Deal watch: Lindblad offers free airfare to Galapagos

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Charles Darwin Research station, Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic is offering free airfare from New York and Miami to its island cruises on sailings this year.

The deal is open to passengers on any available September to December 2014 departure on the 10-day Galapagos trip aboard National Geographic Endeavour and the 16-day trip, which adds a visit to Peru.

Every Lindblad-National Geographic Galapagos sailing visits the Darwin Research Station, which breeds giant tortoises for repatriation, among many other programs to protect the islands and its wildlife.

The free air promotion is available for bookings made by Sept. 30. Rates for the 10-day expedition begin at $5,490 per person, double occupancy in a Category 1 cabin; the 16-day trip starts at $10,380.

For more information, visit expeditions.com. For a look inside a Lindblad vessel, click through the carousel below.

This item was written by Larry Bleiberg, former travel editor of The Dallas Morning News and Coastal Living magazine. Bleiberg is serving as Guest Editor of The Cruise Log while Paste BN Cruise Editor Gene Sloan is away.