With Nearly 60 Years' Experience Exploring the
White Continent, Lindblad Expeditions Proves There's Always More to
be Discovered with Historic Departure
PUERTO NATALES, Chile, Dec. 3, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- For the first time in its history, National
Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions completed its debut round-trip
flights between Puerto Natales, Chile, and King George
Island in Antarctica. The recognized global leader
and pioneer of modern expedition cruising Lindblad Expeditions is
also the first and only expedition cruise operator to offer flights
in and out of Puerto Natales, the gateway to Patagonia's
iconic Torres del Paine National Park.
The inaugural flights marked the beginning of the first-ever
Antarctica Direct: Fly the Drake Passage expedition and the
completion of the first-ever Antarctica Direct: Sail and Fly the
Drake Passage voyage, both on board National
Geographic Explorer. The two new itineraries are part of
National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions' brand-new series of
shorter "Antarctica Direct" expeditions, which afford
time-crunched travelers more accessible opportunities to visit
Antarctica by cutting down
travel-time avoiding one or both sea passages from South America while maintaining—or even
increasing—valuable time spent on the White Continent.
The completion of these round-trip flights also marked a
historic milestone for Lindblad Expeditions—the operator of
National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions—which has been expertly
leading voyages of discovery to the continent since being founded
by the family of the pioneer of Antarctic tourism, Lars-Eric Lindblad, who led the first-ever
non-scientific civilian expedition to the continent in 1966.
Addressing a full flight of guests during the inaugural return
flight to Puerto Natales, Lindblad Expeditions Founder and CEO,
Sven-Olof Lindblad, said, "We
have considered incorporating the flight option for years, but we
were concerned about the frequency of flight cancellations. In
recent years, our partners have gained more experience and
reliability has significantly improved, so we are beyond excited to
now offer more unique ways to explore Antarctica with
National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions than ever
before."
Since 1966, the Lindblad family has brought civilian explorers
to the White Continent to experience the wonder, beauty and
incredible wildlife of this extraordinary location. Prior to the
reveal of the new series of "Antarctica Direct" itineraries
earlier this year, the traditional Antarctic voyage with
National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions averaged 12 days in
length. However, travelers now have more opportunities to explore
Antarctica than ever before;
today, Lindblad Expeditions operates 11 unique itineraries offered
onboard four mission-built ships that traverse the region annually,
including National Geographic Explorer and National
Geographic Orion, which exclusively sail eight-,
nine-, and 10-day expeditions that fly round-trip
across the Drake Passage and a 10-day itinerary that crosses
from South America by ship with an
air return from King George
Island.
Lindblad Expeditions is a founding member of the governing body
promoting the safe and responsible exploration of Antarctica—the
International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO)—and
continues to play a vital role in developing and defining polar
operation procedures for vessel personnel and guidelines for
visitors. The Company also employs the most experienced expedition
and ice masters in the world to captain its diverse fleet of
intimately scaled ships in the region, having led more than 600
combined voyages to the continent to date.
To learn more about National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions'
Antarctica experience, unique
itineraries, and Lindblad Expeditions' pioneering heritage in the
region, visit www.expeditions.com/destinations/antarctica,
call (855) 734-3271 to speak to an Expedition Specialist, or
contact a travel advisor.
About National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions:
National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions reveals the beauty and
wonder of the world through expertly led, deeply immersive modern
expedition cruises designed for discovery and created for curious
travelers seeking to experience the world from a new perspective.
With 100+ unique itineraries visiting 70+ countries and territories
on all seven continents aboard 20 state-of-the-art owned and
chartered vessels, Lindblad Expeditions operates the largest, most
diverse fleet of mission-built ships in the industry on behalf of
the co-brand.
The National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions co-brand is the
result of a decades-long strategic relationship between renowned
exploration and scientific discovery brand National Geographic and
the pioneer of modern expedition cruising Lindblad Expeditions.
Media can stay up to date on the latest news from National
Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions by visiting
press.expeditions.com. For reservations or additional
information on voyages to some of the most beautiful, remote, and
fascinating places on Earth, visit www.expeditions.com, call
(855) 734-3271 to speak to an Expedition Specialist, or contact a
travel advisor.
About Lindblad Expeditions:
Lindblad Expeditions, LLC, a subsidiary of Lindblad
Expeditions Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: LIND), is the recognized
pioneer of modern expedition cruising, creating the category after
the family led the first non-scientific civilian expedition to
Antarctica in 1966.
With nearly 60 years of experience and operational excellence,
Lindblad Expeditions now commands the largest, most diverse fleet
of expedition ships in the industry, consisting of 20 owned and
chartered mission-built vessels ranging in size from 16 – 148
guests. The Company offers over 100 unique itineraries across all
seven continents, selling and operating over 600 annual departures
on behalf of the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions co-brand.
Together, the two industry leaders deliver unmatched expertise,
bringing together leading scientists, naturalists, and researchers
to inspire travelers, highlight moments that elevate the soul, and
foster a lifelong passion for the planet and its people.
To learn more about Lindblad Expeditions, its growing fleet, and
the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions co-brand, visit
www.expeditions.com.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-geographic-lindblad-expeditions-completes-inaugural-round-trip-flights-to-antarctica-following-historic-first-antarctica-direct-sailing-302321016.html
SOURCE National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions
