Orion Expeditions, an Australian luxury expedition cruise line, has been purchased by Lindblad Expeditions, owners of ten other expedition ships; five of then operating under the National Geographic moniker.
Orion, while having a unique and excellent product, has been struggling the past couple of years after it efforts to expand with a second ship went terribly wrong. The second ship,Orion II, it seems, was not she was supposed to be and that resulted in cancelled cruises, increased maintenance costs and other issues. Orion cancelled her association with Orion II after only one season; relegating her to a one ship cruise line…a most difficult position to be in.
What Orion brings to Lindblad is a high quality, luxury, expedition ship which specializes in the Australian North Coast and Southeast Asia. The 102 guest Orion will become part of Lindblad’s existing fleet in March 2014, when it transitions to the National Geographic Orion, and will offer new itineraries designed to blend the interests of the U.S. and Australian markets.
Lindblad, itself, has a great lineup of itineraries and ships which explore all regions of the globe in varying degrees of comfort and expedition styles.
If Expedition Cruising is of interest to you, drop me an email or give me a call. It is a unique way to see the more remote areas of the world.
