An expedition cruise holiday brings forward associations such as: Spacious cabins, pools, great food and drinks, ultimate relaxation and great adventures. What can be better after a fabulous day of outdoor exercise, than the thought of a dip in the hot tub?
The vessel has been a true globetrotter from birth, having been developed on four continents: The ship owner SunStone Ships is based in the U.S., the travel operator Aurora Expeditions is Australian, the ship designer Ulstein is Norwegian, and the shipyard is Chinese. Now she is exploring the White Continent.
The Greg Mortimer's characteristic X-BOW® design feature improves onboard comfort in head seas, as it helps to reduce slamming and resulting vibrations. Thus, the vessel can keep up speed in adverse weather to quickly pass through the harshest stretches of waters, typically the Drake Passage.
'In big seas I kept waiting for the slamming - it never came'
Already on her first journey from the CMHI construction yard in China, the vessel encountered very bad weather after leaving Cape Town, heading for Ushuaia, Argentina. According to the Captain, the waves were 8-10 metres, with some reaching above deck 5, and there were strong winds. The vessel still maintained a high speed of 12-13 knots, with only a 1-knot speed loss.
Captain Lindstrøm has been working in international shipping for about 40 years, the last 20 years as Master.
Ulstein launched the X-BOW® feature in 2005, and it is now implemented in more than 100 vessels worldwide, mostly offshore vessels. Ulstein has been a specialist in the offshore segment for decades before entering offshore renewable vessels, car/passenger vessels, and expedition cruise vessels.
Being an offshore specialist means Ulstein's vessels must be robust and handle tough weather in some of the world's harshest ocean areas. When Ulstein turned to the cruise industry, the cruise ship owners immediately saw the potential.
The 'Greg Mortimer' was the first cruise vessel with the X-BOW® feature, and several more have been constructed since. Due to the X-BOW characteristics, all receive excellent feedback.
