Aurora Expeditions

Aurora Expeditions is an Australian company that runs cruises, expeditions and tours.

Aurora Expeditions PTY LTD
Aurora Expeditions
IndustryCruise Line, Travel, Expeditions
Founded1991
FounderGreg Mortimer and Margaret Mortimer
HeadquartersSurry Hills,
Sydney, New South Wales
,
Australia

History

The company was founded in 1991 by Greg and Margaret Mortimer.[1] It focuses on small groups of travelers. The company's main focus is cruises around Antarctica and the sun-Antarctic Islands. As well as cruising, the company also does Alpine Trekking and climbing,[2] Ski and Snowboard tours, Snorkelling and Scuba Diving.

In 1992 the company performed its first expedition to Antarctica.

In 1997 the company performed its first expedition to the Arctic.

In 2019 took delivery of its first ship, the Greg Mortimer. It was christened at a ceremony in Ushuaia, Argentina.[3]

In 2022 the company's second ship, the Sylvia Earle, departed on its inaugural cruise from Ushuaia, Argentina.[4]

Coronavirus Pandemic

In April 2020, the Greg Mortimer had an outbreak of COVID-19 on board, leading to it to be denied permission to dock in many South American ports.[5] 128 passengers and crew on board eventually tested positive. The ship was eventually given permission to dock in Uruguay, from where passengers were evacuated or admitted to hospital.[6] Many crew-members ended up being evacuated too, with more than half testing positive for the virus.[7]

Fleet

As of January 2020, Aurora Expeditions had two vessels in its fleet:

Ship Name Delivered Builder Length Passenger Capacity IMO Number Notes
Greg Mortimer 2019 China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI), Jiangsu, China 104 M 132 in 79 cabins[8] 9834648[9] Named after the founder of Aurora Expeditions. Registered in Madeira, Portugal
Sylvia Earle 2022 China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI),[10] Jiangsu, China 104 M 132 in 71 cabins[11] 9872327[12] Named in honor of Marine Biologist Sylvia Earle

References
  1. "About Us - Our Story". Aurora Expeditions™. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  2. "Alpine Trekking & Climbing". Aurora Expeditions™. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  3. "Aurora Expeditions Christens Greg Mortimer - Cruise Industry News | Cruise News". cruiseindustrynews.com/. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  4. "Aurora Expeditions' Sylvia Earle departs for Antarctica". Travel Weekly. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  5. "Greg Mortimer: 81 people test positive for COVID-19 on Australian cruise ship off Uruguay". SBS News. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  6. Castillo, James Griffiths,Jackie (2020-04-08). "Passengers to be evacuated from Antarctic cruise ship after almost 60% test positive for coronavirus". CNN. Retrieved 2023-01-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. Chivukula, Kavya (2020-05-13). "Covid-19: Crew on Greg Mortimer ship disembark in Uruguay". Ship Technology. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  8. "Greg Mortimer Expedition Ship Features". Aurora Expeditions™. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  9. "Ship GREG MORTIMER (Passenger Ship) Registered in Portugal - Vessel details, Current position and Voyage information - IMO 9834648, MMSI 255806396, Call Sign CQEI9". MarineTraffic.com. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  10. "Sylvia Earle Expedition Ship, Australia". Ship Technology. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  11. "Sylvia Earle". Aurora Expeditions™. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  12. "Ship SYLVIA EARLE (Passenger Ship) Registered in Bahamas - Vessel details, Current position and Voyage information - IMO 9872327, MMSI 311000867, Call Sign C6ED8". MarineTraffic.com. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
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