These full and frank independent cruising vacations reviews are from travelers who have booked directly through responsibletravel.com. They are not edited by us or any of the companies we work with. Find the real story, from real travelers below.
Memorable for me for wonderful wildlife we really saw ( so often we have been disappointed, even in Amazon rain forest). We saw dolphins and seals and lots of beautiful sea birds, we fished and laid lobster pots. We caught a lobster, along with crab and star fish, and netted plankton which we examined under microscope. 
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The whole trip from the time we boarded the ship to disembarkation. The most memorable thing was not getting sea sick the ship is that stable...The best ever.
(more)Absolutely fantastic for ALL ages, young and old. Colette is a brilliant cook and the meal she made out of freshly caught Mackerel fish has set a very high bench mark to beat. Michael knows so much and is a very patient teacher. We miss them dearly - thank you for a trip to remember! (more)The most exciting part was snorkelling into a cave whose entrance was only just on the waterline; the most memorable, difficult to say - the company (our group of 6 really gelled), the places we visited (that you can really only get to in a kayak), the islands and their people themselves......
(more)Excellent...The amazing and unusual weather we had, the great amoung of wildlife, the quality of all those running the trip. (more)The Galapagos Islands were great and I definitely recommend going there. However, I would not recommend this operator. (more)Simply stunning. Quite the most inspiring vacation I have ever been on. I would recommend it to anyone.
(more)All of it was memorable, but if I had to pick it would be my first sight of Antarctica which was at sunrise, wow! And my 30 minute dive with a leopard seal. But it was all amazing. (more)
Seeing a mother polar bear and her two cubs walking on the ice floes walking along them then diving in and swimming to the next one. The cubs following on behind her. Fabulous! (more)The most memorable part of this vacation was the astonishing landscapes in general, the walks on the mountains.
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Every part of the vacation was memorable including animals, birds, scenery, the ship (Polar Pioneer), fellow travelers and expedition team. (more)
Skocjan caves was amazing, but we also really enjoyed the experience of kayaking and rafting down the river, the scenery was so beautiful and we had never done that before. (more)
We had a number of local guides showing us around places such as Elephantine Island as well as several stays with local families which were fantastic (more)
The scenery on the boat and on the islands is simply breathtaking... Snorkelling among schools of huge, brilliantly colored tropical fish, penguins, and with sea lions playing along side us - or playing tag with us - were probably the most memorable moments. (more)Standing at the Sun's Gate looking down on Machu Picchu for the first time was awesome! Sitting on a beach having a young sea lion coming up to me and rub his whiskers against my leg was touching. (more)Excellent, I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves wilderness, culture, the landscape, interesting people, sailing, fishing, visiting a part of the world with great beauty, yet harshness, dramatic scenery, art (optional!) and getting away from our crowded world for a brief moment of paradise in a different climate. (more)
Another highlight was the incredible smell of food each time we returned to our mother boat: of superb quality and variety. And believe me, that kayaking makes you real hungry! (more)
The very first Antarctic landing was a photographer's feast that was totally mindblowing at such an early stage of the trip. (more)Most memorable? I think the Pyramids at Giza and the paintings in the tomb of Ramses I, or perhaps it was the gold mask of Tutankamun, or was it the statue of Ramses II at Memphis... it was always a jaw-dropping moment at each place we visited.
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Most memorable were the extremes of weather, the diversity of animals, the quality of the accommodation and facilities, and something you can't plan for - new found friends! (more)We invite every traveler who books a vacation via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the vacations they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same vacation can have different views!
Cruising is a growing trend - it is now expected that the industry will have 20 million passengers by 2012, according to Mintel. It may seem like time spent at sea would have minimal impact on the surrounding environments, local economies, people and cultures but the facts behind this rapidly expanding industry paint a very different picture. The stark reality is that cruise liners do have a significant ecological impact – one that has gone largely unnoticed in the global warming debate – and they bring limited economic benefit to local communities and small businesses. Read more about cruising in this cruising article.
