Lindblad Expeditions has unveiled its first year of sailings for its new National Geographic Orion, recently acquired from Orion Expeditions, with more adventures in the South Pacific than ever before.
The all-new luxury Voyages of Discovery include destinations in Micronesia and the Islands of
Moluccas - a heady mix of island cultures, World War II naval and military
sites and brilliant snorkelling and diving. All new South Pacific voyages include the Loyalty Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Millennium Atoll, Tahiti,
Pitcairn and Easter Island, while voyages to Antarctica will, for the first time,
focus on the Antarctic Peninsula and the wildlife sanctuaries of South
Georgia and the Falkland Islands.
Popular favourite, Borneo, will again include
visits to Camp Leakey for exclusive orangutan and wildlife experiences, and
the ship's hallmark voyages to Australia’s
Kimberley coastline remain - one with a variation that includes Rowley
Shoals. Additionally, there are expeditions that include Komodo, Flores,
Asmat, the Spice Islands, Torres Strait and the Great Barrier
Reef.
The itineraries are
a carefully constructed blend of undersea (for snorkellers and divers) and
terrestrial natural history highlights, along with diverse and fascinating
culture, history and anthropology.
The first
expedition sails from Auckland to Cairns, through Melanesia (Vanuatu, Solomon
Islands, Papua New Guinea) with time on the Great Barrier Reef. The
second voyage includes the Great Barrier Reef before heading up through
Melanesia (Papua New Guinea) to Micronesia, visiting Chuuk Lagoon, Yap and many
other spectacular islands en-route to Palau. The last week of this voyage
presents some of the most spectacular undersea opportunities available on the
planet, where the newly installed onboard scuba facilities will come into their
own. But there are also plenty of options for dry-landers, too.
The third
voyage runs from Palau down through Raja Ampat and the Spice Islands of
Indonesia, ending in Darwin. Like the previous two, the undersea is a highlight
but the culture and diversity of options on land is also extraordinary. Put
simply: guests will see many things on any one of these voyages you cannot find
elsewhere on earth; they embody the word ‘exotic’. Following the
Kimberley season, between May and August 2014, National Geographic Orion
will undertake two expeditions to Borneo, voyaging between Bali and
Singapore, both including visits to the orangutan sanctuary Camp Leakey.
It will then take an
eastward journey with four voyages starting from Bali travelling all the way
across to Easter Island - from the Spice Islands and Great Barrier Reef to New
Caledonia, Fiji; then up to Samoa and across to Kiribati and French Polynesia
with the fourth itinerary departing Tahiti to visit Ducie, Henderson, Pitcairn
and other very hard-to-reach islands, ending in Easter Island. Orion then
positions to Ushuaia for expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia
and the Falkland Islands.
Combination Savings
Following high demand for back-to-back
expeditions, there are again a number of voyages created especially to appeal to
those seeking longer expeditions, plus, from the 2014 calendar, the company is doubling
the back-to-back savings to 10%.
Solo
Travellers
Recognising the growing solo traveller market, there will be dedicated staterooms for solo travellers on each
voyage with solo pricing.
Pricing examples for 2014
(All pricing per person, twin
share):
10-night Kimberley Expedition: Cat 1/B Stateroom £5,180, through to Owners
Suite/Category 6, £10,840.
10-night Camp Leakey: Cat 1/B Stateroom £5,473, through to Owners
Suite/Category 6, £11,460.
16-night Mysteries of Polynesia: Cat 1/B Stateroom £10,640, through to Owners
Suite/Category 6, £21,990.
18-night South Pacific Adventure: Cat 1/B Stateroom £11,970, through to Owners
Suite/Category 6, £24,740.
For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's adventure cruise specialists.
