![]() ![]() With the highest ice class of any purpose-built passenger vessel-and her ability to go deeper, farther, longer- National Geographic Endurance will enable the adventurous guests on her inaugural voyage unprecedented access to spectacular, pristine Arctic regions that few have ever seen. If Greenland’s border opens for visitors, she’ll make landings and explore ashore. She will then venture along the ice’s edge off the east coast of Greenland, an Arctic “savannah” for polar bears, walruses, and whales. Guests will explore Iceland’s stunning fjords and thundering waterfalls, tour puffin-studded cliffs and hike stunning landscapes. The 19-day inaugural voyage, National Geographic Endurance Inaugural: Iceland & Greenland, will begin and end in Reykjavik. Originally set to launch in April 2020, National Geographic Endurance sat out the pandemic in Norway-and is now ready to discover the wilder side of Iceland and Greenland. The first new polar build in the line’s history, the ship was named to honor legendary explorer Ernest Shackleton, and embodies every innovation and concept Lindblad has developed in over 50+ years of pioneering expedition travel. The 126-guest state-of-the-art expedition vessel will make her maiden voyage on Jfrom Reykjavik, Iceland. To find out more about the inspiration behind National Geographic Endurance’s interior design, read our exclusive interview with Nikolaos Doulis, the brand’s senior vice president of newbuildings, in the 2020 issue of Cruise & Ferry Interiors.Lindblad Expeditions has announced the long-awaited inaugural voyage of the world’s most advanced polar expedition ship, National Geographic Endurance. “I have not seen the ship since January of 2020, and arriving today and walking through, it just took my breath away. “The energy, the enthusiasm, the dedication that has been put in to the making of this ship was for one purpose only – to make it possible for you folks to go out and explore the world, and to appreciate the world and all its wonders and then to face together some of the challenges that we inevitably must as it relates to the natural world,” said Lindblad. One of the ship’s onboard highlights will be ‘Change’, the world’s first permanent ship-based installation of drawings, paintings, video, photography and sculpture, which was curated by artist Zaria Forman. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ENDURANCE WINDOWSThe vessel also features luxurious Scandinavian-inspired interiors with expansive windows to capitalise on the views of the destinations. “The environmental aspect of what we are doing, and the importance of this ship to promote research, raise funds for Pristine Seas, and for the people in the communities we explore, carries on the great Lindblad tradition.”īoasting Ulstein’s patented X-Bow hull, National Geographic Endurance has been built to Polar Class 5 Category A standards and can accommodate 126 guests in 69 all-balcony cabins and suites. “What was wonderful for me to witness was a number of you meeting staff from our ships that you knew, sometimes more than 10 years ago, and so there is a family feeling already, and that is a big part of who we are,” said Berle. Godmothers Jen Martin, Lindblad Expeditions’ director of field staff and expedition development, and Ana Esteves, director of hotel operations, also gave a traditional blessing and broke a champagne bottle across the ship’s bow.įollowing the ceremony, guests enjoyed champagne and canapes dockside while listening to Icelandic musicians before embarking on a 19-day inaugural itinerary to destinations in Iceland and Greenland. The christening ceremony started with a video showcasing the processes involved in constructing National Geographic Endurance and the destinations she will visit. And this vessel is the pinnacle of all of that.” “The ideas that we have inside the ship, they have been coming, not just for years, they have been coming for decades, for whole careers. All of us as crew members aboard the ship and the wider Lindblad family, we have waited for so long for this moment,” said Wood. “It’s an absolute honour to stand here as captain of this wonderful ship, on this special day. Named in honour of explorer Ernest Shackleton, National Geographic Endurance was officially welcomed into the fleet by Lindblad Expeditions’ founder and co-chair Sven Lindblad and CEO Dolf Berle, as well as her captain Aaron Wood. Lindblad Expeditions has inaugurated its first polar expedition cruise ship, National Geographic Endurance, in Reykjavik, Iceland, marking the only time the harbour has hosted a christening ceremony for an international vessel. ![]()
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