St. Helena

Cruise into history. Visit the island of Napoleon Bonaparte, exiled to St. Helena from 1815 until his death in 1821. Enjoy the local culture, plant-life, and birds.

All the early visitors, and indeed all visitors up to the present, with the exception of Napoleon, seem to have been impressed with the island. Because of its situation, offering a convenient refreshment station, there were continual efforts made by the Portuguese, the Dutch and the English to secure it.

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Cruises to St. Helena

Atlantic Odyssey
Up to $6200 OFF

Atlantic Odyssey

This far-ranging expedition voyage sails the breadth of the Atlantic, visiting several of the remotest islands in the world!

HDS31-25 The Atlantic Odyssey cruise visits some of the remotest islands in the world, crossing the migratory paths of Arctic Terns, Long-tailed Skuas, other birds, and a variety of whales as they make their annual expeditions north for the breeding season.

m/v Hondius

m/v Hondius

Cruise date:

23 Mar - 15 Apr, 2025

Berths start from:

5100 USD

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to Cape Verde
Up to $2775 OFF

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to Cape Verde

PLA31B26 The Atlantic Odyssey cruise visits some of the remotest islands in the world, crossing the migratory paths of Arctic Terns, Long-tailed Skuas, other birds, and a variety of whales as they make their annual expeditions north for the breeding season.

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Cruise date:

23 Mar - 4 May, 2026

Berths start from:

16380 USD

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to Cape Verde
Up to $2500 OFF

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to Cape Verde

HDS30D25 The Atlantic Odyssey cruise visits some of the remotest islands in the world, crossing the migratory paths of Arctic Terns, Long-tailed Skuas, other birds, and a variety of whales as they make their annual expeditions north for the breeding season.

m/v Hondius

m/v Hondius

Cruise date:

14 Mar - 25 Apr, 2025

Berths start from:

12375 USD

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to St. Helena
Up to $2380 OFF

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to St. Helena

PLA31A26 The Atlantic Odyssey cruise visits some of the remotest islands in the world, crossing the migratory paths of Arctic Terns, Long-tailed Skuas, other birds, and a variety of whales as they make their annual expeditions north for the breeding season.

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Cruise date:

23 Mar - 24 Apr, 2026

Berths start from:

14175 USD

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to St. Helena
Up to $2050 OFF

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to St. Helena

HDS30C25 The Atlantic Odyssey cruise visits some of the remotest islands in the world, crossing the migratory paths of Arctic Terns, Long-tailed Skuas, other birds, and a variety of whales as they make their annual expeditions north for the breeding season.

m/v Hondius

m/v Hondius

Cruise date:

14 Mar - 15 Apr, 2025

Berths start from:

10260 USD

Latest blog and customer story

Blog

A Photo-Tour of our Cruise Ship the m/v Plancius

Welcome aboard the Plancius! She was originally named the Hr. Ms. Tydeman and was built as an oceanographic research vessel for the royal Dutch Navy in 1976.

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St. Helena cruise reviews

by david yang
Very good cruise except Ascension island that we could not land. Would be interested in Ross sea cruise in the future.
by Karen Thompson
Departing from Ushuaia on a transatlantic odyssey was truly a voyage of a lifetime, visiting some of the remotest islands in the world, and seeing creatures very few people are fortunate to see. The M/V Hondius was a very well appointed and stable vessel, with a crew and expedition staff who were phenomenal.
by Ohad Sherer
It was my first visit to the Southern Ocean and I'm grateful I choose Oceanwide Expeditons to do so. Amazing Team and fabulous itinerary.
by Douglas Koch
Excellent
by Simon Byron
Friendly & knowledgable staff. Interesting talks particularly from the US Army Commander of Ascension during the Falklands conflict and the UK Manager from Cable & Wireless in the 1960s. I would have liked to see a map of the route of the ship and our progress whilst we were travelling.
by Bradley Bergman
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St. Helena FAQ

The climate in St. Helena is typically mild and sub-tropical, which makes it a nice choice for an expedition. Throughout most of the year, the north leeward shore ranges from 17 to 24 degrees Celsius (63 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit), but this area warms up by about four degrees from January to April. The central section of St. Helena is usually cooler than the north leeward by approximately 5-6 degrees Celsius (9-10.8 degrees Fahrenheit).  

When you travel to the St. Helena region, you can expect to see a diverse variety of birds. Some of the most notable species include the Wirebird, and the St. Helena Waxbill. This remote island has a highly unusual amount of endemic birds, which has caused BirdLife International to recognize St. Helena as an important area for wildlife conservation. Therefore, a voyage to St. Helena can be a dream come true for birders. 

Jamestown is the capital of St. Helena, and it is on the north-western coast of the island. St Helena also has the distinction of being one of the oldest remaining British overseas territories. People who take a holiday to St. Helena end up traveling through Jamestown.

St. Helena has a population of more than 4,200. The capital city, Jamestown, is home to 714 of these residents. However, Half Tree Hallow is actually the largest settlement in St. Helena with a population of 901 people. 

St. Helena is a British overseas territory. The island was discovered during a Portuguese voyage in 1502. The Dutch Republic claimed St. Helena first, but there is no evidence that they ever actually did anything with this claim. By 1659, a British Governor was in place. St. Helena has remained under British control ever since, with the brief exception of five months in 1673. 

St. Helena is perhaps best known for housing a very famous prisoner from 1815 - 1821: Napoleon after his final defeat at Waterloo in Belgium. Most of the island has rugged topography, but it is also a popular spot for hikers. Diana’s Peak reaches 818 meters (2,684 feet) high, and it was designated in 1996 as St. Helena’s first national park. The island is part of a remote set of British controlled colonies, which also includes Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha.   

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