Lindblad Expeditions’ latest vessel, National Geographic Endurance, has been christened at a private dockside ceremony in Reykjavik, Iceland.
The 126-passenger vessel (pictured) was formally named in front of passengers at the first ceremony of its kind for international ship in the harbour.
National Geographic Endurance has a patented X-Bow to improve fuel efficiency and stability in rough seas and is also of the highest ice class – Polar Class 5 Category A – meaning it can operate year-round in polar regions.
A video highlighting how the ship was built was shown at the beginning of the event, which Sven Lindblad, founder and co-chair of the board of Lindblad Expeditions, and chief executive Dolf Berle both attended.
Speaking at the ceremony on Thursday, Lindblad said: “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.
“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.”
The ship then embarked on a 19-day inaugural itinerary around Iceland and Greenland. The vessel had originally been slated to launch in April last year.
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