Oceanwide Expeditions

expedition cruises

Antarctica cruises & Arctic cruises

Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica

Meet at least six penguin species

PLA24-24 This Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and Antarctic Peninsula cruise is an animal-lover’s dream come true. The expedition explores one of the last untamed areas on Earth – a land of ruggedly beautiful landscapes and amazingly varied wildlife.

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Cruise date:

6 Dec - 25 Dec, 2024

Berths start from:

17250 USD

Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica
Up to $10500 OFF

Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica

Meet at least six penguin species

HDS26-25 This Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and Antarctic Peninsula cruise is an animal-lover’s dream come true. The expedition explores one of the last untamed areas on Earth – a land of ruggedly beautiful landscapes and amazingly varied wildlife.

m/v Hondius

m/v Hondius

Cruise date:

4 Jan - 22 Jan, 2025

Berths start from:

9450 USD

Antarctica - Discovery and learning voyage
Up to $3350 OFF

Antarctica - Discovery and learning voyage

Classic Antarctica including Deception Island

PLA26-25 This Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands cruise delivers you into a landscape of dark rugged rock, pure white snow, and a fantastic variety of wildlife. Come say hello to whales, seals, and thousands of penguins.

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Cruise date:

6 Jan - 16 Jan, 2025

Berths start from:

6050 USD

Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica

Meet at least six penguin species

PLA27-25 This Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and Antarctic Peninsula cruise is an animal-lover’s dream come true. The expedition explores one of the last untamed areas on Earth – a land of ruggedly beautiful landscapes and amazingly varied wildlife.

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Cruise date:

16 Jan - 3 Feb, 2025

Berths start from:

15750 USD

Antarctica - Discovery and learning voyage + navigational workshop
Free kayaking

Antarctica - Discovery and learning voyage + navigational workshop

Classic Antarctica including Deception Island

OTL28-25 This Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands cruise delivers you into a landscape of dark rugged rock, pure white snow, and a fantastic variety of wildlife. Come say hello to whales, seals, and thousands of penguins.

m/v Ortelius

m/v Ortelius

Cruise date:

22 Jan - 1 Feb, 2025

Berths start from:

11150 USD

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The how, why, and when of visiting Greenland

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Around Spitsbergen, in the Realm of the Polar Bear & Ice

There are journeys and there are journeys. This trip is one that falls in the latter category. I look back on a fantastic experience, during which the awareness of human behavior on this vulnerable planet (and especially the Arctic) became very clear to me.

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Antarctica & Arctic cruise reviews

by Bernhard Kischnick

Meine 1. große Kreuzfahrt die die Erwartungen bei weiten übertroffen haben. Ein tolle Crew von bis die, uns eine solche Reise mit ihrem Einsatz und freundlicher Bedienung ermöglicht haben. Hauptärgernis was sich immer wieder durch die gesamte Reise zog, war das ich einer der wenigen auf dem Schiff gewesen bin der den vollen Preis und auch sonst keine Vergünstigungen bekommen habe.

by Duncan Wilson
A fantastic early season voyage on the Plancius with abundant wildlife and magnificent destinations. The entire crew and staff did a great job throughout, and the Expedition Leader, Ali, worked tirelessly to ensure we made the most of the opportunities to land or Zodiac cruise. As a keen birder, I found the Plancius to be an exceptional platform for seawatching, with abundant outside deck space throughout the vessel. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this trip.
by Martina Herz
Unsere Reise auf der Plancius war perfekt. Das gesamte Team des Schiffes hat alles getan, um uns die Tier und Pflanzenwelt, die Geschichte und Gegenwart der Region zu vermitteln und Tierbegegnungen "hautnah" zu ermöglichen. Begeisterte Empfehlung.
by Colin Williams
An excellent early season journey. The staff were superb.
by Christine Segers
It was a fantastic trip!! The way how Oceanwide managed everything is extraordinary. The landings ashore were so well organised: plenty of SPACE and TIME !!!!!! Fantastic how we could do our own thing. It was my fifth trip with Oceanwide, and this one I enjoyed the most! Thanks a lot to the staff for their patience and help during the landings and a special thanks, to the expeditionleaders.
by Henri Letort
Tout fut parfait : équipage du bateau, personnel de service bar restaurant, équipe de guides de Ali, exposés, promenades à terre pour côtoyer la faune sur leur plages, leurs rivières, leurs glaciers, oui j'ai une photo à partager : cliente gravement malade évacuée avec professionnalisme à un hôpital Argentina, bravo
by Kirsten VAN DER HELDEN
It was the most fantastic experiance ever. No words. Made me so happy (even decided to go with the ortelius immediatly after)
by C. Stabon
I am short of words to express my feelings about the trip: the places we visited were unique, guides were top level, food was realllly good, the ship is modern and very sea worthy, atmosfere was joyful; keep this direction of travel
by Gressier Jocelyne
This expedition has been exceptional! Even when the weather was not good, we had activities : the staf was efficient and very friendly. It was an exceptionnal experience in another world.

Frequently Asked Questions

An ice-strengthened ship is a ship made of steel. These ships are built to navigate the Antarctic and Arctic ice. Today, most ships that cruise to Antarctica and the Arctic are ice-strengthened vessels. Hondius, Ortelius, and Plancius are all ice-strengthened ships. Both Ortelius and Hondius have the highest ice-class notation (UL1, equivalent to 1A-Super for Ortelius, and Polar Class 6, equivalent to 1A-Super for Hondius), making them suitable for navigation in medium first-year ice, which may include old ice inclusions. Plancius has an ice-class notation of 1D.

Icebreakers are needed if there is a trade route to keep ice-free, if there are military reasons for patrolling in areas with heavy sea ice, or if you need to work in heavy ice conditions, particularly in winter. Icebreakers are expensive to build and fuel-intensive to run (sometimes powered by gas turbines or a nuclear generator). These ships, constructed for function, are uncomfortable to travel in on the open sea.

All guests are required to wear a waterproof jacket and trousers (the clothing must be fully waterproof – water resistant or repellant is not suitable sufficient) while in our Zodiacs. This is for safety reasons owing to the increased risk of exposure related illness if you get wet. In Norwegian waters this is also a legal requirement – any person not properly dressed will not be permitted to leave the vessel.

Apart from that, our advice is to take warm, windproof clothes that you can easily add or remove in layers. Multiple layers of medium-warmth clothing provide more insulation than single heavier articles. This is due to warm air getting trapped between the layers and acting as further insulation. Look for clothing made of wool, silk, and new synthetic fibers, all of which retain heat better than other materials.

Layers give you the flexibility to control your temperature. The most important layer is the outer waterproof and windproof shell. More information about this can be found in our expedition manual, which you will receive at time of booking.

Our trips can best be described as expedition-style cruises. The emphasis is on viewing wildlife, visiting interesting locations, and participating in activities. For example, we may go to places where there is a good chance of seeing penguins or polar bears, or we may visit culturally significant sites or research stations, or we might embark on a kayaking trip or shoreline snowshoeing hike.

The aim is always to give you the utmost firsthand contact with the polar world. This is why we keep our program flexible, so that we can take the best possible advantage of local ice, weather, and wildlife conditions as they occur. No two voyages are the same. There is always an element of the unexpected in our trips.

When packing for an expedition cruise, avoid weighing yourself down with too much gear. Select informal, practical attire that can be worn in layers. Please ask for our expedition manual with detailed information on clothing lists, what to pack, and what to expect on our voyages.

Yes, we provide all passengers lightweight life jackets that inflate automatically on contact with the water. It is mandatory to wear these life jackets at all times while cruising in the Zodiac boats.

All promoted Arctic and Antarctica cruise itineraries are for general guidance only. Programs may vary depending on local ice, weather, and wildlife conditions. The expedition leader and captain make these decisions in order to provide you the safest and most exploratory experience. Landings may also change due to site availabilities and environmental regulations per IAATO or AECO.

We follow the protocol advised by IAATO. Before leaving for your voyage, please make sure anything you bring that may come into contact with the environment (clothes, equipment, etc.) is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. We ask that you do not sit, kneel, or lay down during our landings. Please also do not place anything on the ground. You will receive a document with further information after booking.

On this page you find all information you need to know about the avian influenza outbreaks, including biosecurity protocols.

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About Oceanwide Expeditions

Passionate

Taking you closer to the heart of the polar regions has been our driving passion at Oceanwide Expeditions for over twenty years. Our knowledgeable cruise leaders, committed staff, and thoroughly outfitted vessels are our way of expressing what we care about most: making your cruise to the Arctic and Antarctic truly unforgettable. When you sail with us, you experience a part of the world that is unlike any other. Mountainous glaciers, snow-swept shores, whales and polar bears and vast colonies of penguins make up this world, and they are all part of the surreal ecosystem you can watch unfold before you on your future Oceanwide expedition.

Adventurous

Providing you a travel experience that inspires (and is inspired by) you, that’s what taking you closer to the heart of the polar regions means to us. We get you away from the vessel and into the action as fast as possible: up to two landings per day in the morning and afternoon, with a fleet of inflatable Zodiacs ready to shuttle you past the ice floes and onto the shore. We keep our programs flexible so that you get the most out of whatever surprises nature has in mind. When you sail with us, the cruise is just the tip of the iceberg. 

Pioneering

So what exactly is beneath the tip of that iceberg? The pioneering spirit, which all travelers to the polar regions (regardless of age and background) have in common. Guiding our expeditions with passion, tapping into the desire for inspiration and beauty, and always taking you closer to the heart of the Arctic and Antarctic – at Oceanwide Expeditions, that is our promise to you.

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