Photograph of MV Hondius
MV Hondius at Spitsbergen in June 2025
History
Name Hondius
Namesake Jodocus Hondius
Owner Oceanwide Expeditions
Port of registry Vlissingen, Netherlands
Ordered 8 November 2016
Builder Brodosplit (Split, Croatia)
Cost Over 100 million euro[1]
Yard number 484
Laid down 11 December 2017
Launched 10 June 2018
Completed 22 May 2019
Maiden voyage 3 June 2019
In service 2019–present
Identification
Status In service
General characteristics [2]
Type Cruise ship
Tonnage
  • 6,603 GT
  • 2,057 NT
  • 1,154 DWT
Displacement 5,633 t (5,544 long tons)
Length 107.6 m (353 ft 0 in)
Beam 17.6 m (57 ft 9 in)
Draught 5.36 m (17 ft 7 in)
Ice class Polar Class 6
Installed power 2 × ABS 12DZC (2 × 2,130 kW)
Propulsion Single shaft; controllable pitch propeller
Speed 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Capacity 170 passengers in 80 cabins
Crew
  • 57 crew
  • 13 guides
  • 1 doctor

MV Hondius is a Dutch expedition ship owned by Oceanwide Expeditions,[3] which has been used for relatively small-scale cruises in the Arctic and Antarctic since 2019. As of May 2026, the Hondius is involved in an outbreak of hantavirus.

Description

Hondius is 107.6 metres (353 ft 0 in) long overall and 94.275 metres (309 ft 3.6 in) between perpendiculars, has a beam of 17.6 metres (57 ft 9 in), and draws 5.36 metres (17 ft 7 in) of water with a displacement of 5,633 tonnes (5,544 long tons). Its gross tonnage is 6,603; net tonnage 2,057; and deadweight tonnage 1,154 tonnes. The ship's hull and propulsion system are strengthened for navigation in ice-covered waters according to Polar Class 6 which is intended for summer and autumn operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions.[2][4]

Unlike bigger and more luxurious cruise ships,[5] Hondius is built to support expedition-style voyages and activity-based shore excursions in polar regions.[6] The ship can accommodate up to 170 passengers in 80 outside passenger cabins across eight categories from four-berth staterooms to grand suites with private balcony. The public spaces include dining room, lecture room and an observation lounge as well as two gangway and an indoor platform to embark Zodiac inflatable boats.[7] The ship has a crew of 57 with additional 13 guides and a doctor.[8]

The ship's propulsion system consists of two 2,130-kilowatt (2,860 hp) 12-cylinder Anglo Belgian Corporation (ABC) 12DZC four-stroke medium-speed diesel engines geared to a single controllable pitch propeller. This gives Hondius a service speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). Onboard electricity is generated by two 750-kilowatt (1,010 hp) auxiliary diesel generators and a single shaft generator. For maneuvering in ports, the ship has two transverse thrusters, one in bow and another in the stern.[2]

History

In late 2016, Oceanwide Expeditions ordered an ice-strengthened expedition vessel from Brodosplit in Split, Croatia.[6][9] The ship, named Hondius after the Flemish cartographer Jodocus Hondius,[10] was the company's first new ship.[11] First steel was cut on 22 August 2017,[12] followed by keel laying on 11 December 2017[13] and launching on 10 June 2018.[14] The completed vessel was delivered on 22 May 2019 and on the same day Oceanwide Expeditions signed a new contract with the shipyard for the construction of a sister ship, Janssonius.[1] In June 2019, Hondius was off on its first excursion to Spitsbergen.[15]

In December 2019, Hondius participated in the search after a Chilean military airplane disappeared.[16][17][18] At 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) distance the ship had been closest to where the airplane disappeared from the radar.[17]

In April 2026, an outbreak of hantavirus on board Hondius killed three people and left another seriously ill.[19] Thereafter, the ship was placed under isolation. It was anchored off the coast of the Cape Verde Islands in early May 2026, with passengers unable to disembark.[20]

See also

  • MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak
  • Oceanwide Expeditions

References

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  1. ^ a b "Brodosplit Delivers New Polar Cruise Ship to Oceanwide Expeditions". Offshore Energy. 27 May 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  2. ^ a b c "Hondius (9818709)". Sea-web. S&P Global. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  3. ^ Bosboom, Rolf (2 November 2021). "Rijke Zeeuwen en de Quote 500: Piet Vroon vliegt eruit, Michel van Gessel komt erin". Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant (in Dutch). p. 2. Retrieved 7 May 2026. Zeeuwse nieuwkomer in de lijst is Michel van Gessel van Oceanwide Expeditions in Vlissingen. Hij staat op plaats 452, volgens Quote goed voor 120 miljoen euro. Begin jaren negentig begon Van Gessel samen met zijn vader met het organiseren van poolreizen. Het bedrijf beschikt inmiddels over vijf eigen schepen, met het luxe expeditieschip Hondius als jongste aanwinst.
  4. ^ Unified Requirements for Polar Class ships Archived 2012-06-20 at the Wayback Machine. International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), April 2016. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  5. ^ "HS:n toimittaja risteili kaksi vuotta sitten aluksella, jolla nyt leviää hantavirus – tällaiset olivat olot laivalla". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 9 May 2026. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  6. ^ a b "Oceanwide Orders Polar Cruise Ship at Brodosplit". Offshore Energy. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  7. ^ ""m/v Hondius deck plan"" (PDF). Oceanwide Expeditions. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  8. ^ "m/v Hondius". Oceanwide Expeditions. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  9. ^ Rozendaal, Ernst Jan (20 April 2017). "Groeiend poolreizenbedrijf bouwt nieuw vlaggenschip". Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant (in Dutch). p. 38. Retrieved 7 May 2026 – via Krantenbank Zeeland.
  10. ^ "The Man Behind the Ship: Hondius the Cartographer". Oceanwide Expeditions. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  11. ^ "Keel laying of Oceanwide's "Janssonius"". Polar Journal. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  12. ^ "Steel cutting started for polar expedition vessel HONDIUS". Shippax. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  13. ^ "Croatian shipyard lays keel for polar expedition vessel Hondius". Baird Maritime. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  14. ^ "First Polar Class 6-registered vessel launched". Baird Maritime. 11 June 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  15. ^ Van de Vleuten, Ondine (3 June 2019). "Topschip vaart langs boulevard". Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant (in Dutch). p. 20. Retrieved 7 May 2026 – via Krantenbank Zeeland.
  16. ^ Reyes, Verónica (11 December 2019). "Pasaba por ahí: Hondius, el crucero holandés lleno de turistas que se sumó a búsqueda del avión FACH". Bio Bio Chile. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  17. ^ a b Van de Kasteele, Timo (13 December 2019). "Vlissings schip zoekt naar verdwenen vliegtuig". Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant (in Dutch). p. 2. Retrieved 7 May 2026 – via Krantenbank Zeeland.
  18. ^ Graafland, Kees (12 December 2019). "Menselijke resten gevonden op plek waar Chileens vliegtuig in zee verdween". Algemeen Dagblad. Lokale media melden dat ook het Nederlandse cruiseschip Hondius uit Vlissingen zijn koers verlegde. Het schip was op weg naar Argentinië, maar werd door de Chileense autoriteiten op de hoogte gebracht van het ongeval en gevraagd te helpen zoeken. Dat deden de bemanning en passagiers ook enkele uren.
  19. ^ Imray, Gerald (5 May 2026). "How a deadly hantavirus outbreak unfolded on a cruise ship for weeks before it was identified". AP News. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  20. ^ Aikman, Ian; Mannand, Toby; Mackintosh, Thomas (3 May 2026). "Second hantavirus case confirmed after deaths on the cruise". BBC News. Retrieved 5 May 2026.