Heritage Expeditions vs Oceanwide Expeditions: which is better?

No score and no verdict of ours: what Heritage Expeditions and Oceanwide Expeditions each publish on their own websites, read 9 November 2026, topic by topic, each line linked to the page it came from.

Heritage Expeditions vs Oceanwide Expeditions: which is better?

Neither is better for everyone: Heritage Expeditions takes 140 guests on Heritage Adventurer, 130 on Heritage Discoverer and up to 18 on Heritage Explorer; it sails the Ross Sea and New Zealand's subantarctic islands, while Oceanwide Expeditions sails four ships in the Arctic and Antarctica and prices Antarctica Basecamp, 23 November to 5 December 2026, from US$10,150 in a quadruple cabin.

What is each line?

Heritage Expeditions runs small-ship expedition cruises on three ships it operates; it was formed in 1984 and is still family-owned and run. Source

Oceanwide Expeditions runs polar expedition voyages in the Arctic and Antarctica on its own fleet and says it began in 1993 from a university research programme in the northern Netherlands. Source

Which ships does each line sail?

Heritage Expeditions sails Heritage Adventurer (built in 1991 at Finland's Rauma shipyard), Heritage Discoverer (renovated in 2018, 2023 and 2026) and the expedition yacht Heritage Explorer. Source

Oceanwide Expeditions sails m/v Hondius, m/v Ortelius, m/v Plancius and the sailing vessel s/v Rembrandt van Rijn; it has signed a letter of intent for two eco-sail expedition vessels from 2029. Source

How many guests are on board?

Heritage Expeditions takes 140 guests on Heritage Adventurer, 130 on Heritage Discoverer and a maximum of 18 on the yacht Heritage Explorer. Source

Oceanwide Expeditions does not publish this on the pages read.

Where does each line sail?

Heritage Expeditions sells named voyages to the Ross Sea, the New Zealand and Australian Subantarctic Islands, the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and the Falklands, Svalbard, Greenland and Iceland, the British Isles, the Kimberley, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea plus coastal New Zealand including Fiordland and the Marlborough Sounds. Source

Oceanwide Expeditions sells named voyages to the Antarctic Peninsula, the Antarctic Circle, the Weddell Sea, the Bellingshausen Sea, South Georgia and the Falklands, Svalbard, Northeast and East Greenland, Iceland and the North Sea. Source

What ice class are the ships?

Heritage Expeditions says Heritage Discoverer has a 1A ice-class rating; it describes Heritage Adventurer as designed for Polar exploration. Source

Oceanwide Expeditions says Hondius holds Polar Class 6 and Ortelius UL1 (both equivalent to 1A-Super) and Plancius ice-class notation 1D; it calls Hondius the world's first-registered Polar Class 6 vessel. Source

Who leads the landings?

Heritage Expeditions says it aims for a guide-to-client ratio of 1:12, with naturalists, botanists, historians and other experts on each voyage. Source

Oceanwide Expeditions puts an expedition leader in charge of naturalists, scientists and guides, with one mountain guide to every 6 to 8 skiers on ski mountaineering voyages. Source

How much time ashore?

Heritage Expeditions plans daily landings, hikes, Zodiac excursions and ship cruises on its Antarctic Peninsula voyage, with four or five days in Antarctica. Source

Oceanwide Expeditions includes all shore excursions and Zodiac activities, with hikes of about 2 to 3 hours and long hikes of about 6 hours. Source

What can you do off the ship?

Heritage Expeditions offers optional sea kayaking with an expert guide on its Antarctic Peninsula, Subantarctic, Iceland, Scotland and Svalbard voyages, plus citizen science and a polar plunge in the Ross Sea; it does not say whether kayaking costs extra. Source

Oceanwide Expeditions includes camping (8 to 30 campers), kayaking, snowshoeing, mountaineering and a photo workshop free on Basecamp voyages; snowshoeing and hiking carry no surcharge, diving costs extra and select Ortelius voyages use helicopters. Source

What does a voyage cost?

Heritage Expeditions prices its 12-day Antarctic Peninsula Expedition Cruise on Heritage Discoverer from Ushuaia from $10,900 USD per person, down from $13,500 USD, for departures from 22 November 2027. Source

Oceanwide Expeditions prices Antarctica Basecamp on m/v Hondius, 12 nights round trip from Ushuaia, 23 November to 5 December 2026, from 10,150 USD per person in a Quadruple Porthole cabin. Source

What does the fare include?

Heritage Expeditions' Heritage Explorer fares in New Zealand include landing fees, transfers by helicopter or coach, accommodation with meals, all shore excursions and activities, GST, house drinks and naturalist guides; personal items, laundry, domestic flights, extensions and travel insurance are extra. Source

Oceanwide Expeditions' fares include all meals with snacks, coffee and tea, all shore excursions and Zodiac activities, lectures, free use of rubber boots and snowshoes on Plancius, Ortelius and Hondius, port charges and taxes; airfare, insurance, wifi, bar charges and gratuities are extra. Source

What do solo travellers pay?

Heritage Expeditions sells single cabins at a set fare rather than quoting a supplement: Main Deck Single at US$11,230 and Superior Single at US$12,115 on Heritage Adventurer's New Zealand Coastal Odyssey of 11 November 2026; Wandering cabins with one single berth on Heritage Explorer. Source

Oceanwide Expeditions charges single occupancy at 1.7 times the Twin or Superior cabin rate, or lets solo travellers share a Twin, Triple or Quadruple cabin at no extra cost in male-only or female-only berths. Source

How much is the deposit?

Heritage Expeditions asks a non-refundable deposit of 25% of the total price, with the balance due 90 days before departure on Heritage Adventurer and Heritage Discoverer (120 days for Antarctica) and 60 days before on Heritage Explorer. Source

Oceanwide Expeditions does not publish this on the pages read.

What happens if you cancel?

Heritage Expeditions refunds in full less a USD$750 per person fee (USD$315 on Heritage Explorer) more than 180 days out; from 179 to 91 days the deposit is lost and within 90 days (60 on Heritage Explorer) the whole fare. A change of date or destination counts as a cancellation. Source

Oceanwide Expeditions does not publish this on the pages read.

Is your money protected?

Heritage Expeditions has deposits held by Heritage Security Ltd on behalf of Heritage Expeditions (2018) Ltd under a customer deposit agreement. Source

Oceanwide Expeditions does not publish this on the pages read.

What insurance do you need?

Heritage Expeditions requires comprehensive travel insurance, with medical and emergency evacuation cover of at least USD$150,000 per person on Subantarctic expeditions and USD$250,000 per person on Antarctic expeditions. Source

Oceanwide Expeditions strongly recommends baggage, cancellation and personal insurance, which its fares do not include. Source

Can children come?

Oceanwide Expeditions gives children under 16 sailing with parents a 40% discount in Grand Suite, Superior, Triple and Quadruple cabins on request, with some voyages excluded. Source

Heritage Expeditions does not publish this on the pages read.

When is each not the fit?

The limits below are published by each line on their own websites.

• Heritage Expeditions: not the fit if your dates may move: it treats any change of departure date or destination after booking as a cancellation, with its cancellation charges. Source
• Oceanwide Expeditions: not the fit if you count on camping or kayaking on any departure: each needs a minimum group (8 campers, 4 kayakers) and camping is capped at 30. Source

How do their reviews compare?

Their figures per platform, read 9 November 2026, each from a listing under the line's own name; a whole-company profile is marked. Figures are never added together.

• Oceanwide Expeditions: Google: 4.5 out of 5 from 66 reviews. Read 9 November 2026.

The lines at a glance

One card each, as on every Uncompromised Travel expedition page: what each sells, why to choose each, what to ask for and the limits each publishes.

Richard Jasinski · Uncompromised Travel · written from Valencia · first published 9 November 2026 · updated 9 November 2026