The Australian expedition travel company, Aurora Expeditions has announced a third ship will be joining its fleet in 2025. The Douglas Mawson will be a larger sister to the companies to existing expedition ships the Sylvia Earle and the Greg Mortimer. The new ship features a design that is very similar to the existing ships but is slightly larger and will accomodate on average 154 passengers as opposed to the 132 passengers the existing ships accomodate. She will feature the very distinctive X-Bow that was originally designed for vessels working in the oil/gas and offshore wind industries but has been used in expedition ships for several years now.
This announcement adds even more capacity to the expedition industry and people wanting to visit Antarctica and the Arctic. There has never been a better time to visit the polar regions, the days of having to sail on an old converted Soviet ship are well and truly behind us.
Aurora Expeditions have said the Douglas Mawson will sail in East Antarctica and her maiden voyage will be a semi-circumnavigation of Antarctica, and immersive explorations of the Subantarctic Islands.
You can view all of the Douglas Mawson sailings on the Aurora Expeditions website.
Douglas Mawson Overview
Facilities
The ship will feature a lecture lounge, citizen science centre, library, gym and sauna, two restaurants, two jacuzzis and a heated outdoor pool.
Cabins
The ship will feature 11 grades of cabin, from a single stateroom for solo travellers all the way up to the 45 metre square (486 square feet) Captain’s suite. Interestingly the ship will also feature two triple cabins where the third occupant will have a proper bed instead of a pulldown or sofa bed. This small ship has a lot of accommodation choices which is something that is very positive to see.
Deck Plan
View the full deck plan of the Douglas Mawson.
Promotional Video
Aurora Expeditions have released a promotional video ahead of the vessel’s entry to service in 2025.
