MS Discoverer
The MS Discoverer is an Ice Class 1A expedition ship with a capacity of up to 140 passengers, sailing in the Antarctic and Arctic regions as well as along the coasts of South America.
Spanning 108 meters, the ship features five passenger decks with 69 exterior staterooms in nine categories, as well as a restaurant, bar, observation lounge, lecture room, library, boutique, and fitness center. Deck 6 is home to the wellness area with a sauna, steam room, and treatment room, two outdoor hot tubs, and a wraparound outdoor deck from which you can watch for ice and wildlife.
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Every cabin is an outside cabin: the Owner’s Suite, Grand Suite, and Navigator Cabin on Deck 7 feature a private walk-out balcony; the Discovery Suite and Balcony Cabin on Deck 5 have floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open onto a French balcony; and the cabins on Decks 3 and 4 have a large panoramic window or two portholes.
A fleet of Zodiac boats takes passengers ashore and on excursions among the icebergs, typically twice a day, weather permitting. In the lecture room, the expedition team discusses the wildlife, history, and geology of the regions visited; a photography coach accompanies every voyage; and anyone who wishes can participate in the citizen science projects on board.
Built in 1989 at the Rauma-Repola shipyard in Rauma, Finland, and renovated in 2018 and 2023, the MS Discoverer combines an ice-strengthened hull with bright common areas and a contemporary cabin design. Three Solo Vista single cabins on Deck 4 are specially designed for solo travelers and are assigned without a single supplement.
Stephanie Gräf
Travel expert, inventia | Travel beyond the ordinary
Specialist in travel to the Arctic and Antarctic.
I am your contact person for questions and bookings relating to the Arctic and Antarctic, and I am delighted that you are one of the few people who are traveling to the ends of the earth.
You can reach me by phone or email:
+49 (0)201 858 90 960
welcome@inventia.de
Onboard amenities
- Restaurant on Deck 4 with windows overlooking the ocean and international cuisine
- Main Lounge with Bar on Deck 5
- Observation lounge with panoramic windows and a library on Deck 6
- Lecture Hall for the Expedition Team's Program
- Outdoor grill on Deck 6 for dining al fresco
- Two outdoor hot tubs on Deck 6
- Wellness area with a sauna, steam room, and treatment room
- Fitness room with a view of the ocean on Deck 4
- Circumferential outdoor deck on Deck 6 for wildlife viewing, panoramic deck on Deck 7
- Mudroom and expedition office on Deck 3, right next to the Zodiac boarding areas
- Reception, boutique, and onboard clinic with an emergency physician
- Elevator serving all passenger decks
- 69 outside cabins with a balcony, French balcony, panoramic window, or portholes
- Zodiac fleet for landings and outbound trips
- Wi-Fi throughout the ship
What we love about her
- Every cabin offers an outside view —69 outside cabins in nine categories, most with a balcony, French balcony, or large panoramic window.
- Ice Class 1A – The ice-strengthened hull complies with the Polar Code and allows the ship to reach even the most remote coasts of the polar regions.
- Hot tub with a view of the ice – Two outdoor hot tubs on Deck 6, plus a sauna, steam room, and treatment room.
- Circumferential Deck 6 – An outdoor walkway for wildlife viewing and photography, as close to the ice and the horizon as a ship allows.
- Three single cabins with no single supplement —the Solo Vista single cabins on Deck 4 are specially designed for solo travelers.
- Renovated in 2018 and 2023 —modern cabins, upgraded bathrooms, and brighter common areas.
ship data
Key data:
- Type: Expedition ship , Ice Class 1A, Polar Code-compliant
- Cruise destinations: Antarctica (Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands, South Georgia, Falkland Islands), the Arctic (Svalbard, Greenland, Jan Mayen, Iceland), and South America (Patagonia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama)
- Flag: Bahamas (home port: Nassau)
- Year built: 1989 , Rauma-Repola Shipyard in Rauma (Finland)
- Renovation: 2018 and 2023
- Length: 108 m
- Width: 16 m
- Draft: 4 .5 m
- Tonnage: 6 ,158 GT
- Ice class: 1A
- Max. passengers: 140
- Cabins: 69 (in 9 categories), all outside
- Passenger decks: 5
- Crew: 107 (including the expedition team)
- Maximum speed: 14 knots
- Cruising speed: 12 .5 knots
- Life-saving equipment: 2 semi-enclosed lifeboats, each with a capacity of 150 people; 4 life rafts, each with a capacity of 25 people
- Elevator: Yes , serving all passenger decks
Good to Know on Board
All cabins have natural light.
Each of the 69 cabins is an outside cabin, featuring a balcony, French balcony, panoramic window, or portholes. Standard amenities include a seating area with a desk, a bathrobe and slippers, a hair dryer, a closet with a safe, a minibar with a refrigerator, a flat-screen TV with a media library, a telephone, Wi-Fi, and individually controlled air conditioning. The electrical outlets provide 110 and 220 volts. In the Owner’s Suite, Grand Suite, and Discovery Suite, guests are greeted with fruit and sparkling wine, a stocked non-alcoholic minibar, laundry service, and an espresso machine.
On Board: The official language on board is English. Onboard charges are paid in U.S. dollars, either in cash or by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express). An elevator connects all passenger decks.
Solo Travelers: Three Solo Vista single cabins on Deck 4 are available without a single supplement. A limited number of double cabins can be booked for single occupancy with a 70% surcharge on the double occupancy rate. If a single cabin is not desired, accommodation on board is available in shared cabins. In this case, you will be accommodated with other travelers of the same gender and possibly of a different nationality. No single-occupancy surcharges apply.
Up to three people: The Owner’s Suite, Grand Suite, Discovery Suite, Vista Cabin, and Ocean Cabin can accommodate up to three people; in the Discovery Suite, the third person sleeps on the sofa bed.
Halal-friendly departures: On select dates, the kitchen operates in accordance with Halal guidelines from embarkation through disembarkation, and the wellness area offers separate time slots for men, women, and mixed groups. The itinerary, shore excursions, and expedition team remain the same.
Cabins on board
Click on a cabin category for more details.
Porthole Cabin
Outside cabin with two portholes, approx. 14 to 15 m², queen-size double bed or two single beds, sitting area with desk, closet with safe, marble bathroom with shower, minibar with refrigerator, TV, air conditioning, min. 1 and max. 2 guests, Deck 3.
Ocean Cabin
Outside cabin with a large panoramic window, approx. 14 to 15 m², queen-size double bed or two single beds, sitting area with desk, plenty of storage space, closet with safe, marble bathroom with shower, minibar with refrigerator, TV, air conditioning, min. 1 and max. 3 guests, Deck 3.
Vista Cabin
Outside stateroom with a large panoramic window, approx. 18 m², queen-size double bed or two single beds, sitting area with desk, closet with safe, marble bathroom with shower, minibar with refrigerator, TV, air conditioning, accommodates a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 3 people, Deck 4.
Solo Vista Single Cabin
Outside cabin with large panoramic window, approx. 16 to 18 m², queen-size bed, sitting area with desk, closet with safe, marble bathroom with shower, minibar with refrigerator, TV, air conditioning, min. 1 and max. 1 person, no single supplement, Deck 4.
Balcony Cabin
Outside cabin with French balcony (floor-to-ceiling glass door that opens, no walk-in veranda), approx. 19 to 20 m², queen-size double bed or two single beds, sitting area with desk, closet with safe, marble bathroom with shower, minibar with refrigerator, TV, air conditioning, min. 1 and max. 2 guests, Deck 5.
Discovery Suite
Suite with two French balconies (floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open), approx. 39 m², queen-size double bed or two single beds, sitting area with a sleeper sofa, desk, and vanity, closet with safe, marble bathroom with bathtub and separate shower, minibar with refrigerator, TV, air conditioning, espresso machine, accommodates a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 3 guests, Deck 5.
Navigator Cabin
Outside cabin with a private walk-in balcony and outdoor seating, approx. 37 m², queen-size double bed or two single beds, sitting area with desk, closet with safe, marble bathroom with bathtub and separate shower, minibar with refrigerator, TV, air conditioning, min. 1 and max. 2 guests, Deck 7.
Owner's Suite
Suite with separate living room and private walk-in balcony with seating, approx. 67 m², queen-size double bed or two single beds, walk-in closet, desk and vanity, safe, marble bathroom with bathtub and separate shower, minibar with refrigerator, TV, air conditioning, espresso machine, accommodates a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 3 guests, Deck 7.
Grand Suite
Suite with a separate sitting area and a private walk-in balcony accessible through floor-to-ceiling glass doors, approx. 57 m², queen-size double bed or two single beds, walk-in closet, desk and vanity, safe, marble bathroom with bathtub and separate shower, minibar with refrigerator, TV, air conditioning, espresso machine, accommodates 1–3 guests, Deck 7.
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The MS Discoverer off the coast of Fjordbergen; a Zodiac is on its way
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The outdoor grill on Deck 6, when the weather is perfect for dining al fresco
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The Main Lounge on Deck 5, featuring a bar and seating areas
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The observation lounge on Deck 6, featuring a library and panoramic windows
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In the lecture hall, the expedition team talks about wildlife, history, and geology
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The restaurant on Deck 4 with windows overlooking the ocean
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The fitness center on Deck 4
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The sauna in the wellness area on Deck 6
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The steam room in the wellness area on Deck 6
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In the mudroom on Deck 3, the rubber boots are waiting for the next shore excursion
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The Porthole Cabin on Deck 3 with two portholes
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The Ocean Cabin on Deck 3 with a large panoramic window
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The Vista cabin on Deck 4, with an iceberg visible through the window
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The Solo Vista Single Cabin on Deck 4 for solo travelers
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The Balcony Cabin on Deck 5 with a French balcony
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The Discovery Suite on Deck 5, featuring a sitting area and two French balconies
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The Navigator Cabin on Deck 7 with a seating area
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The living room of the Owner's Suite on Deck 7
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The private balcony of the Owner’s Suite with seating
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The bedroom of the Grand Suite on Deck 7
Frequently Asked Questions
How many passengers are on board the MS Discoverer?
The MS Discoverer can accommodate up to 140 passengers, accompanied by 107 crew members, including the expedition team. The ship’s size was deliberately chosen: it allows for flexible shore excursions using the Zodiac fleet—typically twice a day, weather permitting—while also providing space for a restaurant, lounges, a lecture room, and a wellness area.
What types of cabins are available on board?
All 69 staterooms are exterior and are divided into nine categories across decks 3, 4, 5, and 7: four Porthole cabins with two portholes, 20 Ocean cabins, and 22 Vista cabins with large panoramic windows; three Solo Vista single cabins; eight Balcony cabins; and six Discovery Suites with French balconies, as well as two Navigator cabins, two Owner’s Suites, and two Grand Suites with private walk-out balconies on Deck 7. Details about each category can be found in the cabins section further up on this page.
What are the rules for solo travelers?
Three Solo Vista single cabins on Deck 4 are specially designed for solo travelers and are available without a single supplement. A limited number of double cabins can be booked for single occupancy with a 70% surcharge on the double-occupancy rate. If you do not wish to stay in a single cabin, shared cabin accommodations are available on board. In this case, you will be accommodated with other travelers of the same gender and possibly of a different nationality. No single-occupancy surcharges apply. Please feel free to contact us—we’ll find the right solution for you.
What activities are available on board and ashore?
Zodiac excursions and shore landings, the expedition team’s lecture series, citizen science projects, the photography coach, and the Polar Plunge—that is, the jump into polar waters—are included in the tour price. Snowshoes are available for shore landings, subject to availability. Available for an additional fee and depending on the route are kayaking excursions, a kayaking program for experienced paddlers that accompanies most excursions, guided snowshoe hikes, a night in a tent on land in Antarctica, and a small-group photography program. The activities offered on your trip are listed on the respective trip page.
Which cabin is best if you're prone to seasickness?
The Ocean cabins on Deck 3 are located deep within the ship and are recommended for passengers who are prone to seasickness. The Porthole cabins are also located on this deck. Be sure to pack a sufficient supply of any necessary medications in your own luggage; an emergency medical professional and an onboard clinic are available.
How is medical care organized on board?
A certified emergency physician and an on-board clinic accompany every trip. Sixty days before departure, all passengers complete a confidential medical questionnaire; certain medical conditions require approval from the medical team. Because medical care in remote areas is limited, international health insurance with at least $150,000 in coverage for treatment, evacuation, and repatriation is mandatory—including pre-existing conditions. You must provide your policy number and the insurer’s emergency contact number before departure.
Can children and teenagers travel with us?
Yes, provided they meet the minimum age requirement for the respective trip. Minors must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult over the age of 21 who shares the same cabin with them. Certain activities have their own age restrictions: kayaking is permitted for those 14 and older, and overnight stays on land are permitted for those 12 and older.
What should I know about daily life on board?
The official language on board is English. Onboard charges are payable in U.S. dollars, either in cash or by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express). The electrical outlets in the staterooms provide 110 and 220 volts; Wi-Fi is available throughout the ship, and an elevator connects all passenger decks. A bathrobe, slippers, and a hair dryer are provided in every stateroom. On select sailings, the kitchen operates in full compliance with Halal guidelines, with separate hours in the wellness area.
