Douglas Mawson was delivered to SunStone Ships on September 9, 2025, at the CMHI Haimen shipyard. This completed the seven-ship Infinity-class series: Greg Mortimer, Ocean Victory, Ocean Explorer, Sylvia Earle, Ocean Odyssey, Ocean Albatros and now Douglas Mawson. MAKINEN delivered the interiors for all seven vessels as full visual turnkey projects, including passenger cabins, suites, restaurants, lounges, shops, crew areas, spa areas, sun deck and more.

Since 2018, MAKINEN has worked continuously in the expedition vessel newbuilding market, building a network and operating model that allows us to deliver predictable quality, cost efficiency and seamless project management for any expedition vessel in the world.

We have now published a new interior walkthrough video and a photo selection showing the completed interiors of Douglas Mawson. As part of the release, we spoke with Timo Mouru, Director of Newbuilding, who has been involved in the project series from the beginning and led MAKINEN’s Newbuilding team on site for the last six vessels.

Interview with Timo Mouru, Director of Newbuilding

How did the construction of the seventh vessel progress?
“The project went well from the start. The earlier ships in the series had some tougher phases, and that is where most of the fine-tuning of our ways of working happened. By the time we reached the seventh vessel, things were running in a steady rhythm. That gave us room to put detailed focus on further quality development. Our aim was to make this last vessel the best one we delivered in the series, and I am confident we succeeded in that.”

How would you summarize the seven-vessel series from MAKINEN’s perspective?
“It has been a valuable period of work for us. We have developed both as a team and as an organization because the seven vessels followed one another without long breaks. The experience we gained along the way, together with the wider know-how and established supplier network, puts MAKINEN in a strong position when new expedition vessel interiors are planned. Expedition vessels are not standard cruise ships. They operate in demanding and remote conditions, and MAKINEN understands the concept, the requirements and how to build interiors that meet them. In my estimate, during the past few years, we have delivered the largest amount of expedition-vessel interior square meters in the world, which says a lot about the scale and consistency we have been able to maintain.”

What are your thoughts now that the series is complete?
“Finishing the seventh vessel closes a long chapter, and of course that brings a bit of nostalgia. In project work everything has its start and finish, even when the project is one you have enjoyed. What stands out to me is the scale of what we have accomplished together. We are probably the only individual contractor in the world who has delivered this amount of expedition-vessel interior square meters. That is the result of years of steady work and the commitment people have shown from project to project. My thanks go to everyone who has been part of this series, whether for a short phase or from the very beginning. Every contribution mattered, and the results speak for themselves.”

Read more: https://www.sunstoneships.com/media-posts/sunstone-completes-first-series-of-infinity-class-vessels-with-delivery-of-douglas-mawson-to-aurora-expeditions

Contact: Director of Newbuilding, Timo Mouru  timo.mouru@ismakinen.com

MAKINEN will be attending the Europort 2025 exhibition in Rotterdam on Wednesday, 5 November. The event, held at Rotterdam Ahoy from 4 to 7 November, gathers professionals across shipbuilding, repair, and maritime technology.

CEO Mikko Makinen will be attending to meet with partners and discuss upcoming opportunities in cruise ship and expedition vessel interior projects. If you wish to set up a meeting, please contact mikko.makinen@ismakinen.com.

Europort provides a strong platform for networking and sharing insights within the maritime industry. To register and learn more about the event, visit the Europort website.

 

 

MAKINEN will exhibit at Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe on 3–4 December 2025 at Hamburg Messe + Congress. The show brings together the European cruise-interiors community for two days of exhibition and conference content.

Visitors can find MAKINEN at Booth F22. The team covers three business lines: refit and refurbishment project expertise, in-house furniture production for cruise ships, and newbuilding of expedition vessels.

CSI Europe is a focused industry meeting point for cruise lines, designers, shipyards, and suppliers working on refurbishment and newbuild programs across ocean, river, and expedition cruising.

To schedule a meeting during or around the exhibition, contact Mikko Makinen at mikko.makinen@ismakinen.com

In March 2025, MAKINEN carried out refurbishment works onboard P&O Cruises Azura in Malta. The scope covered passenger cabins, suites, and corridors, with updates ranging from new curtains, carpets, and headboards to reupholstery of more than 1,000 chairs. Suites also received new fittings such as jacuzzis, shower wall inserts, and lighting elements.

Take a look at the photos and video below which present a selection of the completed areas.

Video and photos by: Alexander Rudolph, marine interior images.

Sep 15,2015. MAKINEN has signed a contract with Asenav shipyard in Valdivia, Chile, to deliver the interiors of Magellan Discoverer, a new expedition vessel for Antarctica21. Magellan Discoverer will join Antarctica21’s fleet of boutique expedition vessels that explore Antarctica, South Georgia, the Falkland Islands, and Patagonia.

The MAKINEN scope covers all fixed furniture in passenger cabins and public spaces, as well as curtains and decorative lighting throughout the vessel. Installation is scheduled for spring 2026 in Valdivia. The interiors are designed by Tomas Tillberg Design, a long-time partner of MAKINEN in expedition vessel projects.

This project follows the delivery of seven Infinity-class vessels for SunStone Ships, where MAKINEN executed full turnkey interiors. That experience provides a strong foundation for Magellan Discoverer and continues to strengthen our role in expedition newbuilds.

The press release is available for download here.

For more information, please contact:

Markus Makinen, President of Makinen Inc., markus.makinen@ismakinen.com

MAKINEN completed a comprehensive interior refurbishment project onboard AIDAdiva in spring 2025 at Chantier Naval de Marseille. The project was part of AIDA’s Evolution program, and included over 1,000 passenger cabins and suites. The team also converted 12 balcony cabins into 6 suites, and transformed the Pier 3 area into new crew cabins. Additional works were carried out in corridors and other areas.

Project Manager Mikael Karlsson said the project required careful coordination and steady progress throughout.

“AIDAdiva was one of the large-scale projects we delivered this spring. It required detailed planning and strong cooperation across all functions, both from our team and from the customer and our partners on site. The scale of the refurbishment and the number of spaces involved made it a demanding but very successful project.”

“The outcome reflects the effort and professionalism of the entire team. Everyone involved had a clear focus on quality and keeping the work moving forward,” Karlsson added. The project brought together around 280 professionals from MAKINEN and its partner network. Schedule, quality, and clear communication remained central throughout the delivery.

The refurbishment series continues this fall with AIDAluna. The team is already preparing for the next phase, applying refined methods and improved processes developed during the AIDAdiva project.

A video walkthrough of the passenger cabins and suites is available below, along with a selection of photos.

Photo and video: marine interior images / Alexander Rudolph

MAKINEN will be exhibiting at the Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Americas in Miami on June 3–4, 2025. The event takes place at the Miami Beach Convention Center, and MAKINEN can be found at Booth 1016.

CSI Design Expo brings together cruise line representatives, shipyards, and suppliers from across the industry, with a focus on interior design, outfitting, and supply for the passenger ship sector.

At Booth 1016, MAKINEN will present its turnkey interior offering, from cabin refurbishments to expedition vessel newbuild deliveries and marine-grade furniture manufacturing.

To book a meeting with our team during the expo, please contact CEO Jaakko Makikalli at jaakko.makikalli@ismakinen.com.