Recensies

I cannot say that I dis not enjoy the experience as we visited some new places and the environment with other customers was very good. Food was also great. However I cannot say the same for one rude female guide who needs to improve her social skills. Her comments were not apropiated and she was ridiculously strict when approaching the animals. I was in her boat when we spotted the polar bear but she said we could not go closer as she had to be in the last posiition of the zodiac in order to check all the other were ok. It is extremely unfair betweeen the customers as we paid the same amount of money. This was really frustrating. Furthermore, there was not any kind of rotation between zodiacs, some of them half distance from the animals that us . We have been always 3-4 times further that legal distance to the animals. Protecting the animals is not only about distances. Photography options in the tour were 0. Even during the trekkings we had not time to take pictures as we were always in a hurry because a polar bear who find us....... I dont know why it is called expeditions as we did not focus in animals at all and the trekkings were very short and not for real artic experiences. In my view you have to improvefew things in order to attrack younger people to this cruises. For now, thats an experience for old a chinese people that may be impressed with anything.

Absolutely breathtaking scenery, TONS of wildlife, stunning blue glaciers, excellent staff, great food and wonderful new friends!

I was enchanted by the surroundings, the navigation, the wild untouched nature, where I feeled like an intruder. All the staff was competent, friendly and helpful

Excellent really on all front. Only, the mattresses may need replacing soon.

A comfortable and active expedition trip with great team on board

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!

Wat een geweldige trip hebben gemaakt met dit keer de Hondius, alles wat we gezien hebben en de ontzettend vriendelijke en gastvrije bemanning maken het tot een onvergetelijke trip. De enige opmerking die ik heb, dat ik verbaast was dat er een aantal zeer jonge kinderen aan boord waren. Ik vind dit namelijk geen reis voor jonge kinderen en de mede reizigers die ik er over sprak vonden dit ook vreemd.

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.

A fantastic expedition on a ship with the most knowledgeable crew, each with their own specialism. Highly recommendable.