Exploring the World with the MS World Explorer Ship

The MS World Discoverer is a Swedish/Finnish 1A Ice Class cruise ship that has had an illustrious career exploring some of the most remote and inhospitable regions on Earth. With its double hull construction, the vessel is designed to withstand minor floe impacts, allowing passengers to get up close and personal with ice floes in the Antarctic polar regions.

Between June and August, the World Discoverer cruised around the Alaskan region and the Russian border of the Bering Sea. From March to May and August to October, the ship explored the South Pacific Islands. During the Austral summer months from November to February, it conducted cruises in the Southern Hemisphere, visiting places such as Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, Chile, and Argentina.

One of the unique features of the World Discoverer is its fleet of inflatable dinghies, which allowed passengers to move closer to ice floes for observation. In 1996, the ship underwent a major refurbishment under its new name, World Discoverer. The vessel's history dates back to 1974 when it was built as the BEWA Discoverer in Bremerhaven, Germany.

The ship has had several owners throughout its lifetime, including Society Expedition Cruises, which operated it from 1987 to 1996. During this period, the ship was registered in Singapore and became a long-term charter to Society Expeditions. In 2000, the World Discoverer struck an underwater obstacle and was damaged, forcing it to be grounded and abandoned in the Solomon Islands.

Despite its unfortunate ending, the MS World Discoverer will always be remembered as a pioneering vessel that opened up new horizons for adventure-seekers and world explorers alike. Its legacy continues to inspire future generations of travelers to explore the unknown and experience the thrill of discovery.

World explorer ship