The different-looking vessel with her great sea characteristics has been featured in cruise media around the world. This media coverage is also valuable to the suppliers in the Norwegian maritime cluster. For the suppliers it has been important to enter new markets after the offshore oil and gas market collapsed a few years ago. Several have therefore turned to the passenger and cruise markets.
'Greg Mortimer' is a global project. Built in China, the project provides great value to several Norwegian companies. These include Ulstein Design & Solutions (the design and equipment package), Blue Ctrl (the automation system), Brunvoll (gear and thrusters, propellers and axles), Jets, Ulmatec Pyro, Aukra Maritime and Aeron - to name a few.
Prepared for rough crossings
'Greg Mortimer' is well prepared for the trip to Antarctica. The notorious Drake Passage must be crossed, a stretch of open sea with different wave systems coming in from various sides, caused by a mix of cold and warm layers, and wind conditions can suddenly take an unexpected turn. The X-BOW® provides gentle movements in head sea and reduces slamming and subsequent vibrations, and the ship is also equipped with stabilizer fins to cope with the sideways sea. This makes the crossing much more comfortable.
Media coverage
CNN, The Telegraph and Daily Mail are among the media who have posted very good article reviews of the 'Greg Mortimer' and the X-BOW design:
CNN Travel: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/x-bow-cruise-ship-no-seasickness
The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/articles/everything-we-know-about-aurora-expeditions-greg-mortimer/
Daily Mail: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-7605059/Aurora-Expeditions-Greg-Mortimer-ship-X-bow-launch-soon.html
These articles have one thing in common, they ask if a cruise ship's bow design now has solved the problem of sea sickness. The answer is simple: Sea sickness is a biological phenomenon, and a ship design cannot prevent this altogether. On the other hand, there are many who now say that they cope better on board this cruise ship.
The X-BOW solution has so far been used on more than 100 vessels. 'Greg Mortimer', operated by the Australian company Aurora Expeditions, is the first cruise ship.
The ship is owned by SunStone Ships, which has several ships of the same design under construction in China. Two X-BOW cruise ships are also under construction at Ulstein Verft for Lindblad Expeditions, the first to be delivered in 2020.
