French balconies sold as balconies
The National Geographic Venture is the Quest's twin, out of the same
Washington State yard in 2018. Seventy-three metres, 50 cabins, 100 travellers,
four decks, a lift serving every deck, a mudroom with lockers, a hydrophone and
an underwater camera.
One distinction to clear up before booking. Category 4 cabins are advertised
with a balcony. They are in fact small French balconies: a window that opens with
a guardrail in front, without outdoor space to set a chair. It is pleasant and it
is not a balcony. We spell it out because the word does not mean the same thing
from one line to another.
The best family ship in the American fleet
Six pairs of connecting cabins, which is a lot at this size, and a lift serving
every deck. For a family she is the most practical choice among the line's
coastal ships.
For a solo traveller, though, the reservation is real: the only cabins
bookable at single occupancy are the smallest, porthole cabins on the lowest
deck. It is an accepted compromise, but it is a compromise.
Crew gratuities are not included on this ship and there is no National
Geographic photographer aboard. A common-sense note on the crossings to Baja
California: they use open Pacific water with a shallow-draught hull designed for
inside passages. Behaviour in a rough sea is less favourable there than on a
deep-sea ship.
The other ships in the fleet
The National Geographic Quest is her twin, delivered a year earlier. The National Geographic Endeavour II holds the Galapagos. The
National Geographic Resolution covers the polar regions. The National Geographic Delfina is the smallest ship in the fleet.
What the fare covers, and the detail that surprises
Included: the landings and outings of the expedition programme, use of the
Zodiacs, kayaks, paddleboards and snorkelling gear, park entrance fees and
special access permits, port taxes, airport transfers within the recommended
window, and meals aboard. Alcohol is included on every ship but four, which
the line names one by one.
Here is the detail that surprises people. Crew gratuities are included on
only four ships in the fleet: the Endurance, the Resolution, the Explorer and
the Orion. On the other eight ships of the brand they stay on your account. It
is a two-speed mechanism inside one company, and nothing on a ship's page warns
you about it.
The National Geographic photographer follows exactly the same rule: aboard
those same four ships and no others. Everywhere else you will find a certified
photo instructor. That is a real and useful role, but it is not the same thing,
and confusing the two is the first source of disappointment on this fleet.
International air travel is not included. Some internal flights essential to
the route are, when the itinerary says so in black and white.
What "expedition" means here
The programme is not decided in advance. Landings happen where ice, wind and
wildlife allow, and the expedition leader may change the day's plan at lunch.
That is the very principle of this kind of travel, and a traveller attached to
a fixed itinerary will be happier elsewhere.
You go ashore by Zodiac. Often in a wet landing, meaning feet in the water,
from a craft that moves. That calls for being able to go down a gangway ladder,
step over a pontoon and keep your balance. No lift compensates for it.
On accessibility, let us say things as they are. The line publishes no
accessibility policy, and no wheelchair-accessible cabin is documented on any
ship in the fleet, lift or no lift. A professional review sums it up in one
sentence: the ship has elevators but no cabins or accommodations for travellers
with disabilities. Any booking for a traveller with reduced mobility must go
through written confirmation from the line.
From Quebec
None of these routes begins here, and international air travel is not
included in the fare. Depending on the region, expect one or two connections,
and sometimes a compulsory internal flight the itinerary specifies.
Arrive the day before at the very least. On an expedition the ship leaves on
time and does not come back for you. A delayed bag or a shifted flight can be
absorbed by one spare day, and cannot be absorbed at all otherwise.
Our advisors assemble the flight, the expedition, hotel nights, transfers and
insurance in a single file, under the protection of Quebec's compensation fund
for travel agency customers. Write to us and we will look at what the season
allows.
