3 independent reviews for Scottish Hebrides guided wildlife tour

Thank you very much for taking the time to write some comments regarding your cruise in April. We really appreciate it and shall address every issue carefully. We have also replied to the email you sent to us, with care. I am very pleased that you enjoyed visiting Lunga, one of the beautiful Treshnish Isles, where there is an important puffin colony. Lunga is a site of Special Scientific Interest because of the plants which grow there. It is especially famous for the breeding colonies of kittiwakes, Manx shearwaters, guillemots, razorbills, storm-petrels and the colony of puffins which, in the breeding season, allow you to approach very close. Our small cruise ships, because they are small, can take their passengers in places which bigger vessels would not be able to visit, which is so special and exciting. Our three vessels are small cruise ships and Gemini’s saloon and cabins are small but they have been carefully designed when the boat was entirely refurbished recently. There are pictures of our three vessels' cabins on our website to help our future guests decide if this vacation is suitable for them. I am sorry if you didn't see these. I should have made sure that you did. I would like to reassure you regarding our commitment to sustainable tourism. We always support local communities and employ the services of the local marina, shops, services, restaurants and guides. These suppliers employ local staff. We encourage our guests to visit locally important heritage sites, visit local gardens, craft shops and participate in cultural events. We also work with local wildlife rangers and tour guides. With regards to our environmental impact: We ask guests to bring their own water bottles which we refill. We do not use straws, plastic cutlery/plates, drink stirrers. We recycle all of our waste where it is possible to do so. We buy items with minimal packaging. Engine revolutions are kept to a minimum to reduce fuel consumption. We do not travel at night as we anchor in secluded anchorages and in two of our vessels the fuel consuming generators are switched off to give quiet ships. All fuel usage is recorded so that fuel consumption can be tightly monitored. Our company depends largely on the internet and word of mouth for marketing to reduce paper waste. We use low energy LEDs where possible. When purchasing equipment, priority is given to the products that consume less water, energy and fuel. Guests traveling all the way by public transport (bus, ferry or train) will receive a Green Voucher towards the cost of their cruise. We try to use seasonal and locally produced food when possible, which, unfortunately, isn’t always the case, depending on the season and demand. Vegetarians and Vegans are catered for. Gemini has been successfully operating from May to October 2021 and in Spring 2022 and you were definitely not used as guinea pigs. There are many very good reviews from our 2021 guests on the Responsible Travel website. We have also already had good reviews from our 2022 guests aboard Gemini. Two of the guests who travelled with you in April 2022 aboard Gemini were returning guests and are already planning their 2023 cruise. I hope this will help you see better what we offer to our guests.