This will follow Lindblad's first blue-water newbuild, National Geographic Endurance, due in first quarter 2020, and coastal newbuilds National Geographic Venture this December, the sister of 2017's National Geographic Quest.
Lindblad cited the accelerating demand for high-quality and authentic expedition travel, both through market expansion and sustained investment in the company's marketing and sales infrastructure.
A fourth polar vessel
This will be the fourth polar vessel in the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic fleet, joining National Geographic Explorer and National Geographic Orion, currently in operation, and National Geographic Endurance.
The 126-passenger, 12,300gt National Geographic Endurance is under construction at Ulstein Verft. It features Ulstein's signature X-BOW.
Growing loyal customer base
'We are extremely excited to announce the further expansion of our expedition fleet,' Sven-Olof Lindblad, president and CEO, said. '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 50 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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