Aurora Expeditions’ Greg Mortimer offers a purpose-built experience for exploring remote polar regions. This small ship, accommodating up to 132 passengers, combines cutting-edge design with a focus on off-ship exploration. With its functional reception areas, quality dining options, educational entertainment, comfortable accommodations, and attentive hospitality, Greg Mortimer delivers a holiday that balances rugged adventure and onboard relaxation.
The guest experience on Greg Mortimer is defined by its focus on adventure and camaraderie. Passengers appreciate the spacious cabins, particularly balcony staterooms, and the expedition team’s expertise, though some note the ship’s premium rather than luxury interiors, with minor wear like carpet holes or smudged bathroom walls. The Ulstein X-BOW design ensures smoother transits, reducing seasickness, and the ship’s ice-class rating allows access to rugged polar regions. Guests enjoy the balance of active excursions and onboard relaxation, with the library and observation lounge providing quiet retreats. The all-inclusive dining and drinks, along with 75% balcony cabins, add value, though some wish for more thorough cleaning in public areas.
Guests aboard Greg Mortimer can anticipate a holiday focused on off-ship exploration and learning. Expect twice-daily Zodiac excursions, weather permitting, with opportunities for shore hikes or optional activities like kayaking. Onboard, days are filled with informative lectures, wildlife spotting from hydraulic viewing platforms, or relaxing in the sauna. Dining offers quality meals with a social, family-style atmosphere, and evenings feature drinks in the lounge or quiet time in the library. The ship’s small size allows access to remote polar destinations, with no-fly cruises from ports like Ushuaia. The expedition focus means limited traditional entertainment, but the crew’s attentiveness ensures English-speaking guests feel included despite the international passenger mix.
Reception Areas: A Practical Welcome
The reception area, located in the central lounge on Deck 5, greets guests with a functional, open design featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and a neutral palette of pale browns and blues. The space is practical and welcoming, with a desk staffed by approachable crew members ready to assist with bookings, queries, or expedition planning. Adjacent to the reception, the Elephant Island Bar and Lounge offers a relaxed spot for pre-dinner cocktails or coffee, with comfortable seating and panoramic views. The area serves as a social hub, with natural light flooding the space and occasional presentations by expedition staff adding an engaging touch. A small shop provides essentials and souvenirs.
Dining: Quality Meals with a Focus
Greg Mortimer’s dining options cater to adventurers with two venues, both included in the fare. The main restaurant on Deck 5, seating all guests in a single sitting, offers family-style dining with buffet breakfast and lunch, featuring dishes like fresh salads and grilled meats, and à la carte dinners with house wines, beers, and soft drinks included. The Tuscan Grill, a reservations-required speciality restaurant, serves Italian-inspired dishes like pasta and seafood for a more intimate experience. Complimentary 24-hour coffee, tea, and snacks are available in the lecture lounge. Vegetarian and plant-based diets are accommodated with advance notice, with guest reviews praising the quality, particularly vegetarian options. A farewell four-course dinner with cocktails adds a celebratory note.
Entertainment: Focused on Learning and Exploration
The entertainment programme on Greg Mortimer prioritises education over traditional performances. The lecture lounge on Deck 5 hosts daily presentations by expert naturalists and scientists, covering topics like polar ecology, history, and wildlife, with guests appreciating the knowledgeable expedition team. The ship lacks a traditional theatre, focusing instead on off-ship activities like Zodiac cruises, shore hikes, and optional extras such as kayaking, snowshoeing, or scuba diving, which incur additional costs. Onboard, the library offers non-fiction books, wildlife guides, and board games, while the forward-facing observation lounge on Deck 8 provides a quiet space for wildlife spotting. Two hot tubs and an ocean-view sauna on Deck 8 offer relaxation, with a big screen for occasional movie screenings.
Accommodation: Comfort with a View
Greg Mortimer’s 76 cabins, spread across Decks 3 to 8, range from 16–23-square-metre Aurora Staterooms with portholes to the 45-square-metre Captain’s Suite with a private balcony. All cabins feature ocean views, en-suite bathrooms, 42-inch flat-screen TVs, safes, international power outlets, and daily servicing, with 85% offering private balconies. The four Junior Suites on Deck 7 include separate lounge areas, while Balcony Stateroom Superiors (28–40 square metres) provide extra space for gear. Twenty interconnecting cabins suit families, and some cabins offer wheelchair-accessible bathrooms. A 3-in-1 polar jacket is provided for polar voyages, and the Captain’s Suite includes a complimentary minibar and champagne. A 2023 refurbishment updated cabin furnishings.
Hospitality: Attentive and Expedition-Focused
The crew of approximately 90, primarily Filipino, delivers friendly, efficient service, fostering a familial atmosphere. Cabin stewards provide daily cleaning and turndown, with complimentary 24-hour room service. Restaurant and bar staff remember guest preferences, though some note occasional understaffing at bars during peak times. The expedition team, including naturalists and specialists, offers expert guidance during landings and lectures, with a 1:8 team-to-passenger ratio ensuring personalised attention. The Wellness Centre on Deck 8 provides massages and spa treatments for a fee, alongside a gym and sauna. A fully stocked medical clinic, staffed by an onboard doctor, offers services for a fee. Wi-Fi is available for a fee, with connectivity varying by location. Gratuities of $15 USD per person per day are included for suites.
Standout Features
Greg Mortimer’s standout features include its Ulstein X-BOW hull, ensuring smoother, faster transits, and its ice-class 1A rating, enabling access to remote polar regions. The hydraulic viewing platforms on Deck 5 offer unobstructed wildlife views, while the fleet of 15 Zodiacs ensures efficient shore excursions. The Tuscan Grill provides a refined dining option, and the Wellness Centre’s sauna and hot tubs offer relaxation. The lecture lounge’s educational focus, led by expert naturalists, enhances the expedition experience. The high proportion of balcony cabins and the provision of polar jackets add comfort and practicality. The ship’s eco-friendly design, with lower fuel consumption, appeals to environmentally conscious travellers.
