“That was amazing… he was talking to me.” Breathless words full of wonder, uttered by a man I met only a few hours ago as he swam next to me in the water. A sea lion, which is not to be confused with a seal, had just swam up, looked him dead in the eye, and made a series of squeaky, gurgly, noises. The underwater meeting sounds more like Disneyesque fantasy than reality but it happened right in front of me. As I surfaced, he and his wife were both amazed by the chance encounter with the marine mammal. She looked at me and, noting my GoPro, asked if I had gotten it. I had.
We were only a few hours into our expedition cruise on the National Geographic Lindblad Islander II and I thought it couldn’t get better than that. How wrong I was.
Not Your Typical Cruise
A few months ago, close to the start of the year, we had several clients ask us about National Geographic Lindblad cruises. We’ve got a team with lots of experience under our belts, but we hadn’t done anything with Nat Geo Lindblad. Of course, we did our research and connected with the sales team at the company to answer questions from our clients. What we booked for them sounded amazing and our curiosity was piqued. We realized that we had a blind spot in our knowledge base. None of us had ever done any cruises like this, known as expedition cruises, and if our clients were going to ask about it, we figured we should have some answers.
By late May, we’d found some dates that worked for us and chose a location, one that I still can’t believe you can go to, the Galapagos Islands. Located several hundred miles off the coast of Ecuador, they aren’t exactly easy to get to and, given that they are not only a national park but also one of the most closely protected wildlife sanctuaries and research stations in the world, we figured this would be a very interesting trip.
The National Geographic Islander II is unlike any vessel I’ve ever been on.
You might notice that the title of this article does not say review and this isn’t one. If you’ve read our articles before, you’ll know that we hold ourselves to strict standards about reviewing travel companies. For an article to be a review we must pay the publicly listed fare, receive no special treatment or benefits because of our status as travel agents, and have no reason to believe that the crew of the ship is aware of our line of work. Our trip on the Islander II was discounted to a promotional rate available to travel agents, known as a fam or familiarization rate, and, although we don’t think we received special treatment, some staff were aware of our line of work.
That means this is a description of our time with Nat Geo Lindblad to help you understand what you are likely to experience when sailing with them.
They Handle It For You
Once we confirmed the dates with the National Geographic Lindblad booking team, we started making our travel arrangements. They informed us that we would need to book our flights to the city of Guayaquil and that they will make arrangements for us at the Hotel del Parque for the night before the cruise and they would have a driver and coordinator waiting to meet us at the airport. That was our first hint of just how different this type of cruise is. It’s not that no other cruise lines do that for guests, more so that it’s usually not part of the standard package, it’s an extra cost or an addon.
To be clear, the airfare is not included in the price, that is something that you have to book on your own. Also excluded is the cost of your meals while you stay at the hotel, although breakfast is included as standard by the Hotel del Parque so we had that, for lunch and dinner, though, we were on our own.
The hotel was exquisite, truly a luxury location. Nestled inside a historic park and indeed inside what, we were told, was the oldest building in the city. Apparently, some years ago, it was moved to the park, piece by piece, brick by brick, and reconstructed to create an immaculately posh place to lay your head. During the move and rebuilding, the structure was updated to include an elevator and space for all the modern amenities, like air conditioning and marble showers.
The Hotel del Parque is a wonderful place to stay, to put it mildly.
Nat Geo Lindblad also made flight arrangements to the Galapagos (this flight is included in the fare), transportation to the airport for that flight, and handled our luggage all the way from the hotel to the ship. The company is so thorough in its care for guests that we literally had an escort onto the flight to make sure that everything went smoothly.
Most importantly, though, Nat Geo Lindblad handled the vast majority of paperwork required to visit the Galapagos, which there is a great deal of. We did have to fill out a short declaration form ourselves, but that was it. They handled paying the $100 fee to enter the Islands. They worked through the customs forms that needed to be processed before visiting. All we saw was a few QR codes on our phones and they handled the rest, something I’m very glad wasn’t my job. Once we landed at the Baltra airport in the Galapagos, two of the guides were there to meet us and make sure we got to the ship.
On this journey, once we passed through Ecuadorian customs, National Geographic Lindblad held our hand every step of the way. Not just on the way out, but on the way back as well. National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions takes the step to not only arrange for a hotel at the front end, but the back end as well. We spent another night in the exquisite Hotel del Parque and in the morning they arranged transport, with a company representative, to take us to the airport.
The National Geograpic Islander II
Perhaps the descriptor “expedition cruising” has set the scene for you. An expedition is something done by explorers, adventurers, in other words, rugged types. While, yes, this sort of cruising does attract the more adventurous sorts, you won’t be roughing it exactly. Unless you consider king bed suites, marble bathrooms, and thrice per day room cleanings to be “rough”, I think you’ll find the accommodations to be opulent. Not that you’ll be spending much time in them, given the schedule you will likely keep.
Knowing the ship’s origins explains the palatial experience. The National Geographic Islander II was purchased by Lindblad Expeditions in 2021 from Crystal Cruises, the well-known high luxury cruise line, during Crystal’s bankruptcy proceedings that year. Crystal refit the ship after they acquired it in 2015, making it an all-suite ship, drenched in comfort. When Lindblad took possession, they promptly changed very little because, they didn’t need to. Even today, more than a decade after its last refit, the Islander II looks pristine.
Every surface is perfectly chosen for its purpose. Warm woods, cool marbles, durable carpets all put in their respective places to suit an exact need. Chairs are plush and comfortable after a long day of activities. Couches welcome you to gather on them. The dining facilities are open and inviting. Even the common area restrooms are, as the youths would say, extra, with heated toilet seats. Yes, you read that correctly, the common area toilet seats are heated.
Aboard the National Geographic Islander II you’ll be in the lap of luxury and comfort, not that you’ll likely care much by the end of the day.
This luxuriating extends beyond the things you can touch. The people who make it all work are the real magic to all of this. To say the staff are incredible is to commit a crime, for that word robs them of so much of the credit they are due. There is no single word in the English language adequate to the task of praising the people who work on the Islander II. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about the zodiac pilots, the ship’s doctor, hotel staff, purser, kitchen crew, wait staff, engineers, mechanics, or the captain and his mates, they all deserve more praise than I could possibly give. I try to limit naming individual people in my writing to avoid any potential pressure I could place on them in a public venue, but I certainly made my feelings clear to the company.
The wait staff, for example, takes pains to learn your preferences. After two breakfasts, where I opted for the daily juice and a coffee with cream, the waiters simply asked if I want the usual and, if there was an option, which juice I would like. They even took note of what we ordered from the menu and made suggestions about what we might like at each meal based on that. The bartender and bartender assistant knew not only how I like my drinks, but which drink I like at which time. Once again, they would simply ask if I wanted the same beverage as last night.
My one evening drink, which they knew just how to prepare.
It’s no accident that this is the experience either. National Geographic Lindblad maintains a 1:1 crew to passenger ratio on the Islander II. The ship can accommodate roughly 45-50 passengers and carries more crew than customers at 57 staff. I cannot say, at least with certainty, that the ship was laid out that way intentionally by National Geographic Lindblad or if it was designed that way by Crystal. Regardless, the crew aboard the ship is without an equal.
Since this ship is used for expedition cruising, you’ll find some facilities and ways of operating onboard that, if you’re used to large cruise ships, you wouldn’t expect. Meals are served for everyone at the same time, meaning that you all dine together. You can have your own table, if you prefer, or dine with other guests, usually 2-4 others. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all scheduled and there isn’t hot food available outside of these times.
There’s a lounge that you all gather in for a daily debriefing, covering what people experienced that day and what you are scheduled to do tomorrow. The bar is only open during meals and after dinner, but the bridge of the ship is open 24/7 and you can go and visit while they navigate. There’s also the marina deck where you embark/disembark and where you keep your wetsuit, snorkel, and flippers. You don’t have to bring your own, by the way, they provide them for you.
On the National Geographic Islander II, if you ever have any issues with the facilities or need some accomodations, simply put it in the Log Book at the front desk.
There are also features that you would expect to find on other cruise ships that might surprise you by their presence on a vessel of this size. There’s an observation deck complete with a small pool and sauna. It’s equipped with a gym, including cardio equipment and weights. Should your back ache after a long flight into Ecuador, you can book a session with the ship’s massage therapist who, I heard on the good authority of a mother of three young children, was fantastic. A small library area sits next to the hotel reception desk and across from the Global Gallery, which is what Nat Geo Lindblad calls their ship’s gift shop. There’s a “Science Hub”, which has some photo kiosks, board games, and a space for presentations; it was used mostly during the programing for the kids.
The Cabins
If you book an itinerary on the Islander II, your choice of room is limited to suites and larger suites, something that people ceaselessly never lament. The larger suites are most suitable for groups with more than two people. They come with convertible sofas and complimentary laundry. There are some of the smaller suites with adjoining doors to make a family suite, but not all of them have this ability. The layout of the rooms and if they connect is clear on the website should you be curious.
The suites themselves want for nothing. They can be arranged as two beds or one king size, with nightstands on both sides. Electrical outlets of both US and European connections are available on the nightstands as well as light controls for the room, so CPAP users have nothing to fear in that regard (though the distilled water may be more difficult). Here’s where I want to pause for a moment and remark on the quality of the light design in the suites. To be blunt, I found the light controls to be the best of any ship or hotel room I’ve ever stayed in.
The suites, which are your only option, on the National Geographic Islander II have plenty of bedside plugs to charge or run any device you need.
I promise that I won’t harp on for too long, but for some years I sold commercial and industrial lighting and designed custom lighting control systems, so I’m rather attuned to the demands of the industry and how they often fail to meet consumers’ needs. For example, have you ever stayed in a hotel room where you have to walk around the space turning each individual light off or what about a place where you simply couldn’t find the light switch to operate one specific light? I know I have and I hate that.
Space and light are the basis for architecture and so often one or the other, or both, are failed by the hospitality industry, not on the Islander II, though. From multiple points in the room, you can adjust the intensity of the lights, set different scenes, such as for reading lights only, and turn all the lights on or off. This is all done from simple, push-button panels. I don’t need to use a tablet and I don’t need to leave the bed to turn the lights off. Why this is the first time I’m seeing such an implementation on a cruise ship is beyond me but praise should be heaped upon whoever made this happen.
I truly loved the lighting design on the National Geographic Islander II. So simple, yet versatile.
Getting back to the rest of the room, storage space was plentiful, more than plentiful, in fact. As an expedition ship, there really isn’t a desire by most guests to change into dressier clothes in the evening, which cuts down on the wardrobe size needed. The ship is a casual dress environment, so shorts and sneakers are common with guests. You will, however, likely desire to air your clothing out after hiking and they have plenty of hangars and hooks in the room to allow for that. There is no need to bring any extra magnetic hooks to this ship.
The beds were comfortable, although I must admit that my ability to judge them fairly against other lines is hampered by the physical exhaustion I felt at the end of each day, so I won’t make any comparisons. Suffice it to say that I, a scoliosis haver, slept well in them. Regarding the room temperature, I never once had to adjust it because it was perfect from the moment we stepped into our suite. And that’s a good thing too because changing the temperature is, apparently, quite a faff. The hotel staff specifically mentioned to call them to adjust the temperature and guests, who attempted to do otherwise, reported to us that it really is a task for the crew. I cannot explain why this is, but it is.
Oh yeah, staying on the National Geographic Islander II is a real hardship. How can I even pee is a bathroom like this?
Bathrooms were marble and spacious. Showers were large enough for two people and complete with rain a shower head and wand. The lighting designers were even so thoughtful to add a nightlight by the toilet that is permanently on, allowing you to find your way safely even in the dark. The provided shampoo, body wash, and conditioner weren’t my favorite, but they weren’t bad either. Since everyone’s hair is different, your conditioning may vary. I did like the provided lotion, though, and used it frequently since I was swimming in the salt water and often showering twice per day. To be clear, that is not my usual showering frequency, but it is warm and quite humid in the Galapagos and you will be active… Just consider the other guests is all I’m saying.
There are TVs in the rooms with a host of movies to choose from, especially Nat Geo documentaries. Our tv, though, did seem to suffer from some “burn-in” and the image in our room was washed out slightly. It wasn’t so bad that it made the set unusable, but it was noticeable. I imagine, however, most guests don’t even bother to turn it on.
The TV in our room had a bit of “burn in” on some spots, at least that’s the best idea I have for whatever these bright spots are.
Each suite has a small desk space and a moveable round table for flat surfaces. Both can easily accommodate a laptop and other charging setups. Even I, with my three cameras, gimbal, 600mm lens, storage disks, laptops, phone, and smart watch had no issue finding areas to set up on, which is a first for a cruise ship, including some rather posh ones I’ve sailed on.
Housekeeping staff tend to your room three times a day and keep it stocked with a chilled carafe of water. They advise you to not drink the tap water, saying it’s safe for brushing teeth, and steer you toward using the water provided. There’s also a mini-fridge stocked with some beer and sodas that you are free to use. Only select wines and some crafted cocktails are extra on the ship, so hydrate to your heart’s content because the mini-fridge beverages don’t cost extra.
Cuisine
All of my previous cruises have been on ships larger than this. Only one ship I’ve taken, the Hurtigruten Trollfjord, had fewer than 500 guests. Unlike most other cruise ships’ approach to culinary offerings, which I would describe as being akin to a shotgun, the Islander II operates their kitchen with surgical precision. Each menu for each meal is different. There’s no way for me to say what you’ll have to eat but, there will be some things that you can depend on.
There will always be a vegetarian dish, a fish dish, and a meat dish. Our meat dishes consisted of chicken, duck, beef, or pork. Most of the dishes are Ecuadorian in origin or given an Ecuadorian flare and, as much as possible, the food is sourced locally, especially the fish and other meats. You also won’t see any upcharges or extra cost dishes.
Lunch aboard the Islander II is a mix of hearty and light, either is available as you desire.
If you’re hungry outside of mealtimes, they keep snacks in the lounge area and the library, along with a stocked mini fridge at both locations. As I mentioned above, most alcohol is included. Beers and most basic cocktails (like a simple Manhattan or martini), wines at meals (selected by the house), and a variety of liqueurs are all available as part of the fare. Bottles of wine, many of which are sourced from the region, and premium cocktails are extra at typical prices for cruises/restaurants.
Should you want to bring your kids, they will be fine with the food if they aren’t too fussy of eaters. There were a number of kids on our sailing and they all seemed to like the meals from what I saw. Admittedly, I didn’t go into detail on how the kids were eating with each parent group, but I saw them every meal and it seemed to be fine. Ultimately, you know your child and will know if they will be alright with the menu. I’ve posted a couple samples below from dinners we had so you can assess.
A typical dinner menu on the National Geographic Islander II.
Most importantly, the staff took care to check for allergies every meal. I know that has become more commonplace, but it’s still critical. Less important to safety, they also took care to try and prepare your dish to your taste, and I want to recognize how hard this actually is. As someone who worked in food service for years, I’ll try and briefly describe how challenging what they did is.
The National Geographic Islander II gave us a BBQ night out on the open air back of the ship. It was one of my favoirte dinners because I love eating outside.
Each day, the kitchen team, which was only five of them, prepared three meals, along with appetizers, snacks, cut fruits, and desserts. Every morning, by 5:30 AM, before the day’s excursions begin, there were fresh cut fruits and yogurts available as an early morning snack. At 8 AM, breakfast was served, which included bacon, eggs, oatmeal, and several Ecuadorian dishes, which were all amazing! By 11 AM, they had prepared more snacks for the retuning excursions and a full lunch with multiple dishes to choose from along with soup and salad. Once 6 PM rolled around, more snacks for the returning evening excursions were ready and dinner was moments away. All of that made, as much as they can, to individual tastes, for around 45 guests.
That is food preparation on hard mode.
Ship Life
With only 45 or so guests on the ship, you get to know almost everyone you sail with. This would never happen on a large cruise ship. Yes, many guests get to know a few people onboard, but not everyone. That would be impossible. However, with a group of several dozen, instead of several thousand, it results in real connections with people from all over the world.
Let me walk you through one of our days to explain what this is like.
The first morning, most of the ship woke at 5 AM, or there about, for a hike at dawn. Sunrise is consistently early at the equator and avoiding the sun’s rays during the most intense parts of the day is important, hence the early beginning. About a dozen at a time, we boarded zodiac boats to get to the shore where the hike would begin. This hike took us up around 300 feet above the water on a challenging boardwalk ascent. We took pictures as a group and learned about flora and fauna as we saw them.
The National Geographic guides were fonts of knowledge, spewing facts about geology, history, and biology, as easily as you could ask. Once the hike concluded, we took a brief diversion on the zodiac to see some Galapagos penguins that had been spotted; these were a rare sighting this year because of El Niño making the water too warm. After the brief meeting with the penguin on the shore, we went back to the Islander II for breakfast.
This little galapagos penguin is so cute! Depending on how you measure, they are either the second or third smallest penguin.
After the morning meal concluded, anyone who wanted to snorkel changed into their wetsuits for our first dive into the waters of the Galapagos Islands. Once in the water, our guides took us around the area and pointed out amazing wildlife, like reef sharks and surgeon fish. Joyously, we were joined by sea lions freely swimming among us, and even the rare penguins graced our waters to dart around as they hunted for fish. Of course, the National Geographic Lindblad wouldn’t forget non-swimmers and those who didn’t snorkel had a glass bottom boat tour to see the amazing wildlife along the coast.
Once we were all back on the ship, greeted by stunningly delicious gluten free baked goods, and given a chance to shower, lunch was served. Both lunch and breakfast are enjoyed al fresco at the outdoor area on the back of the ship, weather permitting that is. We sat with some people we’d just been swimming with and recounted the amazing wildlife we’d already seen on the first day before noon. We get to know each other a bit more by chatting and sharing stories of our lives. The obvious question is always, “Why did you want to come to the Galapagos?” It turns out, everyone with us loves the natural world, is fascinated by what humanity has learned there, and visiting was usually a lifelong desire.
The educational seminars were well put together and always entertaining.
As the meal concludes, we go to an hour long seminar on a topic within the Galapagos. One day was on the geology and volcanic nature of the islands, another on the human history of the place, still another was on Darwin, who is the reason most of us are so fascinated by these remote lands. Each lecture is presented by one of the guides and they bring a vibrant, passionate energy to what they do. After a couple excursions, and a lecture, it’s easy to see just how deeply they feel about this place and their responsibilities in caring for it as stewards, educators, and ambassadors for the preservation of the islands.
Not long after the lecture concludes, it’s time to head out for the afternoon excursion. This schedule carefully avoids the most punishing hours of the midday sun, a fact my pale, freckly skin was immensely grateful for. On this day it was another hike and once again we boarded the zodiacs. Upon arriving at the trail head, it became clear that we would need to take our shoes off because the tide was high and we would be jumping out in the water then drying our feet off, a common experience on the excursions.
This path was more strenuous than the morning, but the effort would be worth it because it took us to see iguanas and, I promise, you aren’t prepared for iguanas this large and this close. They aren’t scary or threatening, just massive. I’ve spent enough time in the Caribbean to become familiar with these lizards, but I’d never seen any like this. They were amazing to behold.
These iguanas are HUGE! They’re also adorable
As the sun set, the guides hurried us up back to the zodiacs and by the time we stepped foot on the Islander II, dinner was being readied. Each evening, the entire ship gathered in the lounge to go over what we did that day and what we would be doing the next day. Staff would take time to announce any news and check in with guests. We also would usually have a brief presentation from one of the ship’s departments. After about 45 minutes of debriefing and, for many people, drinking from the bar, dinner was served.
Dinner took place, most nights, in the dining room. A more formal setting, but no more formal in attire. Like the rest of the dining experiences, you could choose to eat alone or with other guests. We always chose to eat with other guests as we enjoyed the conversations, but you can always choose otherwise. The dinners usually lasted an hour and by 8:30 PM, most guests were exhausted and wanted nothing more than the comfort of their pillow, including us. There would be a documentary shown in the lounge after dinner each night, but neither Nichole nor I ever had the energy for that. There were some guests who did and I remain astonished by their endurance.
The National Geographic Islander II dining room allows for both group and private dining.
After 4 days of this schedule, many of us passengers became closer than I had ever expected. In our last moments together on the bus before the plane, we were all swapping contact information, excitedly exchanging numbers via text swearing, to keep in touch with one another.
As a few of us got off the plane in Guayaquil, the first stop of a continuous flight itinerary that went onto Quito, around a third of the plane was waving goodbye to us and giving quick fist bumps and handshakes. I’ve never seen the like.
Life aboard the National Geographic Islander II forms a community. You are all there to do the same thing at the same time. It’s rare to find that as an adult and it’s worth relishing on its own. Despite my demeanor, and many refuse to believe this, I am more inclined towards introversion than extroversion. It’s not that I don’t like meeting people, I do, but I recharge myself by a quiet night in over a night out with friends. Given the choice between a party and my pjs, I almost always choose my pjs. Being this social may be a bit much for people more inclined towards introversion than myself, but even in that case, as Nichole can attest because she fits in this category, she wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Company Values
One might expect that a cruise run by National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions would value sustainability and you would be right.
The ship’s Purser, who ran the store, told us a great deal about the programs the line has to support the local economy and artisans. Everything that we found in the store was made either by artisans in the Galapagos or in mainland Ecuador. This even extended to the clothes you could purchase.
Valuing sustainability continues down to the artisans themselves. We purchased several carved wooden sculptures that were made using an invasive tree to the islands. By harvesting it, the artisans would rid the island of a destructive plant and turn it into a business.
This is one of my favorite things I’ve ever found. I’m so glad that it was crafted and that I was able to take it home with me. This blue footed booby sculpture sits on my mantle as I write. It will always sit there.
It might also be assumed that a cruise run by National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions would care about education and once again, you would be correct. On each excursion, the guides teach you about what you’re seeing. Each afternoon there is a educational seminar. The kids program teaches them about the biology and geology of the area in a captivating way because the guides wear their passion on their sleeves, which the kids respond to.
Earlier, I mentioned that the ship’s bridge was open to guests, something we took time to check out during the evening navigation on the last night. Even here the line wants to educate their guests. We were greeted by one of the ship’s navigators and were later joined by the captain. Both were eager to explain every single panel we asked about. Having some familiarity with aviation and radar tracking in the air, I took particular interest in their radar, and we spent a while discussing the reflectivity responses and various maps that could be projected over the screen.
The Few Flaws
Nothing is perfect and so too is it for the National Geographic Islander II.
Although I can’t really say this is a flaw, it is something that every guest needs to prepare for. Getting on and off the ship, every time, required a ride on a zodiac boat. That means traversing between a small boat bobbing on the ocean and a ship. The staff grips your arm each time, giving you a firm hand, but it still requires some dexterity and balance of your own. People with mobility issues should take this into consideration before booking. I have video of us leaving the ship on the last day with our carryon luggage. This would be the most difficult boarding process for your personal evaluation.
I have some of it playing over the screen now, but will have a link to a longer cut in the description below.
One more consideration is that there’s also no elevator on the ship. Guests must be able to take stairs and there isn’t really another option here. There aren’t many stairs, with only five decks compared to more than a dozen on big cruise ships, but it’s still more than you might have at home, which could be zero.
These boats are how you get on and off the ship, that’s the only way you can. Take that into consideration before booking anything on the National Geographic Islander II.
Guests also reported to us that rooms underneath the kitchen, which would be rooms in the center of the ship on deck three, especially the port side of the vessel, were loud during meal preparation. This meant that if they had wanted to sleep in, it would have been challenging for those sensitive to noise.
Last, and this is a rather unavoidable fact of physics, the boat rocks. Expedition cruises are smaller ships and the smaller the ship, the more you feel the rocking of the waves. If you are sensitive to ocean movement, take the sea sickness meds in whatever form you prefer but, be sure to take them and keep up with it. Several staff members on the ship were wearing the patches; others took the pills. I’m not prone to motion sickness myself but Nichole is and she didn’t have any trouble. Still, we both felt this is worth noting to help ensure that people have a good experience.
That’s about it for problems we encountered on the ship, but we think it’s also important to mention that we thought the line could do a little better off the ship with communication. Nichole and I felt that the line’s emails and information to sailors could have been more frequent and provided more information in them. They have many resources available for you to read, but most are stored in your account online and not sent to you in an email. It’s far from a deal breaker, but it’s still something that they could up their game on.
Value Proposition
As I said near the beginning, Nichole and I experienced this on a discounted rate for travel agents, it’s why I can’t call this a review. However, I still need to assess the value proposition of the line, which I’m finding a bit unfair or, at least, unequal.
As you might have guessed, these expeditions are not cheap. The cost of similar sailings to what we did run between $6,000 and $13,000 dollars per person depending on what you choose. That sort of price tag means that I have to compare it to top level suites on lines like Virgin Voyages, Regent Seven Seas, or Azamara. And that’s where I’m running into the problem because the comparison doesn’t seem to match.
As a Mega Rockstar on Virgin Voyages or in the Penthouse Suite category and above on Regent Seven Seas, you certainly have luxury. Your needs are tended to, the rooms are large, the beds plush. You have a butler. But these places offer none of what an expedition cruise offers. Look back at the day I described and ask yourself, could you ever experience anything like that on these other lines? I can’t imagine how you would.
Yes, this was me. I was surrounded by wold dolphins that approached our snorkeling group.
I haven’t even mentioned that on day three, our deep water snorkeling met a pod of hundreds of dolphins that swam right around us. Yes. I swam with dolphins in the wild. Hundreds of them were mere feet from me in the water. It was an experience I’ll never forget and it brought tears to my eyes in the moment. You won’t ever experience something like that on these larger lines.
We did three to four excursions EACH DAY. Not only could you never do that on the larger lines, but it would cost hundreds or thousands of dollars per day on top of what you already paid.
How then can I assess this fairly by comparison to mainstream cruises? The answer, I think, is that I can’t. It’s trying to compare a pizza deli to a Michelin Star restaurant. It’s not that one is better than the other, it’s that they aren’t even the same thing. They both serve food, but beyond that the similarity ends.
What I can say is that I’ve sailed in the ultra-luxurious suites on other lines but, for my money, I’ll take a National Geographic Lindblad Expedition cruise every time. It costs about the same, but the experience is incomparable.
Who Is This For?
National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions are for the person that wants to be outdoors more than they want to breathe. This for the person with an unquenchable desire to learn. It is for people who know the journey and destination are inextricably bonded and seek the beauty of both.
More than all of that, this is the journey of a lifetime. Expedition cruises go places that make up bucket lists, the kinds of destinations that in the waning hours of your life, you’ll still remember. These itineraries are not weekend getaways, nor are they lounging lazy days in the sun. It’s not that you can’t do that but why would you when you’re in a place as unbelievable as the Galapagos?
I woke up each day at 5AM and hiked for miles, over rough terrain. My mornings were spent swimming in deep and rough waters to see the world beneath the waves. I bobbed in the water with wildlife from sea lions and dolphins to penguins and hiked alongside iguanas and a very bewildered waved albatross. It would be easy to spend hours describing all the astounding things I did each day but I think the footage in this video speaks for itself.
The sort of person who should take a cruise with National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions is the sort of person that looks at the images I’ve presented and lets out a little “wow” under their breath.
Conclusion
This wasn’t a review. I said it couldn’t be and it isn’t. I can’t guarantee that my experience wasn’t colored in some way by the cruise line to make it better than it would have otherwise been. There’s nothing I can imagine that they could have done, but I can’t rule it out either.
None of the animal encounters can be scripted. Seeing the penguins was luck, as was swimming with dolphins. We even encountered the first humpback whales of the season and Nichole was the one to spot them and alert the ship. An event so exciting, the crew was buzzing around with fervent energy, telling one another the news. It resulted in a zodiac boat ride where the mother and her calf approached the boat, within a couple dozen feet, close enough to hear their breathing (you’ll have to watch my video to see this).
They couldn’t have planned a sea lion birth right in front of us. Nor could they have scripted the iguanas, the variety of boobies, and certainly not the albatross that walked right down the path at us.
Nothing about what we did can be created, it’s all serendipity. Perhaps though, some of it goes beyond mere chance and enters the realm of kismet because the real magic of this trip was more than just the place we were and the animals we saw, it was the people we did it with.
This is what bucket lists are made of.
The thing I can’t shake, what won’t leave my mind, is the people. The couple we swam with on our first day. The family from Long Island that took an interest in my camera gear and whose little girl alerted the ship’s crew to a fallen ladder and was given a plaque for her quick actions. A wonderful mother, father, and son that brought me real joy to see together. A fellow Michigander that traveled the world, sharing her adventurous spirit in literally every country.
A mother and daughter who were delightfully curious about our odd Midwestern cuisine. A photographer that’s traveled the world and could share the love of that art with me. An Australian whose cheerful energy would make everyone smile. Parents and their adult daughter together on a trip, embarrassing each other in the way a family does that shows just how much they love they share. A crew that made it all happen and brought us face to face with impossible, then made it real.
One lovely woman we met wanted to see the tortoises more than anything in the world! Sharing that excitment with her is something that I cherish.
That’s not even close to all the amazing souls we met and formed friendships with, just all that I have the space for, and frankly I’m already pushing it.
We saw wonderous things. I did what I never dreamed I would do. We met people I never imagined I would meet and for that I am all the richer. I went to the Galapagos to see wildlife and nature. What I found down there was better, though. What I found was humanity.
This is the first of at least two articles (and videos) that I have planned on our trip to the Galapagos islands. I’m working on a story about the encounters we had to, hopefully, bring you a bit closer to the adventure we had and showing you why taking a trip to the Galapagos is worth it. I’m actively processing the thousands of photos and hours of video I took. I have links to the album below and it will be updated as I add more.
This little face is something I’ll never forget.
I also have a number of photos I took of various people. They didn’t give permission to be in my publicly displayed work and I didn’t ask them either. Some of you have my personal contact information, some of you don’t. If you’re interested in getting your personal photos from me and don’t have my number, just reach out using the contact form on our website and I’ll give you a private link.
Like I said earlier, we are a travel agency and if this video made you want to book a cruise with National Geographic Lindblad, take a trip to a resort, or just get away for a few days we can help with that! Each year we book hundreds of vacations for individuals, families, and large groups. We’ve got years of experience and firsthand knowledge to make sure you get the best trip possible with support all along the way. Our team of travel professionals can help find and book the best rates and discounts for your trip because it’s our job. So don’t book on your own, use our expertise and book with us so we can help get you, far far away.
