MS “National Geographic Explorer” is docked for three weeks of class and technical work. The ship, which specialises in voyages to the Arctic and Antarctic regions, arrived at Lloyd Werft on April 27th for her first visit to the Bremerhaven facility. During her three-week stay she will undergo comprehensive technical work and class renewal for Det Norske Veritas.
For the passengers on board the former Hurtigruten ship “Midnatsol” the extraordinary was always the norm. However, following the sale of the Norwegian coastal service ship to the U.S. shipping company Lindblad Expedition Inc., the norm has become an adventure. The ship was converted in 2008 into the 112 m long, 16.5 m wide special cruise ship “National Geographic Explorer” and since then her owners have offered special cruises with the ship to exotic destinations.
After the 2008 conversion, Lindblad Expeditions Inc. put the small but versatile 6,471 GT ship, with just 81 cabins for 148 passengers and a crew of 84, under the Bahamas flag and into service mainly in the Polar Regions for a growing number of passengers who are breathing new life into those particular cruise shipping niche markets. The ship’s name “National Geographic Explorer” is, at one and the same time, her cruise itinerary.
[mappress] Lloyd Werft, April 29, 2013