Orion Expedition Cruises Releases 2013 Calendar of Sailings

Offering voyages that appeal to intrepid travelers who have “been everywhere,” Orion embodies its motto “a path less traveled,”allowing guests to explore from the polar reaches of Antarctica to the tropical climes of Borneo, including expeditions to Western Australia's Kimberley outback, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia, New Zealand and the sub Antarctic Islands.
Eight years of operational experience is reflected across a range of forty 5 to 20 night itineraries capturing the very best regional destinations–from climbing active volcanoes in Melanesia to viewing pre-historic rock art in the Kimberley of North West Australia or an introduction to the ancient cultures of Papua New Guinea. Travelers can walk in the footsteps of polar explorers at the historic Antarctic base camps of Mawson, Scott and Shackleton and encounter extensive wild life in its natural habitat - crocodiles in Western Australia's Kimberley outback, dragons in Komodo, rare birdlife in the sub Antarctic islands and endangered species of primate in Borneo.

Offering a departure from the “floating mega mall”-style cruise, Orion offers a compact purpose-built luxury expedition vessel designed to carry just 100 guests in great comfort with a crew of 75 providing attentive, yet unobtrusive service. No matter how adventurous or remote the expedition, travelers with Orion always return to the on-board comforts akin to a small luxury hotel. Highlights from the 2013 Orion Expedition Cruises Calendar of Sailings include:

January 7: 18 night Mawson's Antarctica – includes sub Antarctic Islands
January 15: 20 night Scott & Shackleton's Antarctica – includes sub Antarctic Islands
New Zealand Golf Cruise – includes Marlborough Sounds, Napier and exclusive golf courses
February 24: South Pacific Splendour – includes Bay of Islands and Norfolk Island
March 6: Melanesia & Solomon Islands – includes Utupua, Ngella and Marovo Lagoon
March 16 and 27: Papua New Guinea Highlights – includes Watam Village (Sepik River), Tufi and Kitava
April 7: West Papua and Malaku – Includes Wewak, Urbanasi Island, Mapia Atoll
April 18 through September 5: Kimberley – includes Crocodile Creek, Hunter River, Raft Point, King George Falls and inclusive Bungle Bungle flight
September 15: Kimberley and Spice Islands – includes Ashmore Reef, West Timor, Sumba, Komodo and Badas Sumbawa
September 29: Borneo Discovery – includes Komodo, Sulawesi
October 25 and November 18: Camp Leakey (Borneo) – includes Tambilan Island, Natuna Islands, Bako National Park

Absent from the Calendar of Sailings for 2013 are itineraries for Orion II, which will be returned to its owners mid-November 2012 and will no longer be used by the company for expeditions beyond that date.

“We have not been satisfied with some performance aspects–such as the fuel efficiency of the vessel–and therefore have decided to return the ship at the completion of the first charter term,” says Sarina Bratton, Founder & Managing Director of Orion Expedition Cruises. “Small things make the difference and set Orion apart and I look forward to making an announcement regarding another vessel soon.”

“We will continue with our scheduled 2012 Orion II voyages to Borneo, the Russian Far East, Inland Sea of Japan, Vietnam and China, but do not anticipate having a replacement vessel in Asia during 2013, so if planning to visit these destinations then 2012 is the year to do this.”

Orion II voyages for the balance of 2012 include expeditions to the Yangtze Delta (Kobe to Shanghai) and Shanghai to Tawau (Yangtze, Taiwan, Philippines), Java and the temples of Borobudur.

Generous advance purchase options are available for those who act swiftly with lowest price savings guarantees of up to 40% off published prices. Savings vary by itinerary. Additional incentives are offered for back to back voyages.

Further information on Orion Expedition Cruises can be obtained by visiting the website www.orionexpeditions.com ahead of release of the 2013 brochure. For reservations, or to obtain a brochure of 2012 or 2013 voyages, call Orion Expedition Cruises: (877) ORION-US (674 6687) or see your travel agent. Email: inquiry@orionexpeditions.com