Itinerary

All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on ice, weather, and wildlife conditions. Landings are subject to site availabilities, permissions, and environmental concerns per IAATO regulations. Official sailing plans and landing slots are scheduled with IAATO prior to the start of the season, but the expedition leader determines the final plan. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises. The average cruising speed of our vessel is 10.5 knots.

Polar Diving

Visiting the polar regions is a fantastic adventure, but just below the waves waits an extraordinary other world for you to experience and explore. Our polar expedition provides you maximum firsthand contact with local wildlife and terrain, but it is our intimate knowledge of the seas that allows us to also give you an unparalleled adventure below the waves. True expeditions in every sense of the word, during which you will have access to some of the most scenic dive sites in the polar regions.

You can explore the underbellies of icebergs, encounter exotic marine life, and enjoy the beautiful interplay of ice, light, and water in a rarely seen world, Pinguins, Leopard Seals, Humpback Whales, Fur seals are the high lights of our big marine life encounters, but also sea squirts, squat lobsters, spider crabs, soft corals, anemones, peacock worms, dogfish, sea snails, crabs, sea butterflies, shrubby horsetails, jellyfish, sea hedgehogs, kelp walls, and several species of starfish and exotic polar marine life. Antarctic islands are also rich with krill, one of the prime food sources form any marine species and therefore highly useful in locating wildlife.

Antarctica’s dazzling icecaps, colossal glaciers, and towering mountains are rivaled only by the white-sand beaches and lush flora of the sub-Antarctic islands. Both areas host a large variety of penguins, whales, seals and seabirds. This Polar Circle and Antarctic Peninsula Expedition passes through waters travelled by Humpback, Minke and Fin whales. Anchoring in various spots around the region, the expedition offers the chance to hike, kayak, and dive in the iceberg-heavy waters.

The details of our dives and itineraries are based on the extensive experience of our guides, all of whom have worked in the polar regions. When you dive with us, you get the best polar adventure in the most capable hands.

About the Ship

The ice-strengthened vessel “Ortelius” is an excellent vessel for Polar expedition cruises in the Arctic and Antarctica, providing us with possibilities to adventure in remote locations such as the Ross Sea and Franz Josef Land. “Ortelius” was built in Gdynia, Poland in 1989, was named “Marina Svetaeva”, and served as a special purpose vessel for the Russian Academy of Science. The vessel is re-flagged and renamed “Ortelius”. As Plancius, Ortelius was a Dutch / Flemish cartographer. Abraham Ortelius (1527 – 1598) published the first modern world atlas, the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum or Theatre of the World in 1570. At that time, the atlas was the most expensive book ever printed. The vessel has the highest ice-class notation (UL1 equivalent to 1A) and is therefore very suitable to navigate in solid one-year sea ice and loose multi-year pack ice. “Ortelius” is a great expedition vessel for 108 passengers with lots of open-deck spaces. The vessel is manned by 24 highly experienced international nautical crew, 20 international hotel crew, including stewardesses, 8 expedition staff (1 expedition leader and 7 guides/lecturers), and 1 doctor.

The vessel offers simple but comfortable cabins and public spaces, 4 quadruple cabins with bunk beds (these can also be used as triple or twin cabins), 26 twin porthole cabin with 2 single lower berths, 12 twin cabins with windows and 2 single lower berths, 2 twin deluxe cabins with windows and 2 single lower berths, 6 superior cabins with double beds.

All cabins are spacious outside cabins with a minimum of two portholes or windows per cabin and all cabins have private shower and toilet. ”Ortelius” offers a comfortable hotel standard, with two restaurants, a bar/lecture room. Our voyages are primarily developed to offer our passengers a quality exploratory wildlife program, trying to spend as much time ashore as possible. As the number of passengers is limited to approximately 108 on the “Ortelius”, flexibility assures maximum wildlife opportunities.

Specifications

• Registered: The Netherlands
• Length: 90.95 meters
• Breadth: 17.20 meters
• Draft: 5.4 meters Ice class: UL1 (equivalent to 1A)
• Displacement: 4,090 tons
• Propulsion: 6 ZL 40/48 SULZER
• Average cruising speed: 10,5 knots
• Passengers: 108 in 50 cabins
• Crew, guides, doctor: 44 / 8 / 1
• Various decks refurbished 2012-2017- 2019

Included

• Voyage aboard the indicated vessel as indicated in the itinerary.
• All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea.
• All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac.
• ​Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes.
• Luggage transfer from pick-up point to the vessel on the day of embarkation, in Ushuaia.
• All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the programmed.
• Comprehensive pre-departure material.
• Pre-scheduled group transfer from the vessel to the airport in Ushuaia (directly after disembarkation).
  

Not Included

• Any airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights.
• Meals ashore.
  
• Pre- and post- land arrangements.
  
• Passport and visa expenses.
  
• Government arrival and departure taxes.
  
• Baggage, cancellation and personal insurance (which is strongly recommended).
  
• Excess baggage charges and all items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar, beverage charges and telecommunication charges.
  
• The customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided).
  
• Alcoholic Drinks.
  

Price per person