20 facts about Oceanwide’s original expedition cruise vessel
There’s a special place in the heart of most parents for their first child, and you could say we feel something similar for s/v Rembrandt van Rijn - minus all the sleepless nights caused by the turbulent teenage years, of course.
Rembrandt van Rijn, or as we often call her simply RVR, was the first ship in our fleet. She spearheaded our Spitsbergen program, which was the first of its kind, and has been rebuilt, renovated, and refurbished several times in the years since. And to this day, this historic lugger takes passengers on some of our most enduringly popular Arctic cruises.
But how well do we really know her? Here are 20 interesting facts about Rembrandt van Rijn you may not know, because some of them we didn’t either.
The ins and outs of our beloved RVR
1. Rembrandt van Rijn was originally a herring lugger, built in the early 1900s
2. She was rebuilt as a three-mast passenger schooner in the Netherlands in 1994
Picture by Hasan Akay
3. RVR sailed in Spitsbergen from 1994 – 1996, then in the Galápagos from 1998 – 2001 before taking on its current programs
4. Rembrandt underwent another complete rebuilding in 2011
5. All of RVR’s communication and navigation equipment has been completely renewed according to the latest SOLAS regulations
Picture by Olga Lartseva
6. The schooner accommodates 33 passengers in 16 cabins and carries 12 crew and staff
7. Rembrandt van Rijn has a length of 49.5 meters (162.4 feet), a breadth of 6.65 meters (21.8 feet), and a draft of 2.8 meters (9.2 feet)
8. She also has a strengthened hull for sailing in the icy waters of Svalbard and Greenland
Picture by Sarah-Jane Laubscher
9. When wind power isn’t possible, Rembrandt can use two Cummins engines providing 550 KW of power
10. These engines give the vessel an average cruising speed of 6.5 knots
11. Two inflatable Zodiac boats are kept on board Rembrandt for shore landings
Picture by Philipp Schaudy
12. RVR has nine twin private cabins (with a shower, toilet, and porthole window), six twin private inside cabins (shower, toilet, but no window), and one triple private cabin (shower, toilet, and porthole)
13. Simple but delicious international cuisine is served buffet-style on Rembrandt van Rijn three times per day during cruises
14. Dress on board Rembrandt is informal, but you must bring shoes with excellent traction to avoid slipping on exterior decks
Picture by Marcela Numa
15. Electricity on board is delivered at 220 volt 50hz, and outlets are standard European with two thick round pins. Other nationalities may need a 220v / 110v converter
16. Smoking is prohibited inside RVR, but there are designated smoking areas outside
17. Rembrandt van Rijn makes daily landings aimed at three to six hours per landing
Picture by Georges Samaha
18. The vessel’s staff consists of nine ship crew, two expedition guides, and one chef
19. Her very stable ladder will get you from the deck to the water surface for boarding the Zodiacs, but you must be in reasonably good physical shape to use it
20. Rembrandt van Rijn makes voyages in Svalbard, Northern Norway, and Greenland
Picture by Tarik Checkchak
