"Perspective is more important than education"

UnCruise Adventures as a brand continues to reinvent itself. Through COVID it launched a new travel podcast, an online gift shop, and micro-grants to support foreign crew. It is implementing a new digital technology focused on improving guest experiences. Dan Blanchard, CEO of UnCruise Adventures, talks about how he got started in the cruise industry and how the lessons he learned as a young entrepreneur are now helping UnCruise Adventures deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the most distinguishing characteristics of Dan's character is his contagious enthusiasm, unwavering determination, and deep capacity for empathy. His success has been built on a rare mix of tenacity and care for the company's employees and this has made him a true CEO.

As CEO, Dan values a candidate's personality over their resume. Education isn't everything, Dan adds. Personality and outlook matter more than education. Dan has always looked ahead rather than doing things "the usual way." In the late 1980s, he promoted female crew members to captains and executives, which was a novel phenomenon. Many of the UnCruise Adventures executives and leaders started as stewards and dishwashers and worked their way up to top positions, encouraged by Dan's leadership.

Dan's greatest qualities are his honesty and genuineness as a leader and his avoidance of imposing unreasonably high expectations on others. Personal and professional development is highly valued in the workplace.

A good example of this is employees that are promoted to new roles are challenged to grow and push their own comfort zones. Many members of the crew share their experiences of how UnCruise Adventures altered their lives for the better by providing them with chances to learn and grow that they otherwise would not have had. On the outside, he is a person who welcomes criticism with a handshake and a smile. To get to the bottom of the data, he tries to identify what's valuable and what's a waste of time. He needs time to assimilate more personal information on the inside.

When it comes to bringing together data from various sources, UnCruise Adventures just finished the installation of a new ERP system. Finance and sales resource management are already seeing great results from this. So, the tiny ship brand is turning into a powerhouse of data that team members from different departments can easily access, says Dan.

"UnCruise Adventures' sometimes edgy and irreverent marketing sets us apart from the competition," says Dan. Marketing reflects this and the company personality. The brand's omni-channel content marketing strategy targets guests in real time across various verticals. Data-driven decisions and behavior analysis provide agility and swift pivots. This mobility allowed them to stay competitive during COVID while still engaging their target audience.

 

This Combined with Dan's "push the flesh" approach to meeting guests on most Alaska cruises, establishes brand-reflective relationships. Dan is a highly visible company representative and appears in behind-the-scenes videos, brand commercials, and customized CEO videos. Dan prefers to speak directly to guests. Company videos keep guests informed of new offers, press news, vessel refurbishments, or changing COVID policies. Our media mentions, interviews, and content strategy exceed our competitors', "says Dan. Our unique travel product is in a highly competitive industry and at times creates a strong vying for guests and revenue.

We balance sharing wild regions in remote areas with sustainable tourism. Our product emphasizes the culture and environment of each local destination while supporting small businesses and local economies. We help travelers engage with locals and have unique experiences in remote natural destinations.

We'll keep focusing on adventure travel and wild regions, says Dan. Dan is exploring Alaska's Arctic and the Amazon Headwaters as possible future additions. Expanded land options in each of the current destinations will help the brand grow market share.

Recently, UnCruise Adventures hit the company’s twenty-fifth anniversary in adventure travel. it emerged profitably despite two years of global disruption and the unpredictability and ever-changing purchasing habits of travelers. These have been proud moments.

To stay competitive, we review, pivot, and adopt new marketing tactics, and efficiencies. Keeping our fingers on the pulse of the maritime and adventure travel industries helps us capitalize on favorable disruptions. Our 25 years of experience and bold attitude make a winning combination, says Dan.

Captain Dan Blanchard's love for small-ship cruising and a global pandemic led him to form The Small Ship Coalition, which advocates for stronger industry legislation and regulations. He worked with local, and federal, representatives to help take action to save Alaska's Tongass National Forest. His achievements earned him the 2010 Chuck West New Pioneer Award.

You can find more on Yahoo Finance, about Dan as a CEO and industry leader. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/captain-dan-blanchard-small-ship-190000486.html