Douglas Mawson Makes Maiden Caen Call During D-Day Events

Aurora Expeditions’ Douglas Mawson made its maiden call at France’s Port of Caen-Ouistreham from June 5 to 7, during a port stay timed with the 82nd anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. The 2025-built expedition ship shared the port’s refurbished Nouveau Bassin quay with Grand Circle Cruise Line’s Clio, giving Caen-Ouistreham its first double overnight cruise call at the upgraded berth.

At Nouveau Bassin, smaller cruise vessels can berth in Caen after transiting the canal from Ouistreham. Clio was operating a turnaround call on a Caen-Copenhagen itinerary, while guests from both vessels centered their shore programs on June 6 commemorations in Normandy.

Commemorations drive shore program

Douglas Mawson passengers also visited Caen and Mont-Saint-Michel during the ship’s final day alongside. Passengers and crew from both ships were offered complimentary shuttle service to Caen’s historic center, free bicycles and tastings of local products on the quay.

A traditional plaque exchange was held onboard Douglas Mawson with Captain Artem Kolmykov and Romain Bail, president of the local cruise club and mayor of Ouistreham, joined by port and tourism officials.

Douglas Mawson is Aurora Expeditions’ newest ship. It is one of three vessels in the operator’s fleet, alongside Greg Mortimer and Sylvia Earle. The ship is 104.4 meters long and carries 130 passengers on expedition voyages, with a higher capacity on small-ship cruise programs depending on configuration.

Bridge project would expand vessel access

Caen-Ouistreham is preparing additional cruise infrastructure work tied to the Colombelles Bridge, which is scheduled for completion in summer 2027. The new swing bridge will replace the existing structure and provide a navigable width of 40 meters, allowing ships up to 185 meters long to reach the port.

The bridge project would extend the port’s current cruise limits. Existing cruise berths handle vessels of roughly 165 to 176 meters in length depending on berth, with Nouveau Bassin used for smaller cruise ships and Calix quay available for larger calls.

Port officials said about 15 cruise calls have already been booked for the 2027 and 2028 seasons.