Lindblad Expeditions Will Restart Sailing in June

While big-ship Alaska cruising is still on hold, one small-ship cruise line announced this week that it would be bringing guests to The Last Frontier starting this summer. 

Expedition cruise company Lindblad Expeditions will resume operations for the 2021 season in Alaska and Galapagos in June, it announced on Tuesday. While big ships (those carrying 100 passengers or more) are still banned from Canadian waters, smaller ships, which make up Lindblad’s fleet) are allowed to sail as soon as this summer.

Lindblad’s Alaska season will be highlighted by 6- and 8-day sailings onboard National Geographic Quest and National Geographic Venture with the first sailings kicking off on June 5 and 6. The Galapagos season will kick off that same week, on June 4, with a 10-day itinerary onboard National Geographic Endeavour II.

Lindblad will require guests older than 16-years-old to be fully vaccinated prior to sailing. Onboard, guests can expect a higher level of health and safety protocols, including daily guest temperature checks and thorough sanitation protocols.

“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,’” Sven Lindblad, CEO of Lindblad Expeditions said.  

“Our internal team has spent the last year examining every single aspect of our operation to be prepared to operate in the ‘new normal.’ 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,” he added.