This ship is near to perfect as any we have been on. Nearly as many crew as passengers. Great service. Great food. Ship is small and easy to get around. Common spaces are comfortable and not crowded feeling. Marina for getting on an off zodiac tenders is perfect. Very safety minded touches. Snorkeling is safe. And magnificent. Naturalists are great at finding wildlife and explaining things in an ...
The trip to Galapagos exceeded my expectations. We chose the 10 day vacation with pre and post cruise stays in Quito. Celebrity representatives met us at the airport and everything went smoothly. JW Marriott was beautiful although we didn't have much time to explore. We arrived late the first night and took a taxi (Celebrity called for us) to a restaurant for lunch to meet our group. Missed tour ...
From the moment we embarked on the ship, until (sadly) leaving it, we had the most amazing and wonderful experience. This ship is exceptional - full height continuous windows in the dining and all public areas - the views were magnificent. Sitting near a window at breakfast time and being able to watch humpback whales play in the water one way and seeing penguins doing their dip and weave dash ...
I was not expecting the ship and services to be top rate. I had read a few reviews that didn't find the dining experiences favorable but I have to tell you that the chef on the World Explorer deserves accolades. Not a bad meal the entire expedition. The crew overall was phenomenal. The room porter was very attentive to our needs. The Quark staff was incomparable. They were all very knowledgeable ...
Chose this cruise for the experience of up close viewing of the glaciers. Riding on the zodiacs and the Special Operations Boat was great fun. The science staff was informative on the area and explained what is happening to the world glaciers. The staff was great and helpful in making this expedition cruise enjoyable.
All the glaciers were different. The foul weather boots and pants were great ...
This expedition cruise aboard the Viking Polaris fulfilled a dream to visit Patagonia. We flew into Buenos Aires and were housed at the Intercontinental Hotel by Viking. My traveling companion and I had booked a spot on a free walking tour of the city to pass the afternoon before check-in. The next morning we were flown by Viking charter to Ushuaia, Argentina, where we boarded the Polaris. It ...
We have taken approximately 50 ocean voyages on several different cruise lines, trying each of those lines multiple times in our attempt to develop rounded and fair assessments. We're in our 70s, so some cruise lines - while perfect for families or the younger partying set - don't appeal to us. We have developed a short list of our favorites and longer list of our "never agains". Prior to this ...
I have cruised and traveled all over the world for 40 yrs. Crystal, Seabourn, Viking, etc.
My Rating:
The Flora Ship 6 out of 10.
The crew 9 out 10.
The food 5 out 10.
Regular cabin with balcony, 4 out 10.
The excursions and what we actually experienced 2 out 10.
Excursions were the MAJOR disappointment of the trip. Considering the time, energy and money expended on ...
Lindblad & National Geographic excursions provide a dependable and high quality experience. Their knowledgeable staff are excellent at informing guests of what they will, and have encountered, and are always encouraging us to ask questions.
We had several excursions captained by native people who took us close to Gray whales in the Magdalena Bay. We witnessed whales literally swimming a few ...
We always were interest in a trip to Antarctica. This one fit our schedule and the price was good when the sale opened up. We really lucked out having good weather for our expeditions and the drake passage was smooth both going down and coming back. It was nice to having all the expeditions so well planned and organized. The science discussions and work on the ship was a very nice touch and ...