Orion Expedition Cruises

[Shearwaters]

Today we booked the Kimberley East & West cruise on the Orion departing 21st June 2009. So looking forward to seeing the spectacular scenery, with the added bonus two astronomers as guest speakers.

[Fletcher]

I'm booked on the Orion in Feb 2009, sailing from Auckland to Cairns, via Norfolk Is, New Cal., Vanuatu, Solomons and PNG. Has anyone been on this ship recently and can give a report on the quality of anything/everything?

[Shearwaters]

We haven't been on it yet, but it looks great from the brochures.

[claudio]

a thousand bucks a day each and you have to pay for your drinks still it must be doing something right its been in oz for 2 /3 years now

[Shearwaters]

Let's hope they take off the fuel surcharge, now the oil price is falling.

[crayfish]

I'm booked on the Orion in Feb 2009, sailing from Auckland to Cairns, via Norfolk Is, New Cal., Vanuatu, Solomons and PNG. Has anyone been on this ship recently and can give a report on the quality of anything/everything?

 

We are going next week (April 25 for back to back cruises from Thursday Island to Darwin via Broome.

 

You must have completed yours. How was it?

 

Thks

[Fletcher]

Dear Crayfish - Yes, my wife and I did a whole month on the Orion, sailing from Auckland to Cairns. We visited some amazing places, saw some unforgettable things, but as a cruise ship . . . well, the Orion was a bit hit and miss for us and not in the same league as the Island Sky. To begin with the ship broke down in Auckland, then in Russell. They also lost our luggage between the customs point and the ship. I found it - they didn't. They sent us an email as we were touring NZ to say we had been "upgraded" from 308 to 402. Cabin 402 was a disaster - smaller and plagued by noise from the lounge area and by the stabiliser which was like a fog horn booming constantly at night. So we downgraded ourselves to 311, smaller than we had originally paid for, but very pleasant and quiet. On the last leg of the trip, Rabaul to Cairns, we were given 414 which was truly excellent, very spacious and quiet and I would recommend these cabins over the suites on deck 5 which featured some very weird design configurations and non-balconies. Not worth the extra.

 

Deck areas were excellent - lots of space with only 70 passengers for two legs, but 90 passengers on the middle leg seemed crowded. Weather permitting you can have all three meals outside on Deck 4, preferable since the dining room is very dull, noisy and chilly. Breakfast and lunch were generally fine, though we were on tinned fruit a lot of the time. Buffets and barbeque dinners were great, but we felt the regular a la carte menus, designed by this Aussie chef Serge Dansereau, were old fashioned and seldom rose above the level of business class airline food. After a month it became seriously boring.

 

Expedition team were only fair, in our view, and a bit lazy. You hardly ever saw them on deck and while they often stressed their academic backgrounds etc they all struck me as being a bit thick. However, the zodiac trips were brilliantly organised and genuinely exciting.

 

Service levels were extremely high. Hotel manager Tracy Greiner was charming and obliging, and I am a tricky customer. Her husband, Lothar, was executive chef and I just wished he could cook his own stuff all the time and expel that wretched Dansereau. Seeing Lothar in the markets and villages, buying mud crabs, was a real treat. Front desk staff were charmers, apart from a sour-puss British purser, and the Filipino zodiac drivers, waiters, room boys were all flawless in their efficiency and friendliness.

 

Other quick points: the library is cramped and badly stocked; internet was desperately slow; jacuzzi a waste of space; mostly Aussie passengers (we were the only Brits on board); Aussies like the daily Trivia game in the lounge, while we Brits prefer to have tea on deck. There were maybe half a dozen journalists on freebies and that, together with a generally partial allocation of cabins, led to some resentment. Avoid overpriced Deck 5 cabins and aim for a cabin as near forward as possible to avoid the stabiliser noise.

 

All things considered, a wonderful trip but the dozen or so people who stayed on for a whole month were delighted when it ended.

 

We've just booked the Clipper Odyssey in September, Tahiti to Easter Island, so it'll be interesting to see how that measures up besides the Orion and Island Sky.

 

Enjoy the Kimberley!

[Shearwaters]

We have recently returned from Orion Expedition Cruises Kimberley East & West. This was our 6th cruise, the first on a small ship of only 52 cabins, and the most expensive.

Was it good value? We certainly think so: the ship, the cabin, the staff, the destinations, the scenery, the wildlife, the excursion guides and the guest lecturers all exceeded our expectations. Complementary upgrade from an Oceanview Stateroom to a Junior Suite was a welcome surprise, although as far as we could see, all cabins were generous, and well furnished. The ship was nearly at capacity, and fellow passengers, mostly Australian, were a friendly and pleasant crowd.

Before the cruise we had two nights in Darwin, an interesting and vibrant place and well worth another visit.

Embarkation was on Sunday afternoon at Fort Hill Wharf. We were met by friendly and efficient staff and all went smoothly. The luggage was collected from the car, and we were offered cool fruit juices while waiting for our Guest Cards. Once on board the champagne was flowing at the Captain’s welcome party. We then set off at sunset on the first night of our 11 night cruise.

Like the label says, this is an expedition cruise: there were only 2 nights at sea, all landings but two were “wet landings”, stepping from a Zodiak into shallow water, the destinations were rugged and often involved a lot of physical activity in 30 degree temperatures.

Our first two stops were tiny Indonesian Islands, inhabited by a few fishing families living in very primitive conditions. After the obligatory welcome by traditional dancers, we indulged in some swimming and snorkeling in pristine waters, our last chance to swim in the sea this trip.

Our next stop was Wyndham, the gateway to the Bungle Bungle, a stunning inland mountain range of beehive shaped hills. We took the full day trip, involving a total of 4 hours in a six-passenger Cessna, a landing on a dirt airstrip, an hour in a not-very-well air conditioned bus, and a few kilometer walk into Cathedral Gorge for a picnic lunch. This was a great day, but exhausting. And we had to forego the alternative excursion to Kunnanurra. Perhaps a two-day stop at Wyndham could be considered?

At King George River, Bigge Island, Hunter River and Montgomery Reef, activity was largely cruising by Zodiak through some of the most remote and uninhabited places on Earth, and some of the most spectacular scenery. Everything from towering sandstone cliffs to waterfalls, to mangroves, to coral reefs. We observed plenty of wildlife: crocodiles, dolphins, sea-turtles, sea snakes, whales and numerous birds. We walked at Bigge Island, and climbed a steep hill at Raft Point to view Aboriginal rock art. Our guides were patient and informative.

Excursions all involved a “surprise”: we were met by staff in a Zodiak bearing champagne, or Bloody Marys, or icecream, or landed for a cave party on Bigge Island.

Broome was our final stop, and we stayed on board overnight. Broome is a small town, but is the headquarters of Australia’s cultured pearl industry, so has an interesting multicultural population. Orion passengers were invited to a presentation at Paspaley Pearls. Jewelry and champagne, what more could you ask?

Our guest lecturers on the trip were Fred Watson and David Malin, two prominent astronomers who gave some entertaining and enlightening talks on their subject, and led star-gazing sessions on the nighttime deck. This was most enjoyable.

Orion prides itself on fine dining. The food was very good, but perhaps a little rich for my taste. Dinner was at 7.30pm, with no options. Perhaps a little late for an expedition cruise? After the first night the dining room was half empty. Fellow passengers must have thought the same, and opted for room service. My only other minor complaint is that presentations for next day’s activity were scheduled from 6.30pm to 7.30pm and often started late, so if you wanted to attend you either had to change for dinner before 6.30pm or start dinner even later than 7.30.

This was a most unusual and enjoyable cruise, and one we will not forget for a long time.

[seabourndt]

getting confused "SHEARWATER" was actually name of old M.S disko i went on to greenland on 1st ever cruise. i did the SUN BAY 1 as well is the ORION quite like the SUN BAY ships? i'd love to go on an ORION cruise are they expensive for a single person?

dave

[Shearwaters]

Hi Dave

according to Wikipedia, the 2 Sun Bay ships were very similar, but slightly smaller. I don't know about single travellers. Try the Orion website: orioncruises.com.au.

[Shearwaters]

A shearwater is a sea bird.

[katzoe]

My husband & I are booked on the Kimberley cruise for September 2010 & we were interested to read both reviews which were very informative. Thank you Fletcher & Shearwaters. This will also be our first "small" ocean going ship although we have enjoyed river cruises on the Nile, Danube & Yangtze Rivers. In February we will be cruising on QM2 so we will certainly notice a difference in size. I note Fletcher that you were not happy with suite 402 which is a concern as we are booked in #403. Please advise if you think we would be better off in one of the higher numbered junior suites so I can make a change now.

[Shearwaters]

We were in 405 after our upgrade, and found it perfectly quiet.

[Fletcher]

I note Fletcher that you were not happy with suite 402 which is a concern as we are booked in #403. Please advise if you think we would be better off in one of the higher numbered junior suites so I can make a change now.

 

Dear Katzoe - I cannot personally vouch for noise levels in 403, except to say that people in 404 didn't seem to have such a serious stabiliser noise problem, though the people in 401 moved after one night at sea. I still think if you can secure a cabin forward of the lift/elevator you probably should do so. We viewed virtually every cabin on this ship and reckon 418 and 419 were the most spacious, though being so forward you might expect to ride the waves a bit more. We really didn't like the look of the cabins on Deck 5 and the lack of proper balconies up there makes them exceedingly poor value for money.

 

Maybe you'll report back after your trip?

[katzoe]

Thanks again to Shearwaters & Fletcher for your information regarding staterooms on deck 4. I will check tomorrow to see if either 418 or 419 are available as we might as well go for the most spacious cabin in the category. If not then we will stay with 403.

[katzoe]

Dear Fletcher - we have made the change to stateroom 419.

 

September 2010 is a long way off but I am happy to write about our experience on

the Kimberley cruise on our return.

 

Best wishes

[Fletcher]

Well done, Katzoe. I think you'll be happier there. 419 has a lot of space! Perhaps I might add a few extra thoughts about Orion. One thing I forgot to mention in my original review, was the free availability of sun screen and insect repellent as you left the ship. This was especially welcome in places like the Solomons and PNG. I assume they'll do the same for the Kimberley voyages.

 

Orion seem very keen to purchase a second ship and have sent out questionnaires to previous clients asking them for ideas about ports of call. At the same time, they have sent us bargain offers of their inaugural Singapore/Vietnam cruises, including free flights from the UK, so these destinations would appear not to have been totally successful. Frankly, I've never regarded Vietnam as a cruise destination anyway, so maybe Australians think the same way. The Kimberleys are Orion's most popular routes and everyone we spoke to raved about them.

[katzoe]

I have enjoyed two Vietnam cruises. The first one was on Ocean Pearl in 1992 and we were the 2nd cruise ship to visit the country since the Vietnam war. The majority of the passengers were French who had a strong connection to Vietnam & many in fact were returning to the place of their birth. We were treated like royalty with police escort on all our excursions. More recently in November 2006 we visited on board Silver Whisper on a cruise from Hong Kong to Bangkok. My favourite stops include the ephereal Halong Bay, Hanoi, Hue & Ho Chi Min City. On both cruises we experienced monsoons and the itineraries had to be modified so I missed Na Trang on both occasions. Vietnam is a very beautiful country & an excellent cruise destination but it is very different to Orion's other destinations which in the main appeal because they are remote, unspoilt wliderness areas.

[NanciEA]

My husband and I recently booked the Feb 3 New Zealand Highlights cruise. I took Fletcher's advice and booked a junior suite forward on deck 4. We have cruised on several lines, however, this will be our first small, expedition cruise. I should note we are Americans. All of the cruises visiting New Zealand on the "standard" lines, such as Princess, Holland American, Celebrity, are on huge ships and the itineraries all departed from and returned to Australia. Because of this, there were two sea days at the beginning and again at the end of the cruises. We much prefer to be active everyday. Also, we have already visited Australia and wanted to concentrate on New Zealand this trip. When we read the Orion brochure and website it seemed perfect for us. Even on the smaller, luxury lines we have been on such as Regent and Oceania, we found lectures and shore time lacking. I have enjoyed reading all of your comments. We're very excited about the voyage!

[Louise22]

Zegrahm Expeditions is offering an 18 day New Zealand cruise on their expedition ship "Clipper Odyssey" December 19th. The Orion looks like a great ship - have a wonderful time.

[Charles Mason]

My wife and I have just returned from a cruise in the Kimberley after many years of planning - for us its a "once in a lifetime trip" What can I say, it was a wonderful experience. We travelled aboard a ship about the same size as Orion called the Oceanic Discoverer, part of the Coral Princess Cruises line (not the American Coral Princess but an Australian cruise line!). The ship was very new, only been operating for 2-3 years and catered up to 70 guests. The excursions were briliant - they have a excursion vessel which is quite unique - everyone baords from the deck and then it gets lowered hydraulically into the water. For us this was a big selling point as it carried all the passengers at once and also had a roof for protection from the hot sun and a toilet. We havent seen any other ship that has one of these and it is a big plus - particularly in a place like the Kimberley. They also had zodiacs as well for the more active excursions.

 

The rooms on baord were very large and we had a room on the Promenade Deck. There was plenty of space aboard to spread out. Most of the other passengers were Australian, with a splattering of Europeans and a couple of Americans. The meals were great, cooked up by the onbaord chef.. we need to exercise now to lose a few extra kilos. The lecturers were very good as well.

 

The best thing about the cruise was the laid back atmosphere on baord, it was quite informal and mixing with the crew (no asian staff, all Australians) was great - they all obviously love their jobs!

 

The highlights of the cruise for us were the King Cascade Waterfalls, Montgomery Reef and also the Horizontal Waterfalls (where we had a ride on the Zodiac).

 

We have done a lot of "bigger ship" cruising in the past and this was totally different - we are now converts to smallship cruising! In fact we're going to try and find the money to do the New Zealand cruise that the Coral Princess Cruises line does in January-February each year - 12 nights from Aukland to the Sounds at the bottom of the country!

 

We havent been on the Orion but we would certainly recommend the cruise we just completed!

[katzoe]

Good to hear that you has such an enjoyable cruise on Oceanic Discoverer. I have heard other good reports about this ship & the unique excursion vessel. The New Zealand cruise in Jan-Feb also sounds great. We are now committed to Orion for our Kimberley cruise next September but I am sure we won't be disappointed. We are fortunate here in Australia to be spoilt for choice with our small ship cruises.

[rojaan19]

We did the Orion Kimberely Cruise in June 09. We had a couple of days in Broome before boarding, and a couple of days in Darwin after the cruise. It was our first "real" cruise. ( we did do a 2 day "cruise to nowhere" on a russian ship to see the tall ships in sydney harbour for the bicentennial and a very small boat 8 people/8days in Alaska 2 years ago) My husband doesnt like those huge boats with a couple of 1000 people on them - we were in Juneau when 5 cruise ships docked - he equates it with a plague of locusts hitting town !!!

 

We did the Kimberely cruise to see if we liked cruising and the Orion as it is on our short list for the Antarctica.

 

We went with friends and had two french balcony rooms 501 and 503. I liked the fact that you had a door you could open and "balcony" it isnt - it is just a small walkway really but it allays my feelings of claustrophobia. Plus you could just go out and take a photo anytime you like -my husband did sunrise each morning. We had a great time. We liked the meals, the staff, everything was fantastic. George was our cabin attendant - he was lovely. Nothing was a problem. The girl that ran the boutique was good. The zodiac drivers helpful, the bar staff remember you after your first drink ! The captain was hilarious. The expedition staff were good.

 

We did the optional extras of the two helicopter rides and a fishing trip ( I caught the largest fish of the cruise :D ) and although the helicopter rides are pricey they are definitely worth it ! After all will you be back there again ??

 

We had a fantastic time - I hope you do too.

[Karanja]

My wife and I made the Kimberley Coast trip last August Darwin to Broome aboard ORION and we loved it - the ship, the itinerary and the other pax - all Aussies except two Brits, one Australian-American who belonged to me and one New Yorker - guess who.

 

ORION is one of the best built expedition ships with beautiful cabins. We ate all breakfasts and lunches outside and more than half the dinners.

 

I snagged a 60-70 pound shark, fought it for an hour then lost it, and I ached for two days. In August the falls are a trickle but the scenery is colorful and remote. Aboriginal art is wonderful and lost of dangerous creatures seen - crocs (fresh and salties), olive snake, brown snake - eek how did we survive.

 

Disembarking at Broome, we drove back to Darwin via the Bungle Bungles taking a week, a bit quick but very satisfying.

 

 

My wife and I have just returned from a cruise in the Kimberley after many years of planning - for us its a "once in a lifetime trip" What can I say, it was a wonderful experience. We travelled aboard a ship about the same size as Orion called the Oceanic Discoverer, part of the Coral Princess Cruises line (not the American Coral Princess but an Australian cruise line!). The ship was very new, only been operating for 2-3 years and catered up to 70 guests. The excursions were briliant - they have a excursion vessel which is quite unique - everyone baords from the deck and then it gets lowered hydraulically into the water. For us this was a big selling point as it carried all the passengers at once and also had a roof for protection from the hot sun and a toilet. We havent seen any other ship that has one of these and it is a big plus - particularly in a place like the Kimberley. They also had zodiacs as well for the more active excursions.

 

The rooms on baord were very large and we had a room on the Promenade Deck. There was plenty of space aboard to spread out. Most of the other passengers were Australian, with a splattering of Europeans and a couple of Americans. The meals were great, cooked up by the onbaord chef.. we need to exercise now to lose a few extra kilos. The lecturers were very good as well.

 

The best thing about the cruise was the laid back atmosphere on baord, it was quite informal and mixing with the crew (no asian staff, all Australians) was great - they all obviously love their jobs!

 

The highlights of the cruise for us were the King Cascade Waterfalls, Montgomery Reef and also the Horizontal Waterfalls (where we had a ride on the Zodiac).

 

We have done a lot of "bigger ship" cruising in the past and this was totally different - we are now converts to smallship cruising! In fact we're going to try and find the money to do the New Zealand cruise that the Coral Princess Cruises line does in January-February each year - 12 nights from Aukland to the Sounds at the bottom of the country!

 

We havent been on the Orion but we would certainly recommend the cruise we just completed!