North Sea - Vlissingen to Aberdeen

My August 2025 Arctic adventure was my second trip with Oceanwide Expeditions. The first was aboard the Plancius, this trip aboard the Hondius. It was no surprise that this trip far exceeded all expectations for comfort, delicious meals, and exciting adventures ashore. The top notch expedition staff is knowledgable and professional citing detailed information about wildlife, terrain, and other aspects of the environment. Daily lectures were informative and captivating. Additionally, interactions with all other crew, dining, and staff members were friendly and professional delivering a first class experience. All are true professionals. When the voyage ended, disembarking the ship included lots of hugs and a few tears amongst staff and passengers. It was indeed a very fine adventure. In my estimation there is no finer fleet of ships that are staffed with friendly, professional personnel. I hope to travel with Oceanwide expeditions again. John Zingrich

Thank you Oceanwide Expeditions for a truly unbelievable and memorable experience on board the Hondius. What an amazing crew, expedition team and ship to explore the Arctic region. When I booked this adventure, my travel agent told me that an expedition on Oceanwide was the only way to visit Svalbard, and they certainly delivered on that promise. This voyage will be remembered as one of our top expedition adventures. A special thanks to the expedition team for giving every one of us on board a lifetime of memories and for making every day a new experience. The team went out of their way to give us all that experience. I will recommend Oceanwide Expeditions to anyone interested in visiting the polar regions. They are definitely the best in the business! My goal was to witness a polar bear in the wild, and while I know viewing wildlife can be hit or miss, the Oceanwide Expedition team delivered us a once in a lifetime experience, thanks to the skillful eyes and the team's determination. How anyone could spot a polar bear in a somewhat foggy ice packed landscape is beyond anyone's imagination, but once spotted, the captain did the impossible to make viewing the King of the Arctic a reality. It was truly the highlight of the trip. Thank you Oceanwide Expeditions!

The trip exceeded all of my expectations, from start to finish. Julian was a fantastic kayak guide with excellent support from Paulo and Alexis. I would especially like to compliment Rose and Damien who were our dining room stewards, and Victor who minded our cabin 322, we especially loved the towel animals! And the polar bears, what can I say......... a Nat Geo moment

The 18 days off this journey were all fantastic. I've seen a lot off birds and animals in there own environment, the beautyfull, sometimes dramatical landscapes. And we where able to walk (dance) on the Pack Ice. Thanks to Captain Jan and his team to bring us there. And of course many thamks to Expeditie leader Chris and his team for all the times to bring us on land or make a zodiac cruise with us. They all are experts in guiding this trip and telling us every thing we wanted to know. I had a great time with a lot to do and to see. And verry good food, served by a ferry friendly crew.

5

This was a most amazing experience - landscape, glaciers, wildlife and tiny plants were awe inspiring. I loved the ice and seeing a polar bear on the ice was my highlight among many highlights. The silence and remoteness was life changing. We never wanted for anything - both crew and guides were marvelous; the former with comfort and wonderful food; the latter offering great activities, the sharing of their knowledge and care and concern for the environment. A superb team.