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Aurora Expeditions to welcome third small ship, Douglas Mawson to fleet

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 03 April 2024 03 April 2024

Aurora Expeditions, the Australian-owned expedition travel company, has announced that it will soon welcome its third purpose-built small expedition ship, Douglas Mawson to its family of pioneering vessels. The ship is currently under construction in China and it will be chartered from the SunStone Ships.

Due to begin sailing in late 2025, Douglas Mawson’s inaugural season will also mark Aurora Expeditions’ return to East Antarctica for the first time in 15 years, with new itineraries to include a Mawson’s Antarctica voyage to East Antarctica in honor of the ship’s namesake, departing from Hobart.

Douglas Mawson will carry an average of 154 passengers and will be the newest Infinity Class vessel to enter the market, joining Aurora’s sister ships, also named after pioneers in their field, Greg Mortimer and Sylvia Earle. Like its sister ships, Douglas Mawson has been designed by Florida-based Tomas Tillberg Design.

The small ship will feature the latest and greatest revolutionary Ulstein X-BOW, designed for smoother and faster ocean crossings and world-leading fuel efficiency, and will offer Nordic interior design features with stylish and comfortable staterooms and suites across 11 different categories, most featuring private balconies. For the first time, Aurora will also offer several single-berth cabins to cater to the growing solo traveler segment.

Public spaces include two restaurants, two bars, an outdoor heated swimming pool, pool bar and Jacuzzis, a gym and sauna, relaxation and wellness areas, a library lounge, a citizen science center and lecture theater, and expansive observation decks offering panoramic views of wilderness and wildlife.

“We’re thrilled to be launching the newest and final Infinity Class vessel, which we have named in honor of pioneering Australian geologist and explorer, Sir Douglas Mawson,” said Michael Heath, chief executive officer, Aurora Expeditions. “We are equally delighted to be offering passengers new itineraries departing from Australia as part of the ship’s inaugural season, including an exploration of Mawson’s Antarctica, which will visit Mawson’s Huts at Cape Denison, Commonwealth Bay, and New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands.

“Aurora has pioneered expedition travel to the world’s most remote places for more than three decades, and we know that exploration is not just about what you see, but how you see it,” Heath added. “ That is why we are committed to delivering life-changing experiences with the newest, most advanced technology available, and with the most experienced and passionate team in the industry.”

“Aurora Expeditions takes great inspiration from the incredible legacy of Sir Douglas Mawson. Indeed, it was Mawson’s SY Aurora vessel that inspired our founder, Greg Mortimer, to name our company Aurora. Like its namesake, Douglas Mawson will be a ship that’s on the forefront of global ocean discovery,” said Hayley Peacock-Gower, chief market officer, Aurora Expeditions. “We also look forward to our partnership with the Mawson’s Huts Foundation – a custodian of Australia’s Antarctic heritage and advocate for Antarctic science education for children – and supporting the fantastic work they do to preserve the Mawson’s Huts complex and bring the stories and achievements of Sir Douglas Mawson and his Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911-14 to life. We can’t wait to welcome Douglas Mawson to our fleet of small ships, and we look forward to announcing the full program of voyages for the new ship, which will offer passengers incredible expeditions in the polar regions, as well as some exciting new destinations.”

Like Aurora’s sister ships, Douglas Mawson is designed to be a comfortable base camp for adventure, with Zodiac access points, a changing room and mudroom preparing passengers for off-ship and on-shore activities, while a dedicated science center is the hub for a variety of participative and educational Citizen Science programs.

Aurora Expeditions plans to commence voyages on Douglas Mawson in December 2025, with the inaugural voyage and full program to be announced soon.

Artist's rendering of the dining room. The ship has been designed by Tomas Tillberg Design

Bar and lounge on Deck 5

Balcony cabin

Aurora Expeditions new leadership and appointments in North America

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 31 March 2024 31 March 2024

Aurora Expeditions, the Australian expedition travel company has announced new appointments and developments within its North American sales team.

Kris Endreson has joined the company as its new Vice President of Sales, North America. Based in Dallas, Endreson brings a wealth of experience in senior roles within the expedition and cruising space, and a proven track record of driving sales growth and strong customer relationships. Officially assuming the role today, Endreson will be responsible for leading the company’s sales strategy across the region, driving revenue, and expanding its overall market presence, supported by her team of sales directors and business development managers.

To further bolster Aurora’s sales strategy in the market, the company has also appointed Bonnie Newman to a newly created role of Director of National and Key Accounts, following her success in her previous role of Sales Director, US West. This new role will be responsible for nurturing relationships with national retail agencies as well as strengthening and growing Aurora’s relationships with key wholesale accounts to drive revenue growth.

In addition, Danna Walker has been promoted to the new role of Business Development Manager, Canada, where she will work to expand Aurora’s brand presence in the Canadian market, forging partnerships, and driving growth initiatives with the Canadian trade.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kris Endreson to the team, as well as congratulate Bonnie and Danna on their new roles,” said David Tanguay, Global Head of Sales, Aurora Expeditions. “I am confident that their passion, dedication, and expertise will propel us to new heights and strengthen our position as a market leader in North America.”

Eric Andrews remains in his role as Sales Director, US Southeast, while the company is now also actively recruiting to fill the Sales Director roles for the Northeast and West.

PONANT partners with Farwind Energy to develop green hydrogen refueling solutions

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 28 March 2024 28 March 2024

In the brand’s ongoing initiatives to find ways to decarbonize, and thus contribute to the maritime industry’s energy transition, PONANT announces a collaboration with the Nantes-based startup Farwind Energy to develop innovative solutions for ship refueling with renewable hydrogen.

PONANT and Farwind Energy have defined a road map to develop the production and use of renewable marine hydrogen, where the companies will share progress on the management of hydrogen on board and collaborate on development of first-use cases and overcoming potential technological obstacles. The two partners have set a goal to commission both PONANT’s Swap2Zero project and Farwind’s first energy ship at the same time by 2030.

A company with a mission, based in Nantes and the Caribbean, Farwind Energy develops cutting edge solutions to enable renewable energy to be supplied as close as possible to its point of consumption and in a form adapted to the requirements. Its energy ship technology aims to produce electricity at sea from offshore wind and transform it into hydrogen by the electrolysis of seawater. The hydrogen can be transported to shore to be used as a fuel, a solution particularly well suited to island territories, or refueling of a ship can take place at sea, helping accelerate the maritime transport industry’s energy transition.

By 2030, PONANT is working on one of the sector’s most innovative R&D projects. Swap2Zero is the first concept of a transoceanic vessel aiming to approach, as far as state-of-the-art technology will allow, carbon neutrality, whether sailing, maneuvering, in port or at anchor. There are several initiatives to move forward with this ground-breaking project. Wind power is at the heart of the project and low-temperature fuel cells operating on liquid hydrogen for propulsion are also being studied. The project aims to be a catalyst for new energy solutions with strong replicability potential for the rest of the industry.

“Farwind Energy’s hydrogen production technology has the advantage of offering hydrogen refueling solutions in places where there are no means of production and supply. This collaboration is an opportunity to jointly develop a major project that associates a ship with her own source of renewable energy produced locally. It is an unprecedented revolutionary approach that makes total sense,” explains Mathieu Petiteau, Newbuilding and R&D Director at PONANT. "The Swap2Zero programme is the ideal demonstrator to scale up this solution and set new standards. This technological building block will be integrated into our other areas of R&D to support our decarbonization strategy.”

“We are proud to share our roadmap with PONANT, an innovative company committed to low carbon navigation. This collaboration opens up new perspectives for our highly innovative renewable energy production technology. Capable of being produced near the ship’s operating areas, our liquid hydrogen represents a promising solution to decarbonize maritime transport,” explains Arnaud Poitou, Chairman of Farwind Energy.

Carnival Legend to temporarily move to Norfolk after Baltimore port closure

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 27 March 2024 27 March 2024

Carnival Cruise Line has said that while rescue and remediation efforts continue in Baltimore Harbor following the collapse of the Key Bridge, it will temporarily move Carnival Legend’s Baltimore operations to Norfolk, Virginia.

Carnival Legend is scheduled to return from its current voyage on Sunday, March 31. It will now return to Norfolk on Sunday, and guests will be provided complimentary bus service back to Baltimore. Carnival Legend’s next 7-night itinerary on March 31 will then operate from and return to Norfolk. Guests on the current and upcoming cruises are being informed of this change.

“Our thoughts remain with the impacted families and first responders in Baltimore,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We appreciate the pledge made by President Biden today to dedicate all available resources to reopen Baltimore Harbor to marine traffic as soon as possible. As those plans are finalized, we will update our future cruise guests on when we will return home to Baltimore, but in the meantime, we appreciate the quick response and support from officials in Norfolk.”

Carnival Corporation orders an additional Excel-Class ship for Carnival Cruise Line

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 26 March 2024 26 March 2024

Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest cruise company, today announced it has signed an agreement with Meyer Werft shipyard for a fifth Excel-class cruise ship for its namesake Carnival Cruise Line brand, with the delivery set for 2028.

In mid-February Carnival Corporation had announced the first newbuild order placed in five years with news that a fourth Excel-class ship would join the Carnival Cruise Line fleet in Spring 2027. This announcement confirms an 11th Excel-class ship for the corporation's fleet across four of its world-class brands, and the fifth to be sailed by Carnival Cruise Line.

"Carnival's Excel-class fleet will soon be a quintet of these very popular ships that provide outstanding guest amenities and tremendous operating efficiencies," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. "Since the introduction of Mardi Gras in 2021 and the subsequent expansion with Carnival Celebration in 2022 and Carnival Jubilee in 2023, these Excel-class ships are driving excitement, demand, and strong guest satisfaction ratings. With the arrival of Carnival Firenze in April, we are completing the addition of five ships to our fleet in less than 20 months, and then we will pivot to another phase of growth with these two Excel ships."

This fifth Excel-class ship will be built on the same platform as its sisters, with the 180,000-ton ship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and designed to carry over 6,400 guests and 1,800 crew.

"This new order continues to balance our commitment to growth with our responsible capital approach to utilize strong free cash flow over the next several years to strategically improve our balance sheet, significantly reduce our leverage levels and continue to transfer value from debt holders to shareholders," said Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc.

"Carnival Cruise Line continues to perform at an outstanding level, and we are focused on adding capacity across the company where it aligns with demand and our position in the marketplace. This measured capacity growth strategy will result in our adding one to two ships per year beginning in 2027, and we will be identifying additional fleet plans over the coming months for our cruise lines to meet capacity demand and improve execution across all aspects of our operation, with the benefit of yielding higher return on invested capital," said Weinstein.

"We are proud of the role the Excel-class from Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku has played in contributing to the success of Carnival Corporation for many years now. We look forward to continuing this success story together," said Bernd Eikens, CEO Meyer Group.

This order is contingent upon financing, which is expected to be completed later this year.