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Hondius Antarctic and Arctic Cruises

An environmentally-friendly, icebreaking expedition ship

A polar cruise on board the Hondius

9 Reviews

Premium

What we love about the Hondius

The "Basecamp" epeditions onboard the Hondius offer a number of optional activities included in the cruise package.

Children from the age of 3 years old are welcomed onboard.

Hondius deck plan

We are proud to welcome you aboard Hondius, the world's first Polar Class 6 vessel. Purpose-built for demanding Antarctic exploration, Hondius meets the latest and highest Lloyd’s Register standards for ice-strengthened cruise ships.

Built to exceed the Polar Code requirements adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Hondius is the most flexible, advanced, innovative Antarctic cruise vessel currently operating. Her modern design allows you to enjoy genuine exploration that will bring you closer to the real Antarctic than ever before.

Huge expense and technical skill have gone into making Hondius supremely comfortable and environmentally sustainable. No other polar cruise vessel can match her for amenities and entertainment or her environmental credentials.

Hondius features measures such as LED lighting throughout, high-efficiency steam heating, biodegradable paints and lubricants, and a state-of-the-art power management system that minimizes fuel burn and CO2 emissions. All this invisible technology means that you get to enjoy one of nature's last wilderness regions as much as possible while leaving little impact as you go.

Hondius offers high-quality accommodation for only 170 passengers across her six grand suites with balconies, eight junior suites, eight superior cabins, 11 twin deluxe cabins, 14 twin window cabins, as well as 27 twin porthole cabins, two triple porthole cabins, and four quadruple porthole cabins.

Her public spaces are large, with one whole deck devoted to a huge observation lounge and separate lecture room. It's here that her crew of Antarctic experts will entertain and teach with talks and lectures on Antarctic geology, geography, wildlife, and human history.

Despite the comfort offered by Hondius' charming mid-century decor, we know that Antarctic shore and near-shore exploration is the star of the show. That's why Hondius' itineraries aim to minimize time at sea. To give you maximum contact with Antarctic wildlife and nature, Hondius operates a fleet of tough, rigid-hull inflatable Zodiac boats to ensure swift and safe landings. To aid your comfort, Hondius has two separate gangways and a sheltered indoor embarkation platform which can also be used for other outdoor activities such as sea kayaking.

Fitted with advanced stabilizers and powerful engines, Hondius is able to react quickly, and her flexible itineraries allow the expert crew to reach the best wildlife encounters and take advantage of changing sea conditions to bring you the best of the Antarctic. Her 72 crew will ensure that even if your time onboard is brief, it will be exceptionally comfortable!

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Amenities on board the Hondius

bar

Bar

theater

Lecture Theater

binoculars

Observation Deck

zodiac fleet

Zodiac Fleet

lounge

Observation Lounge

gift

Gift Shop

rubber boots

Rubber Boots

library

Library

Hondius's take on sustainable traveling

Foremost among our sustainability goals are actively reducing the impact and emission of our vessels, investing in new technology, and continuously improving our existing resources. We have also installed a new low-emission engine in our veteran vessel, Ortelius. This engine complies with all the latest environmental legislation. Another of our important commitments to sustainability is our use of low-sulfur marine gas oil (LSMGO), which has a sulfur content of less than 0.1 percent.\n\nWe limit onboard waste production by recycling as often as we can as well as banning single-use plastics. This ship does not use straws, plastic cups, or any individually wrapped butter, yogurt, and jam. This vessel has a water treatment system and desalination system that uses reverse osmosis, allowing us to eliminate the use of plastic water bottles on board. Rather, guests receive a reusable water bottle they can refill on the vessel. Bathrooms are equipped with biodegradable shampoo and soap in recycled packing, further limiting our use of plastics.

Cabin Categories on board the Hondius

Twin Porthole Cabin

Type:

Twins

Max. occupancy:

2

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Junior Suite

Type:

Matrimonial

Max. occupancy:

2

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Triple Porthole Cabin

Type:

Triple

Max. occupancy:

3

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Twin Deluxe Cabin

Type:

Twins

Max. occupancy:

2

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Quadruple Porthole Cabin

Type:

Quadrupel

Max. occupancy:

4

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Twin Window Cabin

Type:

Twins

Max. occupancy:

2

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Grand Suite with Private Balcony

Type:

Matrimonial

Max. occupancy:

2

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Superior Cabin

Type:

Matrimonial

Max. occupancy:

2

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More info about the Hondius

Category
Premium
Type
Large Ship
Capacity
170
Class
Ice Class 1A
Length
107.6 m
Crew members
72
Gross tonnage
5,590 tons
Cruising speed
15 knots
Beam
Draft
5.30 m
Year built

Reviews of Hondius

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Hondius Antarctic and Arctic Cruises

Premium

The trip of a lifetime. The ship and it's crew were wonderful and we all became one big happy family on a joyous adventure. This trip was worth the wait and all the extra testing and paperwork due to Covid-19 restrictions. The ship was the perfect size and well appointed. Excursions and lectures were well orchestrated and fun. The meals were well prepared and there was always plenty of choices for even the pickiest of diners. Getting to know the other intrepid travelers on this journey really helped to make this a truly unforgettable experience. The only question now is .. where to next? (Copied from Oceanwide Expeditions)

Pedro José Cermeño Parra

Hondius Antarctic and Arctic Cruises

Premium

Great trip, the best landscape I have ever seen and kayaking was really amazing! (Copied from Oceanwide Expeditions)

Claire Torrey

Hondius Antarctic and Arctic Cruises

Premium

We had an amazing experience in the Antarctic Peninsula aboard the Hondius. The Expedition Team, led by the wonderful Sara, worked to make sure that we encountered wildlife up close as much as possible. The team was comprised of friendly people with varied backgrounds and knowledge and a passion for their work. They're enthusiasm and professionalism really made the trip extra special. The ship was beautiful, spacious, clean, and the crew was very attentive. The food was wonderful and plentiful, even for vegetarians. I highly recommend Oceanwide Expediitions and we plan to take future trips to the Arctic and Alaska. (Copied from Oceanwide Expeditions)

MARTA RADICI

Hondius Antarctic and Arctic Cruises

Premium

I booked this trip for ice pack and polar bears. And my expectations were fully met. The ship is so silent, as they say, "not luxurious" and right to the type of destination and expedition from all point of view. Itinerary pleasantly disrupted by ice and bears. Staff very nice and knowledgeable. Bridge open most times. Very quiet and special over there on deck 7. I advice to choose cabins on deck 6 with superior cabins, especially for fantastic windows size. (Copied from Oceanwide Expeditions)

Gabor D

Hondius Antarctic and Arctic Cruises

Premium

Hondius is running its first season which could have been a double-edged sword having huge potential without the experience to fulfill the promise... Well, the ship and crew went beyond our expectations on several fronts. The ship is incredibly silent, no engine noise even in economy cabins, very stable running smoothly in choppy sea conditions. The plan was to circumnavigate the archipelago, but ice conditions blocked 10 % of the perimeter of Svalbard. Instead of saying that we cannot follow the original itinerary and shortening our journey, Hondius took us to the limits of the ice block from the north and also from the south basically doubling the length of the originally planned route. Members of the expedition team pushed themselves very hard to make the journey unforgettable and safe. We encountered polar bears, males, females with cubs, on the ice , on shore and swimming close to the ship. Zodiac cruises and hikes provided sightings of arctic foxes, incredible birdlife, and a colony of walruses among others. The crew on the ship is very efficient in finding and preserving wildlife, the ship is perfect for navigating through the ice to maximize chances for good photography and videos, such a silent ice breaker helped us to enjoy blue and fin whales. Being an expedition ship, the food compared favourably to big cruise ships according to my experience. With one or two exceptions, lectures were enjoyable and informative, most of us felt that we really learned something. Rafael, the expedition leader is probably the most knowledgeable person on arctic matters I had the privilege to meet thus far, and his charisma was helped effectively by other guides to keep the behaviour of multinational passengers in accord with the wildlife around us. One needs to be patient when waiting for the zodiacs fully dressed (140 people takes time to board), but overall we had a highly enjoyable and memorable trip. (Copied from Liveaboard)

Anca Kooiman

Hondius Antarctic and Arctic Cruises

Premium

Thanks to the captain and crew we had a fantastic holiday. They did everything to let us see the wildlife but in a safe manner. Thanks to the guides for the interesting and safe trips on land. We had a perfect holiday!! (Copied from Oceanwide Expeditions)

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