Reviews

Led by knowledgeable and enthusaistic expedition leaders and staff, this expedition around the coast of Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet was a feast of polar experiences. From active glaciation through tundra to the diminutive plants in the polar desert we got a very good taste of the polar regions of Svalbard. MV Plancius was a comfortable and quiet ship crewed by a very good team who went the extra mile to accommodate the needs and comfort of the passengers. For those who have hesitated to join these expeditions I urge them to go. It is most certainly value for money.

My overall impression on this trip is absolutely positiv, thanks to the competence of the expedition crew, the hardworking staff and to the well organised leaders. You have been all entertaining, interesting, funny and motivating showing the passion you put in your job.

Fantastic trip onboard Plancius. Excellent and friendly staff. I was upgraded to a twin room w single occupancy. Food excellent with good selection at each meal. Expedition staff very knowledgeable and we had some good lectures on rocks, ice and wildlife. Captain was a great spotter of polar bears and we saw 4 on our trip. An amazing once in a lifetime experience to go to 80 degrees north and explore the remote and beautiful Arctic.

An excellent trip blessed with good weather and kind seas. Superb staff and a very happy ship. Early July was perfect timing for the Arctic flora. Most memorable moments - a day in the pack ice; close up views of a polar bear under a cliff face of nesting Brunnich's Guillemots; Zodiac trip to the end of a glacier and Little auk nesting site. Would certainly recommend the trip to anyone with an interest in natural history.

What a fantastic visit to the Arctic! Aboard a very happy ship, we saw places that we could only dream about and wildlife that we had only ever seen on TV and in books. It all became real. Our guides and crew cheerfully led us safely to wonderful places and we had the chance to see Polar Bears, Arctic Foxes and Svalbard Reindeer on land. In the water we saw Bearded and Ringed Seals, Walruss and Minke Whales. In the air we saw many Arctic birds including Glaucous Gull, Arctic Skua, Snow Bunting and the charming Little Auks. Fulmar were our constant companions and the beautiful Ivory Gull visited us in the pack ice. There is far too much to mention, but the beauty and fragility of the area moved me deep inside. The recaps and lectures added to our understanding and enjoyment of the cruise. Regrets? Only that it had to end so soon. Thank you to the guides and the crew who made this a trip of a lifetime.

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!

Trip and ship were good, there are concerns. 1) Although passengers were cautioned to be quiet while observing wildlife, at the bear-eating-seal site, a dozen or more guides were on the bow talking and laughing very loudly. 2) Never received a straight answer regarding whether or not we would have access to our luggage on the dock after deboarding. I wanted to know if I could wear waterproof etc. gear on the zodiac but ditch it in my luggage on shore. 3) Some of the guides were unwilling or unable to maneuver the zodiac so both sides could see. Twisting and turning was awkward at best, giving me sore neck and back for duration of journey. 4) Neck-breaking life jackets. Heavy weighting on neck made it difficult to hold head up. Did not seem to be a problem on large/tall people. Maybe a smaller version for shorter people? One size does NOT fit all. Life jacket was one of the major reasons I canceled upcoming Antarctic trip with Oceanwide . 5) Not pertinent directly to ship but...why did you choose a dark background with white lettering on preliminary material about ship and packing? Hard to read and used an unnecessary amount of ink to print it.

It was our first time in the Arctic. It was a wonderful expedition. The small ship Plancius makes the whole trip very familiar. The tour was led by a phenomenal expedition team, whether it was the Zodiac Cruise, hikes, subsequent recaps and educational lectures, every single guide made this a unique experience. Many thanks for that. The excursions were very well prepared, you always felt safe with the team. Also on the ship you have enjoyed only the best service, the whole team was extremely friendly and the food super delicious, has exceeded my expectations. However the operating on the ship could be more sustainable in total, especially in nower days and the focus on polar bears creates wrong expectations. Therefore one star less.

My husband was not excited about traveling to Svalbard , Norway to see Polar Bears, but because I was so anxious to get there he agreed to participate. We were both overwhelmed by the beauty and experience to be in such a unique part of the world. Not only did we see Polar Bears but also walrus, seals, Puffins and numberous other birds. The passing scenery with the green glacial colored water, the blue tinted ice, the dark volcanic mountains partially covered with snow was magnificent. But what added most to our journey was the collective knowledge and friendliness of our guides, each with their own special interests and enthusiasm. We so enjoyed riding at water level in the zodiacs and kayaks, and with each outing we learned alot about the animal life, the geology and history of the area. There is nothing like encountering a seal at the tip of your kayak paddle. The ship and its entire staff were wonderful and truly made it feel like an expedition.

Absolutely great trip, but you blew it at the end. You dropped off bus loads of people, including old and sick with Covid in the Longyearben shopping mall in a rain storm. No instructions were given. There was no place to get in a building to get out of the rain. None of the stores or buildings opened until 10:00. So we stood in the rain for over a half an hour!! Before we left the ship we watched the men put out a very large tarp on the ground because it was pouring rain. As they unloaded our luggage from a net on to half of the tarp to keep the bags from the muddy ground the other half of the tarp accumulated large amounts of water from the continuing rain. Then they folded the soaked tarp over the pile of luggage and absolutely drenched all our bags. Everything up to these moments was great. Please better plan the next passengers exodus. Thanks.

We enjoyed every minute of this unique holiday. we saw 6 polar bears, walruses, seals reindeer and numerous birds, including a black kite. All the activities were well regulated, sometimes challenging, and always fulfilled our expectations. The whole crew were exceptional.

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