Aurora Plans 27 Antarctic Voyages for 2026-27

Aurora Expeditions is preparing 27 voyages for the 2026-27 Antarctic season, with three ships covering destinations from the Antarctic Peninsula to the Ross Sea and East Antarctica. Research will be a substantial part of the program: 18 scientists will participate in five projects across 11 voyages, according to TravelPulse’s Sept. 17 report.

For travelers booking around science rather than destination alone, that distinction matters. The research program covers selected voyages, not the entire season. Choosing an Antarctic departure and choosing one carrying these researchers are separate booking decisions.

Three ships, with voyages from nine to 34 days

The season will operate aboard Greg Mortimer, Sylvia Earle and Douglas Mawson, with voyages ranging from nine to 34 days. Each polar departure will carry a maximum of 130 travelers, TravelPulse reported.

The geographic scope extends beyond the Antarctic Peninsula to include the Ross Sea and East Antarctica. Those destinations describe the reach of the overall program; they should not be read as a route shared by every sailing. The same applies to duration: the nine-to-34-day range describes the season’s options, not a single expedition format.

That makes the individual itinerary the starting point for comparing departures. The ship names and passenger limit establish the fleet and group size, but the route, duration and presence of researchers distinguish the trip a traveler is actually choosing.

Research aboard 11 Antarctic voyages

The five projects will address whale ecology and health, penguin populations, wildlife disease, marine biodiversity and deep-sea exploration, according to TravelPulse. The scope includes both Antarctic wildlife and research beneath the surface, rather than concentrating exclusively on the animals passengers might see from a ship.

Participating researchers will come from organizations including the University of California, Santa Cruz; the University of Tasmania; WWF; Reef Life Survey; and New Zealand’s Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. TravelPulse reported that they will conduct fieldwork aboard Aurora’s ships.

Scientists will also share their work with passengers through onboard presentations and other educational opportunities. The program puts working researchers aboard selected expeditions and provides opportunities to learn about their work during the voyage.

Presentations and educational access are not the same as a commitment that passengers will collect samples, operate equipment or participate directly in fieldwork. Travelers interested in a particular research subject should ask about the project attached to their intended departure, rather than rely on the season’s overall science emphasis.

A deep-sea camera project targeting colossal squid

One project is tied to a named itinerary. Project ESCA will use a specially developed deep-sea camera and attraction system during Aurora’s Epic Antarctica: Crossing the 7th Continent voyage, TravelPulse reported. Its objective is to observe the elusive colossal squid in its natural habitat.

The operative word is “attempt.” This is a research effort, not a promised wildlife encounter. The project is planned for the expedition; a successful observation cannot be treated as an itinerary inclusion.

Six Special Edition expeditions

Aurora’s season also includes six Special Edition expeditions focused on photography, activities, science and women-only exploration, according to TravelPulse. Those themes offer another way to narrow the program beyond ship, destination and length.

The themed expeditions and the research program answer different questions when comparing options. A photography focus answers a different booking question from whether a particular scientific team will be aboard. Travelers prioritizing either should match that interest to the specific departure.

A longer history in polar travel

Two of the ships assigned to the coming Antarctic season mark more recent stages in that history. Aurora took delivery of Greg Mortimer in 2019, and the ship was christened in Ushuaia, Argentina. Sylvia Earle departed on its inaugural cruise from Ushuaia in 2022. Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands remain a central focus of the company’s cruise operations, alongside its wider expedition and travel offerings.

The same company profile lists Greg Mortimer and Sylvia Earle as 104-meter ships, each with a passenger capacity of 132. Their cabin counts differ: 79 aboard Greg Mortimer and 71 aboard Sylvia Earle. Those vessel specifications are distinct from the operating limit announced for the coming Antarctic season. For these polar departures, the reported maximum is 130 travelers, rather than the ships’ listed 132-passenger capacity.

Match the departure to the reason for going

The useful approach is straightforward: identify the route and duration first, then verify the research project or Special Edition theme attached to that sailing. Aurora has outlined a season with distinct geographic and educational choices. The strongest booking decision will come from the details of one expedition, not from assuming every departure contains everything announced for the season.