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Keeping the Arctic Clean: Interview with Eelco Leemans

We spent some time talking to Eelco Leemans about what got him started in the project of waste removal and analysis on Svalbard.

Antarctic Inspired: Interview with Ruben Hein

While we love when our guests are inspired by our trips, we rarely hear of them making a nature documentary, musical album, and biodiversity website as a result. But such was the case with Dutch musician Ruben Hein.

Charting Flanders Bay

Until then, this spot in the northwestern Antarctic Peninsula had only been charted three times since 1898, when it was roughly mapped by the Belgian Antarctic Expedition. This activity, which involved our expedition leader, second mate, and other members of our onboard staff, was accomplished using the OLEX depth mapping system.

Oceanwide charts Antarctic island

Guests, guides, and crew all helped chart a route around the largest of the Guyou Islands in Flandres Bay, returning to the ship late that evening. The team effort involved our expedition leader, field operations manager, second mate, and other members of our onboard staff.

Ortelius Staff Spot Type D Orca

Taking our guests to beautiful polar areas to see exotic polar animals is what we’re all about. Whether we’re spotting polar bears or penguins, humpback whales or leopard seals or whole harems of walruses, it’s the wildlife that really fuels our passion for the polar regions.

Arctic Cruises Compared: Around Spitsbergen vs. North Spitsbergen

Around Spitsbergen or North Spitsbergen – which cruise is for you? The most distinguishing feature of these cruises is the areas they visit.

Oceanwide wins World’s Best Expedition Cruise Line 2022

We are honored to announce that Oceanwide Expeditions has been named World’s Best Expedition Cruise Line 2022 in the second annual World Cruise Awards.

Fourth consecutive Snow Hill landing

We’re thrilled to report we made our fourth consecutive landing at the emperor penguin colony on Snow Hill Island last Friday.

Around Spitsbergen, in the Realm of the Polar Bear & Ice

There are journeys and there are journeys. This trip is one that falls in the latter category. I look back on a fantastic experience, during which the awareness of human behavior on this vulnerable planet (and especially the Arctic) became very clear to me.

Secrets of the Stone: Restoration of Svalbard’s 1878 Memorial

Verheul's goal was refreshingly simple: make the 1878 stone legible again so that future visitors can continue to enjoy it.

Falling into Place: Iris van Zalinge’s Arctic Expedition

Iris van Zalinge, a native of the Dutch province of Zeeland where our headquarters is based, took the nine-night voyage on Plancius in July. And fortunately for us, she had much to say about this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Wahlbergøya beach cleanup results in 250 kg (600 pounds) of waste collected

“There was so much rubbish collected that we couldn’t fit it all in the white bags he had brought. Instead, we put the larger bits of rope, fishing gear, and plastic directly into the Zodiac. We filled a whole Zodiac with plastic!

South Georgia Whaling Stations

South Georgia is an animal lover’s dream. In fact, it’s one of the most wildlife-rich locations we visit in all of our polar voyages, whether in the Northern Hemisphere or Southern.

Svalbard’s Texas Bar

Texas Bar is one of the historic areas we visit on certain Svalbard trips, and it always proves to be a cherished landing site among both our guides and guests.

In the evening, a hit: three minke whales

Until that day, we had seen very few whales from Plancius, the ship on which we spent a week near Svalbard.

Insider’s Expedition: Interview with Toto Vermue

As part of our reservations department, one of Toto’s responsibilities is helping book our guests on the many Antarctic and Arctic cruises we offer, so firsthand experience of these trips is highly relevant to her job.

World’s Best Expedition Cruise Line 2022

It is with great delight that we announce we have been nominated for World’s Best Expedition Cruise Line at the second annual World Cruise Awards.

Oceanwide participates in fourth annual Cleanup for Sarah

During Cleanup for Sarah, we encourage our staff and followers on social media to join us in removing litter from nature areas. These efforts are meant to continue the spirit of Sarah’s work with Clean Seas, a campaign she led to remove plastic waste from the Arctic as well as reduce the use of plastics aboard Arctic cruise vessels.

Book Recommendations for Your Polar Cruise

We’ve reached out to our followers on social media, most of whom are former (or future) passengers, to find out what polar-related books they recommend. We were quite happy with the results, which we’ve summarized below in no particular order.

Hondius begins her Arctic season, with other ships to follow

Oceanwide’s Polar Class 6 vessel Hondius set sail from her homeport Vlissingen in the Netherlands on Sunday, delivering passengers to her first Arctic voyage of the season.

IAATO Celebrates Inaugural Antarctic Ambassadorship Day

As much as we love Antarctica, we love taking our guests there even more. And one of the things we love most about that is seeing their eyes light up as Antarctica works its magic, proving yet again its uncanny power to transform first-time visitors into lifelong ambassadors.

Weddell Sea, Shackleton’s Endurance, and New Swabia

Our Antarctica 2023-24 cruise program is filled with fantastic expeditions, not least of which is a new itinerary that tours key locations of South Georgia, the Weddell Sea, and the more easterly area of New Swabia (Neuschwabenland).