Reviews

The boat and room was comfortable but the activities and cruise was terrible. They were suppose to announce when they saw any wildlife but the only announcement was when a bear was far away. The boat did not attempt to find wildlife and the landings each day was to see a lone flower growing. I met people who took the same cruise the same days on a different boat and they saw such more wildlife. I had waited 2 years (original trip was to be July 2020) for this cruise hoping to see wildlife but there was none.

Wonderful Arctic experience with Oceanwide Expeditions on MV Plancius around Spitzbergen. So much more than we had hoped for. Highly recommended.

Myself and my 11 yrs old twin boys went on this trip. Words can not describe how fantastic it was. I was a little bit apprehensive that the boys were a bit young but they had a fantastic time. I can not fault the trip in any way. All the expedition guides were amazing. The crew and hotelier staff were so friendly, kind, helpful and happy. They made our trip even more special.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip to a destination one can only dream of. The dream was realized thanks to the exquisite organisation of Oceanwide. The ship, the crew, everything and everybody went the extra mile to make this journey unforgettable in every aspect. Thank you!

Abundant wildlife, including 4 polar bears, 2 blue whales, 40+ belugas, arctic foxes, reindeer, ivory gulls, king eider. Very spectacular zodiac cruises near glaciers. Beautuful hikes. Excellent staff. Great views from the Plancius.

Good expedition with seeing beautiful arctic wildlife

My husband and I were on the Rembrandt Van Rijn cruise that left Longyearbyen on June 16, 2022. We wanted to send you a quick note to tell you what an incredible experience we had. In particular, we wanted to tell you how much we appreciated our guides Jordy and Fritz. They truly made our trip into something special that will remain with us for a long time. Fritz was incredibly knowledgeable about birds and even sparked in us a new interest in birding. Jordy had a great sense of humor and we learned so much from his almost uncanny knowledge of the geography, geology, and wildlife of Svalbard. He was also generous enough with his photography skills to make a trip log for us that we will treasure. We left the ship hoping that we will be able to have another polar adventure with Jordy and Fritz sometime soon!

We had an absolutely fantastic experience with the Oceanwide crew. So knowledgeable, enthusiastic and friendly! Went out of their way to give us a great trip. And succeeded!!! Thanks so much!

Excellent crew and organisation

This was undoubtedly an exceptional trip with fewer than half the expected guests due to travelling difficulties, great wild life viewings and a ship Captain, Crew, Hotel staff and Expedition staff that went above and beyond to make our visit to the Arctic one that will forever be remembered.

Once on the ship, all was very much OK

Led by knowledgeable and enthusaistic expedition leaders and staff, this expedition around the coast of Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet was a feast of polar experiences. From active glaciation through tundra to the diminutive plants in the polar desert we got a very good taste of the polar regions of Svalbard. MV Plancius was a comfortable and quiet ship crewed by a very good team who went the extra mile to accommodate the needs and comfort of the passengers. For those who have hesitated to join these expeditions I urge them to go. It is most certainly value for money.

My overall impression on this trip is absolutely positiv, thanks to the competence of the expedition crew, the hardworking staff and to the well organised leaders. You have been all entertaining, interesting, funny and motivating showing the passion you put in your job.

Fantastic trip onboard Plancius. Excellent and friendly staff. I was upgraded to a twin room w single occupancy. Food excellent with good selection at each meal. Expedition staff very knowledgeable and we had some good lectures on rocks, ice and wildlife. Captain was a great spotter of polar bears and we saw 4 on our trip. An amazing once in a lifetime experience to go to 80 degrees north and explore the remote and beautiful Arctic.

An excellent trip blessed with good weather and kind seas. Superb staff and a very happy ship. Early July was perfect timing for the Arctic flora. Most memorable moments - a day in the pack ice; close up views of a polar bear under a cliff face of nesting Brunnich's Guillemots; Zodiac trip to the end of a glacier and Little auk nesting site. Would certainly recommend the trip to anyone with an interest in natural history.