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We three godmothers name this ship Orion II

Sarina Bratton, founder and managing director of Orion Expedition Cruises, joined with the ship’s crew and invited guests at a dockside ceremony in Seattle to officially name its new ship Orion II.

Resisting the current popular use of star profiles to name new ships, Sarina chose three godmothers from Orion’s past guests to jointly name the vessel.

Together, Jill Bennette, Laurel Norris and Shirley Turtle represent the most travelled women on Orion, between them travelling on over 50 voyages.

Orion II’s three godmothers prepare to board the ship

Many guests who travelled on Orion’s first voyage from Tahiti to Australia in 2005 have joined Sarina onboard Orion II for the inaugural 24-night voyage from Vancouver to Otaru, Japan departing today (June 10).

Sarina said “It seems that every day we read of another new mega liner being launched, each attempting to outdo the other with added theme park attractions. Well I am pleased to say that our approach with Orion, and now Orion II, is the opposite.

“For us, instead of a theatre with wide screen movies we offer the real thing, 3D outdoor 360 degree panoramas to far horizons, with surround sound emanating from cascading waterfalls or the rhythmic beat of drums. Our rock climbing takes place up real cliffs. Our version of an ‘Adventure Club’ includes exploration in Zodiacs up rivers, looking for crocodiles or exploring World War II sites, and our Aquarium features some of the best expanses of coral and marine-life epicentres on this planet.

“Orion II allows us to expand our adventures with a range of exciting luxury expeditions stretching from the Russian Far East to Antarctica. This is not growth for the sake of growth. We are expanding in order to meet the demand from past guests and new guests who seek stimulating adventures exploring paths less travelled.”

After the Vancouver voyage to Japan via Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, Kamchatka Peninsula and Kuril Islands, there will be expeditions to the Russian Far East, Inland Sea of Japan, the Ryukyu Islands and then a series of varying 10-night itineraries around Borneo.

Later voyages in 2011 include Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.