SunStone’s first Infinity Class expedition ship, the Greg Mortimer, completed five years in service in September.
Operating for Aurora Expeditions under a long-term charter deal, the 160-guest ship was delivered to the company on September 6, 2019.
The vessel then departed its building dock at China Merchants Heavy Industry in Haimen for a repositioning voyage to South America.
Before welcoming its first guests in Ushuaia for an inaugural season in Antarctica, the Greg Mortimer sailed to Singapore for a one-day stop for supplies, followed by a two-day stop in Cape Town to get the remaining hotel crew and supplies onboard.
After kicking off its first cruise in late October, the ship was christened in Ushuaia during a ceremony that took place on November 1, 2019.
As part of the ceremony, the Co-Founder of Aurora Expeditions and Godmother to the vessel, Margaret Mortimer, smashed a ceremonial piece of Antarctic ice against the hull.
The Greg Mortimer continued to offer expeditions in Antarctica during its maiden season before debuting in the Arctic and other regions.
In 2025, the 8,000-ton vessel starts the year in Antarctica with a series of expedition cruises departing from Ushuaia.
Before arriving in the Arctic, the ship is also scheduled to offer itineraries in Latin America and Scotland, as well as Iceland.
From June to September, the Greg Mortimer sails a series of expeditions to Svalbard, Greenland and Jan Mayen.
The ship is also set to transit the Northwest Passage before ending its season in the region and returning to Antarctica in October.
As the first in a series of seven ships known as Infinity Class, the Greg Mortimer was designed to sail to remote and polar regions.
One of the highlights of the ship’s is Ulstein’s X-Bow, a bow originally created for offshore vessels.
According to Ulstein, the design allows the PC6 ship to withstand rough sea conditions while enhancing safety, stability and sustainability.
The X-Bow also facilitates smoother sea crossings, quicker transit speeds, and reduced fuel consumption and emissions, Ulstein said.