National Geographic Gemini

The 2004-built (as "MS Xpedition"/fka Celebrity Xpedition) cruise ship National Geographic Gemini was the oldest vessel in the Celebrity Cruises Galapagos fleet. It belonged to the company's small-sized "expedition fleet" - with fleetmates Celebrity Xploration/Nat Geo Delfina (2007) and Celebrity Flora (2019).

The vessel (IMO number 9228368) is currently Ecuador-flagged (MMSI 735023483).

Celebrity Xpedition's last drydock refurbishment (by Celebrity Cruises) was in 2022.

History - construction and ownership

In June 2024 Celebrity Cruises sold its older Galapagos-based ships (Celebrity Xpedition and Celebrity Xploration) to Linblad Expeditions, starting revenue operations for the new shipowner in January 2025. Following the announcement, Celebrity Cruises canceled all Galapagos voyages scheduled for both ships for 2025 (January through December).

Celebrity Cruises acquired both boats in March 2016 from the two-ship company Ocean Adventures. The purchase of the 16-passenger catamaran Athala II (Celebrity Xploration) and 48-passenger yacht Eclipse (Celebrity Xperience) increased Celebrity's Galapagos capacity by 65%.

Xploration and Xperience joined Celebrity's fleet in spring 2016 but started regular operations in January 2017 following extensive drydocks.

The 100-passenger Galapagos ship National Geographic Gemini offers personal attention afforded by the smaller size. Its active cruisetour itinerary program attracts younger and better-educated travelers. The vessel is honored consistently as the best Galapagos eco-friendly ship. It features wastewater treatment advanced system in the islands, onboard desalination system (which covers the boat's freshwater needs), dedicated recycling staff and room.

In June 2019, cruise ship's passenger capacity was officially reduced from 98 down to 68. All deck 3 cabins and some of deck 4's rooms (numbers 401-409-415-416-417-418-419-420) became no longer offered/available for booking. In September 2019, the occupancy was further reduced to 48.

Decks and Cabins

Most Nat Geo Gemini staterooms (33 out of 49 total, in 5 grades) are sized 15-m2/160-ft2 and in categories Premium and Deluxe. All passenger cabins are outside/with oceanviews and include 8 Suites. Two are wheelchair-accessible cabins. The largest is the Penthouse Suite (460 ft2 / 43 m2 plus 150 ft2 / 14 m2 terrace).

The boat has 6 decks, of which 4 are passenger-accessible and all with cabins.

Shipboard facilities and amenities

Celebrity Xpedition/National Geographic Gemini ship is among the highest-rated in the Galapagos Islands. The boat offers excellent service and food, an intimate setting for exotic voyages, together with many of the larger ships' amenities.

Celebrity Xpedition cruise fares included beer, liquor, soft drinks, house wine, and all gratuities and shore excursions. The dining venues include a main dining room, outdoor Beagle Grill and Darwin's Restaurant with an elegant yet casual ambiance.

Passengers can have a beverage at the Blue Finch Bar while enjoying the perfect ocean views.

The 24-hour room service menu includes fries, hot sandwiches, drinks and part of Darwin Restaurant dishes.

Follows the complete list of Celebrity Xpedition restaurants and food bars.

Darwin Restaurant (106-seat forward Dining Room; features world-class cuisine, with a menu reflecting the Galapagos itinerary: locally grown organic fruits, vegetables, fresh fish)

Beagles Restaurant & Grill (78-seat, aft buffet restaurant for casual breakfast, lunch grill and burger bar. Once on every Xpedition cruise, the Beagles serves as Dining Room with fresh seafood and barbeque).

The Discovery Lounge houses a small library and a stage for presentations and lectures given by naturalists accompanying guests during the voyage.

The luxury onboard is impressive and the cruise company is targeting younger and well-educated guests. Have your time to unwind in the spa, hot tub, sauna and sunning area on the Sunrise Deck.

The superyacht is capable of visiting smaller ports, something impossible for bigger cruise ships.

Follows the complete list of Celebrity Xpedition lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Gift Shop (toiletries, clothes, lotions, sundries, logo merchandise)
• Beauty Centre (Beauty Salon for cosmetics and treatments)
• Beach Club (marine platform for launching Zodiacs and storing snorkel/diving equipment)
• Internet Cafe (Internet computers room)
• Library (books and board games)
• Discovery Lounge & Bar (98-seat main lounge and entertainment area, with its own full bar, Wi-Fi, dance floor. The program features films, trivia games, karaoke, live piano performances, dance parties. The lounge hosts Galapagos Islands related lectures by certified naturalists and various discussions)
• Blue Finch Bar (indoor complimentary bar, with canopied seats for panoramic sea views; most of the drinks served are complimentary)
• Spa & Fitness area: Exercise Room (small fitness/gym with stationary bikes, walking/running treadmills, steppers, free weights)
• Massage Room; Sundeck area (with Hot Tub and sun loungers).

Itineraries

Nat Geo Gemini ship starts operations for Lindblad with the maiden voyage on March 14, 2025. The boat operates 10- and 16-day Galapagos cruisetours. The 10-day package includes flights (to and from Baltra's Galapagos Ecologic Airport) plus a 2-night overnight hotel in Guayaquil or Quito.

The 10-day "Exploring Galapagos: One Week Sailing the Islands" itinerary starts with the flight to Ecuador (Quito or Guayaquil, with an overnight hotel stay), embarkation in Guayaquil (flight to Baltra/DAY2), visiting North Seymour, Isabela, Fernandina, Espanola, Floreana, Santa Cruz, Bartolome, Santiago, Genovesa, and San Cristobal, ship debarkation in Baltra and flight to Guayaquil/Quito (DAY9), overnight hotel in Guayaquil/Quito and return flight (DAY10). Prices in 2024 started at US$6200 per person.

Lindblad's 10-day package can be combined with a 6-day land tour extension to Peru (Cusco/Machu Picchu, Lima).

The 16-day "Exploring Galapagos + Machu Picchu and Peru's Land of the Inca" itinerary starts with a hotel stay (in Quito or Guayaquil), embarkation in Guayaquil (flight to Baltra and boarding the ship/DAY2), visiting the islands North Seymour, Isabela, Fernandina, Espanola, Floreana, Santa Cruz, Bartolome, Santiago, Genovesa, and San Cristobal, Guayaquil (ship debarkation, flight to Lima, Peru/DAY9), overnight hotel in Lima (DAY10), flight from Lima to Cusco (DAY11), visiting the Urubamba Valley (DAY12), Machu Picchu (DAY13-14), Cusco (DAY15), flight from Cusco to Lima (DAY16). Prices in 2024 started at US$12400 per person.

Celebrity Xpedition's Galapagos itinerary

Celebrity Xpedition's itinerary program was based on year-round, roundtrip 7-day luxury Galapagos cruises with departures from Balta. The ship offered Ecuador and Peru land tour packages for up to 12-day exotic South America vacations.

The next map of the Galapagos Islands cruise ship itineraries shows the archipelago's two main routes (inner loop and outer loop) and its all-island stops (ports/landing sites).

Celebrity Xpedition's Galapagos package deals were inclusive of:

• Quito airport transfers to and from your hotel
• 3 overnight hotel stays in Quito (JW Marriott, 2 before and 1 after the Galapagos cruise)
• (full-day, before sailing) Quito city tour
• (afternoon, after sailing) Quito shopping tour
• 8 days Galapagos Islands cruise (all inclusive) - accommodation, meals, wine and champagne, alcohol, beer, and soft beverages, also tips/gratuities
• air travel from Quito to Galapagos to Quito
• Baltra transfer to the ship
• complimentary National Park Entrance
• All Galapagos Islands shore excursions and tours (guided).

Celebrity Cruises Xpedition ship is the company's only Expedition-class boat and has no sisterships. MS Xpedition is a nice alternative to the Celebrity's much bigger liners. Xpedition offers a more intimate cruising experience provided by its small but dedicated staff and crew. She has a limited capacity (98 pax), and her Galapagos cruising guests are usually younger and well-educated active travelers.

Celebrity Xpedition is the fleet's smallest vessel - built in Germany, launched (floated-out from drydock) on February 17, 2001, and inaugurated in 2004 (June 13). Despite the smaller size, MS Xpedition still is luxurious and even offers more personal attention to each passenger. The boat combines features, amenities, cuisine and the service of the Celebrity's high level with the intimacy and the calmness of a smaller vessel. Crew members are almost only Ecuadorian. The amenities onboard Xpedition ship include Sunrise Deck, The Blue Finch Bar, Discovery Lounge, Darwin's Restaurant and Beagle Grill. Staterooms are elegant, furniture is trendy.

The cruise ship is more like a mega-yacht. Its former name is "Sun Bay 1" (first cruise January 1, 2001). Its shallow drought allows access to Galapagos island destinations that larger vessels can't visit. The boat's small capacity, active itinerary routes and not cheap prices make it most suitable for younger and better educated "high-end adventure" travelers. There are Galapagos National Park-certified onboard naturalists on each sailing. Crewmembers are all Ecuadorian, dress-code is casual.

In 2017, MS Xpedition became Celebrity Cruises Galapagos fleet's biggest ship after the company acquired in 2016 Ocean Adventures' vessels Celebrity Xperience (formerly Eclipse, 48-passenger yacht) and Celebrity Xploration (formerly Athala II, 16-passenger catamaran). Both new Celebrity Galapagos boats officially entered the fleet in February 2017. They both were acquired in March 2016 following Celebrity's acquisition of "Ocean Adventures" (Galapagos travel company). The deal increased Celebrity's passenger capacity in the Galapagos by 65%.

IMPORTANT: In June 2019, cruise ship's passenger capacity was officially reduced from 98 down to 68. All deck 3 cabins and some of deck 4's rooms (numbers 401-409-415-416-417-418-419-420) are no longer offered/available for booking. The change was noted following feedback from Geoff Shepherd.

MS Xpedition Galapagos itineraries

Operating only the Galapagos Islands destination (South America), mv Xpedition Galapagos itinerary maps show two routes, both round-trips leaving from Baltra. The "Inner Loop" itinerary starts with Daphne Island, followed by Jervis Island, Elizabeth Bay, and Caleta Tagus Cove, Sullivan Bay and San Bartolome, Las Bachas and North Seymour. Next are San Cristobal Island (Puerto Baquerizo, Cerro Brujo, San Cristobal again (Kicker Rock) and the Santa Cruz Island (Puerto Ayora) before the Baltra disembarkation.

The "Outer Loop" Galapagos itinerary starts again with the Daphne Island but continues to Gardner Bay, Floreana Island (Punta Cormorant), Bahia Post Office Bay, Urvina Bay, Fernandina Island, Santa Cruz Island, and the return to Baltra.

Celebrity Xpedition refurbishment 2018 review

The ship's drydock refurbishment in 2018 (September 16-23) resulted in the following changes:

• Wi-Fi coverage was upgraded, to provide more reliable and faster connections.
• All passenger staterooms were updated and upgraded with new balcony furniture, new carpeting, new bedding (Celebrity eXhale). All entry cabin doors were outfitted with RFID locks.
• Ship's IT systems were upgraded, including O3b satellite reception, full (shipwide) WiFi coverage, enhanced bandwidth.
• Beagle Grill (aft on Deck 4) received new lighting, furniture, and cooking equipment.
• Discovery Lounge (midship on Deck 4) received a top-notch video wall, updated textiles, upgraded finishes, dedicated for DJs station.
• Darwin's Dining Room (midship-aft on Deck 3) received new carpeting, lighting, millwork.
• Water filtration systems were installed on each deck.

All restaurants and lounges were redecorated.

Crew areas (cabins and lounge/Messhall) were upgraded with new mattresses (eXhale bedding), large TV, carpets.