When it comes to planning a cruise to Antarctica, one of the questions that comes up most frequently is what’s the best size of ship to sail on? There’s no perfect answer of course, but if you want to maximise your time exploring off the ship, then we generally recommend ships that carry fewer than 200 passengers. But what is the experience like if you go really small? This season I visited Antarctica on one such ship, the Magellan Explorer, to find out.
- Magellan Explorer is designed for Fly & Cruise Antarctica trips
- What are cabins like on Magellan Explorer?
- What is life on board Magellan Explorer like?
- What type of Antarctic traveller should sail on Magellan Explorer?
Magellan Explorer is designed for Fly & Cruise Antarctica trips
The Magellan Explorer was launched in 2019 by Antarctica21. It’s as pocket-sized as they come, carries a maximum of just 76 passengers. It was specially built for Fly & Cruise itineraries – with travellers starting their trip by taking a quick two hour flight to Antarctica from Antarctica21’s home city of Punta Arenas in Chile, rather than the two day voyage across the Drake Passage.
Before travelling, I was in two minds about this. The Drake Passage has a slightly overblown reputation as a place where you’re guaranteed stormy seas, but crossing it is a traditional Antarctic rite of passage that I’ve always enjoyed. I’d signed up for Swoop’s Original Fly & Cruise Luxury Adventure, but was I somehow taking the lesser option by jumping on a plane?
Having now flown both ways, I can say absolutely not. It’s actually quite an extraordinary experience. I arrived in Punta Arenas the day before the flight to Antarctica to have time to explore the city, as well as joining the group for our mandatory pre-departure briefing from the expedition team at Explorers House, Antarctica21’s stylish private clubhouse. Here, we went through all the essential biosecurity procedure for all visitors to Antarctica, and tried on the neoprene boots we’d wear when we were out on excursions. We all ate dinner together at Explorers House – the perfect icebreaker – and were told that the weather window was looking good for out flight out the next day.
The next morning we were taken to Punta Arenas airport. It felt rather surreal to see Antarctic on the departure board when other travellers were heading to more regular destinations – a feeling that was compounded when we walked out onto the tarmac to find a plane painted like a penguin with the logo ‘Antarctic Airways’ written along its side. From that moment, the excitement truly began to build.
Most ships that operate fly & cruise trips in Antarctica require two or even three flights to transfer their full complement of passengers to the vessel. Magellan Explorer’s magic trick is that it was specially designed so that a single flight enough to carry everyone. There would be no waiting around for a second flight: the moment we landed in Antarctica, our adventure would begin.
The flight passed quickly with the chatter of new friends. It was only as we neared our destination that people grew restless with anticipation. Any thoughts of the slow passage across the Drake were instantly dispelled the moment we spotted our first icebergs. I just hadn’t anticipated just how beautiful Antarctica would look from the air. A distant archipelago resolved into white snow and black rocks, and as we got closer, the bright buildings of scientific research bases. And in the bay, close to the thin line of the landing strip, was the Magellan Explorer, looking as tiny and perfect as a child’s bath toy.
And then suddenly, the wheels of the plane touched down on Antarctica and we had arrived.
What are cabins like on Magellan Explorer?
Within minutes of landing, we were out of the plane and hit by sharp clean polar air. Two buses took us from the airstrip to the beach, where zodiacs were waiting to transfer us onto the ship. A moment later, we were skimming across the bay. It was a terrific way to arrive: Magellan Explorer rising stylishly out of the water to greet us, and then a crew member on a platform on the waterline extending a sailor’s grip to help us on board.
It was an awful lot to take in. As the cabin door shut I was suddenly alone with the silence. A couple of hours earlier I’d been in South America. Unpacking could wait: I actually had to rush out on deck to double check the view. Yes, I was definitely back in Antarctica. The speed of the transition felt incredible, I was quite overwhelmed by it all. Tears may have been shed.
Back inside, I started to get my bearings. I’d chosen one of the few porthole suites, and was in cabin 314. I’ve learned that I’m the sort of traveller who likes to spend as much time as I can out on the deck drinking in the views, but if this had been my first time in Antarctica I would definitely have gone for a veranda cabin with their balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows.
If it’s your first time on the White Continent, these are definitely the way to go. Waking up in the morning and being able to see icebergs from your bed, or taking an early morning coffee while looking for penguins from your balcony is a real treat.
Either way, the beds are very comfortable and the bathroom generous, with a great shower and plenty of well-chosen toiletries. I had all the plug sockets I needed to keep my gear charged, and plenty of storage.
Just as importantly, the cabin was always warm and had been immaculately cleaned every time I stepped back in from an excursion. It was the perfect place to recharge after a long day. And getting up to look through the porthole never failed to give me a sense of adventure!
What is life on board Magellan like?
Being on board a small ship definitely felt like we experienced Antarctica in a way that was so much more intimate than on some of the larger ships I’ve experienced. I never felt like I was more than about 10 seconds away from being out on deck if I wanted to be. People would spend a lot of time in the observation lounge on Deck Five, which had tremendous windows for watching the scenery as we cruised to our next destination. As soon as something happened like a beautiful new iceberg or a whale sighting (I travelled in March, so we saw a lot of whales), everyone would be standing up and ready with the camera in a second. Even if you’d left your parka or binoculars in your cabin, it took no time to rush and get it. On the Magellan Explorer there was never the sense that you might miss out on something.
The expedition team also did everything to ensure that we were immersed in Antarctica as much as possible.The landings and zodiac cruises were terrific, and with such a small passenger complement it took no time at all to get everyone on and off the ship. Tourism regulations mean that no more than 100 people can land in one location at any one time: for larger ships this often means carefully balancing landings, zodiac cruises and activities, but on the Magellan Explorer that question simply never arose.
The expedition team also had a great camaraderie. Most of them had been with Antarctica21 for many years, and were always eager to share their knowledge or an opportunity for a great photograph. There were expert talks, as well as the daily recap in the evening where we’d review what we’d seen and done that day – often with extra insights from one of the naturalist guides – and then look at the next day’s weather and what the Expedition Leader had mapped out for us.
Those a la carte dinners were excellent, incidentally. I’ll admit to being a picky eater, so I was both impressed and relieved to be so well catered for. Lunches were buffets, but in a nice touch there was an extra chef’s station where you could have a meal customised for you while you waited – for instance, one day it was noodles where you could pick whichever meat, fish or vegetables you wanted, whether you preferred more or less garlic or so on, and the chef would cook it up right on the spot. It was a lovely extra touch – and very popular.
What type of Antarctic traveller should sail on Magellan Explorer?
The Magellan Explorer is an extremely comfortable ship with a sleek minimalist feel, and the quality of service on board is absolutely remarkable. The luxury is in the intimacy of the experience rather than the choice of onboard amenities (this isn’t the right ship for those wanting multiple dining options or extensive spa facilities). For me it felt a lot like a floating boutique hotel – brilliantly staffed and made to handle the toughest conditions that Antarctica has to offer
The high number and quality of guides balanced with the low passenger numbers always meant that we could squeeze the most out of every landing and zodiac cruise. Those who want to linger on the extended voyage across the Drake Passage might not be suited to the sudden immersive joy of getting off a plane to find themselves suddenly in Antarctica, but for travellers on a more condensed calendar and who are looking for a high quality polar experience, the Magellan Explorer might be the perfect fit.
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This blog was first published on 17 May 2024, and updated on 04 June 2026 to reflect Swoop’s most recent voyage on Magellan Explorer.
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