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12.06.2024 - 11:17 / thepointsguy.com / Sven-Olof Lindblad
Two of the best-known names in Galapagos Islands cruising, Lindblad Expeditions and Celebrity Cruises, are about to shake up their offerings in the destination in the wake of a deal.
Lindblad Expeditions on Wednesday announced that two of Celebrity's three vessels in the Galapagos will shift to the Lindblad fleet in January.
The two vessels — 48-passenger Celebrity Xpedition and 16-passenger Celebrity Xploration — will be extensively refurbished after the transfer before beginning operations under the Lindblad banner, the company said.
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Lindblad also said the vessels would be renamed.
The addition of the two new vessels, which Lindblad is purchasing for an undisclosed sum, will double the size of the Lindblad fleet in the Galapagos from two to four vessels, making it one of the largest players in Galapagos cruises.
For years, Lindblad has operated two ships in the region: 96-passenger National Geographic Endeavour II and 48-passenger National Geographic Islander II.
The brand offers six different itineraries around the Galapagos, with more than 100 departures a year.
"We recognize and appreciate the immense privilege our company has to operate and grow our expedition cruise offerings in the Galápagos Islands," said Sven-Olof Lindblad, founder and CEO of Lindblad Expeditions. "By sourcing well-appointed vessels and onboarding the most experienced crew and staff who meet our exacting standards of responsible exploration, we're able to transport guests from around the world to the iconic archipelago and help them understand the importance of protecting and preserving its wonders and wildlife, as a consequence of their personal experience."
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Lindblad was one of the pioneers of expedition cruising in the Galapagos more than half a century ago. Notably, it operated the first nonscientific international civilian expedition to the destination in 1967.
The company has also long been a leader in expedition cruising around the world, sailing to some of the most remote and hard-to-reach destinations, including the Arctic, Antarctica and Australia's Kimberley region.
With the addition of the two Celebrity vessels, Lindblad's worldwide fleet of owned, leased and chartered ships will grow to 19 vessels.
Related: Expedition cruises: The ultimate guide to cruising to remote, hard-to-reach places
Lindblad said on Wednesday that customers will be able to make bookings for the two new vessels starting later this month. Lindblad didn't say when the first sailings for the ships under the Lindblad banner will be.
With the transfer of two of its
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Luxury cruise line Lindblad Expeditions is expanding its presence in the Galapagos with plans to buy two ships from fellow cruise line Celebrity Cruises. Lindblad will purchase both the 48-guest Celebrity Xpedition and the smaller, 16-guest Celebrity Xploration for the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic fleet, the company announced Wednesday. Following the sale, which is expected to close in January 2025, both ships will undergo multi-million dollar renovations. Each ship was purpose-built for the Galapagos. «We recognize and appreciate the immense privilege our company has to operate and grow our expedition cruise offerings in the Galápagos Islands,» Sven-Olof Lindblad, the founder and CEO of Lindblad Expeditions, said in a statement. «By sourcing well-appointed vessels and onboarding the most experienced crew and staff who meet our exacting standards of responsible exploration, we're able to transport guests from around the world to the iconic archipelago and help them understand the importance of protecting and preserving its wonders and wildlife, as a consequence of their personal experience.»
Lindblad Expeditions said Tuesday it would add two purpose-built ships to its fleet. The adventure travel operator will use the vessels specifically for small-group expeditions in the Galápagos Islands, doubling its capacity there.