Lindblad Expeditions' Cara Matthew on career highs and amazing adventures at sea
Tell us about yourself and how long you’ve been in the travel industry?
I was born and raised in British Columbia and now call Toronto home. Nearly 19 years ago, I headed east in my 1998 Z24 with my 17-year-old cat in tow. I was following a dream, up for an adventure, and ready for a new chapter. Memories of this life-altering road trip—like when my senior cat jumped out of the car to frolic in the grass while I was pulled over on the side of a road to take a picture of a moose in Northern Ontario—will stay with me forever.
One of the reasons I moved across Canada was for the music industry, and I serendipitously stumbled into the expedition travel industry over 16 years ago. I am forever grateful. Through this experience of following one dream, I have had many other dreams I never even knew unfold. It is a privilege to be a steward of this planet and work for National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions—a year and a half so far. (In case you were wondering, my feline sidekick passed away but I now have a four-year-old Bernese Mountain Dog.)
What’s the most memorable Lindblad Expeditions trip you’ve ever been on and why?
Kayaking against the currents on a windy day in the Galápagos on International Women’s Day last year was one of the most memorable moments of my life, and it happened on our National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions 10-Day Exploring Galápagos voyage. Even though my husband is an avid paddler and was seated behind me on my kayaking excursion. Full disclosure.
However, I realized my strength as an active traveller, and most importantly, I felt the level of peace I had that came up within me looking around the scenery in the Galápagos. Another moving experience was paddling amongst the mangroves in a calm little inlet on that same trip; I stopped paddling as I realized two hammerhead pups were swimming right underneath me! The Galápagos filled me with wonder and awe at every turn, whether I was strolling on a beach in the presence of a sea lion pup nursing its mother, on a glass bottom boat seeing five spotted eagle rays gliding along, or cracking a cold, local beer on the observation deck after an action-packed day with a huge pelican landing next to me (as if I needed company during my happy hour!).
What destinations or itineraries are selling well for Canadian travellers? Are you noticing any other trends based on agent bookings or demand?
Maybe it’s because of my roots that I often talk about beautiful British Columbia, but aside from the Galápagos being one of our top destinations for Canadian travellers, our B.C. and Alaska voyages that include special areas such as Haida Gwaii are becoming increasingly popular as Canadians look to explore our own beautiful country.
Many Canadian advisors also book their clients on our Central America trips, especially our Panama and Costa Rica departures, as their clients seek out warmer destinations to escape to during the winter and early spring. Portugal is also a top choice for many Canadians, making our Azores departures a hot destination to explore this year and next.
However, one of our top destinations for Canadians remains Antarctica, especially on our Antarctica Direct: Fly the Drake departures. Travellers who are short on time yet want to explore “The Great White Continent” can now experience Antarctica with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions by flying over the infamous Drake Passage on an eight, nine or 10-day expedition on our small and intimate 100-guest vessel, the National Geographic Orion, or on our 148-guest ship, the National Geographic Explorer.
What’s new and exciting for the year ahead?
Oh, gosh, so much! I don’t think people realize that we have a Special Guest aboard our National Geographic Explorer, Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, for our two England, Scotland and Ireland departures this May of 2025. We also have Mensun Bound as a guest speaker on one of our Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands departures next season; he was the Director of Exploration for the March 2022 expedition that finally discovered Shackleton’s Endurance.
I am incredibly passionate about the calibre of special guests we have access to, and many of them are possible through our close relationship with National Geographic. And for the food and wine lovers, we are collaborating once again with FOOD & WINE Magazine on every voyage aboard our National Geographic Orion in the Mediterranean this year, where they curate wine lists reflecting the areas we are exploring paired with local cuisine.
What’s your favourite part of the job?
For me, relationship truly is everything—not only with this earth, but with each other. My favourite part of the job is connecting with other professionals, whether meeting new people or reconnecting with folks I know. I get energy from supporting travel advisors in small client events and supporting partners with group travel. I feel such a deep sense of community in the Canadian travel industry. It’s a gift.
What’s something travel advisors should know about expedition cruises?
Not everyone who goes on an expedition cruise has been on a ship before. Maybe some of their clients aren’t mainstream cruisers, but they are wildlife enthusiasts, have experienced an African safari for instance, or belong to a wine club or museum. A huge component of expedition cruising is the educational piece throughout the voyage, where guests learn from our expedition team, who are experts in the biology, geology, culture, and history of the regions we are exploring. I loved hearing from a scientist onboard my Galápagos expedition about the migration patterns of the giant tortoise, for example.
Many people also have this preconceived notion that an expedition is too out of the box for many of their clients; one must be extremely active to join. I like to say that if someone can walk a dog once a day comfortably for 30 minutes, they are a perfect fit for an expedition cruise. Guests can also enjoy the amenities onboard our diverse fleet of mission-built ships, such as the spa, library, and getting out on deck, as small ships (ours have as few as 16 guests and no more than 148 guests depending on the destination) and are the best platforms for viewing wildlife and scenery.
Do you have a travel ritual or something you do wherever you go?
Wherever I am, I head to the water! That’s definitely my ritual. Water centres me, calms me, and grounds me.
Where do you hope to travel this year?
Well—and I am saying this with a smile as hopefully my boss is reading this, wink, wink—the top of my list this year is travelling to Croatia. Or Greece! I would love to travel on our beautiful, intimate vessel, the National Geographic Orion, which only holds 100 guests, while exploring Croatia and/or Greece. I have never been to either of these countries and hear they are magnificently stunning. Immersing myself in these two destinations is on my travel list.
What’s something that a lot of people may not know about you?
I get motion sickness! (And yes, being seasick, I have survived sailing the Drake Passage and the Denmark Straight, and I will still go on amusement park rides. It doesn’t stop me or inhibit me from exploring. My travelling companions just have to be patient with me.)
If you had to sing karaoke tonight, which tune would you pick?
Shucks. Can I pick more than one? My general go-to in an upbeat party environment is “I’m the Only One” by Melissa Etheridge. As a musician, it’s not in my usual repertoire, so it gives me the freedom to put on a bit of a rock persona. Two: Bonnie Raitt’s “Something to Talk About.” I actually sang that one at a karaoke night last year during the Trevello Travel Group conference. So fun – and there were some fantastic singers that night! Three: Etta James’ version of “At Last.” It’s a classic, and that tune is embedded in my soul and a part of me. I’ll never forget attending the Toronto TD Jazz Festival for the first time in 2006 and being lucky enough to see Etta James perform before she passed away.
