Adventure, but make it luxury: What to expect on a National Geographic expedition cruise

Corrections & Clarifications: This story was updated to clarify Trey Byus is the chief expedition efficer for Lindblad.

As I stood in an empty parking lot right on the outskirts of Reykjavik, Iceland, on a chilly night in August, I watched a volcanic fissure eruption spew fiery red lava against the late-night sky.

I didn’t even mind the howling wind whipping my face numb. It was one of those take-your-breath-away moments.

This was the final night of my National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions expedition cruise circumnavigating Iceland for 10 days – and watching an eruption wasn’t on the itinerary at all.

Located in southwestern Iceland and posing no threat to communities, a volcano had serendipitously begun to erupt on our final evening. The expedition team seized the moment to show its passengers Iceland’s famous volcanic geography in real time, announcing the volcano viewing that morning. (We had returned to Reykjavik a day early after having skipped our final stop at Heimaey because of bad weather.)

Viewing the volcano felt as if we were watching a cover of National Geographic come to life – and that’s exactly what the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions cruises seek to accomplish.

National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions’ small luxury expedition cruises take travelers off the beaten path to immerse them in the local culture and natural beauty of the destination. As Trey Byus, chief expedition officer for Lindblad Expeditions, put it, these journeys make guests feel as if they’re "living the pages of National Geographic."

Here’s what travelers should know about the cruises.

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What is National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions?

It’s a long-standing partnership between two companies that share a heritage of conservation and exploration. We all know and love National Geographic for its up-close and personal encounters with wildlife and pristine natural environments. Similarly, Lindblad Expeditions is regarded as a pioneer in ecotourism, starting with voyages to Antarctica in 1966.

“There are a lot of shared missions and values that are all about conservation and making the world and communities a better place,” Byus said.

The two companies joined in 2004 and now offer more than 100 itineraries to all seven continents via 20 chartered and owned ships. Think unspoiled, wild destinations like Baja, the Amazon, the Galapagos, Iceland, Antarctica and more.

What makes National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions cruises unique?

Travelers can feel the National Geographic ethos of sustainability and conservation throughout the cruise, from being on board genuine research ships to the curated team of naturalists made up of scientists and cultural experts to add another layer of depth to what we’re seeing and doing. (On my expedition, the naturalists included volcanic geologists and Icelandic locals who shared folklore from their childhoods.)

Every expedition also has a National Geographic expert “to bring the pages of National Geographic even more alive and infuse a little more National Geographic into the experience,” according to Byus. For mine, it was the award-winning nature photographer Paolo Verzone, who held photography talks and was always around to assist travelers capturing the moment.

For some travelers, living out their National Geographic dream is what brought them onboard. Linda and Paul Katz from Chesapeake, Virginia, said a cruise with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions had been on their bucket list for several years as longtime fans of NatGeo’s magazine and television network.

“We’ve seen a lot of the world on cruises, and we talked about NatGeo for a long time,” Linda Katz said.

Families with children up to age 18 can also participate in the Global Explorers program, which curates programming to make them feel like budding scientists with field notebooks to fill out and badges to earn.

How much does a National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions cruise cost?

The Circumnavigation of Iceland itinerary starts at $18,782 per person and is all-inclusive with food, drinks including alcohol, excursions, onshore excursions and airport transfers. Your flights, spa treatments and laundry are not included.

Although the Explorer didn’t have a pool or hot tub like some of their other ships, it did have a fitness center, sauna and library on the observation deck. Guests are also welcome to stop by the bridge and chat with the captain.

What can you expect from a National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions cruise?

Gear up for a lot of adventure and education but in an intimate setting, both on and off the ship.

The 400-foot-long National Geographic Explorer ship I was on held 148 passengers in 81 cabins. Because it's small, the ship could access the more remote parts of Iceland that would be harder to reach by car or impossible for a bigger ship. Although I was on an expedition, I was far from roughing it – there was turndown service and afternoon tea served daily.

As we circled Iceland, each day presented several activity options for exploration, from hikes (with varying levels of difficulty) to e-biking and bus tours. Through these, I had the chance to see puffins, majestic waterfalls and serene glacial lagoons, as well as visit the Arctic Circle and a geothermal bath.

Passengers were split into six groups, so disembarking and activities never felt hectic. “You’re not being herded in and herded out like other cruises,” Paul Katz said. “They say it’s an expedition, not a cruise, an expedition.”

Every night before dinner there was a debriefing of the day’s activities and what to expect the next day – and because it's an expedition, plans can change on a dime. During this time, the naturalists also had a chance to share insights into the port we were visiting, like the birds we saw or what the dive team discovered below the surface that day, complete with underwater film footage.

The antithesis of mass tourism

As large cruises get flak for contributing to overtourism and inundating destinations when they arrive with thousands of guests, National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions is highly intentional about where – and how – they visit places.

Itineraries are carefully curated to weave in important aspects of the destination’s culture, history and natural environment while balancing the must-do's and off-the-beaten path activities. “It’s a very complicated recipe of ingredients,” Byus said. On my expedition, I had the chance to visit the iconic Diamond Beach and a former herring factory in the tiny village of Djupavík now restored into a museum by a local family.

With a focus on leaving a positive impact, National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions works directly with local guides for the onshore excursions and will cancel a docking if there are too many ships. (We replaced Siglufjorour with Djupavik because of too much “marine traffic.”)

“We give a lot of thought into how we impact the community, so we listen to and work with the locals,” Byus said. “A lot of dialogue goes into it.”

There’s also the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic Fund, which passengers are encouraged to donate to support research, conservation and educational programming. So far, over 30,000 passengers have invested more than $22 million.

The expeditions seek to go beyond supporting the economy by encouraging guests to not just witness but engage with the community. When poor weather stranded my excursion group in Djúpivogur, our local guide pivoted by taking us to a new brewery and a local family’s corral, where we watched Icelandic horses perform their unique tölt gait – giving us a glimpse into authentic Icelandic life.

“We want (the communities we visit) to look at us at someone who’s going to be a part of the fabric of the community. We want them to look forward to our return,” Byus said. “It’s not just surface level.”

The reporter on this story received access to this sailing from National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is it like to take an expedition cruise with National Geographic?