Professor Khromov

The 1984-built MV Professor Khromov cruise ship (Spirit of Enderby) is an ice-strengthened vessel and one of the original ex-USSR (Soviet Union) oceanographic research ships that began operating privately chartered polar cruises in the early 1990s. When chartered by private cruise travel companies (such as Aurora Expeditions Australia and Heritage Expeditions New Zealand), the vessel is branded and advertised as “Spirit of Enderby”.

The vessel (IMO number 8010350) is currently Russia-flagged (MMSI 273457210) and registered/homeported in Vladivostok.

Currently, Professor Khromov is operated under charter by the Christchurch NZ-based Heritage Expeditions (a New Zealand travel company specializing in Arctic and Antarctic cruises and wildlife tours). The vessel is state-owned but managed by FERHRI (Far Eastern Regional Hydrometeorological Research Institute) in Vladivostok. Another vessel chartered by Heritage Expeditions is Akademik Shokalskiy (built in 1982).

Professor Khromov vessel details

Other ships of the same Akademik Shuleykin class (drydock-converted and now operated as cruise vessels) include Akademik Shuleykin (1982, now Polar Pioneer), Professor Molchanov (1982), Akademik Shokalskiy (1982), and Professor Multanovskiy (1983).

The vessel is polar-rated (1A ice-class), purpose-built, and relatively small by modern expedition cruise ship standards. She is configured to accommodate 48 passengers in six cabin categories. The ship’s appeal lies not in luxury features, but in her utilitarian design and the efficiency and discipline of her Russian crew.

The ship emphasizes enrichment-focused voyages and exceptional itineraries. Most excursions are conducted using the ship’s own fleet of Zodiacs (rigid inflatable boats) powered by four-stroke outboard engines, offering good speed and maneuverability. Professor Khromov spends significant time in open-ocean conditions, and her seakeeping performance is strong for a vessel of this size, aided by an active ballast stabilizer system in rough seas.

Also known as Spirit of Enderby, Professor Khromov is one of ten Akademik Shuleykin-class (Project 637) Russian vessels built in the mid-1980s in Finland for the Soviet Union’s oceanographic research program. Around half of these ships were later converted and chartered for polar expedition cruising.

The shipbuilder Laivateollisuus Oy was a Finnish shipbuilding company based in Turku Finland, operating between 1944 and 1988. In 1983, the yard was acquired by Valmet Marine, which in 1987 became part of Wartsila, before being closed in 1988. Laivateollisuus constructed various types of marine vessels, including schooners (a total of ninety three-masted wooden schooners). At its peak, the shipyard was Turku’s third-largest (after Valmet and Crichton-Vulcan), employing around 750 workers.

The vessel (Turku shipyard/hull number 345) is powered by two marine diesel engines (model 6ChRN 36/45) with a combined power output of 2.3 MW. The propulsion system is single-shaft, fitted with one CPP (controllable-pitch propeller).

Decks and Cabins

Professor Khromov / Spirit of Enderby staterooms (29 passenger cabins total) include 3 Suites (1 Heritage Suite and 2 Mini-Suites, all on Upper Deck 5), 8 Superior Plus cabins (on Middle Deck 4 and Upper Deck 5), and 4 Superior cabins (on Middle Deck 4). All of these cabins have en-suite bathrooms (WC, shower, washbasin). The remaining 14 cabins use shared bathroom facilities located on Main Deck 3.

The vessel has 6 decks, of which 5 are accessible to passengers and 3 include cabin accommodations.

Shipboard facilities

Shipboard facilities include outdoor viewing platforms and open-air deck spaces, an infirmary (medical facility), a combined bar lounge and library (Deck 4), a Lecture Theatre, a laundry room and sauna (Deck 2), and a forward-located Dining Room restaurant (Deck 3).

Heritage Expeditions itineraries

When chartered by Heritage Expeditions, Professor Khromov (marketed as “Spirit of Enderby”) operates roundtrip voyages from New Zealand to Antarctica and other polar destinations in the region.

In 2021, the company introduced three former NZ-based polar itineraries: “January Ross Sea”, “Unseen Fiordland, Stewart Island/Oban and The Snares – Exploring New Zealand’s Remote Backyard”, and “Auckland Islands and The Snares – Subantarctic Wonderland”.

The 8-day Fiordland–Stewart Island–The Snares itinerary (Queenstown to Invercargill) departed on January 30, 2021. Prices ranged from NZD 4000 per person (Main Deck Triple Cabin) to NZD 8450 per person (Heritage Suite). The daily schedule included Queenstown (day 1), Milford Sound (day 2), Fiordland National Park (days 3–5), The Snares/North East Island (day 6), Stewart Island/Ulva Island (day 7), and Invercargill (day 8).

The 7-day Auckland Islands–The Snares itinerary (roundtrip from Invercargill) departed on February 6, 2021. Prices ranged from NZD 4500 per person (Main Deck Triple Cabin) to NZD 7550 per person (Heritage Suite). The voyage featured a full day on Enderby Island. The daily schedule included Invercargill (day 1), The Snares/North East Island (day 2), Auckland Islands (days 3–5), at sea (day 6), and Invercargill (day 7).

For the winter season 2021–2022, Heritage Expeditions chartered Spirit of Enderby for the “Southern Ocean” program, starting on November 30, 2021, with the 13-day “Galapagos of the Southern Ocean” itinerary. These voyages explored New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands, Fiordland National Park, and Stewart Island (Oban). In February 2022, the company resumed its Antarctic Islands program.

All Heritage Expeditions voyages feature coastal cruising using motorized Zodiacs on professionally guided tours focused on wildlife viewing.