Antarctica21, a leader in the air-cruise model to Antarctica, announces its new 2020/2021 expedition schedule with 40 air-cruises this season. Joining the company’s fleet of expedition vessels and aircraft, the new M/V Magellan Explorer will make its maiden voyage on November 28, 2019.
“With the introduction of Magellan Explorer, we now have a modern vessel custom-designed for our unique Antarctic fly and cruise operations,” says Jaime Vasquez, Antarctica21’s Chairman of the Board. “We have operated air-cruise travel to Antarctica since 2003 and this new ship is the culmination of our extensive experience in this field.”
In 2020/2021 season, the elegant, 73-passenger Magellan Explorer will sail to Antarctica 18 times with four different itineraries. Fourteen voyages on the new ship will feature the 8-day, 7-nights Classic Antarctica Air-Cruise, one voyage will feature the 10-day, 9-nights Polar Circle Air-Cruise, which crosses the Antarctic Circle, and one itinerary is a 6-day, 5-nights Antarctica Express Air-Cruise. The season will also include a new 16-day, 15-nights South Georgia circuit.
Besides Magellan Explorer, Antarctica21 will operate Classic Antarctica, Polar Circle and Antarctica Express expeditions on the 67-passenger Ocean Nova and the 75-passenger Hebridean Sky. Classic Antarctica rates range from $13,495 to $26,995 per person; Polar Circle rates range from $17,995 to $33,995 per person and Antarctica Express rates range from $5,795 to $8,595 per person. Triple cabins are also available on all voyages at reduced rates. In addition to daily programs presented by Antarctic experts, guests have the option to book sea kayaking, hiking and snowshoeing.
All guests are flown from Punta Arenas, Chile to King George Island in Antarctica on a private BAE 146/AVRO RJ jet, which accommodates 75 passengers and is specially designed to land on short runways. The flight takes two hours.
Under construction since 2016, Magellan Explorer is now being completed at the ASENAV shipyard in Valdivia, Chile. The sleek and sophisticated interiors, created by the Chilean interior design firm Enrique Concha & Co., will be unveiled in November 2019.
Antarctica21 has also partnered with US-based Anytime Fitness, the only fitness company with gyms in all seven continents, to design and outfit the fitness center aboard the stylish Magellan Explorer.
Other distinctive features of Magellan Explorer include: expansive observation decks; state-of-the-art navigation equipment for detecting ice; retractable stabilizing fins that reduce the ship’s movement caused by waves; a double hull; two main engines with a total power of 3,440 kW to guarantee plenty of propulsion and bow and stern thrusters of 500 KW each to allow the ship to be agile.
They have taken specific measures to minimize Magellan Explorer’s carbon footprint. The ship is equipped with energy-efficient engines and meets MARPOL’s stringent Tier lll emission standards, the most stringent standards in the industry. 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.
“Our small-ship Antarctic expeditions, with a maximum of 75 guests, offer an intimate experience in Antarctica. Our fly-cruise model avoids the tempestuous Drake Passage and provides a fast and comfortable travel option,” said Francesco Contini, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Antarctica21. “We look forward to offering our travelers a new level of sophistication with the launch of the beautiful Magellan Explorer.”
For further information, visit www.antarctica21.com or call toll-free 1-877-994-2994.
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