Greg Mortimer has been chartered to Aurora Expeditions and will sail in the polar regions
By
Rebecca Gibson |
China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) has delivered SunStone Ships’s first Infinity-class expedition cruise ship, which will now sail as Greg Mortimer for Aurora Expeditions.
Named in honour of Aurora Expeditions’ founder Greg Mortimer, the 104-metre-long newbuild was designed and developed by Norway-based Ulstein Design & Solutions and Aurora Expeditions and will sail in the polar regions.
Greg Mortimer is the first expedition cruise ship to feature Ulstein’s patented X-BOW hull, which will reduce wave resistance and thereby cut fuel consumption while maximizing guest comfort. Other highlights on the Polar Class 6 ship include 80 passenger cabins with private bathrooms and balconies, a restaurant and a bar, a lecture room, a lounge, a 180-degree indoor observation deck and outdoor viewing areas. There is also a gymnasium, sauna and spa, as well as a custom-designed platform for kayakers and divers, a sea-level Zodiac loading platform, and a mud room.
Greg Mortimer is the first in what could potentially be a series of 10 Infinity-class polar expedition cruise vessels that CMHI is building for SunStone Ships. All the vessels will be customised to meet the needs of the operators who charter them from SunStone Ships.
“The ship design contracts for SunStone Ships were a breakthrough for Ulstein in the expedition cruise market and we are excited that our partner, the CMHI yard, has now delivered the first Chinese-built expedition cruise vessel,” said Tore Ulstein, chief operating officer for Ulstein Design & Solutions and deputy CEO of Ulstein Group. “From Ulstein’s side, a strong effort has been put on understanding the demands of passengers and crews to design a vessel that is creating the best possible platform for a lasting experience.”