The Poseidon Expeditions company was founded in 1999 as a tour operator that specialised in expedition crurises to the Russian High Arctic and the North Pole. Although not intended as a passenger ships, due to the harsh climates that passengers would have to pass through, it is still technically counted as a cruise line. The company uses icebreakers and ice-strengthened ships to be able to break through the thick ice that surrounds the northern arctic circle. In order for a ship to be able to break through such thick ice it must be able to
produce a substantial amount of power. It is for this reason that the ships are typically powered by nuclear engines, with the company specifically using the Russian icebreaker called 50 Years of Victory. The ship is equipped with helicopters and inflatable boats, allowing travelers to explore some of the wilder Arctic areas that would normally only be accessible via land expeditions. The ship also holds the record for being the largest ship in the world, in part because of the necessity of being large enough to hold a nuclear engine, as well as the specialist crew required ot maintain such an engine.