After graduating from Groton School in Massachusetts, Ben decided to follow his passion and attended the US Merchant Marine Academy. He served as an officer onboard a variety of vessels ranging from large cruise ships in Hawaii to cable ships installing undersea fiber optic systems.
Cunard Line
In 2003, Ben was asked to join the Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 ocean liner, then under construction in France. Consequently, he became the first American officer hired in the company’s two-century history. Ben served for five years onboard, leaving as the QM2’s Chief Officer.
Ben currently splits his time between Montana and Manhattan.
Expedition Experience
An avid traveler to unusual, less developed regions, Ben has also been an active travel writer for over a decade. His articles and reviews appear in a wide range of guidebooks, magazines and newspapers.
After several years specializing in writing about expedition cruising, he traveled to Antarctica in 2007. Immediately, he fell in love with the seventh continent. Soon thereafter, he left Cunard to join Lindblad Expeditions in order to explore more of the world’s wild, polar regions.
Ben’s interest in the business of shipping and expedition travel spurred him to pursue an MBA, which he earned at Columbia Business School in his adopted hometown of New York City. He then joined EYOS in 2012.
Notable Achievements
Ben sailed on National Geographic Endeavour, National Geographic Explorer, and National Geographic Orion, first as Chief Officer and later as Ice Officer and Captain.
Ben maintains an Unlimited Tonnage Master’s license with an Advanced Polar Code endorsement. He also holds a Pilotage Exemption Certificate for Svalbard. Believing in the value of fresh, first-hand experience, Ben also leaves the office each year for select trips as the EYOS Ice Pilot on yachts, research vessels and ships from 2,000 tons up to 60,000 tons.