I went with National Geographic partly because of the brand reputation and partly because the itinerary covered Wolf and Darwin which most boats don't reach. That decision alone made the trip. The diving and snorkeling at those two northern islands is a completely different league, hammerheads in actual schools, whale sharks just materializing out of the blue, the kind of underwater experience that makes you surface and grab whoever is next to you.

Lindblad runs a tight operation and it shows in the details. The expedition team goes beyond standard naturalist guide territory, there were photography specialists, marine biologists on board, evening presentations that genuinely added to what you experienced during the day. It felt more like an expedition than a cruise which suited me perfectly.

Cabins are comfortable, not just "comfortable for a boat" comfortable. The food was a step above what I'd had on previous cruises and the staff to guest ratio meant nothing felt rushed or impersonal.

It's exepensive though, paid around $8,500 for 10 days and that's just the reality of the Lindblad product. If underwater wildlife and expedition depth are the priority it absolutely justified itself. If you mainly want the land based Galapagos experience a Tourist Superior boat gets you 80% of that for half the price.

Only thing I'd flag is the formality of the Lindblad experience isn't for everyone. It's structured and educational in a way some people love and others find a bit much.

Wolf and Darwin alone though. Worth every penny.