National Geographic-Lindblad reveals Rhine itineraries, envisions expansion
Lindblad Expeditions only last week announced a partnership with Transcend Cruises to add Europe river cruising, and the companies already are talking expansion.
The partners will start out with two Rhine itineraries -- four departure dates for each one -- on the Transcend Connect in 2026. The Rhine cruises will operate under the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions brand.
"We really do believe that this is a long-term commitment to the destination and we will continue to grow," said Lindblad Expeditions CEO Natalya Leahy. She aims to expand Europe offerings in 2027 and 2028, hinting that Christmas market cruises are on the horizon.
The two Rhine itineraries will start at $6,450 per person.
"The Rhine River: Castles, Culture and Culinary Delights" will spend eight days traveling through the Rhine Gorge; Mainz, Frankfurt and Heidelberg in Germany; and France's Alsace region.
The cruise features a visit to the Rheinstein Castle in Germany, where guests will be treated to a champagne reception hosted by the castle's lord; private wine tastings throughout the cruise; and a private tour of writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's home in Frankfurt.
"Holland and Belgium: Medieval History and Scenic Waterways" will bring passengers to the region's tulip fields, windmills and storybook towns across eight days. Itinerary highlights include a sea of more than 7 million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths at Keukenhof, one of the world's largest flower gardens, in Lisse; and a food tour of Belgian specialties.
Transcend Cruises will launch next year with two ships, the Connect and the Evolve. The brand has promoted its ships as an ideal setting for meetings and other groups, but chief revenue officer Kimberly Daley said the brand's model was also developed with tour operators in mind due to the flexibility of the ships' cabin formations and the ability to customize itineraries.
The partnership was formed after Daley began outreach to tour operators about Transcend's charter-only model. Daley said building river cruise itineraries for tour operators is "inherently difficult" for cruise lines that already have scheduled departure dates. She has a tour operator background, including stints at Pleasant Holidays, Mountain Travel Sobek and Abercrombie & Kent.
Transcend has plans to add two ships per year to its fleet, eventually having between 10 and 12 vessels sailing the Rhine, Danube, Main and Moselle, with eventual expansion beyond those rivers, Daley said.
Leahy said "it just makes sense" to charter ships and that building its own river ships is unlikely to happen in the near future.
National Geographic-Lindblad is positioning the sailings as expert-led expedition cruises with a focus on deep exploration of the places visited. Each sailing will have an expedition leader, several field staff and at least one National Geographic expert.
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