Last Infinity-class cruise ship delivered

SunStone Maritime Group has announced the delivery of the seventh and final vessel in this first series of newbuilds, Douglas Mawson.

The delivery took place at China Merchants Heavy Industry in Haimen, China, on 9 September. “We are very pleased with the performance of our Infinity class, and we are proud to have now delivered seven of these beautiful vessels to the expedition market. Congratulations to Aurora Expeditions on its third Infinity", said SunStone chief executive Carsten Lund.

Named after Sir Douglas Mawson, the Australian geologist and Antarctic explorer whose work was central to the study of the polar regions, it is the third Infinity vessel to go to Aurora Expeditions, following Greg Mortimer and Sylvia Earle.

The vessel represents a collaboration between Norwegian naval architects Ulstein, Swedish-American interior designers Tomas Tillberg Design USA, Finnish interior contractors Makinen, and Chinese Shipyard CMHI. A statement said, “The result is an expedition cruise vessel featuring best-in-class safety and comfort, as well as high operational efficiency. Multiple Infinity-class vessels have received awards and notable mentions from media outlets such as Cruise Critic, Forbes and Magellan Awards from Travel Weekly Magazine.”

Measuring 104 m in length, 18 m in width, and with a draft of 5 m, the vessel offers a passenger capacity of 170, supported by a crew capacity of 102. The vessel is Ice Class 1A and Polar Class 6 certified, allowing it to operate in both warm and cold waters. Douglas Mawson features the X-Bow by Ulstein Design & Solutions, and is equipped with Safe Return to Port, virtual anchoring, and zero speed stabilisers. The vessel provides a wide range of amenities, including a swimming pool, bar and restaurants, lounges, a boutique, gym, spa and sauna.