Antarctica21 is preparing to welcome its newest vessel, the Magellan Discoverer, as the Chilean fly-cruise operator positions itself at the top of the fly-cruise Antarctica expedition market.

The Magellan Discoverer is scheduled for delivery on September 30, with an inaugural voyage set for December 15, Francesco Contini, executive vice president of sales and marketing, said in an interview featured in Cruise Industry News’ 2026 Expedition Report.

“We have about a month or so with technical training and tests, and then the vessel will go to Puntarenas, where we have a number of interesting events planned, some for our teams and others for the local community. We’re going to do a formal christening of the vessel there,” said Contini.

The Magellan Discoverer joins the Magellan Explorer, delivered in 2019, in completing a fleet transformation that Contini said the company began planning in 2017.

The Magellan Discoverer features a hybrid propulsion system with a battery pack and azipods. The vessel also incorporates a Tier III emission control system, an energy recovery system, and software that maximizes operational efficiency across all vessel functions.

It replaces the Ocean Nova, which has left the Antarctica21 fleet, and that transition comes with a significant pricing shift.

The Ocean Nova carried an average ticket price of around $13,000; the Discoverer’s average is approximately $23,000.

“In terms of the fly-cruise experience in Antarctica, this is the most expensive product in the market,” Contini said. “We are more expensive than brands that present themselves as luxury brands.”

The Magellan Discoverer will also carry a dedicated science lab, formalized through agreements with three Chilean scientific institutions, including the Chilean equivalent of NOAA.

Sensors aboard the vessel will continuously collect water temperature, salinity and air quality data throughout Antarctic seasons.