Company to provide technical management services for Antarctica21's polar expedition cruise ship
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Chile-based tour operator Antarctica21 has contracted V. Ships Leisure to provide technical management services for its new expedition vessel Magellan Explorer, which will be delivered in October 2019.
Currently under construction at the Asenav shipyard in Chile, the 100-guest Magellan Explorer will be built to polar code standards and customised for fly-cruises in Antarctica. The vessel is the first newbuild for Antarctica21, which charters the rest of its fleet.
V.Ships Leisure, which is part of V.Group and has experience in operating in polar areas, will be responsible for managing the technical aspects of operating Magellan Explorer.
“We are delighted to be able to bring our unique experience with start-ups and expedition vessels to support Antarctica21 as it welcomes its first newbuild,” said Per Bjornsen, director of V.Ships Leisure. “The combined experience of V.Ships Leisure and the whole of V.Group will deliver a bespoke solution for this unique fly-cruise concept.”
Outsourcing technical management to a third-party provider will allow Antarctica21 to concentrate on developing and delivering the guest experience.
“Partnering with V.Ships Leisure, the leading provider of ship management and related services in the cruise industry, we can focus on our distinctive core business which, unlike most of our peers, avoids the Drake Passage by flying our guests to King George Island, thus allowing better comfort and more quality time in Antarctica,” said Jaime Vásquez, chairman and president of Antarctica21.