Greg Mortimer (ship)

Greg Mortimer is a cruise ship operated by Aurora Expeditions. The ship was named in honour of the company's founder Greg Mortimer, in a combined naming and delivery ceremony at CMHI's Haimen base on 6 September 2019.

Greg Mortimer off Antarctica in 2020
History
Bahamas
NameGreg Mortimer
NamesakeGreg Mortimer
OwnerSunStone Ships
OperatorAurora Expeditions
BuilderChina Merchants Heavy Industry, Jiangsu, China
Yard numberHull No. CMHI-196-1
Laid down12 June 2018
Launched12 March 2019
Christened6 September 2019
Identification
StatusIn service
General characteristics
Class and typeInfinity-class cruise ship
Tonnage7,892 GT
Length104.4 m (343 ft)
Beam18.4 m (60 ft)
Draft5.3 m (17 ft)
Decks8
Ice classPC6, Polar Category: B
Propulsion2 x Ingeteam
Speed12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Capacity126
NotesTECHNICAL MANAGER: Cruise Management International, Inc.

Design and description

The ship one of seven Infinity-class vessels built by SunStone Ships. It is a 104 m (341 ft 2 in) expedition ship with a state of the art x-bow design which has a piercing effect on smaller waves, making for a smoother ride. It has 80 cabins.[1]

Construction and career

The ship was named after the Australian mountaineer, polar explorer and founder of Aurora Expeditions, Greg Mortimer.[2] Mortimer arguably became best known as one of the first two Australians (with Tim Macartney-Snape) to successfully climb Mount Everest, on 3 October 1984.[3]

COVID-19 pandemic
Main article: COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships ยง Greg Mortimer

On 7 April 2020, the cruise ship, which holds up to 216 passengers,[4] became stranded in South American waters, asking for help after people exhibited symptoms such as fever, which prompted authorities to ban them from disembarking.[5] Uruguay was the only country which allowed the cruise ship to dock, after Uruguayan medical teams boarded the cruise ship to test passengers on 1 April, 81 people tested positive for COVID-19. Six people found seriously ill with coronavirus were evacuated and transferred to a hospital in Montevideo.[6]

The ship received permission to dock and Uruguayan authorities arranged an evacuation flight to Australia and New Zealand. By that time 128 persons on the vessel had tested positive for COVID-19. Six had transferred to a hospital in Montevideo. Passengers from Europe and America who had positive tests would not be allowed to travel to their home countries until their subsequent tests indicated negative results.[7] On the night of 10 April some passengers were evacuated in order to fly to Australia.[8] On 18 April, a 52-year-old Filipino crewman died of the coronavirus.[9]

Repairs and substitution

In July 2023 the Greg Mortimer suffered propeller damage, and was placed in dry dock for repairs. While under repair, Aurora substituted a similar Infinity-class ship, the Ocean Explorer.[10]

References
  1. "Greg Mortimer". polarroutes.co.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  2. "Greg Mortimer". Talking Heads with Peter Morrison. ABC. 5 October 2009. Archived from the original on 1 June 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  3. Hall, Lincoln & Weldon, Kevin (1985). White Limbo: The First Australian Climb of Mt Everest. Sydney, Australia.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. Compare: "Greg Mortimer Expedition Ship Features". Aurora Expeditions. 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2020. Accommodating an average of 126 passengers per voyage, the Greg Mortimer has redefined expedition cruising for the future.
  5. Blakkarly, Jarni (6 April 2020). "Greg Mortimer: 81 people test positive for COVID-19 on Australian cruise ship off Uruguay". SBS News. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  6. Noyes, Jenny (6 April 2020). "More than 80 passengers on board Greg Mortimer cruise ship test positive for COVID-19". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  7. Griffiths, James & Castillo, Jackie (8 April 2020). "Passengers to be evacuated from Antarctic cruise ship after almost 60% test positive for coronavirus". CNN. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  8. "Uruguay Evacuates 112 Australians, New Zealanders From Ship". The New York Times. 10 April 2020.
  9. "AKLANON SEAMAN, NAMATAY SA COVID-19". Radyo Todo. 18 April 2020.
  10. "Ocean Explorer Chartered to Aurora Expeditions". Cruise Industry News. 19 July 2023.
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