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]
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]