MV Orion in Kuri Bay, Kimberley (Western Australia) |
|
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | MV Orion |
| Owner: | 2003—2008: Explorer Maritime 2008—present: Orion Expedition Cruises |
| Operator: | 2003—2005: Travel Dynamics International 2005—present: Orion Expedition Cruises |
| Port of registry: | 2003—present: Majuro, Marshall Islands[1] |
| Builder: | Cassens-Werft, Emden, Germany[1] |
| Maiden voyage: | November 2003[1] |
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Germanischer Lloyd 100 A5 E3 expedition cruise ship |
| Tonnage: | 4,050 gross tons[1] |
| Length: | 337 ft (103 m)[1] |
| Beam: | 46 ft (14 m)[1] |
| Draft: | 12.6 ft (3.8 m)[1] |
| Decks: | 5 passenger decks[1] |
| Ice class: | Germanischer Lloyd E3[1] |
| Installed power: | One MaK 8M25 diesel 2400 kW[1] |
| Propulsion: | One propeller[1] |
| Speed: | 15.5 kn (28.71 km/h) maximum speed |
| Boats and landing craft carried: |
4 Life/tender/rescue boats, 10 Zodiac HD MK5 inflatables |
| Complement: | 106 passengers[1] |
| Crew: | 75[1] |
| Notes: | 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. The hull is ice-reinforced for voyages in the Arctic and Antarctic. |
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".
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Built by Cassens shipyard in Germany 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 Tahitian 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.
MV Orion is based in Sydney, 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.
Hull: Ice-reinforced for voyages in the Arctic and Antarctic
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
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.
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.