Reviews

Photos below- from the smallest (Copepods) to the Largest (Polar Bear)! After 4 years of waiting for this trip, amid train strikes in the UK; SAS strikes and COVID I never thought I would make it,. Make it I did (although my Baggage did not! BUT despite all this the voyage was brilliant. The landscape was spectacular; the wildlife a joy and the sea ice out of this world. Everyone on the ship - Staff, Crew and all those involved in making it a great trip, are to be congratulated. They made us all feel at home from the start, and all the rest of the passengers were great companions also. I will highly recommend the voyage to others and to this great ship ( my 2nd trip on it - the last time was 5 years ago to Antarctica - and the getting there was equally difficult leaving home during the "Best from the East"! Well done Oceanwide Expeditions. Just thinking of which icey place to visit next!

This was one of the best trips I've ever been on! The scenery is absolutly spectacular, the feeling of being completly off the grid with just a couple of fellow travelers and awsome guides was amazing. This truly beautiful place is phenomenal and especially being in the packice was a dream come true for me. Another highlight were of course the Polar bears. The fantastic guides made this trip even more special and thanks to the great crew we had a perfect home on the ship. For anyone that loves pristine nature, cold weather and rare wildlife, this is the perfect trip. Can't wait to go on another journey with Oceanwide!

Knowledgeable and friendly guides and crew, marvellous food, comfortable boat - and a lot of effort put into seeing an exciting range of wildlife and land/seascapes. For me I would have liked more time on excursions and less time scheduling around meals - hence the 4* rather than 5* rating.

Outstanding ship, staff and crew

Great trip

This expedition with Ortelius was absolutely amazing. We have seen so much wildlife in Spitsbergen, with highlights such as the king eider, polar bears (!), and plenty of different whales, walrus, reindeer and let alone all the different bird species. The expedition team was very professional and each leader with his own knowledge and expertise and all very nice and smiling. The hotel and facility staff very service oriented. The landscape was overwhelming beautiful. I feel very very happy and privileged to have experienced this journey that will leave its legacy forever in my mind. As an Arctic embassasor I will spread the word on the beautiness and also on the side effects that we have seen (climate change). We all can and need to act!! Thanks to all the staff and to Oceanwide.

Not really a basecamp

What a great trip that was! A cruise near Spitsbergen. For us as a couple a first time that we experience such a trip. Everything was perfectly arranged. Activities every day. Delicious food. In the evening a drink in the bar. We really enjoyed it and gained so many new impressions. The views were fantastic and the wildlife was even better, Definitely recommended to do such a trip with Oceanwide!

It was an excellent trip with perfect Organisation and planning. The crew was very friendly and competently. We would like recommend Oceanwide to our friends.

We found no faults in this trip. The flexibility of the itinerary, together with the expertise of the expedition leaders, allowed us to enjoy the very best of arctic, included a previously unplanned tour in the ice pack. We were especially enthusiastic about the guide team: all of them so competent, so friendly and full of energy! Last but not least the ship and the housing (including meals) had the perfect level of comfort, with great environment awareness and little waste.

Wir durften wunderbare Landschaften, eine artenreiche Tierwelt und ein super Team erleben.

One of the most incredible trip I've done yet, amazing wildlife, people, staff, crew. Extremely enjoyable trip with comfortable rooms, delicious meals and exciting expeditions. Surely an adventure of a lifetime.

My name is Gary Dillon-I traveled to the Antarctica Peninsula in November 2019. I have traveled extensively but this without a doubt was my most memorable. Every Day in every direction I was awestruck by the beauty. The Ortelius and its Crew were outstanding. Before leaving I found out I was going to be a Grand Dad for the first time-At age 71 I was beginning to wonder if I would ever experience that. My Daughter said it was going to be a little Girl, so I decided to do a Gender Reveal while on my trip. I carried a little stuffed pink Penguin from WV-USA. the little Pink Penguin went every where with me. We made a video which was featured on our local news. The little Pink Penguin now sets in my Little Grand Daughters Nursery. Thanks Oceanwide

When I told my friends I was going to Antarctica for the second time, they didn't seem to understand why. It's difficult to explain to those who don't love this continent, how much it can offer. There is not a single second or a single glance from the ship that is always the same. It doesn't matter how many times you've been there. Weather is different, light is different, life around is different and our gaze is also different. Entering the Weddell Sea and sailing to Snow Hill Island is an experience of thick ice and strong wind, but also of blue skies, fiery sunsets, deserts of light and so much life! Ortelius is an excellent ship, my cabin was a perfect nest and the staff did an excellent job. We landed on Snow Hill on a sunny afternoon, after a helicopter trip of about 20 minutes. Then a short walk to the colony of the Emperor Penguins. When I first see them I think of the film La Marche de l'empereur and I am moved by so much resilience. What a privilege it was to be there! And now, so many kilometers away, if I close my eyes I am still in Antarctica, where sooner or later I will return.

I have traveled all over the world and have taken many cruises and many guided trips. This crew was the most organized and most enthusiastic crew I have ever met. The crew was phenomenal in every way. The crew wanted you to see everything you could possibly see and to do the most you could possibly do. I would recommend this company to my family and friends.