MV Ortelius

The 1989-built MV Ortelius cruise ship is an ice-strengthened polar expedition vessel operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, sailing alongside Janssonius (2022), Hondius (2019), Plancius (1976), and the polar sailing ships Noorderlicht (1991) and Rembrandt van Rijn (1994). Launched as "Marina Svetaeva," the vessel originally served the Russian Academy of Sciences on special-purpose research missions.

The ship (IMO number 8509181) is currently Holland-flagged (MMSI 244180151) and registered in Rotterdam. Under her former name Marina Svetaeva, she sailed under the Russian flag (MMSI 273420410).

Ortelius was acquired by Oceanwide Expeditions in 2011.

History – construction and ownership

Specializing in expedition cruising and navigation in icy waters, Oceanwide Expeditions (headquartered in Vlissingen, Netherlands) expanded its fleet and strengthened its brand reputation with the addition of the newbuilds Janssonius and Hondius.

Founded in 1993, the company is one of the industry’s small cruise lines offering regularly scheduled and flexible polar voyages. These expeditions allow guests to experience polar wildlife, dramatic landscapes, significant nautical regions, and historical sites. Oceanwide operates year-round: summer (April–September) in the Arctic and winter (October–March) in Antarctica. Most itineraries visit remote, sea-accessible locations with no port infrastructure, where the ship anchors offshore and passengers are tendered ashore via Zodiac Milpro boats, each operated by an expedition guide.

Oceanwide Expeditions supports leading conservation and environmental organizations, including AECO (Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators), IAATO (International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators, founded in 1991), and BirdLife International (established in 1922).

The vessel has 7 decks, with 4 accessible to passengers and 3 housing accommodations (53 staterooms in total).

Shipboard facilities and amenities

Ortelius, like her fleetmates, carries rigid-hulled Zodiacs for landings (ship-to-shore transport) in remote areas. She also features a helipad and can accommodate two helicopters onboard.

Before entering the expedition cruise market, the vessel operated in the Russian Far East as a combined cargo supply and passenger ship, and later as a supply and accommodation vessel servicing oil fields in the Russian Arctic (northern Pacific territories). Beginning in December 2007, she was chartered by Sydney-based Aurora Expeditions for Antarctic and Arctic voyages. In 2011, Oceanwide Expeditions purchased the vessel, and after a drydock refurbishment, renamed her “Ortelius.”

On January 16, 2014, Ortelius was scheduled to depart on a 9-night Antarctic Peninsula voyage. Although all passengers boarded, the cruise was canceled due to an anchor system failure. After repairs, the ship resumed her Antarctic program. A key highlight of the 2014 season was a successful Snow Hill Island expedition, during which passengers were flown by helicopter to visit an emperor penguin colony.

Ortelius underwent drydocking twice in 2025 as part of a two-phase project conducted in May and September. The May drydock focused on maintenance work, including hull cleaning, blasting to remove old paint, and full repainting. The September phase involved technical upgrades, including the installation of four newly manufactured bronze propeller blades (replacing the old stainless-steel ones), produced by Dutch Propeller Repairs BV.

After more than two years of pandemic-related suspension, Oceanwide Expeditions resumed operations with Ortelius on June 2, 2022. The ship’s 2022 summer schedule featured Arctic voyages to Norway’s Svalbard Islands (Fair Island, Jan Mayen Island, Longyearbyen, Krossfjorden, Monacobreen Glacier/Haakon VII Land), as well as Iceland and Greenland.