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Ship comparison

National Geographic Venture vs Wilderness Explorer

The verdict

Which should you choose?

National Geographic Venture is an intimate Lindblad Expeditions ship carrying 100 passengers, in service since 2018. Wilderness Explorer is an intimate Un-Cruise Adventures ship carrying 74 passengers, in service since 1976.

Choose National Geographic Venture if you want more space per passenger, a newer ship or more culture: it outscores Wilderness Explorer for cultural (7.0 vs 5.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores, it has 29.2 gross tons per passenger (vs 12.3) and its maiden voyage was in 2018 (vs 1976).

Choose Wilderness Explorer if you want a better-rated spa and gym or better-rated dining: it outscores National Geographic Venture for spa & fitness (6.0 vs 5.0) and dining (6.0 vs 5.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.

Side by side

Specifications

marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.

National Geographic VentureWilderness Explorer
Cruise line Lindblad Expeditions Un-Cruise Adventures
Ship size Intimate Intimate
Maiden voyagenewer highlighted 2018 (better) 1976
Last refurbishedmore recent highlighted — 2012
Gross tonnage 2,920 910
Passengers 100 74
Crew 52 26
Passengers per crew memberfewer is better 1.9 (better) 2.8
Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier 29.2 (better) 12.3
Decks — 4
Length 239 ft 186 ft
Beam 46 ft 38 ft
Speed — 13 mph
Cruiseable ratingout of 10 — 8 / 10

Bliss scores

How they rate, out of 10

Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. National Geographic Venture leads on 2 of the ten, Wilderness Explorer on 2, with 6 level.

  • Active National Geographic Venture: 10.0 Wilderness Explorer: 10.0
  • Adventure & nature National Geographic Venture: 10.0 Wilderness Explorer: 10.0
  • Cultural National Geographic Venture: 7.0 Wilderness Explorer: 5.0
  • Dining National Geographic Venture: 5.0 Wilderness Explorer: 6.0
  • Entertainment National Geographic Venture: 5.0 Wilderness Explorer: 5.0
  • Family friendly National Geographic Venture: 6.0 Wilderness Explorer: 6.0
  • Party National Geographic Venture: 5.0 Wilderness Explorer: 5.0
  • Romantic National Geographic Venture: 7.0 Wilderness Explorer: 7.0
  • Spa & fitness National Geographic Venture: 5.0 Wilderness Explorer: 6.0
  • Staterooms National Geographic Venture: 6.0 Wilderness Explorer: 5.0

Un-Cruise Adventures

Wilderness Explorer

To complement the wild, natural surroundings of Wilderness Explorer from Un-Cruise Adventures, the interior of the 74-guest expedition ship has been designed with a Pacific Northwest feel, including the nautical-themed main lounge.

Questions

National Geographic Venture or Wilderness Explorer?

Which is bigger, National Geographic Venture or Wilderness Explorer?

National Geographic Venture is bigger at 2,920 gross tons, against 910 gross tons for Wilderness Explorer. National Geographic Venture carries 100 passengers and Wilderness Explorer carries 74.

Which ship is newer, National Geographic Venture or Wilderness Explorer?

National Geographic Venture is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2018 against 1976 for Wilderness Explorer.

Which has more space per passenger?

National Geographic Venture, with 29.2 gross tons per passenger against 12.3 on Wilderness Explorer. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.

Which has more crew per passenger?

National Geographic Venture, with one crew member for every 1.9 passengers against one for every 2.8 on Wilderness Explorer.

Which is better for families?

They score the same for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 6.0 out of 10.

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