Douglas Mawson is vessel number 7 in SunStone's INFINITY class, a distinctive series of small cruise ships with the innovative ULSTEIN X-BOW design. The ship has been designed to maximise the comfort for the crews and passengers, she has modern Nordic interior design, and technical features to maximise fuel efficiency and reduce noise and emissions.
The Infinity Class vessels have received several awards and is the outcome of a global collaboration between Danish expedition cruise specialists (Niels-Erik Lund/SunStone), Norwegian naval architects (Ulstein Design & Solutions AS), American interior designers (Tomas Tillberg Design USA), Finnish interior contractors (Mäkinen), and a Chinese Shipyard (CMHI).
All these vessels are based on the ULSTEIN CX103 design and customised to the client's requests. The Douglas Mawson will be operated by the Australia-based Aurora Expeditions, which also has the Ulstein-designed Greg Mortimer and Sylvia Earle in its fleet.
About the Douglas Mawson
According to Aurora Expeditions, the vessel is "Named after the legendary Australian geologist and explorer, our new small ship embodies Mawson’s pioneering spirit and is designed for global discovery. Featuring the revolutionary ULSTEIN X-BOW® and purpose-built with enhanced sustainability features, it takes, on average, 154 adventurers to the world’s wildest places in smooth, quiet comfort. It boasts our most extensive range of cabins yet, including a range of single cabins."
X-BOW – firstly introduced to cruise via the INFINITY class
The ULSTEIN X-BOW has been designed to withstand rough conditions and was originally designed for offshore vessels operating in some of the world's most weather-beaten areas. It has been implemented in more than 100 vessels but was first introduced to cruise vessels through Greg Mortimer.
The X-BOW is designed to enhance safety, stability, and sustainability. Its unique design facilitates smoother sea crossings, quicker transit speeds, and reduced fuel consumption and emissions. The primary benefit of the X-BOW is its ability to cut through waves and distribute the force instead of rising and slamming down on the waves, thereby minimizing motions.
