A New Flag for a Veteran Vessel, Ortelius

by Oceanwide Expeditions News 18.05.2018

Vlissingen, located in the south western part of the Netherlands, has been Oceanwide Expeditions “Homeport” since the company was established more than 20 years ago. When our vessel Plancius was being built, there was no hesitation which name should be mentioned as homeport for the vessel and thus since it’s delivery in 2009 Plancius is flying the Dutch flag and has Vlissingen on its stern as being its homeport.

Vlissingen, Netherlands: Oceanwide’s polar cruise home port

The quiet seaside town of Vlissingen, located in the far southwestern corner of the Netherlands, has been the home port and headquarters of Oceanwide Expeditions since the foundation of the company 25 years ago. In that time all of our polar expedition vessels, from the small up to the not-so-small, have docked there for maintenance and crewing changeover between their Antarctic and Arctic cruise seasons.

The rhymes, reasons, and regulations of the maritime trade

Since it is a regulation of maritime law for the home port of a vessel to appear on its stern, there was no question about which town name should appear on our first ship, m/v Plancius – nor which flag it should fly. The same has applied to Hondius, our new Polar Class 6 vessel, currently under construction and slated for delivery next year. (In fact, one can see already “Vlissingen” marked on Hondius’s stern.) The only one of our vessels still registered elsewhere, in fact, is Ortelius, which flies the Cyprus flag and shows the town of Limassol as its home port. Until now, that is.

A new flag for a veteran polar cruise vessel

Oceanwide is proud to announce that Ortelius now flies the Dutch flag and features Vlissingen as its home port. This means all of our vessels are now officially registered right here at home. The Netherlands shipping registry, and the ships flying the Dutch flag under it, are very well respected in the maritime world. This is supported by the fact that the Netherlands is ranked 4 out of 73 on the Paris MOU performance list, which is based on the regular inspection of vessels visiting foreign ports.

The same great ship, the same dedicated company

Does this change anything about Oceanwide or Ortelius, you might ask? Of course not! We still have the same impeccable company standards, annually audited by Lloyds Registry of Shipping, and our crew remains the same dedicated group of professionals as before. Having all of our vessels under the same well-respected maritime flag, however, does make some aspects of our operations easier. And in addition, we cherish this change to Ortelius for the honor it does to Vlissingen, the beloved port town where we started Oceanwide Expeditions a quarter of a century ago.

Related cruises

Weddell Sea – In search of the Emperor Penguin, incl. helicopters
Up to $2400 OFF

Weddell Sea – In search of the Emperor Penguin, incl. helicopters

Searching for the Elusive Emperor Penguins

OTL22-24 A true expedition, our Weddell Sea cruise sets out to explore the range of the Emperor Penguins near Snow Hill Island. We will visit the area via helicopter and see a variety of other birds and penguins including Adélies and Gentoos.

m/v Ortelius

m/v Ortelius

Cruise date:

10 Nov - 20 Nov, 2024

Berths start from:

on request

Weddell Sea – In search of the Emperor Penguin, incl. helicopters
Up to $2750 OFF

Weddell Sea – In search of the Emperor Penguin, incl. helicopters

Searching for the Elusive Emperor Penguins

OTL23-24 A true expedition, our Weddell Sea cruise sets out to explore the range of the Emperor Penguins near Snow Hill Island. We will visit the area via helicopter and see a variety of other birds and penguins including Adélies and Gentoos.

m/v Ortelius

m/v Ortelius

Cruise date:

20 Nov - 30 Nov, 2024

Berths start from:

11050 USD

Antarctica - Discovery and learning voyage + navigational workshop
Free kayaking and diving

Antarctica - Discovery and learning voyage + navigational workshop

Classic Antarctica including Deception Island

OTL24-24 This Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands cruise delivers you into a landscape of dark rugged rock, pure white snow, and a fantastic variety of wildlife. Come say hello to whales, seals, and thousands of penguins.

m/v Ortelius

m/v Ortelius

Cruise date:

30 Nov - 10 Dec, 2024

Berths start from:

on request

Falkland Islands – South Georgia – Antarctica

Meet at least six penguin species

OTL25-25 This Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and Antarctic Peninsula cruise is an animal-lover’s dream come true. The expedition explores one of the last untamed areas on Earth – a land of ruggedly beautiful landscapes and amazingly varied wildlife.

m/v Ortelius

m/v Ortelius

Cruise date:

10 Dec - 29 Dec, 2024

Berths start from:

19650 USD

Antarctica - Basecamp - free camping, kayaking, snowshoe/hiking, mountaineering, photo workshop

The best activity voyage in Antarctica

OTL26-25 The Antarctic Peninsula Basecamp cruise offers you a myriad of ways to explore and enjoy the Antarctic Region. This expedition allows you to hike, snowshoe, kayak, go mountaineering, and even camp out under the Southern Polar skies.

m/v Ortelius

m/v Ortelius

Cruise date:

29 Dec, 2024 - 10 Jan, 2025

Berths start from:

14300 USD

Loading