Europe’s last great wilderness.
- 12 guests
- 12 days
Svalbard Autumn Photo Tour with Virgil Reglioni
78°13’N, 15°38’E
Set off on a late-season adventure, when sunsets and sunrises cast spellbinding colours the archipelago, and capture the meltwater waterfalls of the Austfonna ice cap with top polar photographer Virgil Reglioni.
- 12 guests
- 12 days
Northeast Greenland National Park Micro Cruise
76°50'N, 23°10'W
The ultimate Greenland experience – a unique two-week adventure into Northeast Greenland National Park, the world’s largest national park, and Scoresbysund, the longest fjord system on Earth.
- 12 guests
- 11 — 13 days
Scoresbysund Autumn Micro Cruise
70°50’N, 25°00’W
An autumn micro cruise to Scoresbysund, East Greenland. For landscape lovers and aurora chasers – the ultimate expedition of Earth and sky.
- 12 guests
- 9 days
Scoresbysund Northern Lights Photo Tour
70°50’N, 25°00’W
Capture the heavens bursting with light above the monumental icebergs and high-drama landscape of Scoresbysund.
- 12 guests
- 8 — 9 days
Scoresbysund Northern Lights Photo Tour with Virgil Reglioni
70°50’N, 25°00’W
With 0% light pollution and insane iceberg sculptures, paired with the world’s finest aurora borealis photographer, you’re in for a treat.
- 12 guests
- 9 days
Scoresbysund Northern Lights Photo Tour with Randy Hanna
70°50’N, 25°00’W
Photograph the northern lights illuminating the skies above Scoresbysund with nature photography legend Randy Hanna.
- 12 guests
- 9 days
South Georgia In Depth Expedition Micro Cruise
54°16’S, 36°30’W
15 days devoted entirely to South Georgia. Eight days ashore, early season, before the crowds arrive. Stand among king penguins in their thousands, elephant seals battling, and wandering albatrosses souring above. This is when the island at its most raw. 36 guests aboard Aureum.
- 36 guests
- 15 days
South Georgia and Antarctica Shackleton Special Expedition Micro Cruise
54°16’S, 36°30’W
19 days. South Georgia, Elephant Island, and Antarctica in a single voyage. The three places that define the Endurance expedition, followed in sequence. 36 guests aboard Aureum. Spring breathes new life as South Georgia’s vast king penguin colonies teem with activity. Fur seal pups begin to appear, while wandering albatross soar effortlessly overhead.
- 36 guests
- 19 days
Antarctic Peninsula Expedition Micro Cruise by Air & Sea
54°16’S, 36°30’W
Sail the Drake Passage south from Ushuaia, then fly out of Antarctica direct to Patagonia. Four full days on the Peninsula, 36 guests, six senior polar guides, and a farewell night beneath Torres del Paine. The crossing is the point. The flight is the exit.
- 36 guests
- 9 days
Antarctic Circle Expedition Micro Cruise by Air
54°16’S, 36°30’W
Charter flight from Patagonia. Seven full days in Antarctica. A push for the Antarctic Circle at 66°33'S on every departure. Explore pristine ice, wildlife-rich bays, and iconic sites without crowds, and free from rigid schedules with only 36 guests, the first ship of this size in Antarctica.
- 36 guests
- 11 days
Antarctic Circle Christmas Expedition Micro Cruise by Air
54°16’S, 36°30’W
Christmas Day on the Antarctic Peninsula, in perpetual summer light. A charter flight from Puerto Natales, seven full days on the ice, and a push for the Antarctic Circle at 66°33'S.
- 36 guests
- 11 days
Antarctic Circle New Year Expedition Micro Cruise by Air
54°16’S, 36°30’W
Welcome the New Year in Antarctica on a 36-guest Fly & Cruise expedition. New Year's Eve on the Antarctic Peninsula, in light that does not fade. Charter flight from Puerto Natales, seven full days on the ice, a push for the Antarctic Circle at 66°33'S.
- 36 guests
- 11 days
Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica Micro Cruise
Combine Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica on a 78-guest cruise expedition in Spring. Follow in Shackleton’s footsteps, witness penguin chicks and whales, and enjoy uncrowded, pristine landscapes.
- 78 guests
- 21 days
Photo credit: ©Lana Tannir 2025
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