Greg Mortimer

Restaurant

Meals are served in a large restaurant with family style dining, perfect to swap stories with your new expedition family. Additionally, a private dining area will also be available on request. Enjoy the range of house wine, beers and soft drinks included with dinner after a long day in the wild, preparing yourself for another exciting day to follow.

On the last day of your trip, the team on the Greg Mortimer put on a special farewell four-course dinner and cocktails – a perfect way to reflect on your time on the ship and consolidate lifelong friendships with the people you’ve met on-board.

Observation Points

Let’s face it – you don’t want windowless rooms when travelling around some of the most beautiful locations around the world. This is why the Greg Mortimer is designed with plenty of dedicated observation spaces – ideal for keen bird spotters, wildlife watchers and those wanting to watch the scenery go past.

From the indoor 180-degree lounge and outdoor 360-degree open deck, both on deck 8, to the 270-degree open sundeck on level 7, there are plenty of observation points to share around the ship! If these are full, then you can take up a spot on one of the two hydraulic viewing platforms on deck 5.

Elephant Island Bar

Communal meeting areas have always played a major role in fostering the warm camaraderie on board our ships. They are the heart of the expedition, where people meet to share tales from the day, swap photos, keep an eye out for wildlife and watch the sun go down.

The bars and lounges on board are refined yet inviting places to gather, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering stunning views, and of course friendly bartenders to shoot the breeze with.

Lecture Lounge

On all our expeditions, there are experts who lead presentations in the spacious lecture room so you can understand the region a little better. These often include topics as broad as history and culture to biology and climate change, these presentations aim to educate and entertain.

Library & Multimedia Centre

With floor-to-ceiling windows, the library is a peaceful sanctuary where you can find non-fiction books to read up on the day’s destinations, plug in and organise your photos or play board games with newfound friends.

Choose from our range of informative nonfiction titles, wildlife guidebooks, travel journals, novels and a selection of children’s books and board games.

Wildlife guides, books and binoculars can also be found on the observation lounge on deck 7.

Wellness Centre & Gym

You are welcome to visit the wellness centre during your voyage where you can use the gym, visit our sauna (which we highly recommend after the polar plunge!) or book a massage (additional cost applies).

There are also two jacuzzis on the top outside deck with amazing views of the world outside.

Hydraulic Viewing Platforms

Although there is no doubt that you’ll love the aesthetics of the Greg Mortimer, we are all here to admire the spectacular landscape and spot the elusive wildlife in their natural habitat. To ensure you get the best views possible, the new ship features unique viewing platforms, custom-built for the Greg Mortimer.

Accessed from Deck 5, the two platforms fold out hydraulically for unobstructed views of passing marine life and seabirds – make sure your camera is locked and loaded!

Zodiac Launching Platform

Zodiacs are a vital part of getting up close and personal on your adventure – sneaking into areas that the Greg Mortimer can’t reach. On this new ship, there are specially designed launching platforms that enables us to load Zodiacs easily and quickly, allowing you to spend more time exploring on the two to three daily landings.

There are 15 Zodiacs that are boarded from either side of Deck 3 (sea level), perfect for when there is a group of fluffy cute penguin chicks that we need a photo of! 

Custom-Built Activity Platform

Regardless of your destination, we offer a number of additional activities to allow you to see more of the environment. From kayaking and diving to climbing and ski touring, it’s these optional activities that often leave the biggest impression on your trip as a whole. Onboard the Greg Mortimer, there is a spacious prep and loading platform for these activities and more – designed in consultation with our expert activity guides.

Excursions

Although the ship is fun, the real enjoyment comes from the many shore excursions that are available. Depending on weather conditions, it may be possible for multiple landings, taking a look at everything from rock formations and ancient ruins to cute groups of penguins. We know time is of the essence in these wild locations, so the Greg Mortimer has been designed to carry 15 Zodiacs, which means you can maximise your time on shore.

From four dedicated sea level launching platforms, transfers are quicker, safer and enable you to get closer to the action for a longer period of time. Just remember to charge your camera before you step onto the Zodiac!

Mudroom

No need to take your wet expedition gear back to your cabin to dry. Keep your cabin warm and cosy by leaving your outer jackets and pants in the mudroom.

The mudroom is your launchpad for all shore excursions and activities. Here, you will have access to a locker when you can hang your gear up to dry, and store your boots between excursions.

Responsible Travel

Our commitment
AE Expeditions is committed to travelling respectfully and providing a trip of a lifetime experience, while aiming to create lifelong ambassadors for the protection of our planet and the diverse places we visit around the world.

Our fleet
Our fleet boasts the lowest polluting marine engines in the world, and our state of the art engines deliver an 80% reduction in emissions.*

The revolutionary Ulstein X-BOW® cuts through the swell, reducing vibrations and making quicker transits through waves, which helps reduce our fuel consumption by up to 60%.

Our onboard desalination plant converts seawater to freshwater that’s safe to drink. This means we can carry less freshwater on sea crossings, further reducing our fuel consumption.

Our fleet uses virtual anchoring, a combination of GPS, steering technology, propellers and thrusters, which allow the ship to hold position. This protects the sea floor and minimises the damage caused by conventional anchors.

*Tier 3 compared to the older Tier 1 engine

Plastic: towards zero
On board we’ve replaced many single-use plastic products with sustainable alternatives and our aim is to eliminate them altogether.

Responsible dining
All of our seafood onboard is sustainably sourced in accordance with the Marine Stewardship Council guidelines. We also cater for vegetarian and vegan diets (please mention this when booking).

Gentle cleaning products
For our onboard cleaning products, we aim to use biodegradable, phosphate free and non-bioaccumulative products as much as possible.

We are proud to provide Stream2Sea’s mineral-based sunscreen, tested and proven safe for fish and coral larvae onboard – available for passenger use.

Recycling
We use recycling bins onboard to separate waste and reduce our landfill, and aim to recycle our waste at every port.

We are proud to be a member of the SeaGreen recycling initiative in Ushuaia, and participate in beach clean-up initiatives such as Clean up Svalbard.

Carbon Neutral

We are certified 100% Carbon Neutral as part of an ongoing active sustainability plan to help make a positive impact on the planet.

Citizen Science Program

Travel is always the best educator and we offer the chance to enrich your curiosity and expand your knowledge and understanding of the places we travel to. There is no better learning opportunity than being in the field with subject matter experts. 

Our Citizen Science Program is designed to be an interactive forum of like-minded travellers to share new discoveries and deepen their connection to the natural world in a relaxed, informal and fun environment – both on board our ships, on our fascinating shore expeditions and in our zodiacs. 

You can make a difference as we can provide invaluable data to the scientific community through you taking part. You too can become an ambassador for the protection of our majestic but fragile blue planet when you return home by sharing what you have learned. 

Our seven dynamic and diverse Citizen Science Projects – focusing on whales, seabirds, microplastics, weather patterns, phytoplankton, polar fjordlands and marine biodiversity – have been hand-picked for their ground-breaking work and global achievements.

Medical Facilities

When travelling to extreme environments, ensuring our expeditioners are healthy and happy is our number one priority. That’s why we have a doctor on board at all times, as well as a well-equipped clinic to provide basic medical care.

Dress Code

Shipboard clothing is informal and casual Jeans, jumpers and long-sleeved shirts are ideal for indoors in the polar regions; however be sure to keep your jacket close for unexpected wildlife sightings! Some people like to take a nicer outfit for the captain’s welcome and farewell drinks but formal clothing is not necessary. For health and safety reasons, we do request you wear enclosed shoes in public areas while on board the ship. AE Expeditions will provide you with a complimentary, insulated polar jacket that includes an inner down jacket and an outer waterproof shell.

All passengers travelling to Antarctica, the Arctic, or Scotland, will have access to complimentary use of gumboots during the voyage. If you have concerns regarding extra-small or large sizing, or hard-to-fit feet, we recommend you bring your own pair. Gumboots are to be worn on all shore visits unless advised otherwise by the expedition team.

Temperatures

Our expeditions to the polar regions operate during the summer months in the Antarctic and Arctic. During the summer months in Antarctica∘ the temperature can range from -2°C (28°F) to 8°C (46°F). Big storms are rare, but if one comes through the temperature could drop to -8°C (17°F).

In the Arctic the temperature can range from -3°C (26.6°F) to 7°C (44.6°F).

Special Dietary Requirements

We can accommodate most special meal requests if given advance notice. Our talented chefs will take your requirements into their meal planning and ensure you receive tasty, healthy meals. Ensure you list any dietary requirements on your personal details form. Although we aim to accommodate most dietary requirements, we are unable to cater to all requirements, nor can we guarantee that our onboard meals do not contain traces of peanuts or other nuts. Please contact us to enquire about your specific needs. 

Wi-Fi and Connectivity

Onboard wi-fi internet packages are available for purchase during the voyage. Telephone access for personal use is not available on board. In case of an emergency, our expedition team can facilitate communication with your family members if necessary. 

Other Details

Children: Adults only

Childrens Facilities: None

Nursery: None

Smoking: Some

Gratuities:

Wheelchair Cabins: 2 available