Ever attempt to make sense of the stars while on a boat at night? It’s difficult to get anywhere. But communing with the stars — even ignorantly — feels important.
Enter Orion, the new cruise ship from Viking Ocean Cruises, where guests will be able to watch the constellations not only from the top deck, but also from within the bowels of the ship, with guidance: Orion comes equipped with a planetarium theater called the Explorer’s Dome.
Adding to the space theme: the ship’s godmother is Dr. Anna Fisher (former NASA astronaut, the first mother in space) and Orion will also travel with a resident astronomer, Howard Parkin, who will offer celestial expertise and surely tire on pointing out the difference between the Big Dipper and Little Dipper every 15 minutes.
As far as cruise ship nonsense goes, we’re supportive. Cruise ships have trended more and more “luxurious skyscraper” over the years, but Viking does a great job. Orion houses a tolerable 930, features eight restaurants and even includes something called a snow grotto. And the opportunity to watch a planetarium presentation after staring at the cosmos isn’t just superfluous brochure fodder — it’s educational, like reading a film plot on Wikipedia after leaving the theater.
Find more information on the ship, and its 2019 itineraries, here.
All images from Viking Ocean Cruises
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