Lindblad Expeditions Announces New Ship, National Geographic Quest

National Geographic Quest will be able to bring guests to the same remote spots the fleet has explored for decades while setting a new standard in comfort and style. The ship will feature 50 cabins, 22 with balconies, and eight that can be configured into four adjoining cabins for families; all category 5 cabins can accommodate a third guest. The ship will be outfitted with a fleet of 24 sea kayaks, paddle boards, snorkeling equipment, and –Zodiacs -- all of which are geared to get guests out and into the wild, remote places being explored; state-of-the-art expedition technology, including a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), video microscope, and a hydrophone and bow-cam designed for immediate bow deployment to hear and film, for instance, humpback whale vocalizations and see bow-riding dolphins.

Her first voyage will be the 13-day “Treasures of the Inside Passage: Alaska & British Columbia.” This expedition will give the ship a day in the San Juan Islands and a day in the Gulf Islands before heading north through BC and Alaska. Rates begin at $9,390 per person based on double occupancy in a category 1 cabin.

The National Geographic Quest will then operate on the popular “Exploring Alaska's Coastal Wilderness” voyage on a Saturday to Saturday schedule July 8 through August 26, 2017. Rates begin at $ 6,590 per person based on double occupancy in a category 1 cabin. The ship will then finish off the Alaska season with a “Treasures of the Inside Passage: Alaska and British Columbia” departure on September 2, 2017.

Following the Alaska season, the ship will remain in the Pacific Northwest for a series of new voyages between Seattle and Vancouver, with stops in the San Juan Islands, Victoria, Alert Bay, and more far reaching stops in British Columbia's channels and fjords. Beginning in December 2017, National Geographic Quest will reposition and operate voyages in Costa Rica and Panama before kicking off a series of new voyages in Belize and Guatemala starting in February, 2018.

With the addition of the ship to the fleet, Lindblad has created a series of exciting new programming opportunities for its ship, the 62-guest National Geographic Sea Bird.

“Wild Alaska Escape”: The most active adventure offered by Lindblad, this six-day adventure in wild, pristine Alaska was designed for those with limited time, but an unlimited sense of adventure and the opportunity to engage in some challenging activities. On this expedition you will explore the region's iconic wildlife and epic landscapes, and call at the ancient Chilkat Tlingit village of Klukwan. In Haines the “adventure capital of Alaska,” activities include a 3 hr. bicycling trip around a stunning glacial lake; half day hikes up a few of the region's most dramatic mountains or, for the most fit, a trek up Mt. Riley. Others may choose to float down the Chilkat River, through an area rich with native tradition as well as the largest congregation of bald eagles in the world. In the more remote stretches of the voyage, enjoy guided, point-to-point kayak trips with the ship as your moving basecamp. Or, head out in expedition landing craft to zip around sculpted icebergs, or to land on remote beaches for hikes in dense and dramatic Tongass National Forest. Rates begin at $4,290 per person based on double occupancy in a category 1 cabin, with 12 departures beginning May 27 through August 30, 2017.

“Big Picture Alaska”: an 11-day expedition spanning the full north-south expanse of Alaska's Inside Passage, with a special focus on photography. The immersive, wide-ranging photo expedition takes Lindblad's wildly popular week-long expedition and expands it, adding in the striking Mistry Fiords at the lowest reaches of Alaska's inside passage and Haines, “Alaska's Adventure Capital” in the northernmost corner. It's the perfect mix of small-town life and the grand expanse of the wild landscape that surrounds it. Guests will raft though the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve; explore Glacier Bay National Park; search for humpback whales with time in Clarence Strait, a popular feeding area; kayak amid glacial ice, hike the Tongass National Forest and learn about the region's rich Tlingit heritage – while shooting with the expertise of an industry-leading expedition photography team of Lindblad-National Geographic certified photo instructors and National Geographic photographers. Rates begin at $8,990 per person based on double occupancy in a category 1 cabin, four departures beginning June 16 through August 5, 2017.

For reservations or additional information on Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic voyages to some of the most beautiful and fascinating places on Earth, visit www.expeditions.com, call 1-800-EXPEDITION (1-800-397-3348) or contact your travel advisor.