National Geographic Endurance Named In Iceland
By Anne Kalosh
In a long-awaited day for Lindblad Expeditions, its first polar new build, National Geographic Endurance, was christened at festivities in Iceland.
The July 21 ceremony was the first naming of an international vessel in Reykjavík Harbor. (In 2018, Ponant’s Le Lapérouse was christened at nearby Hafnarfjörður.)
The pierside festivities were limited to National Geographic Endurance’s inaugural cruise passengers.
The ship was completed by Norway’s Ulstein Verft in March 2020 but has not operated until now because of the pandemic.
Built To Explore
“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,” Sven Lindblad, founder and co-chair of Lindblad Expeditions, told the attendees.
“I have not seen the ship since January of 2020, and arriving today and walking through, it just took my breath away. I really hope you like this ship,” he added.
The ship was built to enable travelers to explore and appreciate the world’s wonders, Sven Lindblad said. * Photo: Juliette Rowland_Lindblad Expeditions
Lindblad’s Ana Esteves, director, hotel operations, and Jen Martin, director, field staff and expedition development, sent the Champagne bottle smashing against the hull.
The godmothers hurl the bottle of Champagne. * Photo: Juliette Rowland_Lindblad Expeditions
Lindblad CEO Dolf Berle said it was wonderful to see passengers meeting staff from previous trips, some more than a decade ago, “and so there is a family feeling already, and that is a big part of who we are.” He continued: “The environmental aspect of what we are doing, and the importance of this ship to promote research, raise funds for [National Geographic’s] Pristine Seas, and for the people in the communities we explore, carries on the great Lindblad tradition.”
For his part, Capt. Aaron Wood said the ideas that went into making National Geographic Endurance “have been coming for decades, for whole careers. And this vessel is the pinnacle of all of that.”
Passengers were served Champagne and canapes dockside while listening to Icelandic musicians before embarking on National Geographic Endurance’s 19-day inaugural cruise exploring Iceland and Greenland.
National Geographic Endurance staff on the top deck overlook the festivities below. * Photo: Juliette Rowland_Lindblad Expeditions
Sleek Yet Cozy Interiors
Here’s a look at the sleek yet cozy Scandinavian interiors of the 126-passenger ship.
The Ice Lounge is equipped with 39 flat-screen televisions for presentations, and there’s a separate Science Hub and a Library.
Restaurant 270º is surrounded by floor-to ceiling windows.
The Sanctuary wellness center encompasses a yoga studio and infinity Jacuzzis, while cool-looking twin igloos offer panoramic views and fur-covered daybeds.
In the water-level Base Camp, there are two Zodiac boarding areas and mudrooms for parkas and boots.
All 69 suites and cabins have big windows, and most (53) sport balconies. Twelve rooms are for solo travelers.
Also on board is CHANGE, a permanent installation of drawings, paintings, video, photography and sculpture curated by artist Zaria Forman. The exhibit features a wide range of artists dedicated to examining and expressing responses to vulnerable polar geographies.
RELATED: Expedition Cruising Update & Outlook. by Anne Kalosh
Small But Mighty
The 12,300-gross-ton National Geographic Endurance is fully stabilized and has Ulstein’s patented X-BOW hull for a smoother ride and better seakeeping.
This sturdy little ship is built to Polar Class 5/Category A, the highest ice-class rating of the recent crop of purpose-built expedition new builds (apart from Ponant’s upcoming Le Commandant-Charcot with an even higher Polar Class 2, while Swan Hellenic’s upcoming SH Minerva will also be Polar Class 5).
Polar Class 5 enables operation year-round in medium first-year ice, which may include old ice inclusions.
Following its inaugural voyage, National Geographic Endurance will embark on a pair of 13-day Iceland/Greenland voyages. A 20-day trek to northeast Greenland and Norway’s Lofoten Islands is set for September.
Antarctica is in the charts during late 2021/early 2022.
For more info, visit Lindblad’s site.
Icelandic puffins await National Geographic Endurance travelers. * Phot: Ralph Lee Hopkins for Lindblad Expeditions
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