Sylvia Earle

The Sylvia Earle has 71 cabins, and about 60% of them can accommodate a third person upon request. The largest of all the rooms is the Captain’s Suite. It has a lounge area, balcony, walk-in wardrobe, and en-suite. Four Junior Suites on deck 7 also offer impressive scenery with their private balcony, and separate lounge area. They even have a walk-in closet and en-suite. Additionally, the Balcony Staterooms have three cabin categories—A, B, and C—that vary based on room size. Some of these are equipped with wheelchair-accessible bathrooms. There are two Aurora Stateroom Triple cabins featuring portholes with private en-suites. Each cabin, except for the triple-share rooms, has a king-size bed that can be converted into two singles, a desk area, and a bathroom with shower, vanity, and hairdryer. A large interactive TV screen, minibar, and safe are also present in each room. 

The rooms are tastefully decorated in muted colors of gray, white, and blue. Each room has a large wall-to-wall photograph (just above the bed) of all the incredible places that Aurora sails to that compliments the landscapes guests can see from their balconies. 

The Sylvia Earle supports accessibility via an elevator that services all six decks, as well as select cabins that have wheelchair-accessible configurations and accessible bathrooms.

There are two restaurants on board the Sylvia Earle. The main restaurant called Gentoo is on deck 5, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Breakfast and lunch are served buffet style, with a made-to-order egg station in the mornings and a hot station in the afternoon. Dinner choices are a la carte with a rotating set of dishes, as well as some “always available” staples like burgers, salads, and steaks. The cuisine is international, so don’t be surprised to find favorites like Italian handmade pastas, Indian curries, and even Vietnamese noodle bowls regularly on the menu.

The culinary staff is very accommodating to dietary restrictions and food allergies and go above and beyond to ensure guests are well-fed and happy. The onboard sommelier has two wine options for lunch and dinner, which are included in the meal. All other cocktails and beers are charged separately. The second restaurant, the Rockhopper, is on deck 8 and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner (by reservation only). Rockhopper is a smaller venue with a well-curated but fixed menu and an open galley with stunning views. 

In honor of Dr. Earle and her commitment to ocean conservation, each voyage has a ‘Sustainable Sea Day’ on the 6th day where seafood is not served.

There are two bars onboard the ship—one on deck 5 just outside the restaurant and the other on deck 8, next to the Rockhopper. Happy hour is daily from 6:30 pm to 7:30 p.m. The drinks menu across both bars is extensive but not included and can be charged to the room. 

There are several lounge areas throughout the ship where passengers can meet up during the day. The auditorium and lecture hall features state-of-the-art facilities where the expedition team offers presentations that supplement the cruise’s destinations. Wildlife guidebooks, nautical maps, and binoculars can be found in the observation lounge. During select voyages, specialty events like summer and winter solstice celebrations and barbecue parties are held where crew and passengers socialize.

The ship features an outdoor heated saltwater pool, a gym with lockers and a shower, a sauna with a floor-to-ceiling window, several open-air jacuzzis on deck 8, a massage room and spa at the wellness center. Guests enjoy complimentary access to the gym, sauna, and jacuzzis, but massages need to be booked ahead of time.

The Sylvia Earle also comes with a mud room and sea-level zodiac boarding platforms, which makes boarding much more accessible than traditional ships.