Dream Trips Do Come True!

More than ever, travel is evolving. As when river cruising first hit the scene, expedition cruising is making a big splash in the travel world and demand grows every year – and for good reason.? I just completed my first cruise with Lindblad Expeditions to the Galápagos Islands, and to say it was a surreal experience would be an understatement.

Cruising means different things to different people. With river cruising hitting the industry in a big way years ago, and now expedition cruising growing exponentially each year, it’s easy for consumers to get confused and overwhelmed with the options and how they differ.? I would also venture to say that the perception of “expedition” varies from one person to the next as well, so it’s very important for us as travel advisors to ensure that we are allaying any misconceptions of what it means to go on an expedition cruise.

While expedition cruising includes some similarities to the cruising experience most people envision: food being included on board, wellness activities, a spa, a library, a gift shop, a doctor, shore excursions and entertainment; there are some differences in what those things entail as well as some things you don’t necessarily get on standard cruises.?Lindblad Expeditions offers snacks 24 hours a day in several public areas of the ship as well.?While sodas and alcohol are usually an additional charge on a cruise, on this expedition it’s included. The spa facilities are not as large as you may find on a regular cruise and there’s not a huge gym, but there are wellness activities offered daily and they are exactly what you need them to be for a cruise of this nature. All of the shore excursions are included, but you don’t really know what they will be in well in advance because your schedule and itinerary can always change. It gives a sense of excitement and adventure that lets you know – this is no ordinary cruise! Excursions do accommodate for different levels of activity depending on what you are most comfortable with, but one thing is always the same – there’s something for everyone.? Entertainment on board an expedition cruise is more of the educational variety with naturalists discussing what was seen during the days’ adventures, and what we hope to see in coming days. They also included opportunities to learn how to take better photos of the wildlife and scenery that we were experiencing.? Expedition ships are much smaller, carrying less than 200 passengers (our National Geographic Islander II ship only carried 52 guests plus crew).?It allows for a more enriching experience with both passengers and crew on board.

On my Galápagos cruise, there were different levels of activeness varying from guest to guest.?Expedition cruises have lots of options to accommodate almost all needs without sacrificing the quality or quantity of what you’re there to see (and do).

As a Type A personality, I wasn’t going to miss anything!?Any excursion that was offered, I was on it (with the exception of activities offered in lieu of another activity).? For example, if there was a snorkeling excursion but there were guests who didn’t snorkel, they might offer a glass bottom boat tour instead in order for those guests to still see the wildlife under the water.? We also had a few unplanned excursions due to timing and weather conditions that were added on some days and you could do as much or as little as you wanted.? I wanted it all!? And boy, did I get it!? I’m pretty sure I saw any and all possible wildlife that you could ever see in the Galápagos.? And the cherry on top – watching lava fall into the ocean off of Fernandina Island from an eruption a few weeks prior to our trip (at 4:30am – whew!)? We swam with sea lions, sea turtles (so many that we had to be careful not to kick them with our flippers), marine iguanas, eagle rays, sharks, penguins and too many fish to count.?We saw ALL the birds – blue-footed boobies galore!? Lava lizards, Galápagos racers (snakes), Sally Lightfoot crabs, flamingos, dolphins and even minke whales rounded out our list of wildlife.? I have so many pictures that I can’t even begin to pick a favorite!

Expedition cruising isn’t just a vacation.? It’s an experience like no other that allows you to get up close and personal to nature and to understand the importance of protecting our world and the wildlife that live in it.? It is no over-exaggeration to say that expedition cruising is life changing and now that I’m home, I want ALL of my clients to do it.? I’m changing their mindset on what expedition cruising is and my excitement is contagious!? I have a client who is scheduled to be on the same cruise I just returned from in October.? As soon as I returned, we had a conversation where I painted a picture of the ultimate dream trip.? If he wasn’t actively counting down the days before, he certainly is now!

Would I say that I’m addicted to expedition cruising??Absolutely!?I’m already plotting and planning how and when I can get onto my next Lindblad Expedition cruise (Antarctica – I’m looking at you!)?There is nothing like experiencing this type of travel first-hand to understand how different it is from any other type of travel and once you live this journey, your clients will want to live it, too!

- Michelle Younis , Travel Sales Specialist at FROSCH International Travel