Lindblad launches new ship as expedition booms

In another sign of the strength of the expedition cruising market, US-company Lindblad has announced the building of a new polar ship.

The state-of-the-art vessel will be delivered in 2021, adding four new ships to its fleet in five years.

The line, which concentrates on authentic experiences and is focused on the environment and wildlife, launched theย National Geographic Questย in July last year.

The National Geographic Ventureย  will be operating in December this year, and the delivery of theย National Geographic Enduranceย is due in the first quarter of 2020.

Theย Lindbladย Expeditions-National Geographic fleet, which includes theย National Geographic Explorerย and theย National Geographic Orion, is the latest to cash in on the burgeoning expedition market.

Ponant, Hurtigruten, Silversea, and Seabourn have all expanded to meet what marketers are describing as an era when โ€œcold is hotโ€. Crystal is adding a touch of luxury to cruises to the ice.

Helicopters, submarines and Ponantโ€™s Blue Eye Lounge โ€“ an underwater observation area โ€“ are all adding to the buzz.

โ€œYou can be underneath the water, have a martini and watch a whale go by,โ€ ย said Beth Butzlaff, vice president, cruise sales at Virtuoso, a network of luxury travel agencies.

Ms Butzlaff, vice president, cruise sales at Virtuoso, a network of luxury travel agencies, told Cruise Industry Newsโ€™s expedition report the booming expedition market was being driven in part by the baby boomers.

โ€œThere are 76 million of them in the workplace and they are driving the business,โ€ she said, in theย 2018 Expedition Cruise Reportย by Cruise Industry News.ย โ€œThey are younger, they are healthier and they are living longer.โ€

She added social media was opening up the experience to a wider market, and boomers were bringing their adult children on their expedition cruises.

The trend toward sustainable travel is playing into Lindbladโ€™s expansion.

Sven-Olofย Lindblad, President and Chief Executive Officer, said: โ€œWe are extremely excited to announce the further expansion of our expedition fleet.

โ€œThis is the next step of our long-term growth strategy to capitalise on the expanding demand for high quality adventure travel.

โ€œBy 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 worldโ€™s most remarkable destinations.โ€

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