MV Orion
Encyclopedia
The MV Orion (previously known as MS Orion and MY Orion) is currently based in Australia
and operated by Orion Expedition Cruises
(OEC). The ship has been described by the Berlitz Guide to Cruising as "the latest in the quest to build the perfect expedition vessel".
for the Marshall Islands
registered company Explorer Maritime, with technical management by the Greek based company Helios Shipping, the Orion was originally operated, albeit for a short time, by US based cruise operator Travel Dynamics International (TDI). TDI had operated the vessel in the Antarctic
and the Arctic
and many points in between, including the Great Lakes
and the Amazon River
.
Orion Expedition Cruises
(OEC) of Australia then entered a long term agreement to lease the vessel and it was handed over to OEC in the Tahiti
an port of Papeete
in March 2005 for transfer to Australia
. OEC quickly expanded and further developed the expedition cruise market in the region and gained international recognition.
In May 2008, OEC announced the purchase of the company by KSL Capital Partners, a Denver based private equity company specialising in high end travel and leisure enterprises. OEC now plans to expand beyond its one ship operation in the Oceania
region through the building of new ships and/or other acquisitions.
Operations are expanding to include more remote parts of Melanesia
with a focus shifting more towards expedition experiences from the emphasis to date on luxury.
, Australia operating expedition style cruises to the Kimberley Region of Western Australia, Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Great Barrier Reef, Tasmania, New Zealand and Antarctica.
Ice Class: E3 (Germanischer Lloyd)
Engines: Mak; 8M25; 3,265HP
Stabilisers: Blohm & Voss, retractable fin stabilisers
Classification: Germanischer Lloyd; 100 A5 E3 Passenger Ship; MC E3 AUT
Regulations: Orion is built according to the latest international safety regulations, and the USL code in a 1a survey including those of the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Public Health, Canadian Arctic Shipping, St. Lawrence Seaway and to Lloyds.
Additional Craft: 10 Zodiac Heavy Duty MK5 Inflatables, 10 Sea Kayaks, 2 Jet Boats and a Fishing Boat
The 88.5 m, 96 passenger Sun Bay was launched in 2001 and was originally operated by Sun Bay Cruises in the Bahamas before being transferred to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
and is currently operated by their Celebrity Cruises
division as Celebrity Xpedition
in the Galapagos Islands
The 88.5m, 96 passenger Sun Bay II was launched in 2002 and as with the Sun Bay was originally operated by Sun Bay Cruises in the Bahamas. By 2002 the Sun Bay II had been renamed Corinthian and was operated by American cruise company Travel Dynamics International. By 2004 the vessel had passed to private ownership and is now known as the Constellation.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and operated by Orion Expedition Cruises
Orion Expedition Cruises
Orion Expedition Cruises is an Australian-based luxury expedition cruise line that was formed in 2004. It currently operates a single vessel, the German-built 103 m, 4000 gross tonne MV Orion.- History :...
(OEC). The ship has been described by the Berlitz Guide to Cruising as "the latest in the quest to build the perfect expedition vessel".
History
Built by Cassens shipyard in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
registered company Explorer Maritime, with technical management by the Greek based company Helios Shipping, the Orion was originally operated, albeit for a short time, by US based cruise operator Travel Dynamics International (TDI). TDI had operated the vessel in the Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
and the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
and many points in between, including the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
and the Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
.
Orion Expedition Cruises
Orion Expedition Cruises
Orion Expedition Cruises is an Australian-based luxury expedition cruise line that was formed in 2004. It currently operates a single vessel, the German-built 103 m, 4000 gross tonne MV Orion.- History :...
(OEC) of Australia then entered a long term agreement to lease the vessel and it was handed over to OEC in the Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
an port of Papeete
Papeete
-Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront esplanade*Bougainville Park -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront...
in March 2005 for transfer to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. OEC quickly expanded and further developed the expedition cruise market in the region and gained international recognition.
In May 2008, OEC announced the purchase of the company by KSL Capital Partners, a Denver based private equity company specialising in high end travel and leisure enterprises. OEC now plans to expand beyond its one ship operation in the Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
region through the building of new ships and/or other acquisitions.
Operations are expanding to include more remote parts of Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
with a focus shifting more towards expedition experiences from the emphasis to date on luxury.
Current operations
MV Orion is based in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia operating expedition style cruises to the Kimberley Region of Western Australia, Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Great Barrier Reef, Tasmania, New Zealand and Antarctica.
Further Vessel Specifications
Hull: Ice-reinforced for voyages in the Arctic and AntarcticIce Class: E3 (Germanischer Lloyd)
Engines: Mak; 8M25; 3,265HP
Stabilisers: Blohm & Voss, retractable fin stabilisers
Classification: Germanischer Lloyd; 100 A5 E3 Passenger Ship; MC E3 AUT
Regulations: Orion is built according to the latest international safety regulations, and the USL code in a 1a survey including those of the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Public Health, Canadian Arctic Shipping, St. Lawrence Seaway and to Lloyds.
Additional Craft: 10 Zodiac Heavy Duty MK5 Inflatables, 10 Sea Kayaks, 2 Jet Boats and a Fishing Boat
Sister Vessels
While she is essentially a unique ship, she was preceded by two slightly smaller but very similar vessels built at the Cassens Emden shipyard in Germany.- Sun Bay
The 88.5 m, 96 passenger Sun Bay was launched in 2001 and was originally operated by Sun Bay Cruises in the Bahamas before being transferred to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a Norwegian / American company based in Miami, Florida. It is the world's second-largest cruise line operator, after Carnival Corporation & PLC. As of March 2009, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd...
and is currently operated by their Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF...
division as Celebrity Xpedition
Celebrity Xpedition
The Celebrity Xpedition is a cruise ship for Celebrity Cruises and the sole ship of the Xpedition Class. The ship is an alternative to the line's larger ships, offering more personal attention afforded by its smaller size...
in the Galapagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
- Sun Bay II
The 88.5m, 96 passenger Sun Bay II was launched in 2002 and as with the Sun Bay was originally operated by Sun Bay Cruises in the Bahamas. By 2002 the Sun Bay II had been renamed Corinthian and was operated by American cruise company Travel Dynamics International. By 2004 the vessel had passed to private ownership and is now known as the Constellation.