We were referred to Lindblad Expeditions by friends who have taken many cruise vacations. We had no interest in floating towns...giant ships with formal dinners, conga lines, wine-tastings, and jewelry parades. We wanted a relaxed but structured interpretive experience blending both the natural and social character of Central America with the intimate experience of one of the world's greatest engineering marvels. When our friends said that's exactly what we'd get, we were aboard! The Costa Rica / Canal cruise was everything we hoped for. We could never do justice to the Lindblad/National Geographic staff...from the ship crew to the hotel staff, the kitchen talent and the dining servers...and the gracious friendly excursion guides who were so masterful in their knowledge and charming in their ways of explanations and painstaking thoughtfulness. Every crew and staff member was exquisitely trained and enhanced the guest experience. The food!!! Every meal a delight. We sacrificed some cabin space for a small balcony with no regrets. After all, the last place you want to be during any of this trip is in your cabin...

The choices of field excursions offers something for everyone. Don't miss the coffee plantation, the chocolate co-op, the heart-of-palm farm. Meeting the locals and learning of their lives enlightened us as much as the climax....the fabulous transit through the canal by both night and day, for which we were beautifully prepared with a documentary recapping its history. We were so glad we opted for the East-to-West trip with the canal as the finale...perfect! Then, going by coach from Colon to Panama City, a stop at the Miraflores visitor center locks to look out over the canal and see the fabulous museum was a fabulous final curtain. Kudos to all of the Lindblad/NGeo people who constructed and conducted this adventure! We will see you again....