AURORA Expeditions’ new 25-26 Antarctica season will feature departures from Australia, as revealed by CW last month (CW 03 Apr), with the line to sail eight new itineraries.
Among the ex-Australia Antarctica cruises, which have been officially released today, is the ‘Mawson’s Antarctica’ voyage, which will depart Hobart on 11 Dec for a 24-day sailing.
The cruise will be new ship Douglas Mawson’s inaugural voyage, as revealed by CW, and will retrace the steps of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, led by the vessel’s namesake.
There will also be an immersive Australian cruise, ‘Coastal Tasmania: Untamed Wilderness’, which will circumnavigate the state across 11 days, departing round trip from Hobart.
The season will include a total of 32 voyages, cruising across three Aurora ships for the first time: the new Douglas Mawson, as well as her sister ships Sylvia Earle and Greg Mortimer.
Dunedin will also join Hobart as a departure port for the season, with destinations to include East Antarctica, the Ross Sea, and the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands, in addition to Tasmania.
Aurora has added two fly/fly Antarctica voyages for the season, due to popular demand, which will see guests able to skip the Drake Passage.
The two new cruises are part of the season’s eight total itineraries that include a fly option at the start or end of the voyage.
There will also be two “all-inclusive activity” voyages, which include snorkelling, paddling, camping, snowshoeing, and other activities in Antarctica as part of the price, which Aurora is expecting to be among the most popular for the season.
Aurora is making 36 single staterooms available on board Douglas Mawson across the season, which will see solo travellers not required to pay any single supplement, as this segment of the market continues to boom.
CMO Hayley Peacock-Gower said Aurora’s most comprehensive and adventurous season yet gives passengers plenty to be excited about.
“Not only will we be introducing our third purpose-built vessel, the Douglas Mawson, but we will explore more of Antarctica’s regions than we have before in a single season, visiting the Antarctic Peninsula, the Weddell Sea, East Antarctica, the Ross Sea, Antarctic Circle, South Georgia, the Falklands, and the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands,” Peacock-Gower said.
“We’re particularly thrilled to be offering passengers the chance to travel to Antarctica from Australia and New Zealand for the first time in 13 years, reconnecting our company to its founding inspiration as well as opening up another lesser explored part of Antarctica to both local and international travellers.”
CLICK HERE to view Aurora’s new digital brochure (pictured inset) and request a copy. MS
