In a celebration at the CRIST shipyard in Gdynia, Poland, expedition cruise company Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc., laid the keel for its newest, "most sophisticated" expedition ship.
The ship, which will join the Lindblad-National Geographic fleet in 2020, also has a new name: National Geographic Endurance.
"She is named in honor of Ernest Shackleton, Lindblad Expeditions' most revered explorer and will incorporate technological advances and create opportunities for guests beyond the reach of any contemporary ship," said Sven Lindblad, President and CEO of Lindblad Expeditions.
The new, 126-guest polar vessel will sail year-round, with itineraries visiting the world's northernmost and southernmost outposts.
"A Polar Class 5 rating gives us the ability to operate the ship freely at any time of year in polar environments vastly expanding our polar range," said Lindblad. "This means we can explore deeper into the pack ice, or further north to the unexplored reaches of the Arctic. For instance, northern Ellesmere Island, where only a relative handful of people have ever been. Or some of the completely off-the-beaten-path arctic islands that are remote, pristine and teeming with wildlife."
The vessel is being designed to incorporate sustainability solutions that will help reduce its environmental impact. Among its features, the ship will sport Ulstein's signature X-BOW?, which provides fuel efficiency while also improving guest comfort in rough seas; and a very high ice class for access deep into polar regions. Additionally, expanded fuel and water tanks will allow for extended operations in remote areas; while the zero-speed stabilizers will ensure stability, whether at zero speed or full steam ahead.
The ceremony included "the laying of the coins," in which coins were welded into the keel for good luck. Coins included a newly minted commemorative silver coin etched with the name of the ship between a polar bear and penguin (representing both poles the vessel will explore) and the slogan "To Explore and Understand the World." Lindblad also laid a coin of Lindblad naturalist, Tom Ritchie, a 1780 Austro-Hungarian thaler [silver dollar] with Marie Theresa on one side and a double-headed eagle on the other.
Other Lindblad execs in attendance at the ceremony were Trey Byus, Chief Expedition Officer; Tyler Skarda, Senior VP, Marine Operations; Captain Leif Skog, VP, Nautical and Ice Captain, and Nikolaos Doulis, Senior VP, New Buildings. Ulstein was represented by Gunvor Ulstein CEO Ulstein Group and Managing Director Ulstein Shipping; Tore Ulstein , Chair of the Board and Deputy CEO Ulstein Group; Kristian S?tre, Managing Director, Ulstein Verft; and Per Svein Brekke, Project Responsible. Among the CRIST representatives were Ireneusz Cwirko, Chair of the Managing Board and Krzysztof Kulczycki, Chair of the Supervising Board.
"We are excited to be witnessing this important milestone for the new exploration cruise vessel for Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic," said Gunvor Ulstein, CEO, Ulstein Group.
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