Greg Mortimer
The 104-metre expedition cruise ship has been built to Polar Class 6 standards, with 77 passenger cabins with private bathrooms and balconies. The facilities include a restaurant and bar, a lecture room, a lounge, a 180-degree indoor observation deck, outdoor viewing areas, a gymnasium, sauna and spa.
Primary Specifications
Additional Data
Ship history
Shipbuilding milestones
2018, 16 March: Steel cutting ceremony
2018, 12 June: Keel laying ceremony
2019, 12 March: Launching ceremony
2019, July: Sea trial
2019, 6 September: Delivery ceremony - The polar adventure cruise company Aurora Expeditions named its first purpose-built, ice-class expedition ship 'Greg Mortimer' in honour of the company's founder in a combined naming and delivery ceremony at the CMHI Haimen base
2019, 30 October: Naming
2019, 31 October: Maiden voyage
The 'Greg Mortimer' operates in Antarctica and the European Arctic. The expedition vessel, ordered by U.S.-based company SunStone Ships at China Merchant Industry Holdings, is the first to use the ULSTEIN X-BOW® hull design, which has a tapered fore ship shape to pierce the waves. This reduces pitching and bow impact loads in rough seas, preventing the vessel from rising on the waves and dropping heavily onto the water's surface as with a traditional bulbous bow. It also takes less fuel for the vessel to cut through the waves, reducing fuel costs and energy use.
It's not just the X-BOW that makes this ship stand out from the rest of the Aurora Expeditions fleet. Here are some other features to look out for:
- State-of-the-art lecture rooms for informative talks and briefings
- Restaurant and bar serving delicious daily menus
- Relaxed staterooms ranging from porthole to balcony categories
Wildlife observations
Several observation areas offer a range of views of the spectacular panoramic scenery. The vessel also features unique hydraulic viewing platforms, which fold out to bring passengers closer to the passing marine life and seabirds.
Excursions made easy
Other highlights include a custom-designed platform for kayakers and divers, a dedicated sea-level craft loading platform that makes loading and unloading easier than ever, and a changing room/mudroom for storing outdoor clothing and gumboots after an adventure. Side ports located on the port and starboard sides of the vessel facilitate the loading and offloading of four inflatable crafts simultaneously.
The passengers can enjoy many activities during the voyage, using the ship as their base. In addition to sea kayaking, diving and snorkelling, this includes:
- Snowshoeing
- Ski touring
- Climbing
- South Georgia alpine crossing
- Camping
- Photography workshops
Natural environment
The Greg Mortimer is one of the lowest-polluting marine engines in the world due to its low energy consumption, high fuel efficiency, and streamlined design, which deliver an 80% reduction in emissions compared to Tier 1 engines.
The ship can also utilise virtual anchoring to hold its position using a combination of GPS, steering technology, propellers and thrusters. This protects the sea floor and minimises the damage caused by conventional anchors.
Greg Mortimer delivers
Get in touch
Lars Ståle Skoge
- Description
- Commercial Director
- Affiliation
- Ulstein Design & Solutions AS
