Aurora Expeditions is taking a big tech step forward. Working with the Australian company CounterCurrent, the cruise line plans to outfit its new polar ship Douglas Mawson with smart sensors and AI-powered routing tools by December 2025. The idea is simple: sail smarter, safer, and with less fuel.

Instead of relying only on charts and forecasts, the system will gather real-time ocean data in the Southern Ocean as the ship explores places where weather can change fast and traditional data is scarce. The sensors will read currents, sea conditions, and other oceanographic information, then combine that with satellite data. The AI will suggest routes that take advantage of favorable conditions, guiding the ship toward smoother seas and more efficient cruising.

Aurora Expeditions sees this as both a navigation upgrade and a chance to support climate science. Every bit of data gathered from these remote waters will also be shared with global weather and climate models, helping fill major information gaps in polar regions. Better data could mean better forecasting worldwide.

According to Aurora’s Sustainability Manager Sasha Buch, safer routes with lower emissions depend on “a good understanding of ocean currents” and more reliable information. With the help of organizations like the Polar Citizen Science Collective, the company says every voyage will now help improve the next one.

This move fits into the maritime industry’s growing push to use technology for cleaner, more efficient operations. Other research groups are already exploring autonomous ships. A study from KAIST in South Korea even suggests that cruise ships could one day navigate tight channels on their own using GPS, cameras, and LiDAR.

For now, Aurora’s goal is not a fully autonomous ship. It is simply giving crews the smartest tools possible for the world’s toughest waters.