The ice-strengthened Ortelius is an excellent vessel for Polar expedition cruises in the Arctic and Antarctic, providing possibilities to adventure in really remote locations such as the Ross Sea and Franz Josef Land.

Originally named Marina Svetaeva, she was built in Gdynia, Poland in 1989, and served as a special purpose vessel for the Russian Academy of Sciences. The vessel was re-flagged and renamed as Ortelius, after Abraham Ortelius (1527-98), a Dutch/Flemish cartographer who published the first modern world atlas in 1570.

The vessel has the highest ice-class notation (UL1 equivalent to 1A) and is therefore highly suitable for navigating in solid one-year sea ice, and loose multi-year pack ice. Ortelius makes a great expedition vessel for 100 passengers with lots of open deck space and a very large bridge which is open to passengers. She is manned by 34 highly experienced Russian crew, 15 international catering staff, including stewardesses, 6 expedition staff (1 expedition leader and 5 guides/lecturers) and a doctor. As the number of passengers is limited to approximately 100, flexibility assures maximum wildlife opportunities.