Lindblad Expeditions will be entirely absent from Australia and the Kimberley region for most of 2016, with National Geographic Orion to instead spend much of the year operating in Europe.
Following the Antarctic season in early 2016, the vessel will head north for a series of 22 innovative week-long voyages.
The ship will explore Portugal, Spain, France, England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium and the Baltic & Scandinavia regions.
Lindblad says the move is aimed at giving loyal repeat clientele “new geographies” based on calls for access to new destinations.