National Geographic Endurance in Cornwall cruise call

The cruise ship National Geographic Endurance arrived from Portsmouth to allow passengers to see the River Fal and explore Trelissick Garden.

With Falmouth pilot Captain Nick Martin onboard NG Endurance, as she is sometimes called, proceeded from the pilot station to the River Fal.

Off the Trelissick mooring pontoon the ship was positioned before going into dynamic positioning mode without anchoring.

Guests were transferred the short distance from the ship to the pontoon by her Zodiac tenders where members of the Falmouth Cruise Ambassadors were on hand to guide them around the National Trust garden.

Sailing several hours later, the ship then moved down river to the cruise terminal at Balaena Falmouth from where guests took excursions to Pendennis Castle or just explored the town.

The Ocean Conservation Trust gave an informative talk to guests about Falmouth’s important seagrass habitats.

During the stay representatives from Balaena, Falmouth Harbour and the Cruise Ambassadors took part in a plaque exchange with Captain Aaron Woods, the ship’s master and highly experienced polar navigator with 20 years operating in polar regions.

NG Endurance sailed in the late evening for Brittany where she was positioned off Douarnenez, home of the former Falmouth harbour tug St Denys, an exhibit at the maritime museum.

“We hope we welcome further cruise vessels, and superyachts, to our secluded River Fal Commercial Moorings in the future,” said Chris Jones, maritime manager for Cornwall Council.

National Geographic Endurance current cruise is nine nights, one-way from Leith-Edinburgh to Lisbon.

Then the ship makes its way south to Buenos Aires and Ushuaia to embark on a series of cruises to Antarctica.

Cruise ship National Geographic Endurnace with pilot boat Arrow going astern to Trelissick (Image: Chris Jones)

The vessel, from the fleet of Linblad Expeditions, is one of the world’s most technologically advanced and environmentally friendly polar expedition ships.

The ship is built specifically to integrate real-world scientific research with passenger travel.

Alongside the research staff, a permanent team of marine biologists, naturalists and geologists travels on every voyage to give lectures and guide excursions.

This type of ship is for the discerning traveller who wants to be away from the razzmatazz of the mega cruise ships and explore diverse destinations such as Greenland, the Arctic, Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands.

Purpose-built for polar navigation, National Geographic Endurance is designed to navigate polar passages year-round, and safely explore uncharted waters, while providing exceptional comfort.

Her most striking exterior feature is her distinctive profile, the patented X-Bow®, a game-changing design that guarantees the smoothest, most comfortable ride in all kinds of conditions; and since it eliminates bow impact, a quieter ride, as well.

The 124-metre-long ship can accommodate 138 guests and 116 staff and crew.

Cruise Lines International Association say that: “Expedition Cruising has become one of the most dynamic and exciting segments of the international cruise industry, giving travellers the ability to sail to extraordinary landscapes and remote locations around the world."

The guests are not only retirees but the industry has seen more younger people wanting this type of adventure - although prices are in a different league than the run of the mill two week cruise to the Canaries!

Rapid growth in popularity has been met with remarkable innovations – new ships, new technologies, new advances in sustainability and new experiences for the expedition traveler.

In June next year the polar expedition ship Douglas Mawson returns to Falmouth from Scotland as the ship heads south to be homeported in Ushuaia for the Antarctica cruise season.