Sven-Olof Lindblad, son of Lars-Erik Lindblad who initiated expedition-style cruising in the mid-1960’s, operates a fleet of small ships in many different markets with arguably the best enrichment programs afloat using teams of well-trained naturalists to give entertaining talks aboard and lead passengers ashore.
Fleet & Itineraries
The simplest vessels, the US-flag 68-passenger Sea Bird andSea Lion offer the most basic accommodations yet they continue to book well ontrips in Alaska where the big ships do not go, to the Columbia and Snake riversand Baja California/Sea of Cortez. Down the coast in Central America, the morecomfortable 60-passenger Sea Voyager cruises year-round on various itinerariesbetween Costa Rica and Panama. In the Galapagos, the veteran 80-passengerPolaris and the newer 49-passenger Islander, use Ecuadorian naturalist stafffrom the Darwin Station, so the playing field is more level with the otherhigh-end operators. As a wide-ranging deep-sea expedition vessel, the110-passenger National Geographic Endeavour offers one of the top expeditioncruise experiences with its connections to the National Geographic Society. Therugged ship cruises Antarctica and South America in winter and in summer tomany smaller and less visited ports in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. In Egypt, Lindblad has revived its Nile Cruise program with a top-endriverboat and top Egyptologists that competes on the same level withAbercrombie & Kent.
Dining and Decor
All Lindblad ships operate with one open sitting, and thefood is well prepared though with limited choices as the ships are small. Décoris minimalist.
Programs
The expedition leaders and naturalists are the line’s greatstrength. Many have been with the company for years and some are a drawthemselves. They are listed with photos and biographies in the brochures. Mostenjoy sharing meals with passengers as well as giving the lectures and leading tripsashore.
Onboard Experience
Most passengers are American and many return year after yearto take new Lindblad itineraries. The company has also been successful inbreaking into the family market, something the other expedition lines have beenless able to do especially in the Galapagos, Central America and Alaska. The ships are small and it’s a shared social experience from beginning to the end.
Competitors
Lindblad covers many different regions so competition existsin some markets and not others. Abercrombie and Kent, Quark Expeditions andTravel Dynamics would be the most similar in the high standard of programs butthese operators not own their ships.
