Reviews

Eine Expeditionsreise, die meine Erwartungen voll erfüllt hat. Mitternachtssonne, arktischer Sommer(beginn). Gletscher, arktische Tierwelt. arktische Flora, Packeis, tolles Schiff, ausgezeichnete Guides, hochwertiges Essen, gute Crew und Mannschaft.

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

My wife wanted to see/photograph polar bears in the wild. We researched all of the options and settled on Oceanwide Expeditions from Svalbard. We were NOT disappointed. We saw polar bears and more, rode in zodiaks, and kayaked. But we were so very impressed with the professional, friendly and fun staff from many parts of the world, from the captain, to the guides, to the ship crew/staff. A special thanks to Alexis, our kayak guide, for his expert guidance! And we loved the Plancius. We felt it was just the right size for a trip like this. We are now thinking about an Oceanwide trip to the Antarctic.

I've seen so many polar bears in zoos that I thought seeing them in the wild would not be too exciting. I could not have been more wrong. We had an amazing long and close encounter with a mother polar bear and her two cubs. We also saw Bowhead Whales, which is something I was not expecting but very much appreciate. Lots of wildlife. I also really enjoyed spending time on the bridge, learning about ship operations. The crew were very kind and answered all of my questions.

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!

I have to say that I never expected the cruise to be so perfect. The whole crew and guide team were amazing, very knowledgeable (shared a lot of different information regarding the nature there), very nice and friendly. The food was way over my expectations, it was a really good food, like a five star restaurant . And to sum everything up, I felt like the whole crew did everything in their power to make us feel happy, comfortable and to see as many wildlife as possible, will definitely recommend it to everyone!

Me and some other students from the Arctic center in Groningen got the opportunity to go on this trip at a discount and I feel so grateful. It truly was a one in a lifetime experience, the guides were amazing and we saw so many amazing animals. I also made friends for life.

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.

It was a great trip with beautiful, enthusiastic guides en great service on the ship.

All of the crew, staff and guides were very kind, the ship was comfortable, and the food was excellent. Amazing landscapes. Zodiac cruises looking for wildlife and landings made me feel like an arctic explorer :). An experience that I will repeat, without any doubt.

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.

Great and unforgettable experience. Ship best suited for this kind of trip. Crew excellent from waiters and maintenance staff to great guides and Florence as the head of expedition did a wonderful job

Trip was 1 to 2 days too long because there was not much more to see; kayaking was overbooked hence durations were halved and this for a very expensive price; food and crew was good

TUTTI SUPER