Oceanwide Expeditions

If most of the expedition world is drifting toward bigger ships and longer cocktail menus, Oceanwide Expeditions is the counterweight. This Dutch operator has been sailing the poles since 1996 — with roots in a university research foundation — and its whole philosophy fits in a sentence: the ship is base camp, not the destination.

That means small, rugged, ice-strengthened vessels, maximum time ashore, and a deep bench of hands-on add-ons — sea kayaking, polar diving, ski mountaineering, Antarctic camping, and (on one ship) helicopter flights to reach emperor penguin colonies inland. Voyages are naturalist-led and internationally minded, and the line is a member of both IAATO and AECO, the bodies that govern responsible polar travel. It was named World’s Best Expedition Cruise Line at the 2022 World Travel Awards.

The fleet is three purpose-driven ships — the flagship Hondius, the world’s first Polar Class 6 vessel; the helicopter-capable Ortelius; and the long-serving Plancius. For travelers who measure a trip by boots-on-the-ground time rather than thread count, Oceanwide is one of the best values in polar travel.