Small-ship cruise operator Lindblad Expeditions announced plans today to resume operations in June for the 2021 season in Alaska and Galápagos.
Sven Lindblad, CEO of New York-based Lindblad Expeditions, reflected on the experiences of the past year and how “we have always turned to nature, in times of collective stress and trauma, for the restoration of our spirits, believing in what Thoreau called the healing tonic of wildness.”
“Our internal team has spent the last year examining every single aspect of our operation to be prepared to operate in the new normal," Lindblad said. "Led by our resident medical expert, Dr. David Lorber, we have enlisted the assistance of many health and safety experts and met with authorities in the regions we intend to explore to ensure we are welcome and meet or exceed their expectations. We will also require that all guests 16 years of age and over be vaccinated prior to travelling onboard.”
A complete list of health and safety protocols are listed here. Key components of the list include: two negative Covid-19 tests, daily guest temperature checks, and thorough sanitation protocols. From start to finish, guests will travel exclusively with their expedition community, all equally tested.
In resuming travel to Alaska, Lindblad said it intends to head deep into the wide-open spaces, into the far reaches of her straits and waterways, to where bears, glaciers, eagles and whales will be guests’ only ‘companions.’ The company will begin the season with six and eight-day itineraries aboard their 100-guest sister ships National Geographic Quest and National Geographic Venture, with the first departures June 5-6.
Similarly, guests will explore the remoteness of the Galápagos archipelago to visit volcanic isles inhabited by some of the most charismatic wildlife on earth on a 10-day itinerary set aboard the 96-guest National Geographic Endeavour ll. The first Galápagos departure is set for June 4th.
Guests will return to an exhilarating expedition experience they have come to know and love. They will search for wildlife, revel in the wonders of the natural world, and explore the legendary Alaska and Galápagos archipelago landscapes under the guidance of our amazing expedition team.
