This is my second time cruising with Lindblad Expeditions on the National Geographic Explorer. The first time was in Antarctica, and this time was in Svalbard. Overall, I would recommend taking these two cruises, as the shipboard experience is fantastic, and I reckon second to none. However, their weak customer service pre-cruise and post-cruise remains a material negative, which accounts for my 4 out of 5 stars rating.

The reasons why I feel that the shipboard experience is fantastic include: (1) for a relatively small ship, it is very stable and comfortable; (2) the ship's crew is very diligent and caring, with great attention to details, and service is first class in every aspect; (3) the meals are delicious and there is sufficient variety, with different themes for lunch and dinner; (4) the wine list is decent, and on this latest cruise, complimentary as well; (5) the expedition staff are so passionate, knowledgeable, and capable that it is easy to forget that they are tourist industry professionals and instead mistake them for full-time scientists and explorers; (6) the itinerary is full of opportunities to get off the ship and explore the awesome surroundings; (7) the guest speakers, which includes one NatGeo photographer, deliver on making the overall experience even more memorable; and (8) even the gift shop is nice!

On the other hand, my pre-cruise and post-cruise experience with them have been disappointing. Pre-cruise, their customer service team is inconsistent in responding to queries, choosing to address only what is convenient, and ignoring even the slightest complication in questions and requests. They sometimes even drop the ball, and have to be reminded to complete agreed upon tasks. For example, I had some credits which I wanted to apply to my latest cruise, but it took three reminders before they were reflected in the bill. Read more