Lindblad Orders Second Newbuild Polar Expedition Ship

An illustration of the polar expedition ship National Geographic Endurance, which Lindblad ordered in December 2017 at Ulstein. Credit: Ulstein

The Board of Directors Lindblad Expeditions has authorized a plan to order a second newbuild polar expedition cruise ship as part of the company’s long-term growth strategy within the expedition cruise market.

Lindblad Expeditions is an expedition cruise tourism company that operates cruises in partnership with National Geographic.

The new ship has delivery planned for 2021. It will be the fourth polar expedition ship in Lindblad’s fleet, joining the National Geographic Explorer and the National Geographic Orion, both currently in operation, and Lindblad’s first polar newbuild, named National Geographic Endurance, which has delivery planned for 2020.

Lindblad says the newbuild announced Thursday marks next phase of the company’s fleet expansion, following the launch of the National Geographic Quest in July 2017 and the planned deliveries of National Geographic Venture in December 2018 and National Geographic Endurance in 2020.

Lindblad ordered the National Geographic Endurance in November 2017 at Ulstein. The contract included options for two additional vessels, however, Lindblad’s statement on Thursday did not specify a shipbuilder for the newest ship.

Sven-Olof Lindblad, President and Chief Executive Officer, said “We are extremely excited to announce the further expansion of our expedition fleet. This is the next step of our long-term growth strategy to capitalize on the expanding demand for high quality adventure travel. By marrying additional capacity with a dedicated and growing loyal customer base and fifty years of experience, we will be able to build upon our proven track record of delivering unparalleled expeditions to the world’s most remarkable destinations.”

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