Aurora Expeditions Reviews 

Went on this expedition to Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands with high hopes and expectations. These were exceeded in every way. The landscape, of course, is extraordinary but the Aurora Expedition Team made our experience even more so. Howard as expedition leader (legendary for good reason) and Artem as captain made sure that we had every chance to visit places whilst avoiding the serious storms that would have prevented so much. We left the ship for landings, Zodiac trips and snorkelling trips at least twice a day and had fascinating lectures and presentations on the wildlife, the geology, the history and even the constitution. There were Citizen Science projects to become involved in and the enthusiasm for what were doing infused everything. The Sylvia Earle is a remarkable ship too, in the hands of the Bridge Team it was comfortable in every sea condition and able to get into extraordinary places. It was the trip of a lifetime

Antarctica Peninsula,South Georgia and The Falkland Odyssey on board new ship Sylvia Earle (18 Dec 2022 to 8 Jan 2023)
The reality of what the tour offered did not match with the advertised expectations from Aurora Expeditions’ own website!
- Absence of credited guest speakers - expedition team members double up as presenters giving high-school level of talks instead of more enriching expert lectures
- Hikes with no forewarn grading for participants to decide whether to take part according to their own ability, No trail or way markers on at least one hike resulting in falls with a number of passengers
- Not sure how many of the Expedition Team member are actually qualified professional Polar Expedition Guides - one has a feeling that the majority of their team are on very short term contracts - even just one or two tours, and are treating the tours as a working holiday themselves and not acting professionally at times during certain landings and hikes
- Landings and hikes have an atmosphere of high-school outings rather than professionally organised paid polar expedition
- New ship but sub standard quality control apparent as reflected on fittings in our cabin - partially fallen air conditioning cover from ceiling, TV cabling issue causing very poor screen image quality, poorly fitted piano paddles (wobbly) with key board cover falling onto hands at times while playing, cabin drawers only half size
- Sub-standard food quality offered after first 10 days (of a 21 day tour) in the main dining room (Gentoo Restaurant), though the food in the small grill restaurant (Rockhopper Restaurant) was consistently good, Given the price paid by the passengers for the tour, the quality of the ingredients of the food was disappointing (lack of quality seafood like lobsters, king crabs or langoustines) though the chefs’ cooking skills need to be applauded.
- Apparent that the tour was on a chartered ship where Aurora Expeditions only involvement with the tour was the Expeditions Team with its zodiac landings and hikes, with the Ship’s day to day administration including the hotel and catering services not under the control of Aurora directly! If we have known the way Aurora organises this tour, we would have not selected it.
NOT value for money for the services offered compared with other companies

The ship, the Sylvia Earle, was brand new and had outstanding accommodations. The expedition team, especially the naturalist, were very knowledgeable and great speakers. We went to 10 locations and saw thousands of penguins, 10s of seals and 10 of whales including orcas.

Aurora provided an amazing experience - a combination of fun, insight and understanding of the stunning expanse of Antarctica.
The leadership team of Howard, Roger, Ian were superb in making us feel secure whilst exploring above and below the water. The knowledge, experience and support of the amazing leadership, support team and ship's crew was beyond expectations.

Snorkelling in 0 degrees is challenging but worth experiencing. Go the SNORKS!!!
But equally the on land / ice / snow / water experiences provided are all treasured.

To gain a little knowledge of this stunning continent was a privilege and truly an experience of a lifetime. It has helped us understand even more how precious is our planet.
Colin & Sue

Three weeks on board the Greg Mortimer .. very stylish and spacious cabin with plenty of space in the public areas. The x-bow design clearly reduced upwards/downwards movement as it cuts through the waves .. though you do still get side roll. Expedition staff were experienced both on shore and in the zodiacs and the lectures they gave on board were “on point”. Food choices were phenomenal and waiting staff as well all the “hotel” staff were always helpful and never stopped smiling. Throughout the pandemic Aurora kept us notified and offered options and alternatives. Would not hesitate booking again and recommending Aurora and the Greg Mortimer.

This is an excellent small size cruise of the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and Panama. Facilities are great, food is brilliant and staff are knowledgeable, skilled and committed to sharing the natural splendour of coral reefs and national parks.

I really enjoyed this expedition in Iceland. I would like to repeat the Aurora experience, but it will be in Antarctica in the fall of 2023.

Don’t know anybody who’s as done this trip to Antarctica so did lots of searching on the internet
Came across aurora and everything they offered fit the bill. Only max 130 passengers lots of zodiac trips out along with extras that you pay for .
The cabins looked beautiful and the ship was fairly new
When we arrived on board we where over the moon it was beautiful staff very nice and polite the cabin was fabulous
All in all the Cruice was amazing all the trips on shore wasn’t easy for the expedition team but they always managed to get us walking in Antarctica. The talks they did were very interesting and not boring and didn’t feel like you were back at school . As for the food and the hotel staff on board they where outstanding by far the best we have ever had
If your thinking of doing this trip book with this company they are more expensive than other companies we looked at but we’ll worth the money

As I walked down the pier in the port town of Dún Laoghaire, I was in awe of the expedition ship on which I was embarking. The Greg Mortimer, built in 2019, was designed for polar travel. Its unique X-bow is a 21st century innovation that reduces pitch and bow impacts in high seas. To me, the shape is similar to the head of many marine mammals in that the bow curves outward and not inward, as most ship bows are designed.

An expedition ship’s purpose is to take people to hard-to-get-to places and get people off the ship to explore the environs. It’s not a party ship. On this voyage the “entertainment” consisted of lectures about the history, geology, and marine life related to Ireland. There were no docks at any of our stops that would accommodate the ship. We anchored and shuttled by Zodiac to shore.

Like most expedition ships, this one could carry up to 130 passengers. Because this voyage was the first of the season, and Covid still a concern, only 24 passengers embarked. This allowed Aurora to work out reasonable Covid protocols and get both ship’s crew and expedition staff up and running after the lengthy hiatus.

All cabins face outward. And all cabins, except those on deck 3, have a balcony. My cabin was a Junior Suite, one of the more spacious, with both a bedroom and a living room. I especially appreciated the walk in closet and ample space to store clothes. Later on in the voyage, I was given a tour of the other categories of cabin. Each was so spacious that for my next Aurora Expeditions voyage (to Iceland), I booked a lower category cabin.

The entire ship was spacious, not just my cabin. The lecture hall, restaurant, and bridge could accommodate 130 passengers, should the ship ever be that full. In addition, there was a panorama lounge on the top deck, a large fitness center, a library, a wellness center, a sauna with a view, and outdoor lounge areas that included a barbecue and two jacuzzis. Normally this ship has an open bridge policy.

For those of you who don’t recognize the name, Greg Mortimer is one of the first Australians to scale Mt. Everest. His passion for Adventure prompted him to start Aurora Expeditions. After 30 years of traveling to the polar regions, he commissioned a ship, which he named after himself. A second sister ship, the Sylvia Earle (named after the American marine biologist) launched recently.

The ship’s crew—hotel staff, navigation, restaurant—were wonderful. They were quite accommodating, efficient, and always pleasant. While expedition ships aren't known for the gourmet dining of river cruises, I found the food quite good and with plenty of variety. The wine served with meals was also very good.

The Aurora expedition staff had a variety of expertise and included several local guides with special expertise in Ireland. Expedition staff made every effort to go above and beyond and include a few surprises in the itinerary. The voyage was amazing, truly a trip of a lifetime.

One caution—this is an expedition ship. Travelers must be reasonably fit and able to get in and out of a Zodiac. Keep in mind that sea conditions can change. Sometimes this causes the itinerary to change and sometimes this can cause very wavy conditions for returning to the boat via Zodiac. I always felt safe with the staff. Expedition staff and Able Seaman ensure that every guest safely disembarks and embarks. What’s more, is that the Greg Mortimer uses an automatic positioning system (no anchor). This means expedition staff can communicate with the Captain who will reposition the ship to encounter a minimum of waves. Truly wonderful modern technology.

We were very fortunate to travel on the Greg Mortimer with Aurora Expeditions in Iceland. Working with their booking staff was simple and pleasant and the Greg Mortimer is a wonderful ship. Best of all, the expedition staff is first rate, and the icing on the cake was their kayaking team - great teachers, highly knowledgeable and just a lot of fun. Great trip.

The Greg Mortimer is a fast improvement to the Polar Pioneer we sailed to Antarctic with in 2003, but the experience compared in every other way. The superior facilities on the Greg Mortimer complimented with the outstanding friendliness and efficiency of service considerably enhanced the enjoyment in every aspect of the expeditionary adventure to this spectacular magnificent place blessed with the grantor of nature that deeply effects and lifts our appreciation of the natural world usually so remote from our grasp.
Not having visited the Greenland National Park on the north eastern coastal part of Greenland, the largest on earth, and seeing some of its diverse magnificent wildlife, the areas we visited were sparsely endowed with wildlife, on land or sea. But this did not distract from the incredible mountains on either side of the deep fiords into which we traveled, with their abundance of glaciers dropping from the Kilometer high Greenland icecap producing icebergs that can be of the order of square Kilometer in size.
The zodiac excursion on the many destinations were a great attraction and offered many opportunities to explore some of the historic sites, including early Viking settlements, as well as just stomping thru the tundra up a slope or along the fiord shore.
Talks be experts on subjects like glaciers, bird live in the arctic, the significance of nutrients to the marine environment brought in to the fiords by the glaciers scraping the Sea floor, as well as the importance of liken.
One of our highlights was a helicopter flight over a massive glacier and landing on a barren hill on the edge of the icecap. In all the expedition was in so many ways an experience of some of some of the most unexpected, creating a deeper insight in understanding the wonders of the arctic, it’s beauty as well as its vulnerability to our present and worrying changes of our world climatic conditions.

Had a fantastic cruise around Svalbard, Greenland and the Arctic area. Saw wonderful wildlife and landscapes including a blue whale, wonderful polar bear mums with their cubs, and amazing icebergs.
The crew and the expedition team were enthusiastic, helpful and informative.
Trip of a lifetime

The recent Iceland cruise was amazing. It was Aurora's first cruise.

My disappointment though was that I was charged twice for my sundries at the end of the cruise and lost out in the currency exchange rate when they refunded. I also lost out on international exchange transaction fees. I was left out of pocket by all this. Not a big issue but would recommend that you pay for sundries either with US$ cash or a US$ credit card so you don't experience exchange losses if you get charged twice and then refunded.

I traveled with Aurora in February across the Antarctic Circle and it was truly an unbelievable experience from start to finish. The ship was remarkably clean, rooms were super comfortable and food was awesome every day. The highlight was by far the expedition team and their passion and knowledge! I can't imagine anyone not having an AMAZING time with Aurora. If I need to speak to anyone personally to convince, them I am happy to.

What a amazing experience , guided by a incredible explorator team , a unbelievable crew and ship. Thank you for everything.

I was on the 23 day Antarctica itin that included the peninsula plus South Georgia and Falklands. Every day was magical; the Expedition Leaders were amazing and made sure we got to see as much as we could....and learned as much as we wanted. Penguins, Ice, Seals....the list goes on and on. Each day was so special for a different reason. Fellow travelers were just a joy to learn from and connect with; food was great - look much forward to going back

Our trip to south of the Antarctic Circle on the Greg Mortimer was just wonderful.
The ship was of a really high quality and well thought out. Each cabin had more sockets, at sensible heights than we needed. The staff were all friendly and professional and we felt that they couldn't do enough for us, yet weren't over weaning.
The expedition team under Flo's leadership could not have given us a better experience. They were all so knowledgeable and able to answer any and all questions that we had.
We were sea kayaking. Kayaking through brash ice is an experience we will never forget. The team, especially Dan and Frank kept us safe and gave us a wonderful time on the water.
The food and drink we of a high standard and, despite having to serve us using a buffet system it all worked efficiently. There was plenty of fresh vegetables every day.
Aurora have put in place really effective Covid protocols that made us feel safe.
We had thought this was 'the trip of a lifetime' but are now left wondering if we might persuade the bank manager to let us go again.
Thank you Aurora

Aurora Expedition trip to Antarctica was a trip of a lifetime for us. They cared about our health (COVID protocols in place). They gave us the best, safest and most sustainable visit to a unique place. We loved everything and hope to go on another trip with Aurora in the future. We love the penguins!

We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Aurora Expeditions. The voyage to Antarctica was amazing!
The entire crew was fabulous-- hard to single out individuals! Perhaps what we most appreciated was the entire team's devotion and passion for what they do. It was very inspiring to witness the love they have for this magical part of the world. Especially with the challenges of COVID, their flexibility and overwhelming commitment to safety was admirable and much appreciated.

Awesome trip on the Great Mortimer to Antarctica. It completely exceeded my already high expectations. The expedition crew are incredibly experienced and knowledgeable, and their passion for what they do is infectious. We were lucky enough to spend 3 days inside the Antarctic Circle and the team were just as excited as we were! The front of house team were friendly, fun and looked after us incredibly well. Overall, we had an amazing trip, didn’t want to leave and Aurora were absolutely top notch. I’ll be using them again for future trips and have recommended them to others already.

I’ve seen previous reviews complaining about issues with Covid/refunds. All I can say is that, on board, Covid was taken very seriously with regular lateral flow tests and other precautions put in place. One person tested positive and was quarantined, with the travelling partner quarantined in a separate cabin. They were given a full credit for a future trip. Can’t fault Aurora for the professional way they dealt with this but I appreciate this is now 2 years after the start of the pandemic and the processes are probably well practiced now.