Expedition ship will be named in honour of the company's founder when she debuts in 2019
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Australia-based polar adventure cruise company Aurora Expeditions is to name its first purpose-built, ice-class expedition ship Greg Mortimer in honour of the company’s founder when she debuts in late 2019.
Mortimer, who was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for mountaineering, founded Aurora Expeditions with his wife and adventure travel specialist Margaret Werner in 1991.
One of four expedition vessels ordered by US-based company SunStone Ships at China Merchant Industry Holdings earlier this year, the 104-metre Greg Mortimer will be built to Polar Class 6 standards. She will also be the first to use Ulstein Group’s patented X-BOW hull design, which has a tapered fore ship shape so it can pierce waves of all heights. This reduces pitching and bow impact loads in rough seas, preventing the vessel from rising on the waves and dropping violently onto the water’s surface as it would with a traditional bulbous bow. It also takes less fuel for the vessel to cut through the waves, reducing fuel costs and energy use.
Aurora Expeditions’ newbuild is likely to include between 80 and 95 passenger cabins with private bathrooms and balconies, as well as a restaurant, a space for lectures, a lounge, a 180-degree indoor observation deck, outdoor viewing areas, a gymnasium, sauna and spa. Other highlights will include a custom-designed platform for kayakers and divers, a dedicated sea-level Zodiac loading platform, and a mud room for climbers and skiers.
Aurora Expeditions will launch the new ship ahead of its November 2019 to March 2020 Antarctic season. Itineraries will be revealed later this year.