Lindblad Expeditions may be managing one of the most complex supply chains there is, according to Max Duque, chief supply chain officer.
Duque and his team have their share of complexity, with a fleet of small ships operating expedition itineraries globally.
“The itineraries we run are very unique and very difficult to service from a logistics perspective,” said Duque, whose areas of responsibility include supply management, strategic sourcing, procurement, operations and logistics, covering food and beverage, hotel, technical, fuel, and soon travel and IT.
One such challenge from a logistics perspective is in Antarctica, where Lindblad has introduced a fly-cruise product from King George Island and the ship is away from mainland South America for a long time.
“We are dealing with vendors in South America and limited cargo space on the flights to the island. We have weight restrictions and need to be very detailed in planning, also considering alternative products,” Duque said.
Making matters more interesting is the fact there is no pier on the island and no storage. A once-a-month ferry operation helps bring some provisions, but also isn’t the most reliable.
“We can bring our own containers to the island and have gensets, or hope it’s cold enough,” he added.
Lindblad may be one cruise line but it operates what Duque called four fleets from a logistics perspective.
The company has most of its capacity in its internationally flagged fleet. It also operates U.S.-flagged ships that require American crew. They also require many technical items to be purchased in the U.S.
Ships in the Galapagos operate under their own restrictions from Ecuador, meaning the company has to do as much local sourcing as possible, leading to relationships with local farmers.
Chartered ships are another category that generally operate on their own, but Duque said the company is planning to have established procurement contracts in various categories worldwide soon to help minimize costs.
“Having the right planning is key,” Duque continued. “The supply chain can be reactive and then you have missed opportunities without having the right amount of time to negotiate. We want long-term contracts. If we issue purchase orders that are late, that means in many cases we are doing air freight.”
Forecasting is then as important as ever, from technical to food items.
Over the years, the company has built up a strong network of local suppliers for food and beverage and other consumable items, Duque said.
“We leverage a lot of that and it avoids freight,” he continued. “We also have a warehouse we own and operate in Seattle and then have a partner with warehouses in Miami and Europe.”
Lindblad has given vendors the ability to have some pricing flexibility based on commodity prices, or has committed to a full season program with the ability to revisit pricing in the middle of the season.
“By having a forecast and a commitment to volume, we are asking vendors to have inventory positions for the season,” Duque explained. “We can consider a price review halfway through, instead of it changing every week.”
Without the negotiating leverage of the big cruise lines, Lindblad has to think differently.
Excerpted from the Spring 2026 Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine.
