Reviews

Couldn’t have been better! Staff was amazing— knowledgeable, smart, fun, friendly, and absolutely always made sure we were happy and safe. Although Mother Nature did not cooperate for much of the trip, Captain Ernesto and expedition leader Katja seeked out amazing alternatives. The Hotel manager DJ and assistant Alex always made sure we were comfortable and snuck in some awesome surprises for us. I can’t recommend Oceanwide highly enough! Thank you!

Spending Christmas in Antarctica was magical. The wildlife and the scenery were fantastic, and the crew made it very special with an outdoor BBQ and Christmas stockings. Highly recommended.

This trip was beyond anything I could imagine. The quarters were very nice and the service 5 stars. The food was unbelievable! Some of our activities were cancelled due to weather but the staff did the best to keep us occupied and our eyes dazzled. They changed the route to keep us seeing more of the unknown. My only complaint was the ship photographer. She took many photos but stated she cannot share any of the good ones because she will be putting them on her website to sell. Many of us were relying on her to get photos different from ours pictures of us and we all discussed how disappointed we were. The ship prior to us with some friend on it were gifted a 25 minutes slide show. She presented an unedited 4 minute slide show that had us all disappointed.

It was our first time with Oceanwide Expeditions and we both are extremely happy that we have chosen you! Thank you for the excellent adventure. All the staff were great. The food and service were much more than we expected. We would like to stress the professional attitude of Katja, our expedition leader. She and her team were going constantly an extra mile to provide us with experience of Antarctic. Although the weather conditions were extremely bad - it was strong wind during almost all our cruise time -, we were able to experience most of the adventures and we have seen a lot of Antarctic peninsula and its wildlife! Thank you all of the cruise staff. We would highly recommend this cruise to friends. Mimoza and Jove

The trip to the Antarctic Peninsula on the MV Ortelius was a trip of a lifetime. The ship was smaller than my previous voyages. The cabins were comfortable. The food was of exceptional quality, The staff and crew were fabulous. The initial Drake Passage was calm and without trauma. The stops on the islands near the Antarctic peninsula and the peninsula itself, and Shetland Island stops were spectacular. The Gentoo penguin colonies were a sight to behold. The staff did an excellent job preparing us for the landings and they were very knowledgeable on land as we viewed our surroundings. The zodiac trips were well managed and excursions about the bays were full of delightful scenery. The return passage through the Drake Passage to Ushuaia was a bit rough, but the crew and staff handled it quite well. Overall, a fabulous journey to the outer world.

'Want to go to Antarctica?" My friend said yes and then did all the research. He did a good job... Small ship so far fewer passengers than the bigger ships. Outings planned for twice a day (other ships it was once/day) and the outings were all landings when conditions permitted, not just Zodiac rides (which are great, but still!). And, we could sign up for among other things, kayaking, mountaineering, camping out!!! All that plus great food and an enthusiastic, knowledgeable and engaging staff. I can't recommend Oceanwide highly enough. They are GREAT.

For those who live an andventure, basecamp is the trip to choose! Amazing activities, great staff and delicious food!

Staff were experienced, knowledgeable and charming. Captain was able to navigate ship into beautiful channels for excellent photo opportunities. However, many planned activities were canceled due to poor weather conditions, meaning that we were unable to snow camp and only had one chance to kayak. Kayaking tended to follow same route as zodiacs, thus not quiet and serene as one expects. Only two shore landings on entire cruise. Weather was blamed, but for high price of “expedition” cruise, perhaps they shouldn’t offer cruises this early in season. Excuses don’t make up for lack of opportunities! Food was excellent with varied selection. Dining hall was way too loud, like a noisy nightclub. Very off putting, as there was no alternate quieter place to eat. Bar/lounge upstairs was as loud at all hours. Some sort of sound muffling materials need to be installed in metal walled dining room. Same applies to Suites: we had most expensive superior suite, yet we plainly heard our neighbors talking loudly and listening to tv in their superior suite until well after 10 pm. For $2,000 a day, soundproofing between Suites ought to be added. This is no longer a Russian icebreaker!

Good staff and crew, excellent food. Because of the weather many landings were cancelled (wind) Despite that the staff made the best of it. They did a very good job.

Es war eine schöne Expeditionsreise mit vielen Highlights aber leider auch enttäuschenden Aspekten. Hier eine kleine Aufstellung, wahrscheinlich unvollständig ;-)

+ Crew: alle sehr hilfsbereit, gut ausgebildet, mit viel Hintergrundwissen, höflich und zuvorkommend

+ Kabine: Ich das in einer 3-Bett-Kabine mit 2 Personen: sehr geräumig, sauber, Bad top, bei uns mit Bullauge (das leider aus Sicherheitsgründen bei der Überfahrt der Drake Passage geschlossen werden musste)

+ Essen: der Wahnsinn!!! sehr zu empfehlen. Abwechslungsreich, Buffet beim Frühstück sowohl warm als auch kalt, Mittag- und Abendsessen bestehend aus 3 Gängen mit Auswahlmöglichkeit - lecker! frisch, vitaminreich, ausgeglichen

+ Atmosphäre: familiär, ich habe mich gleich wohlgefühlt, ich konnte jeden fragen, wenn mich etwas interessiert hat (Alle Crew-Mitglieder hatten Funkgeräte.-Was der eine nicht wusste, konnte der nächste beantworten) 

+ Brücke: Zu vielen Zeiten konnte ich die Brücke besuchen, von dort aus das Treiben beobachten, Infos zur Tierwelt bekommen oder auch Wissenswertes über Nautik etc.)

+ Schiff ORTELIUS: gemütlich, mit nur ca. 100 Gästen übersichtlich und kein Massentourismus, Gefühl einer wirklichen Expedition, kein großer Schnick Schnack + Sicherheit (viele Checks, Einweisungen, Kontrollen...)

+ nachhaltiger Tourismus: Regeln werden eingehalten, bzw. Gäste rechtzeitig daran erinnert: eigene Kleidung reinigen, desinfizieren, um nichts mit in die Antarktis einzuschleppen, Min.-Abstand zu Kaiserpinguinen

+ Helikopterflug

+ tägliche Recals und Fachvorträge - Tauchpaket: Ich konnte nur einen (!) Tauchgang machen, und das war der Check-TG am Sandstrand von Deception Island - ohne jeglichen Eisberg. 

- Verhältnis: 6 Tage Transfer vs. 4 Tage vor Ort (wetterbedingt hat die Überfahrt hin und zurück jeweils 3 Tage gedauert) - Kombi: Tauch- und Helikopterpakete: Man konnte entweder nur das eine oder das andere anbieten, da die Ortelius nicht dafür ausgelegt ist, beides parallel anzubieten. - So kamen viele Gäste mit unterschiedlichen Vorstellungen zu kurz. (Es gab nur 1 Heli-Flug.) - Angebote vor Ort: Dank des Wetters nur 2 Aktivitäten innerhalb der 4 Tage: 1xHeli, 1xtauchen mit Anlandung am Strand - Habe einen leichten Bootskoller bekommen, da man nirgendwohin konnte und auch nicht immer raus, dank des Wetters - hatte mir erhofft, mehr Tierarten zu sehen (außer Kaiserpinguinen und Vögeln)

Outstanding Trip of a lifetime Excellent and well trained staff. This is not an easy trip, but the staff made it enjoyable and safe. The expeditions were informative, respectfull of the environment and well organized Couldn’t have asked for more.

I did the base camp trip to the Antarctic Peninsula and I could not recommend it enough. Every single staff member was amazing from the cleaning crew, to the wait staff, the expedition guides, Rolando the bar tender, hotel management! Amazing service, amazing food, amazing experience. I will I was going again on their next boat tomorrow.

A great trip all round - exceeded my expectations. Wonderful caring, personable and helpful staff. Cabin was well appointed and very comfortable for two people. Food was excellent - a good selection to choose from - wait staff was very efficient and pleasant. I would highly recommend traveling with this company to future travelers.

Excellent crew, amazing experience. Impressions that will last a lifetime. Living on the Ortelius is like joining a big family. Everybody takes care of you. Staff is remarkably competent, helpful and friendly. Landscapes and wildlife are overwhelming.

The trip with the Ortelius was planned almost one year ago and we have been looking forward to what we called the Expedition Polar Bear with high expectations. We is the male part of a family of three generations out of the “OPA” dynasty, two 13 year old boys, two 50 year old fathers and one 77 year young granddad called OPA. Each generation with his involvement and interest of the environmental changes at Svalbard.

We all enjoyed each minute and each activity of the trip. We liked to sail in the zodiac, to hike on the tundra and to climbe the mountain, to swim between the seals and polar bears , we even liked the experience to cruise during foggy and stormy weather.

The expedition was extremely well organized with a first class crew and equipment with much attention to safety. Especially the expedition leader, Ali with her staff, deserves a big compliment by creating a once-in-a-lifetime feeling and an atmosphere of adventure and companionship for all participants in the age from 13 till 77. The trip exceeded our already high expectations.