Oceanwide Expeditions is a Netherlands-based expedition line with four small ships, from a 33-guest schooner to the 170-guest Hondius. It sails Antarctica, Svalbard, Greenland and Iceland. It suits travelers who care more about time off the ship than about the ship itself. We have not been aboard an Oceanwide ship yet.
Where does Oceanwide sail?
Oceanwide sails the polar regions and a few remote Atlantic islands. Seasons below come from Oceanwide's current published schedule. Itineraries change, so confirm each departure with us.
Season: October to April. Ships: Hondius, Ortelius, Plancius.
Falklands and South Georgia
Longer Antarctic voyages that add both. Ships: Hondius, Ortelius, Plancius.
Weddell Sea and the Antarctic Circle
Deeper voyages, some using helicopters from Ortelius. Ships: Ortelius, Plancius.
Season: May to September. Ships: all four.
Northeast Greenland and Scoresby Sund, late summer. Ships: Hondius, Plancius, Rembrandt van Rijn.
Iceland and Jan Mayen
Summer voyages, with a fall Iceland sailing on Rembrandt van Rijn. Ships: Plancius, Rembrandt van Rijn, plus Hondius and Ortelius via Jan Mayen.
Atlantic islands
The "Atlantic Odyssey" repositioning voyages call at Tristan da Cunha, St. Helena and Cape Verde. Ship: Plancius.
Regions and seasons from Oceanwide's Antarctica and Arctic cruise listings at oceanwide-expeditions.com, checked October 2026.
What ships does Oceanwide have?
Oceanwide owns and operates four ships. They carry 33 to 170 guests.
| Ship | Guests | Displacement (tonnes) | Regions sailed | Our experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| m/v Hondius | 170 | 5,590 | Antarctic Peninsula, Falklands, South Georgia, Svalbard, Jan Mayen, Greenland | Not yet aboard |
| m/v Ortelius | 108 | 4,090 | Antarctic Peninsula, Weddell Sea, Antarctic Circle, Falklands, South Georgia, Svalbard, Jan Mayen | Not yet aboard |
| m/v Plancius | 108 | 3,211 | Antarctic Peninsula, Weddell Sea, Falklands, South Georgia, Atlantic islands, Svalbard, Iceland, Jan Mayen, Greenland | Not yet aboard |
| s/v Rembrandt van Rijn | 33 | 435 | Svalbard, Greenland, Iceland | Not yet aboard |
Guest numbers and displacement from Oceanwide's fleet page. Regions from Oceanwide's cruise listings. Displacement is a ship's weight, a different measure from gross tonnage. Oceanwide does not publish gross tonnage, so we show displacement instead.
Oceanwide says Hondius is the world's first-registered Polar Class 6 ship. Ortelius carries helicopters on select voyages. Rembrandt van Rijn is a three-mast schooner.
What is Oceanwide like aboard?
Oceanwide builds the trip around what happens off the ship. Oceanwide says it aims for two outings a day, by Zodiac or on land. The ships are comfortable and functional. They are not designed to be the reason you book.
On some voyages you can do more than land and cruise by Zodiac. Oceanwide lists kayaking, snowshoeing, hiking, mountaineering, camping, polar diving, photo workshops and helicopter flights. Each runs only on specific voyages. Some carry a supplement, some need experience, and all depend on weather. Its "Basecamp" voyages bundle several of these activities together.
Cabins are simple. Plancius, for example, offers four-person cabins with upper and lower berths, alongside twins and a few larger Superior cabins with a double bed. For some travelers, a shared cabin is what makes the trip affordable. The cabin doesn't have to be the vacation.
With 108 to 170 guests, groups are small. That can mean quicker boarding of Zodiacs and more time ashore. The trade is fewer onboard amenities than on larger expedition ships: no big spa, fewer restaurants, simpler cabins. Ask us how size plays out on the voyage you want.
What we heard at ECN in London, September 2026
Operator-supplied. This is what Oceanwide told us at the Expedition Cruise Network conference in London in September 2026. It is not our firsthand experience.
Oceanwide was direct about what it is. It told us it is not a luxury company, and that the experience is off the ship. The ship's job is to get you out into the place you came to see.
Oceanwide also described how its teams handle changing conditions. On one voyage, fog blocked the planned stop. Instead of losing the day, the captain found clearer water at a site the team had not visited before, and they went to explore it. Oceanwide sees that kind of change as part of an expedition, not a failure of one.
Oceanwide told us some guests choose four-person shared cabins so they can take the voyage they want. For those guests, the destination matters far more than the room.
Who is Oceanwide right for, and who should look elsewhere?
A strong fit if you want
- The destination first, and the ship second
- Small groups of 108 to 170 guests, or 33 on the schooner
- Active options such as kayaking, camping or hiking on selected voyages
- Unusual routes, like the Weddell Sea, Jan Mayen or the Atlantic islands
- A second polar trip that goes farther than the first
Look elsewhere if you want
- The ship to be part of the vacation
- Large suites, balconies, multiple restaurants or a full spa
- Traditional luxury service
- An itinerary you can count on stop by stop
How does Oceanwide compare?
- HX
Larger ships with more onboard space and a strong lecture and science program. We have sailed HX.
- Aurora Expeditions
Small ships and an activity-led day, on newer vessels. We have sailed Aurora.
- Polar Latitudes
Small-ship Antarctic sailing with a strong citizen-science program. We have toured a Polar Latitudes ship.
We book across every operator, so we compare Oceanwide's ships and dates against these before you commit.
Oceanwide FAQs
How many ships does Oceanwide have?
Four. Hondius carries 170 guests, Ortelius and Plancius carry 108 each, and the schooner Rembrandt van Rijn carries 33. Figures are from Oceanwide's fleet page.
Where does Oceanwide sail?
Antarctica, including the Weddell Sea, the Antarctic Circle, the Falklands and South Georgia. In the Arctic: Svalbard, Greenland, Iceland and Jan Mayen. Some voyages also call at Tristan da Cunha, St. Helena and Cape Verde.
Is Oceanwide a luxury line?
No, and it doesn't claim to be. Oceanwide focuses on time off the ship. The ships are comfortable and functional, without the suites, spas and multiple restaurants of luxury lines.
Can I kayak, camp or dive with Oceanwide?
On some voyages. Oceanwide offers kayaking, camping, mountaineering, polar diving and more, but each runs only on specific departures. Some carry a supplement. We check what your voyage includes.
Does Oceanwide use helicopters?
On select Ortelius voyages, mainly in the Weddell Sea and the deep south of Antarctica.
Have you sailed with Oceanwide?
Not yet. This page is built from Oceanwide's published information, what Oceanwide told us at the Expedition Cruise Network conference in September 2026, and our experience on other expedition lines.
Our experience with Oceanwide: We have not been aboard an Oceanwide ship. We book Oceanwide, and we met the Oceanwide team at the Expedition Cruise Network conference in London in September 2026. Where this page describes Oceanwide, the information comes from Oceanwide or from that meeting, and we say which.
Keep exploring
Expedition cruise lines
Every line we book, compared side by side — who each one suits and why.
Antarctica
When to go, what it costs, and how to choose the right voyage south.
The Arctic and Svalbard
Polar bears, pack ice and the midnight sun.
Greenland
Icebergs, fjords and the world's largest island.
What is an expedition cruise?
How an expedition differs from a regular cruise.