Antarctic Shipping S.A.

Antarctic Shipping S.A. was a Chilean expedition company whose profile centered on the vessel Antarctic Dream. The company profile dates its founding to 2002. The operator used a former Chilean Navy ship for voyages to the south and, according to its own account, expanded its program to include Arctic expeditions in 2008. The vessel thus connected two polar regions with a history of service in the Chilean Antarctic program.

From naval vessel to expedition cruise ship

Piloto Pardo was built for Antarctic voyages. The Chilean Navy took delivery of the ship in 1959; during its 38 years of service, it supported Chilean and foreign expeditions. It was decommissioned in 1997 and sold to private owners. The Navy’s history of the vessel lists Cape Horn, the Patagonian channels, and Chilean Antarctic Territory among its later tourist destinations. An article in the Chilean Navy magazine describes its private operation under the name Antarctic Dream beginning in 2004. The refit turned the former Antarctic vessel into a small expedition cruise ship without erasing its polar-service heritage.

According to contemporary reports, the 2004 season program included voyages from Punta Arenas. A seven-day route headed south through Patagonia to Cape Horn; a northern Patagonia voyage connected Punta Arenas with Tortel and the Aysén Region. Antarctic itineraries included a 14-day expedition to the South Shetland Islands and Antarctica, as well as a longer voyage via the Falkland Islands and South Georgia to the Antarctic Peninsula. Seasonal scheduling was guided by conditions in the south: Antarctic voyages were planned from November through the end of March. The vessel was described as having capacity for 84 passengers.

End of tourist service

Tourist service ended in 2012, when the vessel was put up for sale. In December 2013, a Dubai-based company acquired it. At the time, Revista Vigía reported that its intended next role was to serve as a logistics base for maritime security off the Somali coast. The announced new purpose was therefore not tourism between Patagonia and Antarctica.

The ship overview provides context on other cruise ships; the overview of cruising regions covers South American and polar regions.