Fly, cruise Antarctica

The group first used a de Havilland Canada Dash 7 to ferry tourists gathered in Punta Arenas, Chile, to Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Martin Airport on King George Island, Antarctica, where a small ship would be waiting to take them exploring. The flight knocked four days off the expedition itinerary and allowed those prone to seasickness to skip the dreaded, stormy Drake Passage.

The new tourism model has flourished into a 40-departure season for the company, Antarctica21. The company operates a 75-passenger British Aerospace BAe 146-200/Avro RJ aircraft and this year is adding a third ice-class ship to its fleet. The Magellan Explorer is the company's first vessel to be custom designed for the polar air-cruise operations.

The company calls its air-cruises boutique-style wilderness adventures, a mix of active exploration and high-end hospitality. The tourism season in Antarctica is November to March, during the Southern Hemisphere summer. You’ll see icebergs, deep fjords, and massive glaciers, along with large numbers of penguins, whales, seals, and seabirds congregating along the peninsula to feed and reproduce. In addition to daily programs presented by Antarctic experts, guests have the option to book sea kayaking, hiking, and snowshoeing excursions.

Several international polar expedition experts contributed to the design of the 73-passenger Magellan Explorer. It was built in Chile to the latest Polar Code specifications with interiors created by a Chilean interior design firm. It has state-of-the art navigation equipment for detecting ice; retractable stabilizing fins that reduce the ship’s movement caused by waves; a double hull; and a propulsion system offering power and agility while minimizing the ship’s carbon footprint. To minimize fuel consumption, a waste-heat recovery system recycles the heat produced by the ship’s engines and repurposes it to power the ship’s heating system and to warm the water used on board.

All cabins have an individually controlled heating system and feature a wardrobe, sitting area, and private bathroom with shower and private balconies, except porthole cabins. The ship has a glass-enclosed observation lounge and presentation room with audiovisual equipment, a dining room, a bar, a library, a meeting room, a fitness center by U.S.-based Anytime Fitness, a sauna, and a medical clinic. The forward-facing expansive observation deck leads to the bow of the ship, letting guests get close to marine wildlife. The ship has a fleet of 10 Zodiac boats for disembarking and wildlife watching.

Magellan Explorer makes its maiden voyage to Antarctica on November 28, launching a season with departure dates through March 1, 2020. The 2020–2021 dates are also available and booking for departures starting November 18, 2020, through February 25, 2021.

The new vessel sails to Antarctica with four different itineraries: an eight-day, seven-night Classic Antarctica; a 10-day, nine-night Polar Circle, which crosses the Antarctic Circle; a six-day, five-night Antarctica Express; and a new 16-day, 15-night Antarctica and South Georgia circuit.

Antarctica21 also operates the Classic Antarctica, Polar Circle, and Antarctica Express voyages on the 67-passenger Ocean Nova and the 75-passenger Hebridean Sky. Rates range from $5,795 to $33,995 per person. Triple cabins are also available at reduced rates.