Reviews

When I suddenly found myself and the ship in the middle of a seemingly endless pack ice, everyone was silent. The world seemed stopped – frozen in time. As the vessel kept pushing the ice, a closer look at the pack ice revealed fresh polar bears footprints, and they were EVERYWHERE. Anticipation kept building until finally, a polar bear was spotted, standing next to what seemed to be the remains of a meal. We were in such close proximity to the bear that many guests found it unreal. Then the camera shutters started working full speed for about 30 minutes. That was definitely the highlight of the whole voyage – an unforgettable experience of a lifetime.

DANKE an die überaus Tolle Crew, das Personal, das essen den service einfach ALLES :-))!! die einteilung der ausflugs gruppen war anfangs etws schwierig das könnte man besser organisieren damit man nicht fett angezogen so lange warten muss... und im zimmer ist es immer extrem trocken von der luft da kann man auch noch etwas verbessern! tier sichtungen leider nicht so viele wie erhofft, das ist nunmal die natur... zeit ging viel zu schnell rum!

Es ist bemerkenswert wie top organisiert alles war, vom Ablauf, Planänderungen inklusive, der Küche, die Zodiacfahrten etc. Der enorme Effort war für uns Gäste nie spürbar, wir konmtem einfach geniessen und uns drauf verlassen dass wir das Beste kriegen. Die ganze Crew war jederzeit kompetent, hilfsbereit und sehr freundlich. Die interessanten Vorträge erweiterten unseren Horizont in diversen Fachgebieten und dank dem hervorragend präsentierten und schmeckenden Essen erweiterten sich wohl auch einige Bauchumfänge...

Eine absolut empfehlenswerte Tour, super freundliche Crew, ein hervorragendes Expeditionsteam, kann ich nur empfehlen. Ich bin vom "Artisvirus" befallen. Danke für die tolle Zeit.

Eine tolle Umrundung von Spitzbergen mit einigen Tauchgängen. Sehr ausgewogenes Gesamtpaket. Der große Polarbär im Packeis direkt an der Bordwand war für mich das Highlight.

Auf dieser Expeditionstour waren die ersten 2 Tage ein wenig ernüchternd, weil wir wegen des schlechten Wetters u der Stürme nicht die Route fahren konnten, die ursprünglich angedacht war. Wir konnten somit zunächst auch keine Anlandungen machen u Eisbären waren nicht in Sicht. Aber dann änderte sich alles: das Wetter wurde super mit viel Sonnenschein u Anlandungen konnten stattfinden. Auch die ersten Eisbären (auch Mutter mit 2 Kleinen) konnten wir beim Fang u Fressen einer Robbe beobachten. Auch die vielen Walrosse u der Blauwal waren ein Erlebnis, abgesehen von der unsagbar schönen u überwältigenden Natur. Zudem muss unbedingt erwähnt werden, dass das gesamte Expeditionsteam um Rinie eine ausgezeichnete Arbeit geleistet hat (Vorträge, Ratschläge u viele Hinweise). Wir waren rundherum zufrieden u würden diese Tour auf jeden Fall weiterempfehlen.

Great Crew and great guides; good food, good planning and last not least good weather!

Es war eine tolle Reise in die Arkis doch leider waren die Eisbären weit weg!

Die Reise war ein eindrucksvolles Erlebnis von Anfang bis Ende. Von Langeweile keine Spur! Sehr kompetente Guides, wunderbares Essen, tolle Gastfreundschaft auf der Plancius. Nur zum weiterempfehlen!! Nächstes mal in die Antarktis!! Natürlich auch mit der Plancius!! Herzlichen Dank aus der Schweiz!

We took this 2018 Polar Bear Special Cruise on MV Plancius in June. We had wonderful 7 days on the ship with every day activities organized by the crew and expedition team members. We were very lucky to be able to see polar bears twice during the 7 days, first sighting of three bears feasting on the ice floes and then in an evening excursion to see mother bear with her two cubs. We also saw arctic reindeer, arctic foxes, walruses, seals, fin whales, beluga whales and many kinds of sea birds and enjoyed seeing beautiful arctic flora. The crew and expedition team members were all very helpful to make our trip memorable and we thank them very much for their efforts. Our expedition guides were all very knowledgeable and passionate with their work.

super

The polar bear experience.... I travelled together with my partner and mother-in-law, the latter of whom is mad about bears (all sorts of bears). Highlights - emphasis on safety, good advice preparing for landings, seeing one "good" polar bear (who came close to investigate the ship) and other interesting wildlife. The cabins were comfortable and larger than I expected. The food was of high standard throughout (although I'm not that fond of barbeques). The multi-national and highly educated staff were all approachable and provided excellent presentations on topics for which they were expert. It was also good to have some "story telling" about experiences in the Arctic/Spitzbergen specifically. More please! Criticisms: we learnt about this tour and booked this through an external company and did not have much information about the tour in order to fill out the pre trip paperwork requirements. (In particular - the physical expectation/requirements in order to go out on the zodiac trips. This was especially relevant to my mother-in-law, who is not physically agile these days). Also, very last minute to issue tickets. We had already arrived in Svalbard!! NB tipping only in USD, Euro

I am a naturalist photographer for more than 30 years, I had many expectations on this trip due to its name, "polar bear special" but the reality is that this trip is suitable for tourists without much experience or interest in nature. I have made many more wildlife photos in the surroundings of Longyearbien than in the trip in the Ortelius. We only saw two bears by chance and in the ice pack we were only 8 hours. For those who like to eat well and at times is fine, but for those who want to enjoy the Arctic nature is not an appropriate trip.

The Svalbard Arctic expedition cruise was an excellent experience of the Arctic environment and the current climatic pressures affecting the flora and fauna of the area. The facilities on the ship were well set-up and cleaned regularly. The meals were very good with a good choice of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the catering staff were always helpful and friendly. The expedition staff were all knowledgeable in their varied fields and the presentations were informative. The organisation of the zodiac cruises and landing were professionally handled. We saw 6 polar bears in close proximity (incl. 2 cubs), walruses, seals, arctic foxes, and lots of birds. I would recommend this cruise to anyone wanting a real Arctic experience

Polar bear special - and it was - a group of 3 adults feeding on sea ice and a mother and 2 cubs frolicking on an island. It was glorious. The scenery, the walruses, birds, flora, the majestic scenes of sea ice and glaciers. Unforgettable. many excursions in the zodiacs brought all up close. The guides were fantastic and the daily briefings on the wildlife were very informative. Learned lots. The hotel staff and crew super. Food well prepared with a good choice. A perfect adventure.