The Lindblad Spirit

Home again after our fantastic trip to Svalbard and Coastal Norway with?Lindblad Expeditions.

As an adventure travel specialist I’ve been on six expeditions - with six different companies - in the last few years. Truly nothing I have done before now is equal to our experience traveling with Lindblad. They are not only the creator of this style of travel but also the cutting-edge leader due to their superb understanding and execution of the concept.

At a high-level view Lindblad offers many little touches that others have lacked, as well as a deep connection to the communities they visit and expedition leaders and guides with years of experience and training. This combination makes them simply the best in this type of travel.

The most important element in any expedition is the relationship between the ship's captain & crew, the expedition leader and the hotel director. Simply put, the quality of the experience?for guests is directly related to this: who really runs the show? Many other suppliers in the expedition space focus on containing costs and keeping tight control of the schedule?for meals, bar opening, housekeeping and any other thing that might cause the need to shift the routine of the ship as these disruptions can cost the company money. The priority to maintain a schedule results in the hotel director and the captain being the ones to decide what happens each?day.

For example, it might mean deciding if it's worth delaying dinner to view wildlife or stopping the?ship to observe a pod of whales rather than serving tea time.?And when this dynamic is in place, the trip experience is dramatically?altered because the decision is cost?and schedule-based rather than the primary focus being creating wow moments for guests. When you see a supplier offering low prices or charging a la carte for things that are included with Lindblad, you should consider this a sign that the onboard experience may not be focused primarily?on the expedition itself.

But when the expedition leader and the captain are the ones determining the agenda and the hotel director and staff are rolling with any changes that come up that is when the magic happens!? This is where Lindblad excels. It's clear to me that this dynamic is the norm in this company and that is increasingly a rare thing as all sorts of companies are jumping in to this style of travel.

The Lindblad spirit?of camaraderie and cooperation amongst the various departments on the ship was palatable. Expedition team members mingled and dined with guests as did the captain. The captain did not just sit down at a table for appearances sake; rather she engaged in deep?conversation with the guests about all?matter?of things,?answered questions about her job and the ship thoughtfully and deeply and?generally laughed and?seemed to be having a great time at all turns.

The hotel director was everywhere and the friendliest, most service-oriented man I have ever met. There was nothing he would not do to help the passengers enjoy their trip. At one point dinner was delayed after the bridge spotted a polar bear mother and cub on the ice in Svalbard. The hotel director was up on the bridge with most of the guests and I thanked him for being willing to delay dinner (which was surely a challenge for the kitchen) and he looked at me quite puzzled?and said: "People don't come with us for the food, they come for this" as he pointed at the bears. "Why would I deprive them of this experience just to serve dinner on time?" I love that sentiment because I have been on other supplier's expedition ships that would do the exactly the opposite. This attitude of understanding why the guests are traveling had never crossed their mind.

The expedition team are also key to making this type of travel sing. On our voyage this team is by far the best we’ve ever traveled with. The depth of their experience and skill was truly impressive and the communication of their knowledge was not only fascinating, but fun!

On our last night onboard the captain got up and spoke to all of the guests and described what the partnership between herself and the expedition leader was like. They had achieved a milestone on our trip: we were the earliest ship to ever circumnavigate?the island of Spitsbergen in Svalbard. We traveled through the region in the first week of May, which was so early in the season that?it?was?thought?to?potentially be impossible to achieve. This decision to try this circumnavigation was a testament?not only to the ice breaking capacity of the hull (a higher level than most at PC 5) but also to the partnership she had with the expedition leader. In referencing how they jointly made the decision she said "he suggested we attempt to push through the ice and try to circumnavigate because the ice is where the wildlife lives and that gives us the best chance to see bears and walrus. And while I knew it would be a challenge I thought, why not try?"

This act of ice navigation was a challenge that most would shy away from. Breaking ice is not for the timid and while the hull is stronger than almost all others, the pressure ridges we encountered were sometimes so thick that the ship had to back up and try to find another way forward. This decision also required a higher level of round the clock attention from the bridge staff that all of them seemed to relish.

All this demanding work was done in the full view of the guests due to Lindblad's? open bridge policy. It was impressive to watch the bridge team execute one of the toughest challenges of their career all the while welcoming?people to hang around while they did their jobs. And while many guests sensed the tension of the conditions and let them be, some did not. But this did not change the way anyone was treated. It was truly impressive to watch both on the skill of the people managing the ship through the ice as well as their?skill in managing the guests.

All this was an important part of the magic of the Lindblad experience but also important were the little touches that came from the crew who took everything to a higher level. There was always a warm welcome drink (with optional shots of liquor) when we return to the ship after venturing out. The lectures given by the various members of the expedition team were deep and thoughtful. Fascinating underwater footage by the dive team which showed us the life and beauty in the water we were gliding over was a unique highlight. Two professional National Geographic certified photographers, one which was also published in that iconic magazine, were onboard as well. These extraordinary ladies were so helpful in teaching classes on photography, leading photo walks on shore, lecturing about technic and their published work, helping with questions on equipment and in general enhancing the trip. They did this in a way that even those of use just using an iPhone (like me) were able to greatly improve the quality of their photos. There were so many more little touches that they are too numerous to describe. Suffice it to say that every detail was considered and if something could be done that was above and beyond what others do then it was done.

You may think that all that I described here is standard amongst expedition companies. Or perhaps that others do some of these things and that the trip will be similar. But in my experience that is not the case at all. While all suppliers will take you to the wild regions of the earth none of these other companies takes you as deeply into the experience of being there like Lindblad does. Many will have guest onboard for their own profit and success, while Lindblad sees success as the guests satisfaction first and thus their own benefit will follow.

Lindblad Expeditions is the clear leader in this style of travel and the depth of the travel experience can not be matched by any other supplier. All of which makes the advisor who recommends them look extraordinary as well.

- Carol McKee , Owner at McKee travel