Cruise Ship Jobs - Orion Expeditions Cruises (sold to Lindblad Expeditions in 2019)

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The Australian cruise company Orion Expedition Cruises was founded by Sarina Bratton in 2004 and began cruising operations in March 2005 with the repositioning cruise of the MV Orion from Papeete, Tahiti in French Polynesia to Sydney, Australia. Since then Orion Expedition Cruises has been operating Australian-based expedition-style cruises in areas as diverse as the Antarctic continent to Australian coast, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. MV Orion is a purpose built luxury expedition vessel designed to access the inaccessible. The ship combines the best and the latest in design with maritime and environmental technology, comfort and casual elegance. From the ice-strengthened hull to the superb cuisine, MV Orion offers expedition cruising at its best. MV Orion is designed to be fully self contained for up to 22 days at sea and meets the strictest requirements for marine management established by the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators. Orion Expedition Cruises announced that will charter for a long term a second all-suite luxury special expedition ship which will be joining the company's fleet in 2011. Currently operated by the New York based Travel Dynamics International, MV Clelia II (originally launched in late 1990 as Renaissance Four of Renaissance Cruises) will be renamed Orion II after she joins the Orion Expedition Cruises. Orion II will focus on Southeast Asia and Far East expedition cruises, visiting Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Borneo and Japan. Like the MV Orion, the vessel has an ice-strengthened hull for sailings in Antarctica.

On 5 March 2019 it was announced that OEC had been acquired by US-based small ship operator Lindblad Expeditions.

Cruise ships and itineraries:

MV Orion: Bahamas registry, built 2003, 4,000 gross tons, 106 passengers, 75 crew members. Itineraries: Antarctica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Western Australia, Southeastern Australia out of Auckland, Dunedin - New Zealand; Cairns, Darwin, Broome, Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, - Australia.
MV Orion II (formerly Renaissance Four, currently Clelia II, joining Orion Expedition Cruises in early 2011): Malta registry, built 1990, 4,260 gross tons, 100 passengers, 70 crew members. Itineraries: Southeast Asia, Far East and Antarctica expedition cruises.