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Already know Lindblad Expeditions and how to sell it? You can find sales and marketing resources, plus contact details for the sales team, at the bottom of this page.
But first, take a peek at Lindblad Expeditions’ partnership with National Geographic...
We asked Danielle Bates to share expert insight into recognising when a client is right for Lindblad Expeditions, understanding the product and what makes it unique, plus her own tips for closing a Lindblad sale.
We appeal to a very wide range of customers. With some ships offering dedicated solo cabins and our smaller, more intimate ships, we are a perfect choice for a solo traveller. Various savings are available for solo guests too – please check at time of quotation.
One of our unique factors is our ‘no lower age limit’ ethos, meaning we attract multi-generational family groups onboard. This is supported by the National Geographic Explorers programme, which offers dedicated lectures for children and age-appropriate guide books for wildlife spotting opportunities.
A rule of thumb for our expeditions is around $1,000 per person per day – this is inclusive of all meals, drinks with meals, expedition excursions on both land and water, and any required specialist equipment such as snorkels, wetsuits, thermal parka jackets, snow boots, kayaks and even cameras.
Authentic expedition cruising is driven by a passion for the destination, the wildlife, the scenery, the science and the history. The comfort onboard is of course a bonus, but we tend to find our guests will select their expedition based on what they will see, and how they will see it. This is why our collaboration with National Geographic is so important – because “how you see it, matters”. Led by our expert teams to optimise wildlife sightings and active exploration, whilst engaging in informative lectures onboard with our resident and visiting scientists is of utmost importance to our guests.
A night in the glass igloo, or a seat at our “zero waste” chef’s table on National Geographic Endurance or Resolution is a wonderful way to enhance your client’s expedition experience.
Lindblad Expeditions has 21 ships. 12 of these are owned by Lindblad Expeditions while nine are chartered – to provide our guests with a worldwide perspective with National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions. Here’s a breakdown of our ships and the destinations they visit:
SHIP | GUESTS | DESTINATIONS |
138 | Europe, Antarctica, Arctic, Canada, Patagonia, Atlantic Isles, British Isles, Iceland. New: Greenland. | |
138 | Europe, Alaska, Antarctica, Arctic, Canada, Patagonia, Japan, British Isles, Iceland. New: Greenland, Asia. | |
102 | Europe, Mediterranean, Caribbean, Antarctica, Australia and New Zealand, Patagonia, Atlantic Isles, French Polynesia & Pacific Islands, British Isles, Africa, Central America. | |
148 | Europe, Antarctica, Arctic, Canada, Patagonia, British Isles, Iceland. | |
96 | Galapagos, Peru | |
16 | Galapagos | |
48 | Galapagos, Peru | |
34 |
| |
48 | Galapagos, Peru | |
100 | Alaska, Pacific Northwest, Canada, California Coast. | |
100 | Alaska, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Canada, California Coast. New: Central America. | |
62 | Alaska, Baja California, Pacific Northwest, Canada. | |
62 | Alaska, Pacific Northwest, Canada. | |
60 | Egypt | |
42 | Egypt | |
48 | Europe, Scotland | |
28 | Amazon, Peru | |
42 | Amazon, Peru | |
48 | Vietnam, Cambodia |
While the Lindblad-National Geographic experience is tailored to the individual traveller, we encourage and facilitate “active exploration” for every guest, no matter their interests, activity level, or destination.
“Active exploration” means clients getting out into the world and maximizing their experience in a way that is meaningful to them. When they explore actively on our expedition cruises, they don’t simply observe, take a photo, and return to the ship. They might go kayaking at their own speed, soaking in the environment. Or they could take a walk with one of our naturalists, learning every little detail about that area’s ecosystem. Or they might visit an ancient cultural site where they learn how people once lived there. It is a more intimate and connected way to travel.
Wellness
There are dedicated wellness spaces – including treatment rooms, saunas and fitness centres – that invite clients to tap into the soothing rhythms of the ocean. They can greet the day with a sunrise yoga session led by the ship’s wellness specialist, get in a workout with stunning views of Antarctic icebergs, or unwind in the spa with a restorative deep tissue massage from our fully accredited massage therapists. Treatments are tailored to each guest and incorporate natural ingredients from the surrounding lands and waters.
Music
Ethnomusicologist Jacob Edgar curates onboard musical experiences so that time at sea is accompanied by melodies reminiscent of our ports of call. For select voyages, he arranges performances featuring local musicians whose songs bring the rich traditions of the surrounding regions to life. They’ll enjoy a warm greeting by local singers and dancers as they sail into the South Pacific island of Wallis, dance to the beats of Guyana’s popular calypso music, or experience an impassioned choral ensemble in the echoing grand ruins of Visby, Sweden.
Art
Ship interiors tell the stories of destinations through local artwork and decor. On voyages aboard National Geographic Endurance and National Geographic Resolution, guests can walk through the corridors and shared spaces as they take in the first-ever ship-based exhibitions of visual and auditory works, created to express the fragile beauty of the polar regions.
Photography
Every expedition onboard National Geographic Endurance, National Geographic Resolution, National Geographic Explorer and National Geographic Orion sails with a National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions Certified Photo Instructor. Sharing in the journey, they will offer tips at the deck rail, share engaging stories during presentations in the lounge, and with a little prodding over dinner or drinks in the lounge likely share amusing anecdotes of their time in the field.
Our photo instructors are also skilled naturalists, so they can help guests be at the right place at the right time to capture amazing wildlife behaviour. Plus, thanks to our partnership with camera manufacturer OM System (formerly Olympus), guests have the opportunity to field test top-of-the-line gear during their expeditions when they take advantage of the onboard OM System Photo Gear Locker (available on all National Geographic-flagged ships except Galapagos).
The mission-built expedition ships in the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions fleet are not only equipped for adventure – they also host important research and conservation work as part of the brand’s Visiting Scientist Program.
The Visiting Scientist Program has been active onboard the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions fleet for years, and in response to the programme’s popularity with our guests, we are expanding it for the upcoming travel seasons. Now, more travellers than ever before can voyage alongside fascinating researchers, enjoy talks on their findings, and in some instances even participate in the scientific process through activities such as data collection.
Some of our Visiting Scientist programmes do create opportunities for our guests to get involved – like projects related to Antarctic killer whale health and southeast Alaska killer whales, manta rays in the South Pacific, and Antarctic snow algae blooms. National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions also collaborates with several leading Citizen Science programmes that welcome hands-on contributions, including Happywhale, iNaturalist BioBlitz and eBird.
Sampling local cuisine is a highlight of the onboard experience, and National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions takes great care to bring the culinary riches of each destination to the meals your clients enjoy. Executive chefs design unique and innovative menus that feature modern takes on classic cuisine as well as essential dishes from the regions they visit, like paella in Spain or fresh udon in Japan.
Relationships with local farmers, vintners and other purveyors enable guests to enjoy immersive culinary experiences. In the Azores, they can pick fresh ingredients at a market guided by a local chef, or sample renowned wines in Bordeaux. Expeditions to the Galapagos Islands and the Pacific Northwest feature a sustainable farm-to-table dining programme to incorporate the freshest ingredients into daily meals while supporting local agriculture and seafood industries.
No – this makes us unique! We have no lower age limit and encourage multi-generational family travel through our National Geographic Global Explorers Programme.
Not only is Lindblad Expeditions the modern pioneer of expedition travel (quite literally inventing the category when Lars Eric Lindblad was the first person to take civilian explorers to Antarctica and the Galapagos islands in 1966 and 1967 respectively), the brand also has several factors that comfortably sets us apart from the crowd.
Our collaboration with National Geographic means guests can find National Geographic photographers on many of our voyages, while the National Geographic Global Explorers programme not only allows, but encourages, children of any age to join our expeditions with their family. Families are welcome all year round, but you’ll find more children and multi-generational families onboard during school breaks and summertime.
Our two newest ships, the National Geographic Endurance and National Geographic Resolution, launched in 2021, have one of the most unique and innovative features on any expedition vessel. Imagine camping under the Antarctica sky in a glass igloo – from the comfort of a double bed adorned with chunky throws and hot water bottles, and even your own hot tub just by its side… This dream is now a reality with Lindblad Expeditions and, at no extra cost! Clients can simply put their name in the onboard “lottery” upon embarkation and wait to see if they are selected!
Lastly, with Lindblad Expeditions your clients aren’t limited to the polar regions – a worldwide product offering means you can re-sell our brand to the same customer more than just the once for that bucket-list Antarctica or Arctic trip. Expeditions exist in Costa Rica, Baja California, the Greek Islands, Japan, India, the Amazon and many more. You quite literally can explore the entire world, through the eyes of National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions.
Expedition travel tends to be a longed-for trip, one that has been many months or even years in the planning for the customer. To secure their preferred itinerary, on their preferred ship and in the cabin or suite that they desire, it is of course advised to book as early as possible. Our ships are all very small, enhancing your experience and time ashore, however it does mean that availability becomes limited much quicker and therefore we would always advise early booking.
We are in the very early stages of launching the brand to the UK market, but I am delighted to say that our first-ever UK brochure with sterling pricing, is almost ready and will be available to agents to order via BP Tradegate from early 2025.
In addition to this, we will be looking to hold a series of training webinars on the product to help increase the awareness of our ships, destinations and expedition offerings.
Once the UK website is live, there will be a training programme and image library for the trade to access – more details to follow in due course.
There is a dedicated trade Facebook page (link below) where social media assets, incentives and general updates will be posted for the trade to keep engaged with Lindblad Expeditions in the UK.
We will be offering virtual and in-person training opportunities throughout 2025. Please contact me for available dates and to register interest. We also understand the importance of agents needing first-hand experience, especially in such a specialist field – so plans for ship visits and fam trips are well underway for 2025. Watch this space!
Got a question about Lindblad Expeditions’ expedition cruises that isn’t covered above? Contact the sales team below.
Danielle Bates, head of UK sales
Email: danielle@expeditions.co.uk
Phone: 07350 358 197
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