Get Ready For An Unforgettable Expedition: Aurora’s Douglas Mawson Sets Sail Soon

Published on November 26, 2025

Douglas Mawson’s maiden trip is planned for December 2025, which will also open the company’s next chapter. Earlier in the year, the Douglas Mawson, which recently received one of Aurora Expedition’s arrival livery, was being painted in Aurora Expedition colors in Singapore. It is now fully branded and ready to begin its maiden voyage from Australia.

The Douglas Mawson will also begin a new position in the company’s growing fleet, which, in its first season, will operate a mix of adventurous itineraries from Tasmania’s beautiful, harsh wilderness to the remote, icy, and wild East Antarctica and the Ross Sea. There will be no other ship providing a similar experience in those untouched, remote, and wild places. The new Douglas Mawson will provide a high standard of accommodation and service while making a very new, premium, and expedition-style cruise available.

Preparation and Improvements Made to the Ship

In advance of the maiden voyage, and while the ship was in Southeast Asia, the Douglas Mawson underwent modifications to prepare the ship for the upcoming 2025/26 expedition season. Before the ship departed Southeast Asia, the Douglas Mawson underwent a makeover in which the staff completed the luxurious cabins and staterooms. On top of the cosmetic work, the ship took on expedition gear such as kayaks and boots to ensure the ship’s preparedness for the polar expedition.

Aurora’s staff took the time to ensure that the ship was at the level of acceptance of their Airbnb and Amazon reviews. Included in the time was the reviewing of the interiors and exteriors to make sure both style and functionality were in place for the ship’s first customer sailing voyage. After finishing the modifications, the Douglas Mawson departed Singapore in early November and was headed for Sydney, Australia.

The Maiden Voyage: Exploring Tasmania

Douglas Mawson will make its first 11-night round-trip journey from Hobart (Tasmania). Passengers will be able to visit South Bruny Island, the Freycinet Peninsula, and Recherche Bay, among other Tasmania sightseeing destinations. These destinations will give travelers the chance to discover Tasmania’s scenic natural beauty, which includes the striking topography and wildlife that have made Tasmania one of the most sought-after destinations for expedition cruises.

This voyage will be the first of many for the Douglas Mawson, which is now set to offer extended voyages to some of the polar regions of the world. As part of the Aurora fleet, the Douglas Mawson will begin to prepare travelers for voyages to the vast wilderness of Antarctica.

Upcoming Antarctic Expeditions

The Douglas Mawson is also set to offer multiple voyages to East Antarctica and the Ross Sea in the coming 2025-26 season. These voyages will head from Australia and take travelers to the heart of the polar landscape, where they will be able to appreciate the starkness of the ice and the thriving wildlife of the region.

Antarctica’s east embraces beautiful views of the natural and untouched parts of the world, like soaring cliffs, ice fields, and amazing ice shelves. In addition, it is opposing the Ross Sea, which offers the unique chance to visit and admire some historical parts of Antarctic history, like the structures built by Sir Shackleton and his companions.

Douglas Mawson: Added to the Fleet of Aurora

Douglas Mawson is the third addition to Aurora’s fleet and will be offering premium and first-class traveling on adventures to some of the most remote destinations on Earth. As the last vessel of the Infinity class of Sunstone, this ship was built by the biggest shipbuilding company in China, China Merchant Heavy.

The Douglas Mawson is one of the bigger ships, weighing around 8000 tons, and offers luxurious amenities in the ship. The ship is able to go on polar expeditions and is built to sustain the extremely harsh and rough conditions. The ship also has a laid-back side, allowing the adventurers to relax after each unique expedition on the ship, striking a perfect balance between rest and adventure.

Vision For Aurora Expeditions

The Aurora Exploration Program will include Douglas Mawson’s repositioning to Europe and the Mediterranean in 2026. With this repositioning, the travelers will be able to experience the signature style of exploration offered by Aurora in new destinations. Wonderful excursions will be added to the growing list of destinations the luxurious vessels of Aurora will travel.

With Mortimer and Sylvia Earle, Aurora Expeditions can further charter other vessels, expanding the reach of the company to offer travelers the chance to visit more of the world’s distant and beautiful remote locations.

Summation

The outcome of the trimming of Douglas Mawson will be the experience offered by Aurora Expeditions to the travelers for the first time, and it is expected to be an experience of adventure. Aurora will give travelers for the first time the opportunity to encounter Tassie’s wild beauty and the raw wonders of East Antarctica, and an opportunity to visit some of the most amazing locations on the planet. The upscale, expedition-based cruises in out-of-the-way places offered by Aurora Expeditions will add Douglas Mawson to the fleet.