Ortelius Antarctic and Arctic Cruises

Ortelius has a fascinating history of polar exploration. Originally launched as the “Marina Tsvetaeva” in 1989, she served as a special purpose vessel for the Russian Academy of Science. Later re-flagged and renamed, *Ortelius” is now classed by Lloyd’s Register in London and flies the Dutch flag.

Ortelius is first and foremost a true Antarctic exploration vessel. She has the highest Ice-Class specification (UL1, equivalent to 1A) and is certified to navigate through solid annual sea ice as well as loose multi-year pack ice. In this ship, you can discover the true Antarctic, reaching places others simply can’t.

She can accommodate a maximum of only 108 passengers, and her design means she enjoys an abundance of open-deck spaces, perfect for bird and whale watching at sea, as well as iceberg spotting.

She is crewed by 22 highly experienced maritime staff, 19 hotel staff, and 8 expedition crew with a variety of expertise areas involving Antarctic exploration, wildlife, geography, and human history. She also carries a permanent doctor onboard.

As befits a true Antarctic explorer, Ortelius’ voyages are primarily meant to offer you an intense exploratory wildlife program with as much time ashore as possible. Yet she also offers all the comforts of a standard hotel ― along with a bar and lecture room. Flexibility of operation assures you of the maximum Antarctic wildlife opportunities, and to take advantage of weather and wildlife windows she carries 10 Zodiacs with powerful 60hp outboard engines.

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.

We 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.