Reviews
Overall rating based on 1,188 votes
Overall rating based on 1,188 votes
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From the moment we connected with the Oceanside team in Longyearbeyn the experience was fantastic. Managing everyone’s expectations is not easy and yet we arrived as newbies to the whole polar experience and were welcomed into the community. Balancing our mad family and friends antics with showcasing the best of all the opportunities possible it was a fantastic trip for all and has left a life long impact on us all.
99% excellent 👌
Great trip
Everything was nearly perfect!
I wanted to see Polarbears in their real habitat - we saw 1 mom with 2 cups, 1 thin male (hope he will survive!) and 1 male in very good constitution! And a lot of wildlife by sea and land! Many thanks to Sarah and her great team of guides. Special thanks to Misha for his wunderful recap of this week!
Also thanks to the crew of Ortelius, which have been made this trip so comfortable and sure!
It was an amazing cruise/expedetion with great staff, well trained guides and amazing wild life spotting
Birding is my passion but the Arctic scenery , Polar Bears and Walrus stole the show.
An absolutely amazing trip with a super friendly and expert team of guides who are passionate about the wildlife and landscape they are immersing you in from the start to the end of the trip.
I had a wonderful week aboard the Ortelius; everyone from the captain right the way through the team were so welcoming, the hospitality and food was great, the ship is spotless and modern, and the excursions were so well thought-out to allow me to experience as much variety of wildlife (fauna and flora as well) as could humanly be possible - never a dull moment!!
There were Zodic cruises and land hikes where you can choose a level to suit you - when the conditions changed one day, the expedition leader Sara and her team altered the itinerary seamlessly and we had a brilliant day on the alternative plan - plan B doesn't mean second best on this ship!
The team strike just the right balance of getting guests close to nature without bothering animals, and it's evident that conservation awareness is at the core of their expertise, both of which are important for me.
This is the best trip I have ever taken in my entire life and I would 100% recommend it to anyone who wants to explore the Svalbard region.
Beautiful scenery and amazing wildlife. Great staff. Comfortable accommodations. Food served was often too unusual and the process for obtaining dairy free meal was not smooth. Both my husband and I got sick on the boat and missed a day of activities. Overall, very interesting and awe inspiring trip.
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
