Oceanwide Expeditions recently kicked off its 2025 season in the Arctic with a repositioning cruise to Svalbard.

Marking the beginning of the company’s three-ship deployment in the region, the Ortelius embarked on a cruise to the Scottish Highlands.

According to the company, the ship sailed from Vlissingen in the Netherlands on an expedition that included visits to destinations in the North Sea and the British Isles before heading to Svalbard.

The exploration cruise also included Oceanwide’s first visit to the Scottish town of Fort William on May 28, 2025.

After undergoing routine maintenance in Vlissingen, the Plancius and the Hondius also sailed to Svalbard in recent weeks.

In addition to the Norwegian archipelago, the three ships are set to offer expeditions to Iceland, Greenland and Jan Mayen in 2025.

Oceanwide’s schedule for the year includes the nine-night “Around Spitsbergen, In the Realm of the Polar Bear & Ice” expedition.

With multiple departures set to take place over the next few months, the itinerary is said to offer chances to catch sights of whales, reindeer, Arctic foxes, walruses, seals and polar bears.

Sailing roundtrip from Longyearbyen, the cruise offers a clockwise circumnavigation of West Spitsbergen that features planned visits to Krossfjorden, Ny Ålesund, Monaco Glacier, the Hinlopen Strait and more.

According to the company, the itinerary is also highlighted by stops at the bay of Diskobukta, which is said to offer an opportunity to explore the “pristine and quiet beauty” of the Søraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve.

After offering additional itineraries in the region, Oceanwide’s ships are set to return to Vlissingen in September before repositioning to Antarctica.

The Hondius, the Ortelius and the Plancius are set to offer expedition cruises departing from Ushuaia to the Antarctic Peninsula and region starting in November.

The company’s schedule in the region also features visits to the Weddell Sea, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and more.