Lindblad Expeditions cruise policies
Lindblad Expeditions Policies: Deposits, Final Payment, Cancellation, Gratuities, Dress Code and Age Rules
Every booking rule that affects your wallet or your packing list, on one page: what you pay when you book, when the balance is due, what it costs to cancel, which ships already include crew gratuities and drinks, what to wear at dinner and who can sail. Figures are Lindblad's own, from the Reservation Terms and Conditions and Cancellation Policy that apply to bookings made in the United States.
Deposit
Lindblad calls the deposit an advance payment. It is 15% of the cabin fare per person, due at the time of reservation, on every ship and itinerary. Lindblad does not vary it by destination or length, so a Galápagos week and a three-week Antarctic voyage both take 15%. Promotional offers can replace it with their own amount, sometimes nonrefundable, and the invoice says which terms you booked under.
| Cruise length | Deposit |
|---|---|
| Every expedition, every ship (standard terms) | 15% of the cabin fare per person, due at reservation |
| Pre- and post-voyage extensions | Included in the same advance payment; extensions follow the same cancellation schedule |
| Promotional fares (for example the Air Included offer on select Pacific Coast departures) | Set by the offer; the Air Included offer takes a nonrefundable 25% deposit and its own cancellation terms |
| Reduced-deposit sales | Lindblad runs them from time to time (the last, 50% off the advance payment, applied to bookings made June 10 to August 18, 2026 for departures through December 31, 2027); the balance of the deposit is then due with final payment |
Good to know
- The advance payment is refundable in effect until the cancellation schedule begins: cancel 120 days or more before departure and Lindblad returns it as a Lindblad Expeditions Travel Certificate, valid for 12 months and usable toward final payment on any future booking, rather than as cash.
- Airfare is an additional cost unless the itinerary says it is included. Lindblad will book flights for a $50 per-person service fee, and tickets it issues follow each airline's own refund and change rules, outside the cruise schedule.
- Lindblad is currently offering up to $2,000 in air credits per person on select 2027 and 2028 voyages booked by November 4, 2026; the credit does not change the 15% advance payment.
- Under normal conditions the total expedition cost is guaranteed at booking. Lindblad reserves the right to pass on increases in fuel, currency, government taxes or security costs with what it calls a transparent accounting of the reason.
- Lindblad's Travel Protection Plan can be bought any time before the final payment date; it is sold to U.S. residents only and its premium is refundable within 10 days of receiving the plan documents.
Final payment
The balance is due 120 days before departure on every expedition, whatever the ship, destination or length. Book inside 120 days and the full fare is due at booking. Lindblad does not publish a separate schedule for polar, long or holiday voyages, but it warns that the cancellation terms on some of them differ, and the invoice is the authority.
Standard schedule
| Cruise length | Balance due |
|---|---|
| Every expedition, every ship | 120 days before departure |
| Reduced-deposit promotional bookings | 120 days before departure, with the rest of the advance payment due the same day |
| Bookings made inside 120 days | Full payment at booking |
Good to know
- Final payment is for the cruise fare, extensions and any services Lindblad has arranged; airfare Lindblad books for you is charged when the tickets are issued, under the airline's rules.
- Lindblad takes credit cards and accepts online payments through its guest portal; we can also make the payment for you and pass on the receipt.
- Final travel documents are released about one week before departure, so a late balance can hold up your documents as well as the booking.
- Pay by the deadline or the reservation can be cancelled and the cancellation schedule applied; the day Lindblad receives payment is what counts.
Cancellation charges
Charges are a percentage of the trip cost, which Lindblad defines as the total price paid including extensions, charter airfare and other additional services, and depend on the day Lindblad receives your cancellation notice. The schedule applies to reservations made on or after May 1, 2023. Changing your departure date or your choice of voyage inside the penalty period counts as a cancellation. Scheduled airline tickets follow the airline's rules, not this schedule.
Standard cancellation policy
Every ship and destination unless your invoice shows different terms. Longer voyages, holiday departures and promotional fares can carry their own schedule.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | 120 days or more | No penalty; the advance payment is returned as a Travel Certificate valid for 12 months, usable toward final payment on a future booking |
| Any length | 119 to 90 days | 50% of the trip cost |
| Any length | 89 days to departure | 100%, no refund |
Promotional and special-offer bookings
Fares sold with their own deposit terms, for example the Air Included offer on select departures.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | Any time | The deposit named in the offer is nonrefundable from the day it is paid; the rest of the trip follows the schedule printed on the invoice |
Good to know
- The Travel Certificate for a cancellation 120 days or more out is not cash: it is valid for 12 months from the cancellation date and can only be applied to the final payment of a future Lindblad booking.
- Lindblad's Travel Protection Plan (Trip Mate Plus, U.S. residents only, bought before final payment) includes a cancellation waiver: cancel for a covered reason and the trip cost comes back in cash; cancel for any other reason before departure and the nonrefundable portion comes back as a Lindblad voucher valid for one year.
- Without the plan, Lindblad recommends buying trip-cancellation insurance; the 50% step at 119 days is steep compared with the big ocean lines.
- Lindblad does not publish a name-change or substitution rule; ask us before final payment and we will put the request to Lindblad in writing.
- If Lindblad cancels or fails to perform a voyage, it refunds in full to the original form of payment under the Federal Maritime Commission rule; refund requests go in writing to bookings@expeditions.com.
- Refunds go back to the original payment method, or to SmartCruiser when we made the payment for you, and we pass them straight on.
- The Travel Protection Plan premium itself is not refunded outside the 10-day review window, even if Lindblad cancels or reschedules the voyage.
- Unused services, excursions and nights are not refunded, and leaving an expedition early or a no-show counts as a cancellation on the day of departure.
Gratuities
Whether crew gratuities are in the fare depends on the ship. On the four National Geographic polar ships and most of the chartered vessels Lindblad uses in Europe, Asia and the Pacific they are included; on the Galápagos, Alaska, Baja California and Amazon ships they are at your discretion and settled at the end of the voyage. Lindblad does not publish a recommended daily amount online; guidance is given on board.
| Stateroom | Daily gratuity |
|---|---|
| National Geographic Endurance, Resolution, Explorer and Orion | Crew gratuities included in the fare |
| Sea Cloud II, Lord of the Glens, The Jahan, Aqua Blu, Connect, Evolve, Oberoi Philae and Sun Goddess | Crew gratuities included in the fare |
| National Geographic Endeavour II, Islander II, Gemini and Delfina (Galápagos) | Not included; at your discretion, Lindblad publishes no amount |
| National Geographic Sea Bird, Sea Lion, Quest and Venture (Alaska, Pacific Northwest, Baja California, Central America) | Not included; at your discretion, Lindblad publishes no amount |
| Delfin II, Delfin III and Greg Mortimer | Not included under the Reservation Terms (the What's Included page lists Greg Mortimer as included; the terms govern) |
| Land programs, hotels and local guides in the itinerary | Gratuities included unless the itinerary says otherwise |
Good to know
- Lindblad gives no per-day figure on its website or in its terms; third-party cruise guides have long quoted $10 to $12 per guest per day as the line's suggested crew gratuity, and recent Galápagos reviews report a suggested total of about $180 per guest for a week, which is why we tell you to budget for it and confirm the figure on board.
- On the ships where tips are extra, the suggested amount is charged with your shipboard account at the end of the voyage and can be paid by card, cash or check drawn on a U.S. bank; it is shared among the whole ship's crew. Galápagos naturalists are licensed by the national park, not employed by the ship, and are tipped separately.
- Beer, wine, cocktails and spirits are included on every ship except Connect, Evolve, Oberoi Philae and Sun Goddess, which include beer and wine (with meals on the Nile ships) but charge for cocktails and spirits; premium wines and spirits are extra fleet-wide.
- Basic Starlink Wi-Fi for email, messaging and social media is complimentary fleet-wide; enhanced and premium plans for browsing and video are sold on board.
- Most ships provide snorkeling gear, wetsuits and kayaks, a complimentary parka or jacket on Arctic and Antarctic voyages, a reusable water bottle, a ship's doctor on most voyages and all excursions in the itinerary; scuba diving, spa treatments, laundry (except on the Nile ships and for Suite Amenities categories) and premium excursions are extra.
Dress code
No formal nights on any Lindblad ship. The line's own packing guidance says there is never a need to pack a formal outfit: days and evenings are casual and built around the expedition, so what you wear ashore in the morning is fine at dinner, and guests generally change into clean, comfortable clothes for the evening recap and meals.
Daytime and landings
Layered outdoor clothing for the destination: quick-dry pants or shorts, long sleeves and a hat in the Galápagos and Baja, waterproof shell and base layers in Alaska, and the complimentary parka with your own waterproof pants and the ship's boots in the Arctic and Antarctica.
Evenings on board
Casual and comfortable: casual pants, jeans, khakis or leggings with a turtleneck, T-shirt or light sweater; a fleece or sweatshirt for the lounge. No jacket, tie, cocktail dress or formal wear is needed on any voyage.
Footwear
Sturdy rubber-soled shoes on board (sneakers, walking shoes or hiking boots); sandals or water shoes for wet landings in warm destinations. Some Galápagos ships ask guests to leave landing shoes at the gangway.
Dress Your Best nights
| Cruise length | Formal nights |
|---|---|
| Any length | 0 |
House rules
- Bulky shells and heavy sweaters are too warm for the lounge and dining room; Lindblad suggests lighter tops you can layer under a zip-up fleece.
- Swimwear and wetsuits stay on deck and in the mudroom; a cover-up is expected inside.
- On Arctic and Antarctic voyages every guest receives a parka to keep, and expedition boots are provided for landings; pack your own waterproof pants, gloves and hat.
- Smoking and vaping are allowed only in designated outdoor areas on every ship.
- Some land programs visit religious sites that require covered shoulders and knees; pack a light layer.
Age rules
Children are welcome on every Lindblad expedition, always traveling with a parent or guardian, and the minimum age depends on the destination and the ship. Age is counted on the day of embarkation.
Minimum age to sail without a parent or guardian
| Departure | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Every sailing, every ship | Lindblad publishes no age for traveling without a parent or guardian; its terms require every child to travel with one, and guests booking on their own are treated as adults, so plan on 18 |
Stateroom assignment
Children must travel with a parent or guardian on every Lindblad voyage. Most cabins can be set up with twin beds, several ships have adjoining cabins that turn two rooms into a family suite, and select ships have larger staterooms that sleep a family; book early for school-holiday departures, which sell out first. Lindblad publishes no rule for a minor occupying a cabin alone, so we book children in a cabin with, or adjoining, their parent or guardian.
Infants
| Sailing | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Most expeditions | 6 months on the day of embarkation |
| Antarctica, Northwest Passage and Canadian Arctic, Greenland and Iceland, Svalbard and Norway, and any voyage visiting Baffin Island | 4 years |
| Connect, Evolve (Norway and Scotland) and Sea Cloud II | 1 year |
| The Jahan (Mekong) | 5 years |
| Delfin II and Delfin III (Amazon) and Oberoi Philae (Nile) | 7 years |
Drinking age
| Departure or destination | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Every sailing | Lindblad does not publish a minimum drinking age. Its U.S.-flagged ships in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and other U.S. waters are subject to the U.S. legal age of 21, and elsewhere the law of the ship's flag and ports applies; ask us about a specific voyage |
Good to know
- The National Geographic Explorers-in-Training program, developed with National Geographic Education and led by a certified field educator, runs on every Alaska, Baja California and Galápagos departure and on select Antarctica voyages (Voyage to Antarctica, Quest for the Antarctic Circle and the Antarctica Direct itineraries); the National Geographic Expeditions Adventurers program runs on summer Iceland departures. Lindblad publishes no age range for either; both are for kids and teens.
- Lindblad has no kids club, babysitting or children's menus as such; children join the full program of landings, Zodiac cruises, snorkeling and recaps alongside the adults, with an adult in tow.
- Family offers come and go: Lindblad has run $500 off per child under 18 and free or half-price fares for guests 22 and under on select summer departures. Ask us what is current before you book a school-holiday sailing.
- Solo travelers: Lindblad waives the solo premium on select departures and cabin categories, and runs a roommate-matching program on certain ships where you pay the double-occupancy rate whether or not a roommate is found.
- Smoking and vaping are allowed only in designated outdoor areas on every ship, and never ashore in the Galápagos.
- There is no casino on any Lindblad ship. Guests must be able to get in and out of a Zodiac with crew assistance and manage the landings on their itinerary; Lindblad recommends travel protection on every booking.
- A child below the minimum age for the itinerary or ship is not carried, so check the embarkation date against the birthday before you book an Antarctic, Arctic, Amazon or Nile voyage.
How SmartCruiser handles the fine print for you
- We put your 120-day final payment date on our calendar and remind you before it, so a booking never cancels by accident and your documents arrive on time.
- Before final payment we watch your voyage for Lindblad's air credits, solo-premium waivers and family offers and move your booking to a better offer when Lindblad allows it.
- Lindblad counts a cancellation from the day it receives the notice, so we handle cancellations, date changes and cabin moves with Lindblad directly and tell you the exact charge, and whether it comes back as a Travel Certificate, before you decide.
- Lindblad's Travel Protection Plan, flights through Lindblad's air desk, extensions and pre- and post-voyage hotels go on your invoice if you want them, and we tell you up front whether your ship includes crew gratuities and the bar.
- SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on Lindblad expeditions where the line allows it, not available booking direct. Ask for it when you call 1-800-444-1560.
Last verified October 14, 2026 against Lindblad Expeditions's own pages: Reservation Terms and Conditions (effective September 30, 2026), Cancellation Policy (reservations made on or after May 1, 2023), Cancellation Policy PDF (May 2023), What's Included (gratuities and drinks by ship, Wi-Fi, gear), Travel Protection Plan (Trip Mate Plus, cancellation waiver), Plan Your Expedition FAQs (deposits, solo travelers, inclusions), Family Voyages and Explorers-in-Training, What to Wear to the Arctic (no formal outfit needed, parka), Terms of Service (July 13, 2026) and current air credit offer, Cruise Critic: expedition line tipping policies (third-party gratuity guidance). These deposit, payment and cancellation terms are Lindblad's Reservation Terms and Conditions (effective and last updated September 30, 2026) and its Cancellation Policy for reservations made on or after May 1, 2023, as published on expeditions.com for U.S. bookings. Lindblad sells the same expeditions in Australia, the United Kingdom and other markets under their own terms and currencies, and National Geographic-branded sales channels can carry different payment schedules. Promotional fares, charters and some longer or holiday departures carry their own deposit and cancellation terms, and in every case the reservation invoice governs. Policies change; the cruise line's ticket contract and the terms on your booking confirmation govern.
Questions
Lindblad Expeditions policy FAQ
How much is the deposit on a Lindblad expedition?
When is final payment due?
What does it cost to cancel?
Is the Lindblad deposit refundable?
Are gratuities included on Lindblad?
Are drinks included?
Does Lindblad have formal nights?
Can children sail on Lindblad, and from what age?
Ask a Lindblad Expeditions specialist
Deposits, deadlines, cancellations and what to pack: one call and it is handled, with SmartCruiser's bonus onboard credit on your booking.