Crystal Esprit

Crystal Esprit is a cruise ship previously operated by Crystal Cruises. Built by Flender Werft in Lübeck, Germany, she was laid down in 1988 and floated out as Lady Diana in 1989. She was completed in December 1991 as Aurora I. She and sister ship Aurora II were purchased by Star Cruises in 1994. Aurora I was renamed Megastar Taurus and served from 1994 until being laid up in 2008.[2][3]

History
Name
  • 1989-1991: Lady Diana
  • 1991-1994: Aurora I
  • 1994-2015: MegaStar Taurus
  • 2015-2021: Crystal Esprit
  • 2021-present: National Geographic Islander II
Operator
Port of registryNassau,  Bahamas
BuilderFlender Werft
Yard number647
Laid downFebruary 8, 1988
LaunchedFebruary 24, 1989[1]
CompletedDecember 1, 1991
Identification
StatusOut of service
Notes[2]
General characteristics
Tonnage3,370 GT
Length280 feet
Decks5 decks
Capacity62 passengers
Crew93 crew
Notes[3][2]

In July 2015, Crystal Cruises announced that she would join its fleet as Crystal Esprit,[4] and on December 20, 2015, she was rechristened at Eden Island Marina in Mahé, Seychelles, by Lady Gaenor Anne Meakes (fiancée of yachtsman Mark Richards).[3]

In September 2021, Crystal announced that they had sold the all-suite ship following a review of its post-pandemic offering.[5] The new owner is Lindblad Expeditions, which has renamed her National Geographic Islander II and intends to base her in the Galapagos Islands, replacing its current National Geographic Islander, in its the alliance with National Geographic Travel.[2][6][7] The ship was christened in October 2022.[8]

References
  1. "M/S LADY D." Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  2. "23183". DNV Vessel Register. DNV. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  3. Knego, Peter (December 21, 2015). "CRYSTAL ESPRIT Christened". Maritime Matters. Archived from the original on December 31, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  4. Machan, Teresa (July 20, 2015). "Submarines and underwater weddings: cruising for the mega-rich has arrived". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  5. Kalosh, Anne (September 7, 2021). "Crystal sells its all-suite yacht, Crystal Esprit". Seatrade Cruise News. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  6. Jainchill, Johanna (September 17, 2021). "Crystal Esprit's new owner, Lindblad, will deploy yacht in the Galapagos". Travel Weekly. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  7. "National Geographic Expeditions Buys Tour Operator to Enter Land Vacation Market". Skift. May 5, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  8. "Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic Officially Names Newest Vessel, National Geographic Islander II". Lindblad Expeditions. October 27, 2022. Archived from the original on October 28, 2022.


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