What do agents need to know?
It’s named after Sir Douglas Mawson, a British-Australian polar explorer and contemporary of both Ernest Shackleton and Robert Scott. In 1911, he led a team to explore the Antarctic, but the mission turned into tragedy when both his companions died, and Mawson only survived by hiking 100 miles alone across the frozen wilderness.
Although extremely comfortable, it's important to remember Douglas Mawson is an expedition vessel – not a cruise ship, in other words. It prioritises wildlife encounters and exploring remote environments.
The bow design called an Ulstein X-BOW helps it pass through challenging waters, cutting through waves rather than jumping over them. This reduces any vibrations and helps make bouncy crossings feel smoother. Something worth telling your clients about who suffer from sickness about?
Another notable – and new – feature is the Zodiac boarding points on both sides of the ship and at the stern. This allows the team more flexibility and give guests more time ashore.
Despite these features, this is not a ship for passengers with mobility or health issues on Antarctica sailings. Guests need to step in and out of Zodiacs and walk on snow, ice and uneven ground. Plus, the sea in the polar regions can very rough.
The main staircase is quite steep with high steps, which can be problematic when the ship is rocking, and while there is a lift, for safety reasons it shuts off when the swell is too high - which happened fairly frequently in Antarctica leaving some guests struggling to move between floors.
Sleep well
There are 86 cabins which can accomodate 156 guests. It's worth noting Antarctic voyages are capped at 130 passengers to maintain the quality of the shore experience.
A cabin on Douglas Mawson, AE Expeditions' new ship (Credit: AE Expeditions)
Inside, cabins have a clean, Nordic look, with dark wood panelling and a white-and-blue colour scheme to reflect the icy landscapes outside. At 23 meters squared my standard stateroom was comfortable, compact, but with limited storage – though larger staterooms and suites are available.
Most cabins have private verandas and to accommodate the rise in solo travellers, there are 10 single cabins with no single supplement. Solo travellers can also choose to pay the twin-share rate.
Where is the ship sailing to?
Generally, the majority of Antarctic cruises operate from South America to the Antarctic Peninsula. Initially, Douglas Mawson will operate on the opposite side of the continent, following the route taken by its namesake's ship, the Aurora.
The maiden Antarctica sailing goes from Hobart, Australia, to Commonwealth Bay and Cape Denison in East Antarctica. Along the East Antarctica coast, if the weather gods are kind, passengers can visit Mawson’s original expedition huts, still standing after more than a century of exposure to the wild Antarctic winds and blizzards.
The route also includes Unesco-listed Macquarie Island, home to the world’s only breeding colony of Royal penguins, and parts of the New Zealand sub-Antarctic, where wildlife sightings can include yellow-eyed and rockhopper penguins, huge colonies of albatrosses, as well as elephant and fur seals and the New Zealand sea lion.
Following the maiden sailing, which I'm on, the Douglas Mawson will make a few more trips around East Antarctica before transferring to the Antarctic Peninsula. It will also make summer trips to the Mediterranean and around Ireland and Scotland.
How not to be bored onboard
Getting to East Antarctica involves several days at sea, but there’s still plenty to do. The X-BOW contains an atrium that curves over the central staircase. Upstairs is a library and games room, packed with books on Antarctica, wildlife and polar history, as well as novels.
For guests who want to help with real scientific research, downstairs is home to the Citizen Science Center, where you can collect data for partner projects including cloud observations, whale identification, plankton sampling and seabird counts.
There’s a lecture theatre hosting talks on Antarctic wildlife, exploration history, environmental science and photography. Or, if wellness is more your thing, there’s a gym, sauna, heated pool, and twin jacuzzis – the perfect place to sit and watch the icebergs float by, though both pool and jacuzzis were also frequently closed due to rough seas and bad weather. I suspect they will get much more use in Europe in the summer.
The sauna onboard AE Expeditions' Douglas Mawson ship (Credit: AE Expeditions)
Dine around
Dining aboard the Douglas Mawson is simple and relaxed, with two restaurants and two bars. The main restaurant, Cape Denison, is a sociable place, where guests are encouraged to make friends. Breakfast and lunch are buffets, while dinner is a la carte, with a rotating menu that mixes crowd-pleasers with more imaginative dishes. Starters included pork belly bao bun and turmeric and coconut velouté, followed by mains like pan-seared duck breast or pear and gorgonzola risotto.
The Hub restaurant offers a smaller space with a la carte menu. Wherever you eat, wine and beer are included with dinner, while for guests who want more, the cocktail list and wine selection are sensibly priced, and drinks packages are available.
Book it
AE Expeditions’ Antarctica Voyages start from £10,300 per person sharing for the Antarctic Explorer Express. The 24-day/23-night Mawson’s Antarctica voyage costs from £23,178 per person sharing and includes one night’s hotel in Hobart; all meals, snacks, and soft drinks on board; beer and house wine with dinner; all shore excursions and Zodiac cruises; lectures and guiding services; expedition parka and complimentary wifi.
