V.Ships Leisure has taken over the technical management for the luxury expedition cruise vessel Orion. The vessel is trading in Australia including the Kimberley, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia, New Zealand and Antarctica. It will be managed from V.Ships Leisure’s head office in Monaco with support from the V.Ships Group’s unique world-wide network.
Orion Expedition Cruises has been a client of V.Ships Leisure for many years in the areas of hotel crewing and consultancy services.
The vessel was built in 2003 at Cassens Werft in Germany, carries 106 passengers under Bahamian flag and will in 2011 be joined by a second vessel, the Orion II.
Commenting on the new contract, Andrea Zito, newly appointed CEO of V.Ships Leisure, stressed the importance of V.Ships Leisure strengthening its presence in the expedition segment of the cruise market in which V.Ships Leisure already provides services to Silversea Cruises’ Prince Albert II, Swan Hellenic’s Minerva and Gap Expedition’s Expedition. The contract also increases the visibility of V.Ships Leisure in the fast growing Asia Pacific passenger shipping sector.
