Aurora Expeditions' Douglas Mawson was officially named in Sydney on 27 November 2025 before embarking on her inaugural trip to Tasmania. This milestone marks history as the first expedition vessel featuring Ulstein’s X-BOW® design to operate in Australian waters. More than a striking visual signature, this pioneering hull shape represents a breakthrough in maritime engineering.

Aurora Expeditions welcomed its third X-BOW cruise vessel, Douglas Mawson, in September 2025. “Many of our guests have travelled on other expedition ships before and immediately notice the difference. Whether it’s sleeping better at night, feeling less vibration during lectures, or spending more time in observation areas, the design truly enhances the experience,” says Katie Malone, Chief Marketing Officer at Aurora Expeditions, when commenting on the X-BOW design feature.

With the delivery of Douglas Mawson on 9 September 2025, the seventh vessel in the Infinity class for SunStone Ships, the proven ULSTEIN CX103 platform continues to demonstrate its strength. Built at the CMHI shipyard and chartered to Aurora Expeditions, the vessel is now ready to explore polar regions, remote coastlines, and global destinations.

The sea trial of the expedition cruise vessel, Douglas Mawson, was successfully completed on 2 July 2025. This significant milestone marks a step closer to the vessel's delivery in autumn 2025. The vessel was contracted by SunStone Ships and will be operated by Aurora Expeditions.

On Thursday, 30 May 2024, the CMHI yard, China, marked the keel lay for the next Ulstein-designed expedition cruise ship for SunStone Ships, the 'Douglas Mawson'. 

Aurora Expeditions, the Australian-owned expedition travel company, will soon welcome its third purpose-built small expedition ship, Douglas Mawson, to its family of pioneering vessels. The cruise vessel, based on the ULSTEIN CX103 design, is due to begin sailing in December 2025.

The CX103 designs, Ocean Odyssey and Sylvia Earle, have been delivered from the CMHI shipyard in Haimen, China to SunStone. The final documents were signed on 21 October 2022, completing the delivery. This series of vessels is the first expedition cruise vessels to implement the X-BOW feature for increased comfort.

The ULSTEIN CX103 design, SunStone Ships’ ‘Sylvia Earle’ newbuild, has successfully completed sea trials in end October 2021. Ulstein has delivered the ship design and a comprehensive equipment package and has also been represented with a site team at the CMHI yard during the shipbuilding period.

Lindblad Expeditions and Aurora Expeditions are two of the top ten winners of best adventure cruise lines in 2021.

The U.S. based ship owner SunStone Ships has contracted six expedition cruise vessels of the ULSTEIN CX103 design for construction at the shipyard CMHI , China. In July 2020 the keel laying ceremony was held for the 'Sylvia Earle', vessel number 2 in this series of X-BOW vessels.

A steel cutting ceremony was held for the CX103 expedition cruise design, the ‘Sylvia Earle’, on 16 March 2020 at the CMHI Haimen yard, China. She has been designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions AS for SunStone Ships.

The operator Aurora Expeditions’ next X-BOW® expedition cruise ship will be named ‘Sylvia Earle’, to honour the renowned marine biologist, oceanographer and explorer. The ship is one of the vessels in owner, SunStone Ships’, INFINITY class. Constructed at CMHI, they have been designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions AS.

Recently introduced to the cruise market, the 'Greg Mortimer' has called upon much attention among cruise media and cruise travellers. While the X-BOW® shape is well known in the offshore market, this is the first time it has been implemented in a cruise ship.

The first X-BOW® cruise vessel, Greg Mortimer, set off for her first Antarctica expedition and crossed the notorious Drake Passage early November. The X-BOW® feature reduces the slamming in head seas. This was proven firstly on her transit from China to Argentina, when she entered 10m high waves and strong winds.