Due to the success of our 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, 2021. 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.
The ship will measure 107 meters (350 feet) long, and her beam will provide a width of 17.6 meters (58 feet). She will be powered by two main engines delivering 4,200 kW and enabling speeds of up to 15 knots, the same as Hondius. And also like Hondius, the propulsion system of Janssonius will include an adjustable pitch propeller, flexible power management, and a shaft generator as opposed to a diesel-driven generator. This will keep Janssonius at the lowest fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emission possible.
But these won't be the only environmental features of Janssonius. The ship will employ LED interior and exterior lighting, biodegradable paints and lubricants, steam heating that uses a minimum of electricity, and waste heat that will be reused for the production of fresh water. In other words, passengers who sail on Janssonius will experience the polar regions as much as possible while impacting them as little as possible.
Like most of the ships in our fleet, Janssonius is named in honor 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. With Janssonius, we're proud to continue our commemoration of people who pioneered the great discoveries of the past.
M/v Janssonius will be built by Croatian shipyard Brodosplit, the same company that constructed Hondius, and will provide innovative expedition cruises in all of our regular regions of m/v operation. Upon completion, Janssonius will join a stellar nautical family composed of historic Oceanwide sailing vessels Noorderlicht and Rembrandt van Rijn and motor vessels Plancius, Ortelius, and of course, Hondius.