Lindblad faces “suspicious” crowd

At last night’s brochure launch, past passengers confronted the new owners about changes to the old Orion.

It wasn’t the caged animals at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo that caused a commotion at Lindblad Expeditions’ launch of its 2014 Explorations catalogue – it was loyal fans of the Australian ways of the phased-out Orion Expeditions Cruises.

After an inspiring presentation about the 10 ships’ exotic itineraries, diving program and undersea exploration tools, company founder Sven Lindblad, who flew in from New York, and his Sydney-based son Jeremy were forced to defend the changes to the soon-to-renamed National Geographic Orion.

Some past passengers at the function took the opportunity to ask about the onboard currency, retention of Australian expedition leaders and other alterations.

read the full story in today’s Cruise Weekly