Truly rotten experience: -Tour sent into a war zone -No information from NatGeo sent to customers -Empty promises of "we are watching the situation" -Tour cancelled too late while enroute even as the entire American naval armada is present in the Gulf -No help in securing emergency evacuation -No one on return to US compensating customers for cancelled tour -Frequent phone calls to secure refund status turned away with "a VP is now looking into the situation" -Truly a pathetic organization: disempowered customer service; runarounds on refunds; failure to safeguard customers when war is obviously about to break. NatGeo is the used car lot of the tour industry and a scummy bottom of the barrel set of ethics. read more

If you're independent and adventurous, these cruises are NOT for you. We went on the National Geographic Lindblad trip through Costa Rica expecting an "expedition" as described. It felt like we were in a kindergarten class field trip. Every single minute of the trip was scripted and chaperoned. The "excursions" primarily took us to areas we could have easily gotten to by land had we planned the trip on our own (with maybe one exception). Every hike was actually a nature stroll and you were required to stay with a group including their guides the entire time. The "highlight" of the trip was supposed to be hiking to waterfalls...that turned out to be three hours on a tour bus to a hotel that marketed mediocre waterfalls. Even on the hotel grounds we were required to stay with a group and tour guides all day. The zip lining in the hotel property was incredible, but something we could have easily done without going through National Geographic. Every night there was a mandatory briefing in the lounge before dinner which interrupted the sunset views. We skipped the briefing one night to watch the sunset and see a huge pod of dolphins, the cruise director came out on the deck and made everyone come inside. Based on the advertisement, we were not expecting a luxury cruise and were ok with in order to experience a true expedition. Since that wasn't the case, we were disappointed by the lack of activities on the ship...no TV in the room, no pool, hot tub, etc., just a few board games. Again, this would have been fine if the adventures made up for it. I will say that the food was incredible and the hospitality crew was fantastic. read more

It's important to realize that "National Geographic" tours or expeditions are only that in name. They are conducted by a tour operator, GAdventures and Lindblad are examples. The tour operators are independent, and interactions you have with one tour operator are unrelated to any other tour operator. In particular, we have a credit with "National Geographic" GAdventures, which is not accepted by "National Geographic" Lindblad tours. We were very disappointed by the deflection of responsibility by National Geographic. read more

The Islander II eight day expedition of the Galapagos islands was a trip of a lifetime! 10/10! Every day was curated to make the most out of our time there. I was able to hike volcanoes, kayak, snorkel, paddleboard, and interact with more species of animals than I could possibly have anticipated. The experience would not have been the same without the naturalists. Their knowledge of and love for their home and its preservation was palpable. They made sure we knew where to look and understood what we were seeing.-- not just turtles swimming but turtles mating, and what those mating behaviors were. I think I would have potentially missed so much without them. Each day was so full of activities that I didn't want to miss. I often felt a little rushed to get home from one activity and shower before getting to another. But I wouldn't have had it any other way. There was really only one day that we had where there was time to lounge on deck for an hour or so. I suppose I could have skipped an excursion to have more downtime, but there's not a single one that I did not feel was worthwhile.. On our expedition, the passengers ranged from multigenerational familles to young families to sisters and friends and couples in their 50's, 60's, 70s a80s. Attire was casual (sometimes there wasn't even really time to shower before happy hour i or dinner). But mostly I wore capris and tank tops or sweaters in the evenings and shorts and tee shirts or long sleeve shirts during the day. Overall, for me, this trip was spectacular! It's a "must do" for anyone that is able. read more

National Geographic/Lindblad Excursions: Baja California: Among the Great Whales Aboard National Geographic ship, Venture, Saturday, February 11, 2023 to Saturday, February 18, 2023. Security was a big concern. No cabin keys provided to passengers. No room safes in the cabins. Crew member uncertain if the boat had a safe. Really? When I asked about a lack of cabin keys, was informed "its not been a problem". If I were to go to a Marriott or Hyatt to check in, and was informed room keys were not provided, I would turn around, walk out and never return. I obtained a key to my cabin from the purser. The Venture is a ship stuck in 20th century technology. Internet access was limited for much of the cruise. Wifi for the 8 day cruise could be obtained for $175 but according to a senior staff member, "it doesn't work really well". No televisions in rooms or in lounges. This was a whale watch cruise...that is what I and others signed up for. I get it. But it was also not a monastic retreat. Keeping in touch with the outside world and loved ones is important in 2023. It just wasn't possible on this voyage. Transparency & communication delay in informing staff about a passenger couple testing positive for Covid was a big concern. At 8 am on Friday February 17th passengers were informed that a couple on the Venture had tested positive for Covid "the afternoon of Thursday February 17th". Further, we were told, "we are telling you this immediately so that rumors don't start." My math says that at least 12 hours passed before passengers were informed and probably a lot more hours. Immediately does not mean 12+ hours. Had I known of the Covid outbreak, I would have taken steps to better protect myself ..wearing masks, skipping a bus trip to La Paz. The Venture ran out of staples like Diet Coke, Chardonnay by mid week, and eventually, all sodas. These were restocked by the end of the cruise..but an indication of poor planning. No lit overhead Exit signs were in halls. No man overboard instructions provided, no life boat drills. No idea where lifeboats were kept or how to get to them. Instruction only on how to wear life preservers were provided. Perhaps these are not required by Mexican maritime law. Lindblad apparently didn't consider them important. We paid a good deal of money for this cruise. Never again. read more

Just completed a two week trip to Central Asia with National Geographic expeditions (the Silk Road) and was extremely disappointed. The trip was advertised as between 15 and 20 people, but we ended up with 30 people which made the group unwieldy and difficult to manage. More upsetting was the fact that our "expert" had never been to Asia and knew nothing about the area. While he was very knowledgeable in his area (mountain climbing) and had wonderful photos of his climbs, he was not very helpful with regard to the Silk Road or any aspect of our trip. I took the trip with National Geographic specifically for the expert who had been advertised as having a lot of knowledge with the area. The person who actually came was a "last minute substitute " in fact, he had been hired three months before the trip left, and we had never been told. Total bait and switch. Would never recommend National Geographic to anyone. read more

Buyer Beware! Some of the National Geographic tours are outsourced to G Adventures, a private tour company that provides similar tours at a much lower cost. While this is disclosed in very small print without giving any details about who this is. I thought that I had paid for a National geographic tour with their over site and expertise. On arrival we discovered that this was not the case. None of the features or the tour were acceptable. The hotels were poor quality in questionable areas. The tours did not follow their published itineraries. Seven of the thirteen members of our tour became ill, probably because of the eating establishments they took us to. One member was hospitalized for two and a half days. I would never use them again. read more

NatGeo has really gone downhill. Unresponsive "service", impossible to get trip details, poorly written email responses with blanks that haven't been filled in. Also, hidden fees that deceptively make their trips more expensive or equivalent to competitors. Never made it past the onerous booking process, but since that process is so bad have to wonder what happens if there's a problem or a question about the trip. Recommend staying awa from using them, as they seem like a disaster. read more

My wife and I are anxiously awaiting word about our scheduled June 24th hiking trip in the Alps with Nat Geo Expeditions. It is now less than 4 weeks before departure and we have heard nothing from them. No itinerary, packing list, names of fellow travelers, names of guides, or even confirmation that the trip is going ahead. We already have plane reservations (we booked refundable tickets on our own, as we never received info from them on travel reservations). We had a great trip with them in 2019, before Covid, but now we are stunned by their lack of communication. I see other complaints here, and worry that our vacation won't happen. It is impossible to reach them by phone-- even their phone message box is full-- and e-mails go unanswered. We are wondering if they are out of business, and are concerned about our huge investment in airline tickets and the trip itself, which was nearly $7000 for each of us, and is fully paid to Nat Geo. I advise people wanting to travel with a small group to consider using other travel companies. We had a great trip with Country Walkers to Iceland last summer, and they were super responsive, stayed in touch throughout the planning process, and organized a great experience. read more

We booked Italy: Renaissance Cities and Tuscan Life Tour. While we loved seeing the sites, the tour itself left a lot to be desired. Told less than a week before departure that we might have to get ourselves and our luggage to hotel from a drop off point if water was high! Nice...no one could call the hotel and have someone meet us? GPS QR code they gave directions with didn't work. Spent almost an hour trying to find the hotel, dragging all our luggage in HORRIBLE weather! Venice...Rushed from place to place; ZERO free time given to shop. Had us walking over 20 minutes to see a special local market with all types of shops, walked quickly through the fish market area and then told we had no time to shop! WHY dragged us there in the first place? I know what a fish market looks like! However our "expert" left the group at one point and we discovered the next day, it was so she could shop! It was the same with every city. Lucca and Pisa...at least 4 different stories were told group members before departure. Some, like ourselves, were told if they didn't do the Lucca bike ride we could NOT go to Pisa. One was told she could just wait/shop while their spouse did the bike ride. Some were told you had to have ticket to go to Pisa and there weren't any more tickets. Turns out you only need a ticket IF you are going climb up inside the leaning tower and go inside the church! Not everyone wanted to climb over 250 steep steps! Nothing stopped you from just going to see it! Many were upset the missed this site just due to misinformation. WHY so many different stories? Most days we were walked to death and stood listening to history lectures for 4-6 hours with no breaks or any free time. Guides rushed and often left members behind and we had to yell at them to slow down. Half the group was ill from exhaustion half way through the trip. Only real free time to shop was one half day in Rome. At the coliseum we were talked to death outside the main hall and given only a few minutes to see inside. We also found out they went cheap on the tickets. If you wanted to see the top or bottom levels, that was another ticket; you might be able to get one online but they were often sold out. Then excuses made those areas weren't much to see anyway. Who are they to decide what people are interested in? We also found out that we had to get our own way back to the hotel since the afternoon was free. It was a 30 minute walk or an expensive taxi ride. Fortunately, several of us shared a taxi. No advance notice of many, many things like this. Meals were so so; kinda obviously kept low cost. Last day "special dinner" the meat served was tough at best. We had great experiences with Nat Geo previously before Disney and G adventures took over. We were told they had nothing to do with this trip, but I wonder if that info was correct considering what we experienced. We're saying NO to any more Nat Geo trips. read more

I booked a trip to South Africa with National Geographic... what I thought was a reputable company. A couple weeks before I was supposed to go, they canceled the tour. They have not refunded any portion of my money. They said the airfare was non-refundable and that I couldn't even have a flight credit. But they are the ones that canceled the trip. However Delta told me that a refund check was sent to the agency. Then they said they would refund the other portion of the trip expense, but it may take 6 months. It is completely unacceptable. The entire 100% of the trip should be refunded and should have been refunded the day they canceled the trip. The business is not responsive to this. I filed a complaint with the BBB and they did not respond. I sent a 30 day demand letter in preparation of filing in court against them. So far no resolution. I expect a 100% refund AND I share this story to strongly advise against anyone ever booking a national geographic trip of any kind. I will be posting this review online in every spot I can find. read more

After Nat Geo cancelled (due to the Pandemic) our scheduled Nile River cruise just 5 days before our departure date in 2022, they asked us to reschedule the cruise. We did, opting to let them hold onto our existing payment of nearly $15,000 for a total of 18 months. Yet when I got vertigo on this year's day of departure and had to cancel, I requested another reschedule which Nat Geo refused, saying we forfeited our entire payment and needed to file a claim with the insurance company which they had endorsed. (That insurance company ultimately denied our claim on a number of flimsy excuses, so we lost our entire payment.) Nat Geo was happy to reschedule our trip when it benefited them, yet was not willing to offer us the same consideration. This double standard is shameful and disgusting. We will no longer have anything to do with this organization. read more

National Geographic Expeditions Yosemite DON'T TAKE THIS EXPEDITION Four of us took the "private" expedition of Yosemite. At great expense, we received a canned itinerary that they were unwilling to be flexible in any way. The last day's special meal was at a place that had been renamed 2 years before and they did not make reservations for us so we had to eat at someplace else. The guide was fabulous but he is an independent contractor, does not work for Nat Geo, and we could have gotten the same tour for thousands less using one of the other tours he works for. There response to our 7 major complaints was to pay us $100 dollars each for the meal we ended up eating on the last day. A really fly-by-night approach to a special place read more

Since Disney took over National Geographic trips have definitely gone downhill. Our recent signature land trip was not up to "snuff." This was our fifth trip with National Geographic. Expedition Leader was good, but we did not really have an "additional expert" along on the trip. Schedule changed as we went, the pace of the trip (in and out of airports) was hectic; got held up by tourist police for an hour (not not trip leader's fault) after a rather painful travel day (i.e., the planning at Nat Geo central needs some better supervision). They changed cruise ships on us and we did not get private airplane back on one final trip segment as promised (and we always got the very back of all planes). No health protocols (and several got ill). The hotel we stayed at most was very noisy (from party boats parked on river). We could not ever get prompt response from Nat Geo pre-trip. read more

Haven't gone on trip yet scheduled for September 10th but I can't get anyone to answer my phone calls or return my phone calls. Doesn't bode well for this company. I have traveled with many different companies an I have never had this experience before. read more

Horrible experience! We paid for a private expedition, and our trip was passed on to a 3rd party, without our knowledge. The service and care was poor and upon receiving our negative feedback, they only gave us minimal credit towards another expedition with them. Save your money and go with another more professional tour company! read more

Went on the Columbia-Snake River trip to visit Hell's Canyon, but, big surprise, Nat Geo cancelled that portion of the trip and instead took passengers to a farm market. Big disappointment. There was no information given prior to the trip that this would happen, and of course there was no type of refund given. Plus, it was almost impossible to get information from Nat Geo before the trip. No one answers the phone, and emails are not returned. Really bad communication policies. read more

Just got back from a NG/Lindblad expedition to Patagonia and Antarctica. It was fabulous. The expedition leaders and naturalists were wonderful - friendly, knowledgeable and considerate. Learned so much and saw more amazing ice sculptures and penguins than I ever imagined. Food excellent and servers outstanding, cabin spacious and well-appointed. There were a few minor hiccups in communications before the trip - I think COVID has really set the travel industry back, and they are way understaffed. This trip had been re-scheduled three times from 2020 b/o COVID. But it was worth the wait, and also worth being patient with over-worked travel agents. read more

For years, I've received the very glossy, high-production catalogue of Small Ship Expeditions. I called to cancel the subscription. Being offered only two menu options, "Current reservations" or "New reservations," I chose "Current reservations." After being on hold for 40 minutes while I multi-tasked, I decided to see how long it would take for them to pick up if I chose "New reservations" --- same story. I gave up after 15 minutes. I'm SO glad I'm not an Expeditions customer! read more

National Geographic is known for good, and expensive, travel experiences. However, it has not adjusted well to the COVID pandemic. I am forced to cancel a Nat Geo trip because of Coronavirus. Although virtually every other travel company waives cancellation fees during the virus, Nat Geo won't refund my deposit. Not even being a National Geographic "Lifelong Explorer" results in a refund. Several appeals went unheeded. Premium prices but poor treatment of a loyal customer. I suggest you look elsewhere! read more

This is definitely more pricy than its actual worth. They claim to give exclusive access to world heritage sites but when we went to Italy, we were offered rushed and basic tours with very little in depth access to the historic sites. read more

When you pay a premium price, you expect an excellent product and excellent service. I can't speak for the product. I can say the service is poor. I waited on a reservation request for over five days. They took my credit card with authorization to charge the entire amount, but I could not get a "yes" or "no" answer from them as to whether or not the expedition was booked. In the meantime, I kept watching the price of plane tickets rise. I feared the worst case scenario where they finally booked the expedition but not in time for me to book air travel ... costing me tens of thousands of dollars for an expedition I could not get to. You'd expect some explanation or even an apology. Instead, I heard only indifference. Basically, we'll let you know when we know ... and we will charge your card whether or not you have plane tickets. Eventually, I purchased the plane tickets and the expedition that they were initially "confident" they could book fell through. Do not be fooled by the name recognition (and the sticker price) of a NG expedition. read more

Our Nat Geo trip was not worth the cost and did not meet our expectations. The trip itinerary was changed a week before departure with downgraded accommodations and a site visit that did not materialize. One of the hotels was so loud that it was difficult to sleep. When mentioned to the representative his response was "Our guests complain about that all of the time." At one point we sat outside of the airport in a bus for more than an hour. Airline transportation purchased by Nat Geo was extremely poor and appeared to be made at the last minute. However, the support they provided to get through the airport was outstanding. While on part of the trip, we could not get internet service at our accommodations. Overall the food was OK and the accommodations lacking. Definitely did not meet our expectations and was not worth the expense. Frankly from the customer service we have received I don't get the impression they care. read more

Nat Geo/Lindblad cruises are very expensive, but sadly the one I took to the Arctic and Greenland in summer 2017 was average at best. On the ground, staff were incredibly unorganized. We were stranded at the airport by their bus. Confusion was rampant and no one knew what to do with our luggage, etc., and this continued whenever arriving/departing at hotels. On the ship, which was well run and clean, the expedition staff was very unpleasant & unapproachable, even downright insulting. Not so the waiters and ship's crew, they were all friendly and efficient. It was the expedition leader and his assistant who were quite unfriendly, quick to show their annoyance with all of us. I could go on, but it was mostly the arrogance and disorganization that made things unpleasant. read more

Yesterday (12-13-2021) while we were on the eighth day of a Lindblad National Geographic Expedition cruise on the National Geographic Venture ship from San Pedro to Cabo we went on an cruise excursion to the town San Jose Del Cabo. While there, we innocently went in a store to buy a soft drink and candy. After returning to our ship, we were told we had violated some Nat Geo COVID-19 rule, which had not been explained to us. We were then told that we had to be confined to our room and had to stay there for the rest of the cruise, consisting of three more nights. Two guards were placed outside our room to ensure that we did not leave. We found this unacceptably onerous and asked to leave the ship, which we did later that day. We are triply vaccinated and wore masks on the excursion. We feel we were unjustly singled out and rudely treated, but that aside, those doing cruises should be aware that if those running the ship, judge you violated one of their COVID-19 rules you may be without hearing confined against your will. After leaving the ship we contacted senior management and they denied us any compensation and gave no expression of common human courtesy. We were treated like criminals. We were not in violation of any current CDC rules. None of the written material from Nat Geo had anything about not being allowed to buy food when on an excursion and certainly nothing about something so drastic as being imprisoned for several days. Cruiser beware! read more

We took the southeast Alaska cruise "Alaska Inside Passage" by Lindblad/NG from Sitka to Juneau in May on the Sea Lion. Hosts, naturalists, staff all were outstanding in knowledge and personality. Lindblad lived up to their ads by getting us up-close to nature, had experts leading small groups on shore, telling us about what we were seeing, as well as having a local tribal member on board for a day to give us a cultural talk. The Sea Lion was small enough that we met all our fellow passengers and the Staff for interesting conversations in the Lounge, on deck, and at meals. Cabins were snug, but sufficient, since we only slept in them. Meals were great. Plenty of daily activities, including trips to the shoreline, hikes, and kayaking. Glaciers were breathtaking to watch up close. We would absolutely do another cruise with them. Being May, the salmon were not yet in the creeks for bears and others to feed on. read more

Went on an expedition in December for which we paid $50,000 for a premium cabin. We decided to book another expedition in May to the Galapagos. Unfortunately, my wife was diagnosed with cancer and advised by her doctor that it would be dangerous to travel to a remote location. Lindblad refused to transfer our $1,500 deposit to another expedition at a later date. We didn't want the money back, just transferred. They were rude and unsympathetic. This is just bad business. We were going to spend another $25,000 with them but now will find another company. read more