Oceanwide Expeditions to Launch New Polar Cruise Ship Hondius

Due to the rising popularity of polar cruises, Oceanwide Expeditions has commissioned the building of a 180-passenger vessel, which will be available in 2019. The ship, called the Hondius, will be built in Croatia by shipbuilder Brodosplit.

Hondius was specifically designed to support and serve Oceanwide’s exploratory and land-based excursions. It will be rated Polar Class 6, with two separate gangways, and an indoor platform that can be used for outdoor activities such as kayaking. While Hondius is at anchor during passenger excursions, it can drift or remain in position with the support of the bow and stern thrusters. One deck on board will have an observation lounge with a separate lecture room.

The vessel will be 350 feet long, with a breadth of 58 feet. It will be equipped with two main engines for a total of 4,200 kW, generating a speed of 15 knots. Hondius will give passengers a variety of cabin categories to choose from, including suites and superiors, as well as twin and quadruple cabins. 

Included in Oceanwide Expeditions’ outdoor activities are: camping, kayaking, snowshoeing, mountaineering, zodiac cruises, scuba diving, photography workshops; and more specifically: ship-based helicopter trips to the Ross Sea and the Emperor Penguins in the Weddell Sea; ski and sail programs in Spitsbergen and Greenland; and expeditions to Peter I Island and Bouvet Island.

Hondius will be built according to the latest requirements of the International Maritime Organization, in particular concerning the safety of life at sea and the prevention of pollution from ships for passenger vessels.

Oceanwide Expeditions currently sails two 116-passenger vessels, Plancius and Ortelius. The ships are named for celebrated Dutch-Flemish cartographers.