| Testimonials |
"Orion’s motto is “A Path Less Traveled.” For those in search of unique, stunning scenery, pristine environments and out-of-the way places, Orion is for you. And if you would like to be pampered while on an expedition, if you enjoy delicious meals shared with interesting, fun companions, Orion will more than satisfy you."
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Bill Altaffer, June 2010
"So yeah, it was really, really great, obviously, and totally my style of travel: adventurous, comfortable and extremely nice--but relaxed nice, not prissy nice. On the MV Orion, I was glad to see that the destination mattered more than the amenities, and yet we were all so well-provided for as to never need worry about amenities. In fact, my main critique is that the food was just too good..."
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Andrew Evans, December 2009
"But Orion is not just a show pony. German built and 103m long, it's equally at home nudging through pack ice as with flying fish leaping from the bow. Equipped with retractable fin stabilisers for smooth sailing, bow and stern thrusters for manoeuvrability and armoured against the elements, Orion is to expeditionary cruising what Usain Bolt is to the 100m sprint. If you want to cruise far from the ordinary with style, luxury and smiling service, no other vessel comes close."
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Michael Gebicki / Weekend Australian’s Travel & Indulgence section, October 3-4, 2009 (Spice Island Adventure)
"Anything feels possible in a landscape of such primordial beauty. After all, once the ship enters the waters of the Kimberley coast, there's not a car, house or telegraph pole to be seen – no trace of humankind except the ship and its passengers".
"As we tread the gangplank for the last time, everyone is wreathed in smiles. That's the effect of sailing through 'Kimberley Dreamtime' …….
Maria Visconti / Australian Women's Weekly, July 2008: (Kimberley voyage)
"Much like the black magic that is deeply entrenched in its culture, PNG draws you unwittingly closer until you're spellbound.
Her beauty lies in discovery and this is the key to why one of the world's finest small ships, the Orion, makes her a regular destination on its expedition cruises".
Anthony Dowsley / Herald Sun, 27th June 2008: (PNG voyage)
"Take, for instance, our visit to Aveta, a coastal village on Utupua Island in the Solomons. Aveta had never before experienced a cruise ship visit and the novelty is evident in the spontaneity and exuberance of our welcome. First come warriors brandishing spears. They race to the wter's edge to greet each zodiac with whoops, yells and blood-curdling screeches. …………. The villagers, and visitors from other parts of the island, are clearly as intrigued with us as we are with them".
" But while the places we visit on our day trips are rustic and in parts primitive, life onboard is anything but! Gleaming wood panelling, burnished brass, thick carpeting and works of art on the walls all contribute to the luxurious atmosphere of the Orion. Our voyage of discovery ti exotic places is enhanced by our sense of security and of being cosseted when we're back on board".
"And ah, the food! Dinner is a degustation menu of five small courses, exquisitely presented, with a strong emphasis on fish and seafood".
"Our cruise ends with a bang, not a whimper, as all good voyages should. At Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, Mt Tavurvur puts on a spectacular volcanic display ……. a fittingly dramatic volley to mark the end to this magnificent voyage of discovery".
Judith Doyle / Inspire Magazine (NZ), June 2008: (Melanesian Islands voyage)
"To stand in the middle of (Mawson's) hut, as I did a few months ago, is mesmerising and to know we had made a contribution to its preservation is a real bonus. The aft deck of the Orion, our expedition ship, had been crammed with building supplies that are unloaded at Commonwealth Bay. The restoration team …. needed the supplies to carry on their preservation work and to expand their living quarters. The Sydney-based Orion Expedition Cruises is committed to the Mawson's Hut preservation program and to scientific research in the area".
Maria Visconti / The Age, 3rd May, 2008: (Antarctica)
"The passenger areas are fitted out more for expeditions to Bond Street than the outback".
"Orion does expeditions the way Ralph Lauren might do dungarees".
Peter Hughes / Daily Telegraph (UK) 15th March, 2008: (Kimberley)
"Like charms on a bracelet I begin to collect my own experiences that make cruising enjoyable: being gently rocked to sleep by a moving boat and waking in a different location; returning to the comfort of the mother ship after an onshore adventure to compare notes with other passengers; the still of the ship in the hours before sunset ……. But most precious of all is the exponential growth in my understanding of indigenous culture that results from the cruise."
"If travel, real travel, is about growing through learning how others live, this has been one of my most enriching trips of all".
Christine Long / Travel + Leisure, March 2008: (Arnhem Land)
"The Watam culture thrives, thanks in part to their relationship with Australian-based Orion Expedition Cruises. The company brings clothing, equipment and medical assistance along with their culturally curious tour groups, and landing fees paid by Orion support community development initiatives, such as purchasing school materials and agricultural supplies".
Jennifer Baljko / Islands Magazine (US): (Papua New Guinea)
"Still, all I can think of right now is how lucky we are – we paying customers, we dim dims – to be sitting here on top of a volcano in a land that the worlds has left behind. How lucky all of us are: to have cruised so far from the planet we call home".
Tom Huth / Conde Nast Traveler (US), January 2008: (Papua New Guinea)
"Orion Expeditions offers the easiest and most comfortable way to visit these isolated dots on the globe. Orion is well known to upscale cruisers who acknowledge it as one of the most personal cruising experiences in the world. The excellent staff make sure your every need is met, and the expedition leaders have a vast body of knowledge of places visited."
"Orion Expedition journeys are not cruises in the expected sense; they are devoid of shuffleboard courts and conga lines. MV Orion is a small ship offering the opportunity to explore small coves and inlets unreachable by the behemoths carrying several thousand passengers. ……… Onboard cuisine is excellent, presentations about places visited are entertaining, and the excitement of a semi-private cruise is itself a special experience. ………. Every day brings another exciting shore excursion led by expert naturalists, and it's oh so nice to return to the comforts of the ship afterwards".
Robert La Bua, / SX News 20th December, 2007: (Papua New Guinea) and podcast.metropolis (Kimberley)
"On Orion, you get six star service in every sense, from sumptuous dining and beautiful staterooms to meticulous safety. And it is all achieved with a genuine caring and personal commitment".
"These are engaging, rewarding days. If only they could go on forever".
Stephen Scourfield / West Australian, 15th September, 2007: (Kimberley)
"This is about as far away from big cruise ships as you can get, with well planned itineraries to some of the most remote regions of the southern hemisphere, including the islands of Papua New Guinea, the Kimberley region of Australia … and Antarctica's Mc Murdo Sound and Ross Sea regions."
"Talk about exclusive cruising – this is it. Actually cruising is the wrong word for this type of eco-travel; it is more like having a magic carpet whisk you to destinations that most people have never heard of …."
"This ship is for those in search of life enrichment in high-class surroundings and the company of well-educated and well-traveled people".
Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships 2009
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