Lindblad's Orion in the Antarctic

Has anyone traveled on the Orion to Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica? I know that Lindblad has not been using this ship for very long, so I am curious about how it handles the rough waters. Is there really a difference traveling on the Explorer vs. the Orion in terms of stability?

Cabin tips?

The Orion will not be doing Antarctic itineraries until the "season" begins this fall. We are very interested in the experience and are booked for an Antarctic/S. Georgia cruise next February. Reserved room 507 - midships with a French door type access to the outside. Not sure how demand is generated for next season.

Orion is a smaller ship than Explorer, so may not be as stable. But, rough seas are always likely and not sure that impact would be noticeably different. In our 2 Antarctic trips (4 crossings) only 1 was "memorable"!

We are booked for the mid-February trip, but we will be on a lower deck in the middle of the ship...I am hoping that will help a bit with the seas. It is what it is, and I suspect we will all get over it with the help of some good meds. We will look forward to meeting you then.

We are booked for the mid-February trip, but we will be on a lower deck in the middle of the ship...I am hoping that will help a bit with the seas. It is what it is, and I suspect we will all get over it with the help of some good meds. We will look forward to meeting you then.

I believe that you have made the best choice of cabin to minimize the effects of motion - you have also made the best decision, IMO, in booking the cruise - it will be a spectacular experience - esp. South Georgia.

BTW, your message moved me to pull out our invoice - seems that we are on the January 26 departure! Perhaps our paths will cross in BA!

Might I suggest - if you have not been to BA before, consider adding the Iguazu Falls post cruise extension. It is worth the time and expense.

Ted

When the Orion was an Australian-owned ship she did regular cruises to the Ross Sea and beyond which I think has far more extreme weather than the S American side of Antarctica. I did sail on the Orion - to the tropics - and thought it was outstanding in every way. Balcony cabins are not worth the extra, in my view, so go for the cheaper options.

We were on the Silversea Explorer for their February 20th sailing. Drake Passage was pretty rough the first day and we were glad we booked lower deck (3) and center of the ship. We talked to some people who were higher up and near the bow and they were quite seasick. Drake can deliver very high seas and best to expect it not to be a smooth crossing. Fantastic trip.

We are booked for the mid-February trip, but we will be on a lower deck in the middle of the ship...I am hoping that will help a bit with the seas. It is what it is, and I suspect we will all get over it with the help of some good meds. We will look forward to meeting you then.

I notice you say "we will be on a lower deck". If you were travelling as a single, you would have to temper your expectations. Since Lindblad has taken over the Australian branded Orion they have turned the Orion's worst cabins into the only single cabins. I know how I, as a single Australian, feel about that. When I asked Jeremy Lindblad, just the other day, at a Lindblad selling opportunity/presentation what American travellers thought about single cabins equalling the worst cabins, he replied …"they don't care about the cabins." That's a direct quote. These cabins will not make an Antarctic crossing the slightest bit pleasant for any nationality.

When the Orion was an Australian-owned ship she did regular cruises to the Ross Sea and beyond which I think has far more extreme weather than the S American side of Antarctica. I did sail on the Orion - to the tropics - and thought it was outstanding in every way. Balcony cabins are not worth the extra, in my view, so go for the cheaper options.

You raise some interesting points. As far as my own research informs me, Orion is one of the most desirable Antarctic ships because of its eco and extreme weather capabilities. Which is why Lindblad wanted her. I recently travelled on the last Orion voyage, to Macquarie Island. On the immediately previous journey, Orion ploughed on while the NZ Navy had to seek shelter! Southern Ocean weather and seas can be unpredictable and very big. Which is why I wonder if you will get the best from a balcony suite on a Southern Ocean voyage. The extra cabin space would certainly be nice. You have to remember this is not mega, multi-level cruiser. It's a small ship carrying approximately 100 passengers and those seas aren't really conducive to lolling about on your balcony. Maybe save the balcony for the tropics? Orion was a lovely ship, providing a wonderful travel experience. Now she's having to learn how to … walk, talk and be American. Sub-standard single cabins and all. I certainly won't be paying the new asking price for that unpleasant experience. The Falklands & South Georgia are on my list, but I'm looking at Companie du Ponant who will be offering this in 1915.

For couples … well, your cabins will be lovely.

IMO the upgrade fee to get an Antarctica-bound balcony on the Lindblad ships (30-50%) is generally not value for money. The exception would be if both:

--you were going to be photographing/observing sea birds a lot while aboard

and

--you had the desire to do this away from other people.

If that is important to you, then the balconies are most certainly worth it.

For us, it wasn't. All guests have the opportunity to do the same excursions and landings. Everyone ate the same food and sat in the same spots for lectures. We seldom found ourselves in our cabin. When we were in the cabin, we guessed it was advantageous that we are on a lower deck in terms of experiencing Ocean Motion. As for the privacy element, that would be the very last thing I wanted: the common deck areas were never crowded, and I enjoyed getting expert photography advice and information about the birds and mammals the ship encountered. Staff seemed so eager to share what they knew and appreciated about where we were.

As for the privacy element, that would be the very last thing I wanted: the common deck areas were never crowded, and I enjoyed getting expert photography advice and information about the birds and mammals the ship encountered. Staff seemed so eager to share what they knew and appreciated about where we were.

Agreed. This is not the trip for that. Not only was it great to be around the Nat Geo naturalists, but the birder-passengers on board were incredibly generous with their knowledge and I learned so much from them out on deck. During our (pretty rough) southbound crossing of the Drake, there was a good chunk of time when I was the only person out on the stern with several birders, and they were able to point out the various types of albatross and petrels that we were fortunate enough to be seeing.