Plancius: An ice-strengthened expedition vessel with comfort and character

Accommodations

M/v “Plancius” accommodates 116 passengers in 53 passenger cabins, each with a private toilet and shower. This includes 4 quadruple porthole cabins, 2 triple porthole cabins, 9 twin porthole cabins, 26 twin cabins with a window, and 2 twin deluxe cabins (ca. 12.5 square meters) and 10 twin superior cabins (ca. 21 square meters). All cabins offer lower berths (one queen-size bed in the superior cabins and two single beds in the twin cabins) except the 4 quadruple cabins which accommodate 4 people in 2 upper and 2 lower beds, and 2 triple cabins which are set up with 1 bunk bed and 1 lower bed.

The vessel offers a restaurant/lecture room on Deck 3 and a spacious observation lounge (with bar) on Deck 5 with large windows, offering a full panorama view. The Plancius has large open deck spaces (including full walk-around possibilities on Deck 4) providing excellent opportunities to enjoy the scenery and wildlife in both the Arctic and Antarctica. She is furthermore equipped with 10 Mark V zodiacs, including 40 HP 4-stroke outboard engines and 2 gangways on the starboard side, guaranteeing a swift zodiac operation for excursions.

The Plancius is comfortable and nicely decorated but is not designed as a luxury vessel. The voyages in the polar regions are primarily defined by exploratory educational travel programs, spending as much time ashore as possible. The vessel is equipped with a diesel-electric propulsion system which reduces the noise and vibration of the ship considerably. The 3 diesel engines generate 1.230 horsepower each, giving the ship a speed of 10 – 12 knots. It is ice-strengthened and was specially built for oceanographic voyages. The Plancius is manned by an international crew of 37 (18 nautical crew and 19 hotel crew), 8 expedition staff (1 expedition leader, 1 assistant expedition leader, and 6 guides/lecturers), and 1 doctor.

Yacht Specifications

Staff & Crew: 49
Guests: 108 in 50 cabins
Length: 293 feet (89 meters)
Breadth: 47 feet (14.5 meters)
Draft: 16 feet (5 meters)
Ice class: 1D (Plancius has a Lloyds class notation 100A1 Passenger ship, Ice Class 1D at a draught of 5 meters)
Speed: 10.5 knots average
Displacement: 3211 tonnes
Propulsion: 3x Diesel-Electric