National Geographic Venture was officially christened by the first employee of Lindblad Expeditions in a ceremony at the former Navy base on Treasure Island (man-made island in San Francisco Bay).
The senior vice president and assistant to founder Sven-Olaf Lindblad, Pamela Fingleton, flung a bottle of champagne over the bow of Lindblad Expeditions' 100-passenger newbuild before a preview voyage in San Francisco Bay.
The US-flagged ship was built at Nichols Brothers shipyard in Freeland WA, at a cost of US$55 million. NatGeo Venture is a sister ship to National Geographic Quest, delivered in 2017.
Its features include a 2-tiered viewing area on the bow, mudroom for expedition gear and 8 custom-designed Mark V Zodiac inflatable landing craft.
National Geographic Venture will sail Pacific coastal cruises from Alaska to Central America.