Following the success of its new Polar Class 6 ship, Hondius, Oceanwide Expeditions has ordered a sister ship built by the same manufacturer.

M/V Janssonius is scheduled to be completed in October next year.

She will have the same passenger capacity as Hondius, 174, a nearly identical size and design, and will be a Polar Class 6 ice-strengthened vessel equivalent to a 1A super ice-class ship.

Like Hondius, Janssonius will come equipped with a number of advanced systems and features specifically designed for safe, swift, and flexible polar voyages throughout the Arctic, Antarctica, and the sub-Antarctic.

She will have a protected indoor Zodiac loading area that can also be used for sea-based activities such as kayaking, and there will be two separate gangways to further facilitate ship-to-shore operations.

Her stern and bow thrusters will also enable Janssonius to drift or remain comfortably stationary.

One of the decks will be a dedicated observation lounge complete with a separate lecture room hosting a wide range of engaging, interactive, multilingual lectures and presentations.

Numerous cabin categories will also be available on Janssonius: spacious suites, superiors, twins, and quadruple cabins all decorated in a classic mid-century modern style.

Six of the suites will have balconies.

There will also be eight superior cabins with balconies, 19 twin deluxe cabins, 14 twin window cabins, 31 twin porthole cabins, two triple porthole cabins, and four quadruple porthole cabins.

Like most of the ships in the fleet, Janssonius is named in honour of an historic Dutch cartographer: Johannes Janssonius (1588-1664) was a map maker and publisher born in the Dutch town of Arnhem, but who lived and worked primarily in Amsterdam.

Janssonius will be built by Croatian shipyard Brodosplit, the same company that constructed Hondius, and will provide innovative expedition cruises in all of the regular regions of Oceanwide operation.