Aurora Expeditions’ new ship, Douglas Mawson, focuses on in-depth exploration and comfort in remote locations. Photo / Tiana Templeman
Cruise expert Tiana Templeman sailed on Aurora Expeditions’ new ship, Douglas Mawson. Here’s what adventurous travellers can expect on board.
There’s a particular kind of honesty that comes with a shakedown voyage, an invitation-only sailing that tests out a ship before paying passengers get on board. With Douglas Mawson’s cabins occupied by cruise industry insiders and expert journalists, the quirks of this new ship had nowhere to hide on our four-night sailing from Sydney to Hobart.
Like its famous namesake, Aurora Expeditions’ Douglas Mawson champions in-depth exploration and the thrill of travelling in remote locations. On expedition voyages, practicalities tend to come first, but comfort comes a close second on this ship.
The overall look is understated rather than luxurious, but this feels like a deliberate choice. Douglas Mawson isn’t competing with the wonders that surround the ship. It’s all about showcasing destinations such as Antarctica, Greece and Iceland, not stealing their thunder with over-the-top decor or flashy design details.
A lot of thought has gone into the ship’s layout, which is compact and easy to navigate, with public spaces grouped together and cabins kept separate to minimise noise. It took less than a day for me to get my bearings and find my favourite spots for wildlife watching, evening drinks and relaxing with a book.
Where Douglas Mawson excels is in its expedition operations. The mudroom, where guests get suited up for expeditions, is modern and spacious and Zodiac boarding is smooth. The ship’s ability to shift ballast from one side to the other makes stepping in and out of the Zodiacs a breeze compared with some other ships.
In destinations such as Antarctica, passenger numbers are capped so everyone can explore ashore at the same time, avoiding the rotation system that can make larger expedition ships feel rushed. The experienced expedition team deployed our landing groups quickly and efficiently with no waiting around. There was no doubt we were in safe hands.
While landing was easy, there was more ship movement on Douglas Mawson than I was expecting. The high-tech Ulstein X-BOW is designed to reduce movement, but it felt like we were rocking and rolling our way across Bass Strait. This may have been because the stabilisers weren’t deployed, Douglas Mawson is a smaller ship and the seas were rough, or the crew was putting the vessel through its paces (understandable given this was a shakedown cruise). Like a seasick passenger, the ship’s lift was often out of action when the seas were particularly high on our sailing.
For solo sailors, one of this ship’s biggest practical improvements is its approach to accommodation. The Douglas Mawson has the widest choice of cabin configurations in the fleet and the line’s first dedicated single cabins. Overall, whether you’re booking a room with a porthole, a solo cabin or the Captain’s Suite, there is plenty of storage, the beds are comfortable and bathrooms have underfloor heating.
The only accommodation low point on my cruise was the air-conditioning in my cabin seemed to struggle with the unseasonably warm weather on our trip. My room was hot and stuffy in the late afternoon and evening, which made it hard to sleep. However, as we approached Tasmania, the temperatures cooled and things got more comfortable.
Aurora Expeditions is known for its focus on citizen science and responsible travel, and this is visible throughout the ship. Even the showerhead gives me the maritime equivalent of a raised eyebrow when a built-in light changes colour the longer I stay in the shower. I watch it slowly escalate from green to orange, until I’m guilted into getting out of the shower before the light turns red. Simple but surprisingly effective.
There’s also a strong emphasis on science, including new technology being trialled to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. On our sailing, lectures unpacked these projects and initiatives in a way that was engaging and easy to understand. However, what stood out most was how approachable these often-complex concepts felt.
Questions during the lectures were encouraged, and expertise was shared without passengers feeling like they were being talked down to. It was learning by immersion as well as instruction and suited the ship perfectly. Even if you don’t have a particular interest in science, you will have a passion for it by the end of your cruise.
Douglas Mawson has two dining venues, which is unusual for a small expedition ship. The main dining room handles buffet breakfasts and lunches, then switches to an a la carte dinner that changes daily. Expedition team members are front and centre here too, joining passengers for meals instead of disappearing behind the scenes.
Then there’s The Hut, an intimate restaurant at the top of the ship with sweeping views and cooked-to-order meals. On sea days when the buffet gets busy, this was my go-to spot for its compact, crowd-pleasing menu and quieter, more relaxed vibe.
On my shakedown voyage, the order of service during dinner was a bit all over the place for the first 48 hours as restaurants dealt with more than 100 hungry diners at once for the first time. However, by the third night, the kitchen and waitstaff had hit their stride.
If your idea of cruise entertainment involves sequins, spotlights and a packed theatre, it’s worth noting there are no shows, no guest performers, and no late-night schedules packed with organised fun on this (or any other) small expedition ship.
Instead, evenings revolve around lively conversation and the pre-dinner briefing for the following day’s activities. Aurora’s view is that the day’s lectures and adventures should be entertainment enough, and for the most part they are.
Given this was Douglas Mawson’s first cruise with passengers on board, we were particularly impressed. Aurora Expeditions’ newest ship is quiet rather than flashy, thoughtful rather than indulgent, and deeply focused on the places it visits. It’s ideal for travellers who value meaningful experiences, responsible exploration and a ship that understands its purpose. Douglas Mawson isn’t trying to steal the spotlight. The destination remains front and centre and, for an expedition ship, that feels exactly right.
Douglas Mawson sails in destinations such as Antarctica, Europe and Central America this year, with voyages priced from $13,440 per person.
The journalist travelled courtesy of Aurora Expeditions.