Once known for its polar explorations, Australian-owned Aurora Expeditions will cast a wider net taking adventure seekers to remote Raja Ampat and Kalimantan in 2026.
With more than 33 years experience in exploration and adventure cruising, Aurora Expeditions will now venture closer to home taking past guests to explore the pristine waters of Raja Ampat in Indonesia and the orangutan in Central Kalimantan in Borneo.
Founded by legendary adventurer Greg Mortimer, Aurora will also offer solo cabins – with no single supplement – on every sailing to the polar regions of Antarctica, Arctic, Costa Rica, the Mediterranean, Scotland, Ireland and Southeast Asia in the 2026 season.
There will also be an expedition itinerary to Oslo and Reykjavik in Iceland to experience the total solar eclipse onboard the Sylvia Earle. The bucket-list sailing will sail through the stunning Arctic landscape to position guests for the “celestial spectacle” to watch the moon gradually eclipsing the sun, casting an ethereal glow.
“There will be two minutes and 18 seconds of darkness which will transform into daylight by a dazzling diamond ring,” the line said.
“We have a very high percentage of repeat customers who want to explore other remote parts of the world with Aurora,” David Tanguay, global head of sales told Cruise Passenger in an interview.
“In 2026, we are extending our polar expeditions to provide an immersive exploration of remote destinations such as Raja Ampat and Borneo; the Faroe Islands, North Scotland and Iceland as well as small ship cruises to Ireland, Marrakech to Barcelona and Athens to Barcelona.
“Aurora offers true small ship adventure cruising as we have less than 150 passengers onboard our ships which are purpose-built to explore remote destinations. Our guests get off the ship for a longer and immersive experience onshore and all excursions are led by expert guides. Sustainable cruising is also part of our DNA.”
The expedition line is not the cheapest nor the most expensive in the marketplace.
“But we offer the best value,” said Tanguay.
Guests can expect to pay US$1000 per person per day when cruising with Aurora in Southeast Asia. Prices for polar expeditions average between US$1000 – $1200 per person per day.
Aurora has two expedition ships, Greg Mortimer and Sylvia Earle with the new Douglas Mawson scheduled to debut in December 2025.
Douglas Mawson will launch her maiden voyage circumnavigating Tasmania then departing Hobart to the eastern part of the Antarctica in December 2025.
Highlights of the 2026 Arctic and Beyond itineraries
- Jewels of the Arctic (Solar Eclipse 2026) onboard Sylvia Earle 2-26 August 2026.
- In the Wake of Wallace: Indonesia and Borneo onboard Greg Mortimer 24 October – 8 November 2026
- Historic Trails and Wildnerness: Scotland, Faroes and Iceland onboard Greg Mortimer 17-29 May 2026.
- Natural Treasure of Costa Rica onboard Sylvia Earle 23-29 April 2026.
- More than a myth: Marrakech to Barcelona on the Douglas Mawson 20 June – 2 July 2026.
- Luck of the Irish: Dublin to Dublin onboard Douglas Mawson 8-26 May 2026.
- Myths of the Mediterranean: Athens to Naples on Douglas Mawson 14 September – 1 October 2026.
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