G Adventures’ G Expedition: a first look

Sam Ballard has a look on board G Adventures’ only vessel,  a small ice-class ship that takes guests on voyages to both the Arctic and Antarctic

With capacity for just 134 guests but boasting an expedition team of 14, the G Expedition is a small ship that packs a punch.

The vessel is currently the only ship in G Adventures’ expedition fleet, and as the small-group specialist continues to lead the way in purpose-led travel, it is no different on board its small, ice-class ship.

During a short call in Edinburgh, travel agents and members of the media were invited to have look around, with the crew having made local headlines that morning after embarking on a litter-pick nearby. (“They’re clearly not used to ships getting involved with that kind of thing,” says Susan Adie, who heads up the ship’s expedition team.)

The G Expedition was completely refurbished in 2009 and now takes G Adventures’ guests on voyages in both the Arctic and Antarctic, from 15-day Norwegian fjords and Arctic discovery cruises (from £7,199 per person) to 22-day Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica sailings (from £8,199 per person). The ship is in Scotland as it passes from pole to pole.

On board, the G Expedition benefits from a gigantic boot room while every passenger gets a complimentary pair of wellies and a destination guide. There’s also a fleet of zodiacs, as well as canoes for pre-bookable excursions.

Accommodations are not fancy, but guests don’t come on G Adventures cruises to relax in their cabins. Entry-level (category 1 and 2) staterooms sleep between three and four guests – mostly same-sex strangers sharing. Interestingly, G Adventures’ entry-level prices are based on sharing a room with others, as opposed to quoting the price of a room based
on a booking of two people.

Other facilities and amenities on board include a gym, sauna, library and pub.

The ship also hosts a vast expedition team. During a welcome session we are introduced to experts in ornithology, geology and pretty much anything else you would like to know about while on board. During the ship tour we also meet the grizzly Terence ‘Scobie’ Pye, a legend in his own right, who was awarded the Fuchs Medal for outstanding service to the British Antarctic Survey back in 1978. The team is led by Adie, who has been an expedition leader for the past 30 years.

When asked what the difference between G Adventures and other expedition cruise lines is, Adie, whose official title is G Adventures’ expedition operations manager, told Cruise Adviser: “It’s all about what’s at the heart of our expeditions. We are a conscious company and that comes through in everything we do, whether it’s the initiatives we run through our Ocean Health Fund, such as the Galapagos Whale Shark Project, or Save The Albatross. We are a company with purpose and that matters to our passengers and our crew.”

G Adventures has raised more than $400,000 (approximately £316,000) over six years for its Ocean Health Fund, which sits under its charitable foundation Planeterra. As many know, 93 per cent of G Adventures’ passengers come into contact with one of its social impact initiatives, which are generally created to help either women, the environment, indigenous communities or youth. The Ocean Health Fund, as the name suggests, is focused on protecting the sea.

G Adventures’ marine style of travel (which includes G Expedition) has grown by 12 per cent year-on-year, only being outpaced by the National Geographic partnership.

While in Scotland, the company revealed that it is going to be adding pre- and post-cruise stays in Edinburgh to G Expedition voyages from 2020. The three-day experiences will include walking and whisky tours, taking guests deep into the Scottish Highlands.