The ship was leaving the Antarctic Peninsula on its way back to Ushuaia, Argentina, when the problem occurred. Operating at reduced speed, National Geographic Orion returned to Ushuaia Dec. 29, one day later than scheduled.
Lindblad Expeditions is still evaluating the necessary steps to repair the vessel, but it is expected that National Geographic Orion will be out of service until April.
Most passengers on canceled sailings have already been rebooked for future Lindblad voyages. However, according to a filing, 2016 revenue will be impacted by approximately $1m and operating income by approximately $500,000.
For 2017, Lindblad currently expects revenue will be impacted by approximately $9m to $10m, while the impact on operating income is estimated as between $2m and $3m.
The company said there was no harm to passengers, crew or the environment due to the engine issue.
Passengers were reimbursed for costs incurred by the late return and received a $1,000 credit toward future travel.
Those who had already traveled to Santiago, Chile, to begin the next cruise got a full refund and a credit for the amount paid for their trip to use for future travel. Those who were booked for January cruises also got a full refund and 20% off their next expedition for immediately rebooking or a $2,000 credit toward a future voyage.
