Reviews
Overall rating based on 1,188 votes
Overall rating based on 1,188 votes
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Now a few weeks back home and I still look back on this fantastic trip with a big smile on my face.
The entire crew from below the waterline to above....thank you for the wonderful experience.
With passion and love for the area, you have sought a balance between tourism and respect for the vulnerability of nature.
Thank you.
A birding excursion organized by the crew would be nice. You can akways ask things but some extra help detecting and direct knowing which bird is great to have.
What dies OE do with sustainability? Think about the food.
And offering more healthy food (less sugar, less salt) would be good.
Let people bring their own water bottle and only give a bottle if they don’t have.
Absolutely fantastic voyage on the Ortelius led by Sara and Captain Per! Sara did a wonderful job finding sites with lots of varied wildlife over the course of the trip, throughout predictably unpredictable weather (even the days too stormy for landings offered great views and were well worth the adventure). Her expedition staff – Jens, Koen, Bill with his hilarious cartoons, and many others – were not only helpful and informative, but also a joy to spend time with and learn from. Finally, I was blown away by the ship's crew; everybody was super kind, and the dining staff even went out of their way to remember personal preferences (plus the food itself was delicious). Since returning, I keep dreaming about this trip and thinking about when/how I can go back...!
This was the most incredible trip of my life - Antarctica and the surrounding waters cannot be summed up in words. I had just the best time, and I cannot sing more praises about the crew and staff of Ortelius. If you want to get off the boat, see animals, and appreciate the natural beauty of the area, this is the company for you. If you want a luxurious cruise (not to say the food and service wasn't great!), with a gym, or a pool, look elsewhere. I would come back in a heartbeat.
Highly recommend! I liked this company’s emphasis on “expedition.” We went out on the Zodiac inflatable boats often (usually twice a day every day, whenever possible, which was frequently). We saw many amazing creatures in their natural environment, including lots of whales and seven different types of penguins, while maintaining a safe and respectful distance. Every landing was very different from the others and amazingly beautiful. The ship was very comfortable, and the crew was fantastic. The other passengers were an international group of people who were very open and interesting to talk to. There were lots of informative optional lectures every day on all aspects of the different kinds of wildlife we saw (whales, penguins, many types of birds, seals), environment, weather, geology, ocean currents, history of Antarctic exploration, as well as on the critical issues of ocean ecology and sustainability. Seeing penguins swimming in the water beside our ship and jumping up onto icebergs was awesome! So were all the sites we visited on South Georgia Island, including Grytvikan and Shackleton’s final resting spot. The Captain, expedition leader, and crew succeeded in doing everything they could to make this a truly memorable trip. p.s. Our room was very comfortable, and the meals were delicious, too :)
This Antarctic expedition exceeded all expectations. The crew and all the staff were exceptional from Captain Per and Sara Jenner the expedition leader to the wait staff, engineers and everyone else. It's like one big happy family and everyone is there to make your trip the best it can be. I cannot praise or thank them enough for making Christmas 2024 the best ever! We saw more wildlife than I'd hoped for and much of it so close. The scenery was spectacular and every zodiac trip and beach landing simply amazing. We learned so much in the lectures and I haven't laughed so much in a long time as I did on auction night and at the Captain's dinner. And if that's not enough, Volodymyr and his team provided us with delicious and varied food for the whole trip. If you're thinking about going on an Antarctic trip, stop prevaricating and just book this one. It's fabulous!
I believe the Oceanwide team did everything possible to give us the best possible expedition. When plan A could happen pan b c or d were on a par or better. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this trip to anyone.
The Plancius is a ship for those serious about sailing arctic waters. It lacks all the amenities of most cruise ships (with the exception of some pretty good eating). What it does have is an expedition crew serious about maximizing your interactions with wildlife and landscapes while minimizing your impact on them. They also have a breadth of knowledge which they are eager to share. There were 2 lengthy landings or zodiac tours each day when we were at a destination and 3-4 lectures each day while at sea. The ship's crew was quite accommodating about meeting our adventure needs, whether passing by the world's largest iceberg or spending unscheduled tine creeping up on the sole emperor penguin of the trip.
Meine 1. große Kreuzfahrt die die Erwartungen bei weiten übertroffen haben. Ein tolle Crew von bis die, uns eine solche Reise mit ihrem Einsatz und freundlicher Bedienung ermöglicht haben. Hauptärgernis was sich immer wieder durch die gesamte Reise zog, war das ich einer der wenigen auf dem Schiff gewesen bin der den vollen Preis und auch sonst keine Vergünstigungen bekommen habe.
A fantastic early season voyage on the Plancius with abundant wildlife and magnificent destinations. The entire crew and staff did a great job throughout, and the Expedition Leader, Ali, worked tirelessly to ensure we made the most of the opportunities to land or Zodiac cruise.
As a keen birder, I found the Plancius to be an exceptional platform for seawatching, with abundant outside deck space throughout the vessel.
I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this trip.
Unsere Reise auf der Plancius war perfekt. Das gesamte Team des Schiffes hat alles getan, um uns die Tier und Pflanzenwelt, die Geschichte und Gegenwart der Region zu vermitteln und Tierbegegnungen "hautnah" zu ermöglichen. Begeisterte Empfehlung.
It was a fantastic trip!! The way how Oceanwide managed everything is extraordinary. The landings ashore were so well organised: plenty of SPACE and TIME !!!!!! Fantastic how we could do our own thing. It was my fifth trip with Oceanwide, and this one I enjoyed the most!
Thanks a lot to the staff for their patience and help during the landings and a special thanks, to the expeditionleaders.
It was the most fantastic experiance ever. No words. Made me so happy (even decided to go with the ortelius immediatly after)
This expedition has been exceptional! Even when the weather was not good, we had activities : the staf was efficient and very friendly. It was an exceptionnal experience in another world.
Kann man nur weiter empfehlen
