Lindblad's Rather Un-Lindblad Trip

[Shawnino]

Whoomp, there it is:

http://www.expeditions.com/destinations/atlantic-crossing/

 

Notes:

Looks like 20+ sea days

Five ports of call

Rates about 30% of a typical voyage on pp/day basis

 

Commentary:

 

It's clear what they're trying to do here: instead of just deadheading north after the Antarctic season, why not offer people the chance to come along at rates which are, by Lindblad standards, extremely reasonable.

 

What would have gotten me to sign up:

 

--Details on the Expedition team (has not been named yet)

--Some kind of a deal on Internet usage

--With so many days at sea, a more structured educational component. This could be anything from centrally-themed lectures to the chance to take a first year university-level course on wildlife or exploration or photography.

--A couple extra days in Rio and Madeira/Azores

 

They claim they need 75 signups to make it work. Here's hopig they get there but this seems thrown together a little hurriedly.

[Turtles06]

I saw that email as well, and clicked on the link to the details.

 

While I totally love sea days, and while, for Lindblad,, the rates were "reasonable," I agree with you they need to have a little more going on, especially with that many seas days. I don't need theatre shows every night, but on such a small ship, with so few facilities, a little more structure is needed.

[hrprof]

That itinerary is underway as we speak - we board Explorer 4/30 in Bremerhaven - doing a B2B - Holland - Belgium followed by British Isles. Checked out where it was coming from and choked on the response - 23 sea days? Yikes!

[Shawnino]

That itinerary is underway as we speak - we board Explorer 4/30 in Bremerhaven - doing a B2B - Holland - Belgium followed by British Isles. Checked out where it was coming from and choked on the response - 23 sea days? Yikes!

 

I didn't see it offered for this season--only 2016.

 

I think 23 sea days could work if they did it right. I could gladly do a hardcore photography course studying under one of the pros.

 

Looking at the map, I'm slightly surprised they don't bounce up the E. Coast of S. America, Caribbean, Atlantic Canada, then hop over the N. Atlantic... with a usual programme charging usual rates (3X as much). Maybe there's not enough time.

 

I hope it's working out. If they start running it with a proper educational component, I expect I'm there.

[hrprof]

It is interesting - a while back I got curious where Explorer was coming from and winding up at Bremerhaven - it was time to do the crossing following the end of the Antarctic season. The website spelled out the 2015 itinerary with no mention of 2016. I assume that it sold well, so was later shown as being repeated in 2016. When the 2012 and 2013 cruises did the West Coast of Africa, the end-of-Antarctic crossing went to Cape Town. Some folks actually did a B2B - from Buenos Aires to Marrakech stopping in 17 countries along the way!

 

Yes, the value of this crossing will be determined by the quality of the educational program.

[Shawnino]

The e-mail I got a few days back said it'd be cancelled in 2016 if they didn't get 75 guests. A bit odd on an itinerary with few landings if the ship is headed to Bremerhaven regardless.

[parischris]

Makes complete sense to me Shawnino....the Cape to Cape expedition I did with Lindblad had a lot of sea days and only 90 passengers as a result. The difference was that the ship was going on to do a very expensive West Africa itinerary.

 

If they don't get a certain number of passengers, it makes better financial sense to off load the crew that would look after the passengers (hotel staff, restaurant etc) and only keep the crew that support the core team, then run hard to the northern hemisphere. It's how a lot of ships move from hemisphere to hemisphere.

[Shawnino]

Makes complete sense to me Shawnino....the Cape to Cape expedition I did with Lindblad had a lot of sea days and only 90 passengers as a result. The difference was that the ship was going on to do a very expensive West Africa itinerary.

 

If they don't get a certain number of passengers, it makes better financial sense to off load the crew that would look after the passengers (hotel staff, restaurant etc) and only keep the crew that support the core team, then run hard to the northern hemisphere. It's how a lot of ships move from hemisphere to hemisphere.

 

I'd agree more if the rate was truly cheap instead of just reasonable-for-Lindblad-standards. How much hotel staff would they really need for a turnout of 30-40 guests? Whatever it is, the $300pp/dbl/day-and up would surely cover it and lots left over. This isn't a a three-week repo being offered at $1000/cabin or some such. The least expensive cabin is still $16K.