The Minerva is a cruise ship built in 1989, and originally intended as a Soviet research vessel, the Okean.

[clarification needed] She briefly sailed with Saga Cruises as the Saga Pearl, and was then chartered to Abercrombie & Kent as the Explorer II, making voyages to Antarctica and South America from December to April with up to 198 passengers.

[2] From May to November, she sailed for the German-owned travel company Phoenix Reisen as the Alexander von Humboldt.

In July 2007 it was announced that the ship had been acquired by the relaunched Swan Hellenic line and the name would revert to Minerva.

[3][4] In January 2017, Swan Hellenic went into administration and cancelled cruises on Minerva until further notice.