Due to work (life is tough) I was lucky enough to be guiding 9 Pioneers on the first-ever YPT trip to Greenland. As another Brucey bonus, it was also the inaugural trip for the Hondius to Greenland.
So, what is it like to cruise on the MV Hondius?
The rooms are nice!
Rooms go queen, double, triple, and for most of us quads. Rooms are pretty big, well equipped, and dare I say quite luxurious!
How’s the layout on the Hondius?
Technically 7 floors/decks, but your life exists on deck 3 where most people live (and the zodiacs depart), deck 4 which has the restaurant, and then the wonderful deck 5, home of the bar!
How is the food on the Hondius?
Pretty damned good, not exactly luxurious, but breakfast, and lunch is a decent buffet, with dinner being plated menu options. I have included lots of food pictures for this one!
Can you drink on the MV Hondius!
Yes, yes you can! Beers are under $4, and cocktails are about $5. Great bar, which closes about midnight, or if people are drinking, they will stay open a bit later. You can also bring your own booze up there when it closes, which resulted in a 5 am finish on our first night! Ouch…
And the facilities?
The MV Hondius has a capacity for 174 pax spread over 32 rooms, with roughly 60 or so crew on board. There’s a TV room, lectures room, internet connectivity (not cheap), and TV’s in your room showing the BBC. Even at sea, I was unable to escape Brexit. Although amusingly Greenland was the first-ever country to leave the EEC (as the EU was known) in 1985.
And the activities on Hondius?
Kayaking, going out on the zodiacs, going ashore, diving, every “port” day has a lot going on. There’s also a lot of lectures and workshops if you are that way inclined.
The real highlight though is simply cruising around some of the most unseen and amazing scenery on earth, icebergs, fjords, and Greenland, my 146th country!
I’ll be doing Svalbard next year if you fancy joining The Street Food Guy!