ADVENTURE CRUISING
we were almost taking bets on whether the displays of birds-of-paradise, bromeliad and strelitzia were real. They were. The food featured the freshest of ingre-
dients, whatever the weather or the ship’s location. The style is modern gourmet Australian, with French overtones. Breakfast is served from six to nine and
available in your cabin. In good weather, a buffet lunch, and sometimes dinner, is laid outside on deck five. In the evening, there is a single sitting of a four-course meal. At dinner, I particularly enjoyed the suc- culent filet of beef tenderloin parmentiere with braised oxtail and mushroom duxelles, pearl onion confit and Shiraz sauce, and the pan-roasted perch with oven roasted tomato, mushroom and edamame ragout. Regional foods included Kumamoto
oysters served with wasabi dressing, ko ebi on seaweed salad, nigiri sushi of kingfisher and chilled green tea noodle salad. An- other night it was tuna sashimi with yam sauce nori and spring onions. The wine list has a strong showing of
Australia and New Zealand wines, priced from £15 a bottle. Though there were some wines from California and Europe, I would have liked to see a few more Euro- pean options.
Most tables seat six or eight and ev-
eryone is free to sit where they like. One of the highlights for me was the quality of conversation at dinner. With just one sitting, there is no pressure to move on quickly from the table. Australians made up the largest group of my companions, followed by a British
contingent, some Ameri- cans, New Zealanders and a smattering of other Europeans. More than half had travelled with Orion before, and a third had stayed on from the previous cruise. Entertainments on board are relatively low key – relaxing on a sun deck, music from versatile pianist Glenn O’Neill, a book or DVD from the library, or a trip to the fitness centre, Jacuzzi or one of three bars. Being a small ship, there is no casino, disco, movie theatre, video arcade or facilities for children. In the beauty salon, I had a remedial deep muscle workout. I also enjoyed a make-up lesson.
n support of eco-sustainability it was good to learn heavy fuel oil has been swapped for diesel; palm oil-based toiletries are shunned; on-board water purification cuts use of plastic bottles; and the waste management systems meets the exacting new standards required for entry to pristine Antarctic waters. The company also supports a reforestation project in Borneo and several orangutan sanctuaries. Despite its relatively recent beginnings, Orion is already the leading expedition cruise operator in Asia-Pacific, with 74 different routes, visiting 17 countries and 174 destinations. If my cruise is anything to go by, their claim to fame is likely to spread far – and fast.
I
ORION II FACTFILE
Built: 1991, refurbished 2009 & 2011 Tonnage: 4,077 Length: 290ft Beam: 50.1ft Draft: 12ft
Speed: 15 knots Passengers: 100 Crew: 70
Passenger decks: 5 Registry: Malta
ITINERARIES: In 2012, Orion is offering eight Japan voyages between April and July, with prices from £4,495 per person, including eight nights on board, all meals, entertainment and educational programmes, use of the ship’s sporting equipment and facilities, Zodiac excursions, port and handling charges, tender transfers and government fees and taxes.
MORE INFO: in the UK, call 020 7399 7620, in the US, 1877 674 6687; or visit
www.orionexpeditions.com
Winter 2011-12 I WORLD OF CRUISING
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