Oceanwide Expeditions will build a second new ship for a October 2021 delivery, said Wijnand Van Gessel, owner, in an interview with Cruise Industry News.

“We have had a good experience with the shipyard, working with them as a partner,” said Van Gessel, speaking via phone from the yard. 

The new ship will be a sister to the Hondius, which the company took delivery of this week, and will carry the name Janssonius after the famous Dutch cartographer.

“The Hondius is very good quality at a decent price. The shipyard has maintained the delivery dates and this is the most important thing in the industry,” Van Gessel said.

The Hondius is scheduled to leave Split next week and make her way to an early June christening in the Netherlands.

The new ship has maximum capacity for 196 guests or 174 at double occupancy, which Van Gessel said was the optimal number.

Among the features aboard the Hondius will be larger staterooms, some featuring balconies, and a huge observation lounge with big windows. A zodiac boarding area has been carefully designed to streamline operations, letting guests more or less jump into the zodiacs.