Photos courtesy of Scenic Luxury Cruises
Meet the Masters: Expedition Operations Director Jason Flesher
The Leader of Discovery Expedition Operations Director Jason Flesher puts the immersive discovery program into a Scenic Eclipse voyage. From kayaking in Antarctica to hiking up volcanoes in Guatemala, he spends every day ensuring his Discovery Team delivers experiences of a lifetime for every guest. And that’s the perfect stage in the most innovative ship in the world, with two helicopters, a submarine, and an endless supply of water toys. In Maritime Masters, he’ll reveal how his team makes the magic happen. Can you tell us how you became interested in pursuing a career in expedition cruising?
been an expedition leader in the past, they asked if I would take over as Discovery leader for Scenic Eclipse on the maiden voyages? And I said, ‘of course’. Since then, my role has grown to oversee and manage not only the Discovery team, but the Discovery program as well. This includes finding our specialists from around the world as well as itinerary planning that creates Dis - covery experiences in remote locations of the world. What’s involved in preparing Scenic Eclipse for an Antarctic season? It takes about a year of preparation before the season gets going. So even though we’ve only just wrapped a season, right now I’m working on 2023/2024. At this stage, that comes down to itineraries, to permits and also scheduling. Even further ahead, I’m already work - ing on 2024/2025 and our new destination, the Ross Sea, and East Antarctica, for when Scenic Eclipse II is based in the Southern Hemisphere. I have to plan two years out for the Ross Sea program, so I’m already work - ing with government officials.
I’ve been in outdoor education and guiding all over the world for over 40 years. My specialties were rock climb - ing and mountaineering, backpacking, survival skills, all that good stuff. And I had joined the Navy in my late teens, early twenties, and that’s when I fell in love with the sea. Then in 2010, I was offered the opportunity to go to Antarctica with a non-profit as a lead expedition guide and I jumped at it. Since then, I’ve done nearly 100 voyages down there and in the Arctic. How did you start working with Scenic? I was approached back in the very, very beginning, when Scenic Eclipse was still in the shipyard, asking if I would be interested in being a lead kayaking guide. They asked me to come to the shipyard a month before launch to unpack and organize all the expedition gear and get the program set up. Well, one thing led to another and the Discovery Leader couldn’t show up. Knowing that I’d
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