Lindblad Expeditions buys Australian cruise company

Lindblad Expeditions, the U.S.-based small ship expedition company which partners with the National Geographic Society for expedition cruising, has announced that Orion Expedition Cruises will become part of Lindblad’s existing fleet, starting with March 2014 itineraries, offering Orion past and future guests access to expeditions around the globe. Lindblad Expeditions owns five ships: the National Geographic Explorer, the National Geographic Endeavour, the National Geographic Sea Bird, the National Geographic Sea Lion and the National Geographic Islander. In addition, Lindblad charters five ships – the Delfin II, the Lord of the Glens, the Oceanic Discoverer, the Jahan, and the Sea Cloud for seasonal expeditions. Destinations include Arctic Svalbard, Antarctica, Alaska, Baja California, Central America, Galapagos, the Amazon, New Zealand, Africa, British Isles, Egypt, Europe, the Mediterranean, the Pacific Northwest and South America. Trey Byus, Lindblad’s chief expedition officer, said, “The geographies that Orion has explored in the past are well known to us through the decades, but I was very much impressed with the knowledge of the Orion team. It has been a joy working with them to develop compelling ideas for the future.”Sarina Bratton, the founder of Orion, will leave the business on completion of her current contract on April 19. “The move is both amicable and timely,”she said. “I will welcome a break in which to travel and work on my golf handicap.”Orion Expedition Cruises pioneered five-star small ship expedition cruising in the Australasian market. It has taken thousands of people to The Kimberley, Antarctica, Papua New Guinea, Borneo and explored the far reaches of the Russian Far East, Japan and Southeast Asia, introducing guests to five-star adventure.