Lindblad Expeditions

When you think of expedition cruising, what is the first thought that comes to mind? The Polar Regions of The Arctic and The Antarctic? Exploring protected areas of The Galapagos Islands? Getting up close and personal with whales, penguins and polar bears? With Lindblad Expeditions you get all of these options. And so much more! We are going to take you on a personal journey the first week of January 2022 when Infinity Travel gets to experience first hand the wonders of exploring the Sea of Cortez off The Baja on our first ever expedition cruise aboard Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic Venture. To say that we are overly excited is putting it mildly. Before we board, we wanted to share a bit of history and what you can expect in the series of blogs we will present entitled Part I -Your Expedition Introduction.

Lars-Eric Lindblad
&
His first ship ~ Lindblad Explorer

This story begins in 1958 when Lars-Eric Lindblad opened the office of Lindblad Travel in New York City.  His pioneering heritage was what inspired him to bring the first civilians to some of the most exotic parts of the world. These include Antarctica, Arctic Svalbard, Galapagos, Easter Island, the Amazon, Papua New Guinea, the Seychelles, China and Bhutan. This was all driven by his fervent belief that creating first-hand encoutners with the world’s most remote and pristine destinations would foster not only an understanding and appreciation for these places, but also a lifelong commitment to their preservation.

Lars-Eric instilled his passion for exploration and preservation into his son, Sven-Olaf. Sven traveled extensively with his father from an early age, guided by the same intrinsic drive for discovery. In 1979, Sven founded Special Expeditions, a division of Lindblad Travel, enabling the company to further its goal of offering innovative and education travel expeditions with a marine focus. Small-ship cruises expanded to Costa Rica, Baja California and Alaska, allowing greater discoveries of secluded islands, hidden coves and remote expanses of the sea.

Traveling with Lindblad Expeditions is different. Why? A myriad of things destinquishes them from their competition. One of which is their Team that travels with you on an adventure. In 2004, Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic formed a strategic alliance that has inspired the world through expedition travel. There is a certified Photo Instructor on every ship who is a Naturalist and specially trained to offer assistance with camera settings and the basics of composition. As photography is at the core of everything expedition, this is key to enhancing the experience. The Expedition Leaders are deeply experienced naturalists, biologists, and historians with the skills, experience and depth of knowledge of the destination they specialize in to craft the best expedition possible for their guests. Their industry leading ratio of one staff member for every 10 guests and the specialties of their naturalists are tailored to every Lindblad Expedition to give guests a variety of interests and personalities to choose from while exploring.

Lindblad is a name that for generations has been synonymous with exploration, adventure and responsible tourism. These abiding traits are born from their rich heritage as the first expedition company and their inherent passion for discovery and preservation, which together provide awe-inspiring travel experiences in every corner of the world.

They have a fleet of 15 nimble, intimately scaled expedition ships – including 10 National Geopgraphic-branded personality-rich vessels – that are able to venrue safely where larger cruise ships cannot. The size and advanced exploration capabilities of their tailored fleet mean guests experience authentic, up-close encounters in the world’s most remote, wild and mysterious places.

With Lindblad Expeditions you can explore the seven continents of the world with expeditions to more than 60 intriguing and diverse destinations.

North America:  Alaska, Atlantic Coast, Bahamas, Baja, California Coast, Canada, Caribbean, Pacific Northwest

South America:  Amazon, Galapagos, Patagonia, Peru, South American East Coast

Europe & Mediterranean:  Europe, British Isles, Mediterranean, Scotland

Central America:  Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama

Asia & Pacific:  Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam

Polar Regions:  Antarctica, Arctic (Canadian Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Svalbard), Russian Far East

Africa & Middle East:  Egypt, Africian East Coast

Ocean Crossing:  Atlantic Isles

To sum Part I up – Lindblad Expeditions is diverse and different. They have a long-standing commitment to sustainable travel, and work tirelessly to lead the travel industry in efforts to protect nature, preserve culture, support local communities, and ensure that their business practices are rooted in sound, environmentally responsible decisions. In January of 2019, they became a carbon neutral company. They offset 100% of their operations. They have eliminated single-use plastics across their fleet. Their efforts to be environmentally friendly include their culinary program as well. This means they follow a sustainable seafood and locally sourced food policy that incorporate only the most sustainable options to help keep the oceans healthy and fish stock regenerated.

By harnessing the power of citizen science and championing effort to study the furthest depths of the ocean, they are reaching their goal of having their ships become a platform for exploration and knowledge. They stand by the ideology that when people learn about the planet, they are inspired to protect it.

Part II – January 3, 2022 – we board National Geographic Venture and our exploration journey begins. Follow us for daily updates, photos and recaps.