Forty-eight travellers on a hull built for ninety-six
The National Geographic Gemini was built in Germany in 2001 and joined this
fleet in 2025. Ninety metres, four decks, 48 travellers. That is the interesting
figure: the hull was designed for ninety-six people and now carries half that.
Density is therefore very low, and you feel it in the public rooms and on the
outer decks.
On the number of cabins, two official sources contradict each other: the ship
page announces 28, the launch release announces 27. We use the page, which is
more recent, flagging the disagreement rather than picking the more flattering
figure.
What she offers
Single cabins with a balcony, which is rare in the Galapagos and worth saying
to a solo traveller: elsewhere they pay a supplement. The largest suites in the
archipelago fleet according to the official page. A hot tub and a fitness centre
on the upper deck. Shallow draught and good handling.
What she does not have: no National Geographic photographer aboard, and crew
gratuities are not included. This ship appears on neither official list. The
presence of a lift is confirmed by no source: to be checked before any booking
for a traveller with limited mobility.
One last thing. An online encyclopaedia gives this ship a registration number
that in fact belongs to the National Geographic Resolution. It is a proven
error. We do not repeat it, and neither should you if you check for
yourself.
The other ships in the fleet
The National Geographic Delfina is the smallest in the archipelago. The National Geographic Islander II positions itself as a
private yacht. The National Geographic Endeavour II is the largest of the four. The National Geographic Quest holds Alaska and
Central America.
The fare, item by item
Included: the cabin, all meals aboard, the outings of the expedition
programme, use of the Zodiacs and outdoor equipment, park entrance fees,
special access permits, port taxes and airport transfers within the planned
window. Basic Wi-Fi is included, enough for email and messaging; packages for
streaming are paid aboard.
Not included: international air travel, visas, travel insurance, wellness
treatments, upgraded Wi-Fi packages. And, on eight of the brand's twelve ships,
crew gratuities. They are included only on the Endurance, the Resolution, the
Explorer and the Orion.
One point worth reading twice: the National Geographic photographer sails on
those same four ships only. On all the others, photographic guidance comes from
a certified instructor. The two roles look alike on paper and do not look alike
aboard.
On polar routes, rental of boots and waterproof trousers is charged extra,
where several competitors in the same category supply them.
The typical day, and what it asks
Two outings a day as a rule, early morning and late afternoon, when light and
wildlife line up. Between them, naturalist talks, time on the bridge — open to
travellers on most ships — and rest. In the evening there is no show and no
casino: the day's recap is the programme.
Landings are by Zodiac, sometimes onto a beach with feet in the water. You go
down a gangway ladder and step over the pontoon of a craft that moves. It is the
compulsory passage of this kind of travel, and it is where real mobility gets
measured.
On accessibility, the line publishes no policy and no wheelchair-accessible
cabin is documented on any of its ships. Some have a lift, others do not; none
has an adapted cabin. We would rather say so here than let you discover it at
the gangway.
Leaving from Quebec
The international flight is not included in the fare. Some essential internal
flights are, when the itinerary says so. From Montreal, most of these regions
need at least one connection, often two, and door-to-door time exceeds what the
brochure suggests.
A rule learned the hard way: arrive at least a day before embarkation, two if
the time difference is large. On an expedition there is no catching up: the ship
has sailed.
We assemble flight, expedition, hotels, transfers and insurance into one file,
with the protection of Quebec's compensation fund for travel agency customers.
Tell us about the trip before picking the date.
