After the Amazon in Peru, the Nile in Egypt, and the Columbia and Snake Rivers in the United States, Lindblad Expeditions is now gearing up to offer explorative cruises of European waterways. Thanks to a collaboration with charter ship brand Transcend Cruises, curious river cruise fans will be able to hop aboard a ship until 2028 at least.
Through a multi-year charter agreement, Lindblad Expeditions and Transcend Cruises are partnering up and offering travellers the possibility to discover some of Europe’s waterways “like a true explorer”.
The voyages will be part of the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions co-brand and will include an expedition leader, several field staff, and at least one National Geographic expert. Through the cruises, passengers will be able to discover Europe’s villages in an unprecedented way, as the experts take them on private tours, exclusive tastings, and curated excursions.
“We know that ‘how you see it’ matters, and that’s why we’ve curated these river voyages with the same depth, care and expertise that define all of our expeditions. With National Geographic naturalists and historians, and exclusive events woven into each journey, our guests will explore Europe’s storied rivers in truly meaningful ways. We’re equally excited to partner with Transcend Cruises to introduce a brand-new ship, custom-designed to deliver the elevated, personalised experience our guests expect from us,” says Natalya Leahy, chief executive of Lindblad Expeditions.
Which destinations will be available?
Although Lindblad Expeditions has led cruises all over the world, the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions co-brand has never before explored the European rivers. Together with Transcend Cruises, a new B2B charter-only river cruising company, this void within the offer will now be filled until at least 2028. Recently, Transcend also announced the names of its new ships: the Transcend Connect and the Transcend Evolve.
“We are a natural fit in working so close together with such a respected brand in mindful exploration travel. Our state-of-the-art new-build river cruise ships offer both a luxury experience, as well as the opportunity to accommodate the lecturing and mind enriching requirements essential for their travellers. With a strong focus on wellness, sustainability and best of services, we are the perfect fit to deliver the programs Lindblad Expeditions require,” states Hans Rood, CEO at Transcend Cruises.
Over the coming weeks, the companies will release more details about the European river cruise offer. Transcend ships have the authorisation to sail the Rhine, Maas, Main, and Danube rivers.
