Oceanwide Expeditions

Oceanwide Expeditions is a Dutch company specializing in expedition-style voyages to Antarctica and the Arctic. Deploying its own fleet of ice-strengthened vessels, Oceanwide emphasizes small-scale, flexible tours that provide passengers close contact with polar wildlife, landscapes, and historical sites. Tours usually take place in regions only accessible by sea, with little to no infrastructure. The locations visited are first reached by ship, after which expedition guides take small groups of passengers to landing sites by way of Zodiac Milpro RIBs (rigid inflatable boats), enabling safe cruising and maximum shore time.

Oceanwide Expeditions has its foundations in scientific research. Starting in 1983, the Dutch “Plancius Foundation” was the first operator to organize yearly polar expedition cruises to the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. Oceanwide Expeditions continued with the activities of the Plancius Foundation in 1993.

The origin of the Plancius Foundation started with the Arctic Centre at the University of Groningen, which launched a research program investigating 17th-century Dutch whaling around Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard chain. With Arctic archaeology professor Louwrens Hacquebord leading the initiative, the ship Pollox was purchased in 1979 and renamed Plancius to accommodate research around the former Dutch settlement of Smeerenburg.^[1]

In addition to the scientists on board were tourists. The contributions from tourists formed part of later financial support for ongoing Svalbard expeditions. Eventually, however, funding troubles overtook the Plancius Foundation and the ship was sold.

Since 1993, Oceanwide Expeditions has operated in both Antarctica and the Arctic, offering expedition cruises with an authentic approach to exploring Earth's most remote regions. In addition to both polar regions, Oceanwide Expedition also offers expedition cruise itineraries visiting several sub-Antarctic islands, including South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. They also operate an 'Atlantic Odyssey' itinerary, which offers the opportunity of visiting some of the most remote islands on Earth, Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha, Inaccessible Island, Nightingale Island, and Saint Helena.^[2] From 2024, the company started offering a remote Weddell Sea itinerary, exploring seldom-visited regions including the Luitpold Coast and Queen Maud Land. In February 2025, m/v Ortelius set a new record for the most southerly position ever achieved by a passenger vessel in the Weddell Sea.^[3]

• Five-time winner of World's Leading Polar Expedition Operator Award^[4]
• Geo Saison's Best Activity Provider Award at the 2013 ITB Berlin Goldene Palme Awards
• Outside Magazine's first Active Travel Award winner in 2012
• Two-time winner of Puffin Award by AECO
• Best Expedition Cruise Operator for the Polar Regions (Expedition Cruise Network Awards 2024)^[5]
• Best Expedition Cruise Operator for Sustainability (Expedition Cruise Network Awards 2024)^[5]
• Best Medium Expedition Cruise Operator (Expedition Cruise Network Awards 2024)^[5]

Oceanwide Expeditions works closely with organizations that support the preservation of natural habitats and sustainable environmental conditions. In the Arctic, these entities include the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO)^[6] and Clean Up Svalbard. In Antarctica, Oceanwide Expeditions works with International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO)^[7] and BirdLife International.

Oceanwide Expeditions currently operates four vessels of various nautical classes: sailing vessel S/V Rembrandt van Rijn, former Royal Dutch Navy oceanographic research vessel MV Plancius,^[8] former Russian Academy of Science vessel MV Ortelius,^[9] and Polar Class 6 vessel m/v Hondius. All vessels are equipped with Zodiac Milpro RIBs for ship-to-shore landings, while Ortelius is also outfitted with a helipad for helicopter flights in the Weddell and Ross seas.

On board, an expedition guide team, composed of experts in a range of disciplines including biology, glaciology, history, and photography are led by an expedition leader. Additional activity-focused guides are also present, including specialised hiking, kayaking, diving and mountaineering guides.

Oceanwide Expeditions operates an Arctic and Antarctic program across two distinct seasons. The Arctic program runs from May-October. The Antarctic program typically runs from November - March. All three of the company's motor vessels operate in both the Arctic and Antarctica. Rembrandt van Rijn is classed only to operate in Icelandic and Greenlandic waters, as well as those of the Svalbard archipelago.

• Bear Island
• Greenland
• Spitsbergen
• Jan Mayen
• Fair Isle
• North Norway

• Bouvet Island
• Cape Verde
• South Orkney Islands
• South Sandwich Islands
• Antarctic Peninsula
• South Shetland Islands
• Ross Sea
• Ushuaia
• Weddell Sea
• Falkland Islands
• South Georgia
• Ascension Island
• St. Helena
• Tristan da Cunha

The ideal time of year to visit the Arctic is around the Northern Hemisphere summer, from April through September. The Southern Hemisphere summer, from October through March, is the best time to visit Antarctica.

• Professor Molchanov
• MV Antarctic Dream

• "Oceanwide Expeditions".