Onboard Sales Specialist

Lindblad Expeditions, LLC.; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 41,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Room and board

Travel day pay

Travel expenses paid

Family travel benefits

Uniforms provided

Training opportunities

Sales bonus plan

Job summary

Lindblad Expeditions, LLC invites an Onboard Sales Specialist to engage with guests aboard National Geographic-Lindblad ships and inspire bookings for future expeditions. You will partner with the expedition, hotel, and shoreside teams to showcase our missions and itineraries while delivering exceptional guest experiences.

With 2+ years in sales and strong English communication, you’ll drive promotional campaigns, handle bookings, and provide ongoing follow-up on opportunities.

Qualifications

• 4 Year college degree or equivalent experience.
• 2+ years of sales experience with proven success in a customer-facing role.
• Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills with fluent English.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize tasks.
• Service-oriented mindset with ability to tailor conversations to guests.
• Ability to work independently and meet sales targets while remaining professional.
• Ability to collaborate with onboard staff, expedition teams, and shoreside departments.

Responsibilities

• Actively promote and sell future trips to guests onboard the ship using storytelling and promotional offers.
• Engage with guests during dining and shore excursions to share future journeys and destinations.
• Promote and explain itineraries, special offers, and opportunities for voyages.
• Conduct onboard presentations and one-on-one consultations to inspire bookings.
• Process bookings, coordinate with reservations ashore, and follow up on leads.
• Track sales metrics and report insights to sales and management teams.

Skills

Sales experience

English proficiency

Guest engagement

Organizational skills

Independent working

Team collaboration

Customer service mindset

Administrative skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Seaware

Salesforce

Microsoft Office

Job description

WHO WE ARE

Lindblad Expeditions is a true pioneer in Expedition Travel. From taking the first citizen explorers to Antarctica in 1966, opening the Galapagos and Easter Island to tourism in 1967, leading the first tourist expedition through the Northwest Passage in 1984, and launching our innovative partnership with National Geographic in 2004, we're now taking almost 30,000 guests a year to some of the world’s most remote and pristine locations on our fleet of 20 ships, and are committed to ensuring our guests experience the “Exhilaration of Discovery”.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are seeking a dynamic and enthusiastic Onboard Sales Specialistto join our team onboard our National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions ships. This role will involve engaging with guests onboard to inspire and sell future expeditions, sharing our mission and exciting destinations, while ensuring that travelers understand the value and uniqueness of our offerings. The Onboard Sales Specialist will work closely with the onboard expedition team and the ship's hospitality staff to promote future voyages and maintain exceptional customer relationships.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Sales & Promotion: Actively promote and sell future trips to guests onboard the ship by leveraging personal engagement, storytelling, knowledge of upcoming expeditions, promotional booking offers and the extraordinary experiences offered by National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions.
• Guest Engagement: Consistently seek opportunities to engage with guests, such as dining with guests, and actively participating in shore excursions, etc. Providing personalized information about future journeys, destinations, and experiences. Ensuring their journey aboard the ship is unforgettable and sparking excitement for their next adventure.
• Product Knowledge: Stay well-informed about upcoming expeditions, new itineraries, special offers, and other opportunities for travelers. Be a knowledgeable ambassador for the entire range of National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions’ voyages.
• Onboard Presentation: Conduct informative and engaging presentations and one-on-one consultations to share details about future trips, inspiring guests to book future expeditions.
• Onboard Marketing: Promote future expeditions and offers, ensuring promotional campaigns are displayed / executed correctly on the ship.
• Bookings & Follow-up: Posting dedicated Onboard Sales specialist hours of availability. Handle bookings directly while ensuring smooth coordination with the reservations and sales teams ashore. Follow up on potential leads, ensuring timely communication and providing excellent customer service.
• Collaboration: Work closely with the Expedition Leader, Hotel Manager, and shoreside teams to ensure seamless coordination of sales and guest engagement activities throughout the voyage.
• Market Intelligence: Gather feedback and insights from guests to help shape future offerings, refine sales strategies, and contribute to the development of new itineraries and experiences.
• Reporting: Track sales metrics and provide regular updates to the sales and management teams on guest interest, sales conversions, and feedback on potential bookings.
• Other Duties: Conduct other duties as needed, as per instruction by the Hotel Director

SHIPBOARD RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

• Help and remove all guest surveys and keys upon conclusion of previous voyage
• Remove outdated collateral and deliver onboard sales in-cabin collateral to each cabin prior to guest embarkation
• Assist the Hotel Director with cabin upgrade inquiries from guests
• Help and deliver guest name tags to each respective cabin prior to guest embarkation
• Complete the voyage recap report for shoreside leadership team, analyzing bookings, data and revenue trends from guests. The voyage recap email summary is due to shoreside leadership team on embarkation afternoon each turn-day.
• Support the guest check-in process on embarkation day
• Upon embarkation, assist the Receptionist, Hotel Director and Purser at the reception desk, assisting with guest questions
• Support the base camp operations, this includes assisting guests with donning a life jacket, assisting guests with tapping their key cards on and off the ship, and also assisting with crowd control for biosecurity
• Support the base camp operation throughout the remainder of the voyage if you are not actively working on guest bookings or conducting appointments with guests (quotes, appointments and bookings will always take priority)
• Participate in all mandatory drills and follow all safety duties as instructed by the Safety Officer
• Work with the Expedition Leader onboard to be introduced on Day 1 or Day 2
• Work with the Expedition Leader onboard to host a video and/or presentation during an end of day recap where time allows
• Assist with guest questions related to the LEX-NG fund

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 4 Year college degree or equivalent experience
• 2+ years of sales experience with proven success in a customer-facing sales role, preferably in the travel, tourism, or adventure sectors.
• Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to inspire and engage a diverse group of guests. Written and verbal skills in English required.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize tasks.
• Strong service-oriented mindset with an ability to tailor conversations to individual guest interests and needs.
• Ability to work independently and meet sales targets while maintaining a positive attitude and professionalism.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with onboard staff, expedition teams, and shoreside departments.
• Comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and living onboard a ship for extended periods. Excellent skills in administration, detail-oriented, strong time management with the ability to manage multiple tasks, meet deadlines and to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficient computer skills including Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Knowledge of Seaware (cruise reservations system) and Salesforce (CRM) highly preferred.
• Deep enthusiasm for expedition-style travel and a genuine passion for the destinations and experiences that National Geographic-Lindblad offers.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Previous experience working onboard ships or in the travel/tourism industry.
• Familiarity with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions’ offerings and its unique style of travel.
• Experience working for National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions
• Experience with public speaking, presentations, or educational outreach.

LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS

Don't have all the required certifications yet? No problem — we'll help you obtain them during onboarding.

• Valid Passport, US Passport or Permanent Resident Card preferred
• Medical Certificate — required
• Maritime Security Awareness — required

WORK SCHEDULE

Rotational Schedule Ranges from 2 to 4 months depending on ship assignment

You will work shifts of varying hours daily, which will average out to 10 hours per day over the course of a 7-day work week.

LIVING CONDITIONS

You will be assigned a single cabin with no roommate for the full duration of your rotation. The vessel operates in some remote locations with limited or no port access between expeditions, so cell service and internet may be unavailable for extended periods. You must bring a sufficient supply of any prescription medications, as refills cannot be obtained while underway.

This lifestyle suits people who are adaptable, self-sufficient, and genuinely energized by close-knit team environments and remote travel. If those conditions sound like a challenge rather than an adventure, this may not be the right fit.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Ability to live and work onboard for a total duration of 8-months within the year
• Willingness to travel to remote and challenging locations.
• Ability to stand for extended periods, move between decks, and occasionally participate in field excursions as part of the expedition team.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk and hear. The employee will also be required to write and type. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms.

OUR BENEFITS

• Room and board when scheduled
• Travel Day Pay
• Travel Expenses Paid
• Travel benefits for employees and their family
• Uniforms Provided
• Training Opportunities

$200 - $200 a day

$200 day rate is equivalent to a base salary of $48,000 per yearThis role is also eligible for the Sales Bonus plan

Employment is contingent on the following:

- In compliance with U.S. Coast Guard Regulations, 46 CFR Parts 4, 5, and 16, you will be required to undergo the following drug tests: post-offer prior to start date, random, reasonable cause, and serious marine incident per US Federal guidelines.

- Pre-offer background check; employment is contingent upon the results of this screening.

- Post-offer physical examination; your employment is dependent upon being determined fit for sea duty.

- Continued employment is dependent upon consent to and passing these tests.

- Lindblad Expeditions continues to highly recommend that all new hires be up to date with all vaccines prior to the first day of employment and getting boosted annually when eligible, including those vaccines that protect against COVID-19. All crew must still comply with all country-specific vaccination requirements.

Communication Skills

Using the English language, this person must have the ability to read, write, and comprehend policies, legal guidelines, correspondence, and memos. Must also possess the ability to effectively communicate--both in writing and orally--with a professional demeanor.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk and hear. The employee will also be required to write and type.The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms.The physical demands per position are described in the Job Analysis sheet and are available to all applicants upon request.

COMPENSATION STATEMENT

Lindblad Expeditions determines the pay for positions using local, national, and industry-specific survey data. We evaluate external equity and the cost of labor/prevailing wage index in the relative marketplace for jobs directly comparable to jobs within our company. Our posted salary range is based on national data and may be refined for a candidate's region/town/cost of living.

For new hires, we strive to make competitive offers allowing the new employee room for future growth. Salaries will be based on the applicant’s location, level of experience, education and specialized knowledge and skills. An employee/candidate with a stronger skill set will receive higher pay.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER STATEMENT

At Lindblad Expeditions, we simply could not do our work without the diverse kaleidoscope of humanity that creates and delivers our remarkable offerings across the planet. As a Company that respects and celebrates the inherent diversity in the places we explore, we recognize the need to mirror that same diversity and all the interconnected perspectives within our organization. We are committed to building a community of different genders, races, ages, sexual orientations, chosen identities, and countries of origin where every person brings their whole self to work and whose skills, talents, and abilities are valued. We believe we can explore further and in a more meaningful way by actively creating a more diverse and inclusive organization where everyone feels they belong.

Lindblad Expeditions is an equal opportunity employer. Individuals seeking employment at Lindblad Expeditions are considered without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetics, marital status, pregnancy, unemployment status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or veteran status.