With merger talks centering around airlines in recent years, (US Airways and American Airlines being the hot topic of discussion lately) business in the cruise world has been on the back burner, but with the announcement that Lindblad Expeditions is expected to buy Australia-based Orion Expedition Cruises for an undisclosed sum, the travel media has been put on notice.
The merger should not come as a surprise, due to Orion owners, Cruise Ferry Master Fund, which represents the investment division of German bank DVB in partnership with a German private equity group, also owning a 60% of Lindblad.
The Orion will join the Lindblad fleet in March 2014, when it will be renamed National Geographic Orion, Lindblad Expeditions says in a press release announcing the acquisition. The ship will operate new itineraries designed to blend the interests of the U.S. and Australian markets, the line adds, according to USA Today.
"We are extremely excited about the opportunity to offer global expedition cruising to Australians, and we intend to bring the full weight of our experiences and that of National Geographic to the Orion organization and the ship," Lindblad president Sven Lindblad is quoted as saying in the company's press release, reported by USA Today.
Lindblad says the acquisition will increase its passenger capacity by 18%, according to USA Today.
Founded in 1958 by adventure travel pioneer Lars-Eric Lindblad, Lindblad Expeditions is a leader in small-ship adventure cruising. Operating voyages in partnership with National Geographic, it owns five small vessels including the National Geographic Explorer and National Geographic Endeavor. The company also charters five other ships, according to expeditions.com.
On the other hand, the Orion is much younger, being founded in 2004 and only operates a single ship, the 102-passenger Orion, according to USA Today. But, as Lindblad, takes passengers on adventurous, expedition-style sailings, from Papua, New Guinea to Antarctica. The ship has a reinforced hull for travel in icy areas and carries 10 heavy-duty Zodiac boats for off-ship exploring, stated by orionexpeditions.com.
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