NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Lindblad
Expeditions Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: LIND; "Lindblad," the
"Company"), a global leader of expedition cruises and adventure
travel experiences, announced today that it has signed an agreement
with Norwegian shipbuilder and ship designer Ulstein to build a new
polar vessel, expanding the line's National Geographic polar fleet
to four ships.
This 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 Q1 2020.
The new ship is scheduled for delivery in late Q3 2021. Sister
ship to National Geographic Endurance, the polar vessel will
be fully stabilized 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, in all sea behavior,
which results in greater fuel efficiency and fewer emissions, for
reduced environmental impact.
"We are extremely excited to announce this next phase in our
growth strategy. National Geographic Endurance, and the
unique itineraries that it is able to facilitate given its
superlative capabilities, has been met with considerable excitement
from both our existing guest community and those new to
Lindblad-National Geographic, and we are confident that its sister
ship will garner the same level of enthusiasm in the market," said
Sven Lindblad, president and chief
executive officer of Lindblad. "These two ships will represent a
whole new level of capability in expedition cruising, in terms of
the level of comfort they provide guests, the regions and
itineraries they are able to travel to and their ability to act as
platforms for science in some of the most remote and pristine parts
of the world."
Like its sister ship, the new vessel will accommodate 126
passengers in 69 spacious guest cabins and suites, and is being
designed to connect guests to their environment and be the ultimate
platform for exploration. With 75 percent of the cabins featuring
balconies for private viewing, multiple observation decks inside
and outside, and "observation wings," the surrounding environs will
always be accessible. Off-ship exploring will be greatly
enhanced with an innovative Zodiac loading system that will allow
everyone to get ashore quickly and safely, ensuring quick access to
every destination. The ship's complement of expedition tools for
exploration will include kayaks, cross-country skis, a remotely
operated vehicle, hydrophones, a video microscope, underwater video
cameras and more to be announced in the coming months.
"We are thrilled to announce the build of this exciting new
ship," said Nancy Schumacher,
executive vice president, travel & tour operations, National
Geographic Partners. "This is yet another example of our ongoing
success and continued expansion of the National Geographic-Lindblad
partnership."
"We are very pleased that Lindblad, a
global leader within expedition cruises, again has chosen Ulstein
as designer and builder of their new expedition cruise vessel. We
see this as a sign of confidence in all our employees," stated
Gunvor Ulstein, CEO at Ulstein
Group. "We have learned to know Lindblad as a highly
competent and experienced customer and we look forward to
continuing our good and constructive cooperation."
About Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc.
Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. is an expedition travel
company that works in partnership with National Geographic to
inspire people to explore and care about the planet. The
organizations work in tandem to produce innovative marine
expedition programs and to promote conservation and sustainable
tourism around the world. The partnership's educationally oriented
voyages allow guests to interact with and learn from leading
scientists, naturalists and researchers while discovering stunning
natural environments, above and below the sea, through
state-of-the-art exploration tools. For more information visit us
at www.expeditions.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
YouTube and Pinterest.
About National Geographic Partners LLC
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between
National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing
the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across
an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global
National Geographic television channels (National Geographic
Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National
Geographic's media and consumer-oriented assets, including National
Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital
and social media platforms; books; maps; children's media; and
ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and
events, archival sales, licensing and ecommerce businesses.
Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the
core purpose of National Geographic for 129 years, and now we are
committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for
our consumers … and reaching over 760 million people around the
world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it.
NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National
Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science,
exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit
natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.
About Ulstein Group
ULSTEIN has 600 employees and is headquartered in Ulsteinvik,
Norway. ULSTEIN delivers products
and services within ship design, shipbuilding and equipment
packages to the international market. In 2017, they celebrate their
100-year anniversary. Throughout a century they have created
tomorrow's solutions for sustainable marine operations together
with their partners.
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SOURCE Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc.