Aurora Expeditions has completed its return season to Antarctica following a break of almost two years because of the pandemic.

The expedition cruise line said hundreds of passengers from across the globe sailed on Greg Mortimer on eight voyages, ranging between 10 and 23 days, from January to April 2022.

Aurora Expeditions VP of operations Tomas Holik said: “Aurora Expeditions is thrilled with the success of our return season to Antarctica, getting back to what we do best in our 30^th year of operation.

“Our exceptional safety record and lack of interruptions during this season is a testament to our team’s commitment, planning, and expertise in ensuring that our expeditions were as safe and enjoyable as possible for our passengers.

“It was undoubtedly a combination of our strengthened health and safety measures and the fantastic cooperation of our passengers that ensured our incredibly successful return to operations.”

Aurora Expeditions reporting ‘high demand’

The operator’s chief marketing officer Hayley Peacock-Gower added: “We are honoured to have received so much remarkable feedback from our expeditioners who joined us this season. No one comes back from Antarctica the same, it changes them.

“We know that travellers are increasingly returning to their ultimate travel wishlists and looking to make up for lost time, explore and push their own personal boundaries.

“Expedition travel is a type of travel like no other, taking passengers on true adventures to some of the wildest and most remote reaches of our planet.”

Aurora’s 2022/23 Antarctica season will start in October 2022, with forward bookings “in high demand [and] many voyages close to being sold out”, the line said.

The 2023 Arctic season will also include a Jewels of Coastal United Kingdom voyage, on Greg Mortimer.

A second purpose-built expedition ship, Sylvia Earle, is due to debut in late 2022.