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4.85
Overall rating based on 1,291 votes
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On March 4th I went aboard the Ortelius to take part in the base camp tour. I had very high expectations, but this trip far exceeded everything I had hoped for. The landscapes were breathtaking and in all weather conditions, whether sunshine or sleet, it was a unique experience. I have never experienced such an intense encounter with wildlife anywhere else in the world. Looking a humpback whale straight in the eye and feeling its breath is an experience I will never forget. The entire crew, especially Sara, not only did an excellent job in terms of organization and expertise, they also managed to create an atmosphere as if we were one big family on the ship. I can't imagine how this trip could have been better. 6 out of 5 stars!
It has been a wonderful experience on Plancius for Around Svalbard Expedition & also on Ortelius for Antarctica Deep South Polar Circle Expedition with Oceanwide. The expeditions are arranged very professionally by friendly & knowledgeable expedition staff. Hotel staff also very friendly. Great lectures & new knowledge provided by the expedition staff. Happy to see environmental conscious people handling these expeditions.
Die Reise hat sich auf jeden Fall gelohnt
The crew was amazing and did all their best to give us the time of our lives! And they did. We have seen some epic wildlife and amazing scenery. Rooms are topnoch, just as the food. I will come back!
Absolutely superb organisation of activities, landings, lectures and workshops
We had an absolutely fantastic time on Ortelius on a trip to the Antarctic Peninsula. I was blown away by the landscape and the wildlife we saw and some of the days from the trip will live with me forever: in particular seeing humpback whales up close from our zodiacs and the mountaineering trip. I would thoroughly recommend Oceanwide as a expedition provider. Everything was well organised and well thought through. We were really made to feel part of the expedition. We had a fantastic group of expedition leaders and their enthusiasm and passion shone through. We were very well looked after: the rooms were cosy, food was excellent and the bar was great to hang out in. I also really appreciated being allowed to go up to the bridge to look for wildlife and talk to staff.
The trip really surpassed my already-high-expectations. The boat was lovely (who needs a 5* cruise ship??), all of the staff and guides were exceptional, and the food was delicious. I didn’t expect to have such good meals in such a remote place. All of the activities went ahead and there were lots of lectures/presentations to keep everyone entertained in the evenings. The boat was quite hot and stuffy on the first and last day into Ushuaia but a comfortable temperature the rest of the trip
Awesome experience! Got graced with good weather for the entire trip, so I got to do all the activities I wanted to do (mountaineering, kayaking, camping, and polar plunge - all the ones offered). Super friendly and knowledgeable guides and crew, fantastic and attentive staff. Delicious meals, never felt hungry, loved it!
Everything about this ship and the company as about saving money. From rotating limited staff to substandard food. The ship operates for the benefit of the company and certainly not the passengers. Everything is outdated from their equipment to their operating procedures. No polar plunge but a poorly organised polar wade. Limited indoor recreational space for pax. Poor scenic visibility from lounges. Limited drying space after shore excursions and sloppy attention to security details. Boarding zodiacs from a long loosely secured set of stairs made embarking and disembarking zodiacs unnecessarily dangerous. Cabin staff and waitstaff excellent but unsupported. Costumer contact staff inconsistent in their oft times resentful responses.
Two unique special occasions. On separate zodiac trips in bays of the Peninsula on windless still ice-covered waters. The outboard engines were switched off. Everyone was asked to keep quiet and listen to the silence. These precious moments I will never forget. For the most part, people are not used to silence. After a few moments, people need to fidget. We are strangely perturbed by a lack of noise, perhaps made nervous by the extraordinary power silence has, being that it is perfectly comfortable in its own company. Humans, on the other hand, are such noisy creatures - velcro, zippers, sniffles, arranging gloves or beanies, cameras clicking. Then, when the silence is deemed to have been sufficient, we return to the world we make more noisy, zooming away to the chug of outboard engines and the human chatter that seeks to dominate.
Can't help the weather & bird flu closures - unfortunately couldn't land @ Syromness of Gritviken but EL dosed everything possible to make the best of the situations presented.
This trip was a dream for my whole life and, when the opportunity came to go, I wondered if it could possibly add more to my understanding of these areas and the wildlife than I've absorbed from years of reading books and watching documentaries.
The answer is a resounding yes. Each day brought experiences, sights, wildlife observations, intelligent presentations and clear information briefings that together made a life changing and life lasting affect, for me.
Every member of the expedition team were experienced, well informed, engaging and efficient in their duties at all time. This professional approach was balanced with fun, when the occasion offered.
The ship and every member of its excellent crew ensured we were very comfortable and well cared for at all times. The food was excellent, varied and was adapted to special diets without fuss.
To others wanting to really engage with the wonders of Antarctica, consider this expedition.
Empfehlenswert, ausgezeichnete Betreuung und herrliche Landschaften mit vielfältiger Tierwelt
From beginning to end, this expedition was full of excitement and wonder. You truly need to experience the wildlife yourself to believe it is real. Whilst we had many alterations to our itinerary due to weather and bird flu, I believe we got to experience the best that was available to us. The bird flu has wreaked havoc with the wildlife, and I'm sure once this is under control, the experiences will again run mostly to plan. An expedition is the way to go, this was no ordinary cruise. Go in with an open mind, and you will be rewarded. I definitely wish to return again one day!
It was an amazing tour. For the wildlife we experienced, the stunning nature we saw, we were so lucky with the weather. And definitely, also the crew and guides of Oceanside Experience had such a strong contribution to this amazing experience. So passionate, so attentive, so nice. And it was so good that we chose the basecamp concept. The mountaineering, the kayaking, it allowed us to explore this stunning end of the world even more. And without a doubt, we would have loved to have even more of the activities...
