Ortelius Antarctic and Arctic Cruises

St Helena

The St Helena is a truly one-of-a-kind expedition ship with a storied legacy of resilience, reliability, and global connection. Originally built to serve one of the most remote communities on Earth, she was extensively refurbished in 2022 with an £8 million renovation, blending heritage and modern comfort. With a guest capacity of just 98, the St Helena offers intimate, adventure-focused voyages to Antarctica and beyond, complete with expert-led excursions, spacious cabins, and inviting social spaces.

Kapitan Khlebnikov

Welcome aboard the Kapitan Khlebnikov! The Kapitan Khlebnikov was constructed in 1981 by the Warstsila Company, Finland, the world’s leading builder of icebreakers. Not simply an ice-reinforced ship, the Khlebnikov is a powerful working icebreaker designed for the challenging conditions of frozen polar seas. The Khlebnikov was refurbished to accommodate passengers in 54 outside cabins and suites, all with en suite facilities. Cabins are spacious and comfortable. Public areas include a lounge, two dining rooms, a digitally equipped lecture room, a small heated indoor pool and gymnasium, library, and sauna. Views are excellent from the bridge and large open decks. In addition to its fleet of Zodiacs, the Khlebnikov uses two helicopters for ice reconnaissance and passenger excursions.

Noorderlicht

The beautiful *Noorderlicht* was originally built in 1910 in Flensburg, Germany, as a three-masted schooner. For most of her existence, she served as a light vessel on the Baltic. In 1991 the present owners bought the hull and re-rigged and refitted her thoroughly under the Holland Ship Register’s strict rules. *Noorderlicht* is now a well-balanced two-masted schooner rig that’s capable of sailing anywhere in the world and is, therefore, the perfect expedition vessel for exploring small islands. Her open decks provide excellent views all around, even when she’s under sail. Offering an intimate and exclusive experience, *Noorderlicht* provides accommodation for only 20 polar explorers in small but comfortable twin cabins. All cabins have upper and lower berths, a storage locker, and a washbasin with hot and cold water. Shared shower and toilet facilities are conveniently located throughout the passenger deck. All cabins have a small hatch in the ceiling that varies in size, except cabin 6 which has a small, locked porthole in the ceiling but ventilation slots in the door. On occasion - and depending on the weather - the crew will open all hatches when passengers are ashore to allow fresh air ventilation of the whole lower deck. Her qualified captains have a great experience of the polar oceans. Together with the rest of the crew, they will do everything possible to ensure that you have a wonderful and unforgettable journey. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises, and your crew can and will change the itinerary to suit the conditions and give you the best possible chance to experience the most intense wildlife and nature experiences in the arctic and antarctic. A willingness to compromise on luxury facilities is a basic requirement on board a historic traditional sailing vessel - this is *true* exploration! *Noorderlicht*’s routes are designed to maximize your shore experiences. Weather, sea nd ice conditions permitting, you will have a land excursion every day. These will take between three and six hours and will be over untracked areas. You’ll have ample time to explore the unique wildlife, flora, geology, and human history of each area.

Polar Pioneer

The well-known MV Polar Pioneer is a durable, capable veteran expedition ship (19 seasons strong) loved by guests and expedition leaders for its capability to explore remote polar regions with ease despite its small size. Its new Scandinavian owners have done an extensive refit upgrading it to today’s standards and is ready for the 2022 Arctic season. The Polar Pioneer benefits from holsting maximum 48 guests on an authentic expedition adventure free from the crowds of larger vessels. All guests can fit in the Zodiacs at once ensuring there is no waiting to go ashore and everyone can explore the surroundings at the same time. Originally an ice-strengthened research vessel, The MV Polar Pioneer was built in Finland in 1982 and navigates with an ice class 1A super. This is really convenient for the polar regions with heavy sea ice. The Polar Pioneer can transit open water crossings with ease and comfort due to the integrated dynamic water ballast system, which guarantees a great reduction of rolling in heavy seas. The game-changing stability system onboard works marvellously and makes the zodiac’s loading/unloading operations flow with ease. As a result, the Polar Pioneer is one of the most stable vessels currently in operations in the Polar regions. The Polar Pioneer has a large deck space with raised areas making it great for photography. It features a large guest saloon with a bar, and an onboard sauna to warm up in after a day in the cold. The ship is crewed by a team of experts with decades of experience navigating polar waters and is an ideal vessel for guests looking to go on a real expedition with an authentic polar vessel. There is accommodation for 48 guests across twins, triple cabins, and suites. The ship is equipped with Zodiacs that can accommodate all guests for shore landings and exploring.