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Antarctica

Magellan Discoverer

Antarctic Ships
Ice Rating: PC6 (1A Super equivalent)

Step onto your private balcony and let Antarctica sink in. Built for a world of ice and remote polar shores, the 94-metre Magellan Discoverer combines a Polar Class 6 ice rating with hybrid diesel-electric propulsion. She hosts up to 88 guests on air-cruises and 96 on sea voyages. The Magellan Discoverer’s name makes no false-promises, it’s built to take you further, to explore the extraordinary.

Why we like the Magellan Discoverer

Antarctica is a fierce, remote wilderness, hidden even beyond the horizon’s eyes. Yet the Magellan Discoverer brings you face to face with the Antarctic ice and cold, dark waters. On her Classic Antarctica air-cruises, a quick two-hour flight from Punta Arenas carries you over the Drake Passage to King George Island, where you join the ship. The Discoverer offers access to adventure like no other vessel can, but beyond simply getting to the Antarctic, the Magellan takes you deep into its heart. Passed the photographed, beyond the storied, and into the unknown.

Activities

Discover Antarctica from the water, the shore and from those who know it best. Zodiac excursions take you among icebergs and into remote bays, while guided landings reveal penguin colonies and landscapes alive with unexpected detail. Watch for seals and whales, or join optional sea kayaking, hiking and snowshoeing programmes for a different view of the wilderness. Back aboard, expert presentations deepen your understanding of what you have seen. Activities vary with the itinerary, weather and ice conditions, keeping each expedition responsive to the world outside.

Where does the Magellan Discoverer cruise?

The Magellan Discoverer explores the South Shetland Islands and the western Antarctic Peninsula, navigating a world of ice-filled fjords, mountainous islands and wildlife-rich shores. Selected expeditions travel further south, aiming to reach the Antarctic Circle when conditions allow.

Her sea voyages also open up the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Patagonia and the Chilean fjords, depending on the departure. From vast king penguin colonies to glaciers descending towards forested waterways, these journeys reveal the extraordinary variety of the far south.

Sustainability

Care for Antarctica extends beneath the waterline. The Discoverer’s hybrid propulsion combines diesel engines with batteries to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions and underwater noise. Recovered engine heat helps warm the ship, putting energy that would otherwise be wasted back to work.

On board, seawater is converted into fresh water, while waste is sorted and stored for disposal at authorised port facilities. Dedicated science laboratories support Southern Ocean research, and citizen science programmes invite guests to contribute. Your curiosity becomes an opportunity to help understand the wilderness you have come to explore.

Polar Plunge
Cruises and Voyages
Polar Adventures
Kayaking
Polar Cruises
Zodiac Cruising

Adventure Traveller
Solo Traveller
Wildlife

Ice Rating:	PC6 (1A Super equivalent)
Passengers:	Up to 88 for air-cruises & 96 for sea voyages
Length:	94 metres
Breadth:	17.2 metres
Draft:	4.3 metres
Cruising speed :	14 knots
Crew:	67
Lifeboats:	2 Lifeboats (124 capacity) & 8 life rafts (120 capacity)

Download Deckplan

Magellan Discoverer Observation Deck, Antarctica

See when this vessel is setting sail

For further information about any of these tours please call 01285 880 980

Expert-led Cruises

Our travel experts have years of knowledge and between them and have personally inspected or travelled on board many of the boats we offer.

Expert led cruise title	Departure date	Duration	Prices start from ex. flights	Status
Fly-Cruise Antarctica	21/01/27	8 days	£21,985	AVAILABLE	Reserve your place
Fly-Cruise Antarctica	26/01/27	8 days	£21,985	AVAILABLE	Reserve your place
Fly-Cruise Antarctica	12/12/27	8 days	£20,425	AVAILABLE	Reserve your place
Fly-Cruise Antarctica	05/03/28	8 days	£17,144	AVAILABLE	Reserve your place

Idea

Svalbard

Arctic Polar Bear Voyage

A High Arctic navigation that focuses on spotting the elusive polar bear in its natural habitat while also searching for other Arctic species, this sailing moves through the Svalbard Archipelago and is bookmarked with time spent in Longyearbyen.

Magellan Discoverer

Why we like the Magellan Discoverer

Activities

Where does the Magellan Discoverer cruise?

Sustainability

Onboard experiences

Ideally suited for

Ship Information

See when this vessel is setting sail

Expert-led Cruises

Holiday Inspiration

Holiday Inspiration

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Vessel Ice Rating Comparison Chart.