Lindblad Expeditions is venturing down a more luxurious path with plans to build two new ships fitted with excess comfort & smoother sailings.
The expedition line signed an agreement with Norwegian shipbuilder, Ulstein, last week to build a new polar vessel that’ll compliment and replicate National Geographic Endurance, a brand-changing cruise ship launching in 2020.
Like her sister ship – National Geographic Endurance -, the unnamed vessel will carry 126 passengers per sailing in 69 cabins and suites, 75 percent of which have balconies.
The new ship and its sister ship, National Geographic Endurance, will raise the Lindblad bar.
The ship will be fully stabilised with the highest ice class (PC5 Category A) of any purpose-built passenger vessel and will feature Ulstein’s signature X-BOW®, a unique design that affords the smoothest, most comfortable ride imaginable.
Other highlights of the vessel (and its sister) include enhanced off-ship exploring through an innovative Zodiac loading system that’ll speed up access to every destination, along with greater expedition tools such as kayaks, cross-country skis, remotely operated vehicle, hydrophones, a video microscope, underwater video cameras and more.
The new ship and its sister ship, National Geographic Endurance, will raise the Lindblad bar.
Lindblad Expeditions’ President & Chief Executive, Sven Lindblad, said National Geographic Endurance and its sister ship will “represent a whole new level of capability in expedition cruising” through extra comfort and carefully created itineraries.
The new state-of-the-art vessel will be the next phase of Lindblad’s fleet expansion following the launches of new builds National Geographic Quest in July 2017, National Geographic Venture in December 2018 and the scheduled delivery of National Geographic Endurance in 2020.
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