Lindblad Expeditions CEO Natalya Leahy stated that the right time for the company to grow its capacity was now during the fourth quarter and year end earnings call.
She explained that the wait for a newbuild ship if ordered then would be about four years. The company looked at acquisitions of ships and newbuilds as well as charter deals and other ways to grow capacity in the near term.
In Alaska the company retired its two older US flagged ships and replaced them with a seasonal charter of the Greg Mortimer in 2027 which increased Alaska capacity by 12pc. The vessel acquisition market featured scarcity rather than competition and vessels that met the company standards for guest experience were rarely available.
Natalya Leahy shared “We are looking at acquisitions of ships and newbuilds.”
Rick Goldberg shared “It’s less about competition and just what’s available in the marketplace.”
