With the upcoming launch of the Douglas Mawson, our third purpose-built small ship, a new chapter in expedition cruising is about to begin. Designed in collaboration with the renowned Tomas Tillberg Design team, Douglas Mawson blends innovation, comfort, and storytelling in a way that honours both her namesake’s pioneering spirit and Aurora’s legacy of exploration.
We sat down with Tomas Tillberg and Nedgé Louis-Jacques to discuss the inspiration, collaboration, and design philosophy behind the interiors of Douglas Mawson — from the challenges of crafting a vessel built for the world’s most remote regions to the subtle details that make each space a reflection of discovery, connection, and Australian heritage.
What makes the interior design of a cruise ship so important? How does it impact the experience of the traveller?
The interior design of a cruise ship is fundamental because it shapes how travelers feel, move, and connect with their journey at sea. Unlike a hotel on land, a ship is both a destination and a mode of travel, meaning the design must balance beauty, function, and adaptability within a moving, compact environment.
Thoughtful interiors create a sense of place—welcoming guests into spaces that are not only comfortable and luxurious but also reflective of the destinations they’re exploring. For travelers, design impacts everything from mood to well-being. Lighting, color palettes, and materials can foster calm or excitement, while spatial flow ensures guests feel both a sense of intimacy and access to the wider community onboard. Details like acoustics, furniture ergonomics, and way-finding influence whether a guest feels relaxed or overwhelmed.
In essence, good cruise ship design transforms a vessel into a floating world of experiences—enhancing comfort, storytelling, and memory-making throughout the voyage.
How does designing for a small, polar-bound expedition ship differ from creating a large lifestyle cruise vessel — both structurally and in terms of interior design?
Designing the interior of a smaller expedition ship is a very different challenge from creating spaces for a large lifestyle cruise ship. A lifestyle ship is essentially a floating resort: it offers a wide variety of venues—restaurants, lounges, theaters, spas—each with its own personality and sense of escapism. The interior design emphasizes choice, entertainment, and creating a vibrant, social environment where thousands of guests can explore something new each day. Scale, spectacle, and variety are at the heart of the design approach.
By contrast, a smaller expedition ship is about intimacy, purpose, and connection to the environment. Space is limited, so design must be highly efficient, flexible, and thoughtful—balancing comfort with practicality. Guests on these voyages seek discovery and enrichment, so interiors often integrate lecture halls, libraries, and observation lounges instead of large entertainment venues. The design language is more subdued and timeless, framing the outside world rather than competing with it.
When a ship is built for polar or Antarctic expeditions, design must go even further to address the extremes of the environment. Materials must be durable, warm, and easy to maintain under harsh conditions. Large windows and panoramic lounges become essential, allowing guests to stay connected to dramatic landscapes while staying safe and comfortable inside.
In short, yes—expedition purpose and geography absolutely influence interior design. It’s about shaping an onboard world that not only functions well in its environment but also heightens the traveler’s sense of place and experience.
What influenced the design of the vessel?
The design of the Douglas Mawson was shaped by both its purpose as a polar expedition vessel and the legacy of its namesake. Sir Douglas Mawson’s pioneering spirit and connection to Antarctic exploration inspired subtle storytelling elements woven into the interiors, from artwork and maps to a design language that evokes discovery and resilience.
At the same time, the vessel reflects a Nordic-influenced aesthetic—clean lines, muted palettes mixed with some interesting accents combination, and natural textures—that frame the dramatic landscapes outside and create warmth within. Because the ship will sail from Hobart and return Aurora to East Antarctica after more than a decade, Australian heritage played an important role as well, grounding the design in a sense of place and cultural connection. This influence is reflected not only in the narrative details, but also in the ship’s philosophy of exploration, education, and environmental stewardship—values that resonate strongly with Australia’s history of Antarctic leadership. Together, these influences ensured the ship feels both distinctly tied to its environment and true to Aurora Expeditions’ Australian roots.
What did the team want to achieve with the design of Douglas Mawson?
With the Douglas Mawson, the team set out to create a vessel that delivers comfort, connection, and meaning in some of the most remote parts of the world. The design prioritizes guest well-being in extreme environments, with interiors that are warm, calm, and practical, while the Ulstein X-BOW® hull ensures smoother sailing and quieter experiences at sea.
Expansive observation spaces and panoramic lounges draw the outside in, allowing nature to remain the focal point, while lecture halls, libraries, and science centers invite guests to learn and reflect. The intention was to provide more than a beautiful ship—it was to craft an atmosphere that supports exploration, deepens engagement with the environment, and leaves travelers with a profound sense of connection to both history and the natural world.
In many ways, the design embodies Aurora’s mission of creating life-changing journeys: it offers the comfort of a sanctuary at sea while keeping every guest rooted in the awe and wonder of the landscapes just beyond the glass.
What aspect of Douglas Mawson’s design is the team most proud of?
When we look at the Douglas Mawson, what our design team feels most proud of is the way we were able to weave together unique color palettes and improved layouts to elevate both form and function. Every choice—whether it was a subtle tone in the interior scheme or a rethinking of how spaces flow, was about creating an environment that feels seamless for guests while still staying true to Aurora Expeditions’ spirit of exploration.
The color coordination is something particularly special. It’s not just decorative, it sets the atmosphere, helps define zones, and creates a sense of calm and cohesion throughout the ship. Combined with layouts that maximize functionality and attention to details such as the selections of accessories and artworks, the result is a vessel where every corner has purpose and every space feels intentional.
For us, that balance between aesthetics, comfort, and practicality is the real achievement. The Douglas Mawson reflects years of design insight, but it also shows how far we’ve come in refining ideas with Aurora over three ships together. It’s a design we’re proud of because it doesn’t just look beautiful—it works beautifully too.
We've worked together across all three of our purpose-built expedition ships, what makes Douglas Mawson unique?
After collaborating with Aurora Expeditions and SunStone on the first two ships, stepping into the design of the Douglas Mawson feels like arriving at a new chapter in the story we’ve been writing together. The first vessels were about learning each other’s rhythms, building trust, and creating a foundation. By the time we reached the Douglas Mawson, that foundation had turned into something much richer—a shared history of ideas, problem-solving, and vision.
What makes this third ship special is not only its unique wider planned destination and color palette, but the fact that it’s shaped by years of collaboration. With the confidence gained from the earlier projects, the conversations became more open, the ambitions higher, and the design more daring. We weren’t just delivering a ship—we were building on lessons learned, refining what worked, and challenging ourselves to go further.
The Douglas Mawson stands as more than the next vessel in a fleet. It represents the maturity of a partnership and the excitement of pushing boundaries together. That’s what makes her truly special.
For the wider expedition cruise industry, what does the launch of Douglas Mawson represent?
The launch of the Douglas Mawson marks an important milestone not just for Aurora Expeditions, but for the entire expedition cruise industry. As the first vessel with the Ulstein X-BOW® to sail in Australian waters, it introduces a new standard of seakeeping and passenger comfort to the region—an innovation that reshapes the way guests experience remote voyages.
Equally significant is what this ship represents for exploration: Aurora’s long-awaited return to East Antarctica after 13 years. These expeditions are more than just itineraries; it’s a reconnection with one of the most remote and awe-inspiring parts of the planet, opening more options for a new generation of travelers to experience its wilderness on this specific polar designed vessel.
Together, these milestones signal a bold step forward for expedition cruising—where innovation in ship design and a renewed spirit of exploration meet to expand the boundaries of available cruise ship options. The Douglas Mawson is not just a ship; she’s a symbol of how far the industry has come, and where it’s headed next.
Continuing the Legacy of Exploration
As Douglas Mawson prepares to make her debut, it’s clear she represents far more than the next ship in our fleet. She’s a culmination of years of collaboration, innovation, and shared passion for creating meaningful travel experiences that connect people to the planet.
From her thoughtful interior design and advanced Ulstein X-BOW® hull to the stories woven into every detail, Douglas Mawson embodies the evolution of modern expedition cruising — where comfort meets curiosity, and every journey feels like a return to the spirit of true exploration.
