
Orion offers Bering Sea adventures

Orion is a fully stabilized, ice-class vessel with an ice-reinforced hull, enabling it to navigate polar ice as well as small harbors.
The 102-passenger National Geographic Orion will offer two Alaska itineraries next year.
The 22-day “Across the Bering Sea” is a round-trip from Anchorage with calls at Katmai National Park, Unalaska, the Aleutians, Petropavlovsk, the Commander Islands, Coastal Kamchatka, Provideniya, Bering Strait and Nome. The 13-day “Bering Sea Wilderness” begins with a flight from Anchorage to Nome, then across the Bering Strait to Provideniya, Pribilof Islands, Unalaska, Alaska Peninsula, Shumagin Islands, Katmai National Park, Kodiak and a return to Anchorage.
The state-of-the-art Orion serves as National Geographic’s luxurious base camp for voyages to the far-flung corners of the planet. The ship is a fully stabilized, ice-class vessel with an ice-reinforced hull, enabling it to navigate polar ice as well as small harbors. It has 53 cabins, and is equipped with kayaks and Zodiac landing craft, diving and snorkeling gear and sophisticated video equipment that allows access to the underwater world.
The ship includes an undersea specialist, a National Geographic–Lindblad-certified photography instructor, a video chronicler, a full-time doctor, an elevator, a fitness center, a spa treatment room, a sauna and laundry service. Wi-Fi is available in cabins and public spaces. A National Geographic photographer accompanies every departure.
Onshore adventure
Shore excursion participation in Alaska is extremely high compared to other cruise destinations, with an estimated 80 to 90 percent of passengers purchasing at least one excursion. Among the most popular shore excursions are guided hikes and kayak trips, salmon bakes and dance hall shows, and experiences like ziplining, dogsled rides and glacier tours by helicopter.
Unlike many other popular cruise destinations, Alaska’s cruise business extends well beyond port communities to affect areas that are hundreds of miles from the ocean. In addition to day trips during their cruise, many Alaska passengers travel throughout the state on pre- or post-cruise land tours, whether on their own or through a tour company. Some 22 percent of passengers who cross the Gulf of Alaska to the Southcentral region participate in an extended land tour, often consisting of a rail segment and overnight stays in Fairbanks, Anchorage or Denali National Park and Preserve.