Lindblad Expeditions has acquired the Celebrity Xpedition and Celebrity Xploration from Celebrity Cruises.
These two Galapagos-based expedition vessels will be renamed and integrated into the Lindblad-National Geographic fleet in 2025. Bookings for these vessels will open to the general public later this month.
The acquisition enhances Lindblad's fleet (encompassing 17 owned, leased, and chartered ships) making it the largest in the expedition cruise industry.
The 48-passenger Celebrity Xpedition has 24 outside cabins (including 13 balcony suites) and two dining venues.
The 116-passenger catamaran Celebrity Xploration has 8 cabins, and is ideal for private charters.
Both ships will undergo multimillion-dollar drydock refurbs before their operational launch with Lindblad in January 2025.
This acquisition leaves Celebrity Cruises with only one vessel (Celebrity Flora) based in the Galapagos Archipelago.
Lindblad has a storied history in the Galapagos, having led the first-ever non-scientific international civilian expedition to the islands in 1967.
Currently, Lindblad operates two ships in the region: the 96-passenger National Geographic Endeavour II and the 48-passenger National Geographic Islander II. The company currently offers 6 itineraries with 100+ departures year-round. The addition of the Celebrity ships will double Lindblad’s Galapagos capacity.
In partnership with National Geographic/Nat Geo, Lindblad Expeditions provides innovative marine expedition programs focused on conservation and sustainable tourism. Their educational voyages offer guests the opportunity to engage with scientists, naturalists, and researchers, exploring natural environments with state-of-the-art exploration tools.