I noticed a curious phenomenon this year after I returned from my expedition cruise up the coast of Greenland: Whenever I spoke to friends or family about the experience and said I had gone with the cruise line Lindblad, they responded with polite enthusiasm. "Oh," they'd say.
But when I said, "Lindblad has a partnership with National Geographic," their eyes lit up, and they smiled and nodded in recognition. "Oh!" they'd amend.
It might be for this reason that this year Lindblad has flipped the script: It rebranded its name and partnership to National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions.
CEO Sven-Olof Lindblad said during the company's Q2 earnings call that the new name "leads with the power and name recognition of National Geographic," which is well known in media, from its documentary programs to its monthly magazine.
The rebranding comes less than a year after the cruise company expanded its partnership with National Geographic, which is owned by the Walt Disney Co., through 2040.
The bow of the National Geographic Resolution as seen from the waterline. Photo Credit: Rebecca Tobin
Lindblad said during the call that company research found the new brand name will increase consumer intent, search efficiency and conversion, which he said will be important as the brand begins to market internationally.
Not to mention it will foster closer ties with media giant Disney.
The line plans to use Disney's ad-buying power with a joint marketing fund to fuel a domestic campaign. It also launched its first cross-selling campaign to Disney affinity audiences this year, Lindblad said.
Starting with the 2025 Disney EarMarked Program, authorized Disney Vacation Planners can book National Geographic-Lindblad trips and earn rewards and benefits.
A focus on photography
According to a section of the redesigned Nat Geo-Lindblad website, "When you step onboard the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions fleet, you step into the pages of National Geographic Magazine."
The hardware and crew shines, and Lindblad has long had teams of experts in marine exploration, ornithology, biology and nearly every other "ology" under the sun. But where it differs from other expedition lines is the National Geographic experts and photographers who are a key part of the experience.
On my aforementioned Greenland voyage on the National Geographic Resolution, professional photographers onboard included Phil Schermeister, the designated National Geographic photography expert, who has snapped more than 40 assignments for National Geographic publications.
Schermeister conducted an onboard presentation that showcased his work, and he was often on hand to help passengers with their own photography and talk shop. Many guests were laden with as much camera gear as the pros, and the ship also carries a complement of Olympus camera bodies and telephoto lenses that passengers can use.
Also on the cruise was Rich Reid, the company's director of expedition photography, who became a personal hero of mine for showing me how to better use my iPhone camera. He also curated a slideshow of photos taken by all the guests during the voyage; shown in the Resolution's main lounge, it was a highlight of the trip.