Reviews

My girlfriend and I spent a wonderful week on the M/V Hondius, visiting the north west coast of Svalbard and spending two days in the ice floe. We saw polar bears, arctic foxes, Svalbard reindeer, walruses, various seals, minke whales and the very rare Greenland whale (as well as several species of birds). The staff was great, the ship comfortable. We will remember this trip with great pleasure

Fantastic trip - Everyone from the Expedition Team to the Hospitality Team was great. The boat is excellent and very well appointed. Excellent food and service. Really good wildlife and nature viewing with experienced guides. Highly recommended!

we had a great trip with enthusiastic expedition members and saw many different animals in a short time. didn't know what to expect, but it exceeded all expectations.

excellent shipping

zo dankbaar om deze reis te mogen beleven , zoveel gezien en gedaan

Quite a lot of activity and information, very good service, except the guy explaining how to use Internet

The voyage was an absolute once in a lifetime! In Svalbard we observed polar bears, whales an walruses from a short distance under the close eye of the great staff! The moment you set foot on board hondius, you are in for a time filled with fun, wildlife and great service! We have felt at home and comfortable all while being 80degrees north!

Well ran ship and guides were knowledgeable.

We recently spent 8 days/7 nights cruising Svalbard with Oceanwide Expeditions. We had an amazing time. The ship was extremely comfortable - rooms were a good size, lounge area well set up, dining room very efficient. We managed to leave the ship several times and participated in some landings as well as zodiac cruises. We felt completely safe at all times leaving and refining the ship as well as inland where the “threat” of polar bears is ever present. The staff did an amazing job at keeping watch , allowing us to explore with the guides on some foreign but stunning landscapes. We saw a quite a bit of wildlife and managed to see every animal we had hoped to - even if the polar bears were safely at a distance. The food produced by the kitchen was great. Drinks were very reasonably priced. We met some wonderful fellow passengers onboard and we all became quite social. Would highly recommend this company, the crew and this ship.

The trip was fantastic in every aspect. Enjoyed every second of it and can’t wait to return.

Great Tour with lots of activities, Great crew, nice ship, delicious food. All in all a great tour

Fantastic landscapes and wildlife viewing, great crew - all of them - including hospitality staff, guides, people on the bridge etc. Very friendly and attentive. Good food.

Everything was PERFECT on this ship, if you ever get the chance to get on board, PLEASE, do so!!!!

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!

The destination of this trip were Antartica, Falkland Island , South Georgia in January 2024, for 18 days cruising. For the most part on Hondius, we felt we were discriminated by some of the Expedition team members. This can be seen especially at lunch and dinner time. Most of the team members sit only with Caucasian guests. There were also different attitudes towards Caucasian vs second language English speakers seen throughout this trip. I tried to initiate conversations with some of the team members but gotten minimum replies. It was very different attitude when this team member interacted with Caucasian guests which was always with lots of enthusiasm. I remembered the first day we arrived on the ship, the Team Lead said ‘’ we are on the same ship and we are a big family.’’ But it didn’t feel that we were welcomed throughout the journey. Most of the time it felt been treated as secondary. I understand there was a group of people from other countries who don’t speak English well or at all. But, It doesn’t mean it’s okay to ignore or treat one who doesn’t speak English or who is not Caucasian differently. I am not taking about Language barriers but more about attitudes and Oceanwide appearance in front of its customers from its own expeditions team members. Only the last day or two, some of the team members finally started been seen doing their “homework “ it felt like, by company’s standard I guess..to sit with second language English speaking guests at lunch/dinner whom they have almost never interacted with. The positive sides were the expedition team members were very knowledgeable about Antarctica, from water, ice , birds, whales, winds, penguins, Hondius ….etc. They were able to answer every question, putting efforts to lectures and landings. They even tried to use rope to show us how long each different whale looked like. The Team from the restaurant was impressive, very nice service, excellent food. Front desk, super sweet, friendly and helpful. Housekeeping, they kept our room and bed clean and cozy, surprised towel animals every day. However it does not justify how we were been discriminated. Once again, you can’t treat your guests differently by skin color.