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Elite benefits (like laundry) do not apply on the Galapagos ships. I overheard someone else yesterday say they were pleasantly surprised they got free laundry. Before this cruise, I had heard other reports of others in any suite getting free laundry. The welcome letter we received seems generic as it says "We are pleased to advise you that Celebrity Xpedition provides our suite guests with a one complimentary laundry bag per person (up to 20 pieces per bag), between Sunday and Thursday from 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m."

We crossed the equator this evening (from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere). There was a wine and cheese celebration, music, dancing, and a limbo line. Even our captain really got into it. Just before the crossing a pod of common dolphins swam past us on both sides. It really was a great evening. Captain Ernesto Thoala is third from the right. Christina, second from the left, is our excursion director. She has been working with Celebrity for 7 years and is now permanently assigned to the Xpedition (she has done all three ships). She has a year contract and works three weeks on three weeks off. This is her second week of three in the rotation. She has been fantastic. I go to her often with bird questions. Dinner was very good. I highly recommend the Ecuadorian chicken soup. This evening our sliding door to the front balcony got stuck and so we had a parade of hotel and maintenance staff in our room. They were able to close it for the evening and will work on it in daylight when we are on our excursion tomorrow morning. We have a second side balcony where I was able to move all our drying clothes to. I'm sure all cabins on this ship are good cabins but having a balcony is a huge benefit on this cruise as that is the best place to actually dry your clothes. I've heard that some people bring magnets to hang their items. Our room steward just used hangers on the balcony furniture the first day so we have continued with that technique. She also leaned our shoes up against the wall to get more air circulating around them. With these techniques we rarely are putting on wet clothes/shoes even with so many excursions a day. We also took advantage of the free laundry (which I think is available to all suites). We left it for our room steward before going to dinner last night and it was returned to us while we were at dinner tonight. We packed much lighter than normal and with clothes we thought would handle tough laundry well, planning to use this service twice during our cruise.

Today has been a lighter day both because of a lighter schedule and also the choices we made. This morning as I was enjoying my coffee and going through my photos, I happened to look out the window onto our balcony just as a two Magnificent Frigatebirds flew through our balcony. I had my camera handy and by the time I got out to the balcony, they were hovering just above the ship. It was a female and juvenile. Females have a white chest and black head. Males are all black with a red pouch. Juveniles have a white chest and head. We had breakfast at Darwin's Restaurant. Both breakfast and lunch are served buffet style. Each day, they have had an omelette station plus a variety of hot and cold breakfast foods. I really enjoyed some Huevos Rancheros today and the smoked salmon has been really good. (As an aside since I'm not sure I mentioned it, we did try room service breakfast yesterday. Food was pretty good and it was really nice to enjoy the quiet of our suite.) This morning, we were in Urbina Bay, Isabela. The only option was a short, loop trail with an optional swim afterwards. This was a wet landing on the beach and the waves made it a bit challenging at times. The guides asked us to pay close attention in case they had to pause disembarking. The walk was flat and sandy, with rocks in the path. They had recommended closed toe sandals or shoes because of the rocks. This island has a lot of paper wasps and so we were asked not to wear yellow, orange, or red (clothes, backpacks, etc.) as the wasps might then confuse us with flowers. The highlight of this walk was the giant tortoises in the wild plus I enjoyed all the yellow warblers. Yellow Warblers Land Iguana We actually had about four hours between excursions today which was really nice. Lunch in Darwin's Restaurant was a Spanish themed buffet. They had a seafood paella station with a bit more exotic seafood including octopus. Although I can't say I liked all of it, it was neat to try. In the afternoon, we stopped at Punta Vicente Roca, Isabela Island. There was no landing at this port and the ship was not able to anchor as I understand we were in water 2,000 feet deep or so. I did a deep water snorkeling excursion that was not so great. The waves had really picked up so the zodiac ride out to the site was very bumpy. We snorkeled in a cove which was more protected and calmer but there still was a current pulling you various directions. Additionally, the water was really murky and a bit too deep to see much more than some turtles. Due to the wave conditions, I don't think we were able to snorkel where they would have liked to take us. The cliffs in the cove were pretty and there were penguins, cormorants, and marine iguanas on the rocks (out of the water). There was also a pair of frigate birds circling the area. After snorkeling, there was a wildlife zodiac ride that would take us back to that same cove which we had originally signed up for. With the wave conditions and the fact that I had probably seen most of what the zodiac ride would see, we decided to skip this excursion. When you sign up for an excursion, you are not locked into that excursion. They just like to know if you decide not to go. When I went down to talk to the excursion director, I wasn't the only one cancelling. After cancelling, I grabbed a couple drinks at the bar and headed back up to our suite to relax. Here's a photo from our side balcony of the area where we snorkeled and the zodiac ride would have taken us. It looks calmer in the photo than it is. In the next hour, we cross the equator into the northern hemisphere. We are celebrating with wine and cheese out on deck so will head out soon.

I'll add in a few photos from yesterday and quote from the summary I wrote last night. Blue-footed Boobies Flightless Cormorants - due to lack of predators and an abundance of food in the Galapagos, this is the only species of cormorants that has evolved to no longer be able to fly. Wandering Tattler - a common shorebird (with a Sally Lightfoot Crab in the background) Galapagos Penguin Coming back from the extended wildlife zodiac ride, we found a sea lion had made himself comfortable in one of the kayaks. These photos were taken with my iPhone 14 pro in a SeaLife Sports Diver underwater housing. Underwater photography is not my specialty. Flightless Cormorant swimming with us Galapagos Penguin Starfish Again, these photos (and video) are from my iPhone with the underwater case. SportDiver_20231113_151619.MOV I started with my 16-35mm lens to get a few landscape shots but quickly switched to the 80-400mm lens.

David, I definitely saw the Milky Way. I wasn't knowledgeable enough to pick out anything else (plus it is hard with that many stars) and in the middle of the night wasn't motivated to look it up. I'll be back out there another night and I'll be better prepared. I bought a 40L dry bag that can hold my entire camera bag (and a few things more) that can be worn as a backpack. I'm not sure it was necessary. I have only used it once so far, the day we kayaked after a long hike because I thought I would be bringing my camera bag into the kayak but they strongly encouraged us to leave all bags on the zodiac while we kayaked so it really wasn't necessary. It might come in handy though if we ever snorkel from the beach after a walk as we leave all our stuff on the beach and dry bag would be one more layer of protection. As I was typing this (I'm sitting at the table in our suite looking out at the front balcony), two Magnificent Frigate birds (a juvenile and a female) flew through our balcony and then hovered just above the ship for a few minutes! I have admired frigate birds from afar in the Caribbean but never this close! What a way to start the morning!

I don't eat red meat and my husband isn't a big steak eater so I can't answer this question. I have really enjoyed the fish and seafood though. The chicken has been a bit overdone the couple times we tried it which I've just come to expect when cruising on any line.

We just got back from dinner. It's about 9:45 p.m. I did four excursions today. I'm not going to get a full post out today with photos. I'm still sorting through the morning photos. But I thought I would make a brief post to help me not forget things. Before I begin on the day's events, I want to start at about 4:30 a.m. The ship was really rocking and rolling which is what I think woke me up. I stepped out onto our forward facing balcony and my breath was taken away by the number of stars I saw. Then a pair of gulls, which I later confirmed were Swallow-tailed Gulls, started soaring along side the ship, playing with each other and calling out with a clicking sound. Ahead of me the darkness was so black, that I could not see where the ship was going yet both the ship and this pair of gulls didn't hesitate to move forward into what appeared to be the unknown. It was too dark for any photos which perhaps forced me more deeply into the experience. It was magical to say the least. For those sailing in the future, I encourage you to find time to get out and observe the night sky. We spent the morning at Tagus Cove, Isabela Island. We opted for the extended wildlife zodiac ride with no landing which I think was the right choice. Other options included a long, fitness walk or a wildlife zodiac ride with a short steep walk. This was a dry landing for those that did a walk. We had the pleasure of having Cristina, our Excursion Director on this excursion. She is a wealth of knowledge and has become my go-to person for all my bird questions. This morning from the zodiac, we had some close encounters with Galapagos Penguins, Blue-footed Boobies, Brown Noddy Terns, Flightless Cormorants, Brown Pelicans, a shorebird called the Wandering Tattler, and more. It really was a great experience. Then we did an advanced deep water snorkel (at the same port). Advanced Deep Water Snorkels just means you won't be able to touch the bottom. You enter the water from the zodiac and return back to the zodiac. It helps to have snorkeled before but it is more important that you can swim and climb a ladder back into the zodiac. There are flotation devices you can wear. Everyone is issued a wet suit (shorty), mask, snorkel, fins, and safety device (if you want - it's not mandatory). The water on the western part of the Galapagos (especially Isabela and Fernandinaz) is colder than in other parts (currently low 70s vs. upper 70s in other parts of the Galapagos) and it was definitely chilly. I was glad to have brought with a long sleeved swim shirt and swim leggings. We swam with flightless cormorants, Galapagos Penguins, and lots of very colorful fish. I had last snorkeled in Hawaii in May which was an amazing snorkeling experience but Hawaii just didn't compare to the Galapagos. It will be hard to snorkel elsewhere after this. After lunch, we had moved to Punta Espinoza, Fernandina Island, and so I snorkeled for the second time, again an advanced deep water snorkel from the zodiacs. We saw so many turtles on this snorkel, along with fish, cormorants, penguins, marine iguanas, and even a sea lion. Others in my group managed to catch a cormorant catch and start eating an octopus (I was further behind and only heard about this later). After the snorkel, we had about 45 minutes to get ready for the last excursion of the day. Our options were a short or long walk, both a dry landing. Knowing my limits, we did the short walk where we saw more marine iguanas than you can imagine along with sea lions, including a mom and pup. Upon returning to the ship, we had limited time to shower and get ready for the evening's excursion briefing and then Dinner Under the Stars at the Beagle Grill. Out came the white table cloths and the typical three course menu of the MDR but out under the stars. Here's the dinner menu. Tomorrow is a lighter day with a longer gap between the morning and afternoon excursions so I really hope to get caught up on photos. In the evening, we cross the equator. Until tomorrow....

This is the backpack everyone receives. It's mesh on the top and solid the bottom half. It is not super strong and doesn't hold a lot. This is the backpack we received because we are in the penthouse. I think it is the same backpack everyone gets on Flora. It is quite nice. I do not know if the Royal Suite gets this one as well but I would guess they do. We don't have anyone in the Royal Suite on our cruise.

After a dry landing, you just sanitize the bottom of the shoe so your shoes stay dry. For wet landings, you will want something that can get wet and that does get rinsed off completely to get the sand out.

You won't have any problems. I have consistently seen gluten free bread. They make me a special dessert each night that is dairy free. I imagine they will do the same for you if they know you are gluten. There are gluten free labels just like any Celebrity cruise ship at the buffet and on the dinner menu. And the chef can adapt dishes. Each night the Maitre'D just lets me know which ones can't be adapted without dairy (and usually it is only one or two that I can't have). So talk to the Maitre'D and he will help you. I brought with me an 16-35mm, a 60mm macro, and an 80-400mm telephoto with a crop sensor DSLR (Nikon D500). I have not used the 60mm yet. The 16-35mm was my go to lens in Quito. I have used the 80-400mm for 90+ percent of the photos in the Galapagos so far. I do use a good portion of that range - not everything is at 400mm. I think we will have some more scenic stops to do some landscapes coming up but so far the focus has been on wildlife. I think I am the only one on the ship with a lens like that. There are a couple of people with DSLR or mirrorless cameras with basic kit lenses (I don't think any of them have more than a 200mm) but most people are just using their cell phone. My main interest is bird photography and if you want really good bird photos you need the telephoto lens. When it comes to sea lions, penguins, iguanas, and even some of the larger, friendlier birds like the Blue-footed Boobies, you could probably get by with less of a telephoto.

The afternoon excursion was to Santiago Island and was also a wet landing on the beach. We took the long walk option which was about a 1.5 mile walk. There was also an option to do a beach walk and option snorkel or swim but I think most people took the long walk. Santiago Island is an island of black sand beaches. Like the morning walk, we spent a lot of time walking over loose sand and rocks, although this walk was flatter. We had the chance to see a lot of shorebirds including more American Oyster Catchers, Semi-palmated Plovers, Whimbrel's (they have a cool curved beak), Ruddy Turnstones, etc. We also saw both sea lions and Galapagos Fur Seals, a Lava Heron, Marine and Land Iguanas, lots of Sally Lightfoot Crabs, and a couple of Yellow Warblers. It is so amazing how fearless these animals are allowing us to get so close. Even those with cell phone cameras were likely getting decent photos. I am very happy with a lot of the videos I took with my iPhone. We got back to the ship around 6:15 p.m. When you return, you rinse off your feet and sandals/shoes with hoses, step in disinfectant spray, and return your life jackets (which are mandatory for zodiac rides and kayaking). The Marina deck (beach club on celebrity's deck plan) is where they store the life jackets, wetsuits, and bags of snorkel equipment. This morning we were all assigned snorkel equipment and wet suits (shorties) that get hung on a hook for our stateroom number. This evening the Captain gave a toast, then we had the briefing for tomorrow's excursions by our Excursion Director, Cristina, before heading to dinner at the Darwin Restaurant. We learned from yesterday's mistake and asked for a table in the far corner. We are pretty introverted people and after all the social interaction of such a small ship and small excursions really appreciate our quiet time at dinner. The staff was amazing and even went to the trouble to remove the other chairs at the table so no one else could sit down with us! I had a better conversation with the Maitre'D tonight and learned there are a lot more options for me and my dairy allergy so we had an excellent meal which was actually quite fast. It was really nice to get back in the room to relax. Here was tonight's menu. Speaking of food, we decided to try the Beagle Grill for lunch today. We wanted something quick and light. My husband had the burger and I had the shrimp. Both were good and service was excellent. Overall the service truly has been exceptional. Here is the menu for the Beagle Grill. Tomorrow I'm signed up for four excursions although I was assured if I wanted to back out of the fourth at the last minute, it wasn't an issue. I don't think my husband will be joining me for all of them. This really is a fast paced itinerary with little time to catch your breath. We are going to start the day with an extended wildlife zodiac ride at Tagus Cove, Isabela Island. Then we will do deep water snorkeling from Tagus Cove. In the afternoon, I have another deep water snorkeling excursion Punta Espinoza, Fernadina, Island followed by a possible short walk at the same port. One last comment before signing off for the night, I think I mentioned in an earlier post about the avian flu and some ports being closed. I haven't had a chance to ask about it but I do see that both our Genovesa Island Ports have been substituted for North Seymour Island and Sullivan Bay, Santiago Island.

Please chime in with questions as I feel this is a bit disjointed as we don't get a lot of time to stop and truly think through what we have seen and done so far. This morning we stopped at Rabida Island which is a small island known for its red sand. We took the excursion that included a long walk plus kayaking. The long walk was probably a little over a mile long and included some inclines and rough terrain. This was a wet, beach landing into ankle deep or less water (depending on the waves). We wore Keens closed toed sandals. My husband changed into hiking shoes for the walk. I elected to stay in my Keens. My husband found it a pain to change shoes. I wasn't crazy about the sand getting in my sandals. I'm wondering if open toed sandals would have been better. For those that changed shoes, you take a foot towel with you to dry your feet and leave you wet shoes on the beach. I had carried my camera bag in a dry bag because of the kayaking later and left my dry bag with my husband's shoes on the beach. Our goal for this walk was to see American Flamingos in a saltwater pond not far from where we landed. Before we even landed on the beach, our guide had spotted the Galapagos Hawk which I understand was quite a treat, especially at such close range. He stayed in the tree as people changed shoes giving me lots of time to take photos (see previous post). The flamingos were not in as large of numbers as they usually see but we did get to see one chick and few adults before they flew off. We also saw American Oyster Catchers, White-cheeked Pintails, various Darwin's finches, Mockingbirds, Lava Lizards, etc. After the long walk, we boarded the zodiac and traveled to the start of where we would kayak. They gave us the choice to take the zodiac further and kayak with the current or get in the kayak's earlier and fight the current. No one in our group was speaking up, so I suggested going with the current which I think was a wise choice as we were tired enough when it was done. They do not allow boarding kayak's on land so you have to board them from the zodiac. The kayak's are brought next to the zodiac and the driver and guide each hold the kayak steady. Both kayaker's (they are tandem kayak's), put their feet in and then on the count of three shift their body weight into the seat. Only three pairs decided to kayak (there are kayaks for 8 pairs) but we had no casualties - it really wasn't as hard as it sounds. Our kayak excursion took us past Galapagos Fur Seals (which are actually in the sea lion family), a Lava Heron, lots of Sally Lightfoot Crabs, plus a number of pods of fish. This isn't lake kayaking. There are waves that can be a challenge but we were going with the current so it wasn't so bad. I heard from others that those that snorkeled from the beach had the chance to snorkel with sea lions, rays, turtles, etc. They said it was a really good snorkel experience.

Weather has been upper 70s every day, sunny, with no rain. We are still in the dry season. The sun can be a bit hot. They really stress sunscreen/sun protection and water because of how close we are to the equator. The only bugs I have seen have been flies, which are plentiful. I understand mosquitos can be a problem in the rainy season. We have not snorkeled yet but I expect to tomorrow. More to come about today's excursions after dinner tonight.

So far, it has just been used as a stage of sorts for the naturalists to give talks. We do have a piano player on board who plays for a short time before the nightly briefings and was playing out on deck by the grill at lunch today. He's not bad from what I have heard but I can't say we really have had the energy to sit and enjoy music so far. I do see a dance party on our agenda both Wednesday and Friday nights but I'm not sure we will stay up for either of them. We'll see..... Time to put more sunscreen on and head out for a long walk on Santiago Island. I still plan to write about this morning's hike and kayak but as a teaser, here was the one of the highlights - the Galapagos Hawk.

One more thing I want to add before I go back to my photos, they do offer bridge tours. Guest Services has a sign up with various time slots (I expect times when the ship is not moving). We are scheduled for one on Thursday afternoon.

I don't know if I'm the best one to answer this as we splurged on the penthouse so I can't tell you much about the ocean view or Xpedition Suites which is what most people are in. Our cabin overall is in very good condition, aside from a low spot under the carpet in the bedroom that I manage to step in every single time. The furniture seems newish. I walked past a couple of the fifth floor Xpedition Suites when the doors were open and they are all varying sizes and shapes. Suite 501 has the couch turned to look straight out the window which seemed quite nice. Suite 500 appeared to be a bit darker. Here are a few photos of our suite. When I get around to editing it, I do plan to post a room tour on YouTube (and hopefully a ship tour). The biggest plus of this cabin we have decided is the second shower. You also can't beat a front facing balcony for the views. The ship does rock and roll quite a bit when moving. A few minutes ago, all the glass bottles in the mini-fridge were banging back and forth against each other, two we had on the counter almost slid off before we caught them. All that said, I have not yet had any issues of motion sickness. I have not even worn my ReliefBand since our flight from Atlanta to Quito on Thursday. As you likely know, this ship does not have any elevators and so is not accessible. Additionally, there are a lot of places where you step or down so you need to watch where you are walking. The Discovery Lounge where we have all our briefings, meet for excursions, and where the one bar is located is quite comfortable. There are two restaurants on board, the MDR which is called Darwin's Restaurant and Beagle Grill, a casual grill on deck. I don't have many good photos of any of those public locations yet but will before the week is over. I have plenty to say about our morning hike and kayaking but still want to sort through more photos and collect my thoughts so that will have to wait for later. I'll leave you with this last photo. During our downtime (which isn't all that much), I'm either out on my balcony or sitting at the table in our suite with this view. This is where I had my coffee this morning and where I edit photos this afternoon.

Funny you asked. I opened Cruise critic just now to add WiFi speeds. The ship has Starlink. There isn’t a limit to the number of devices as it’s just a general password everyone uses (and not tied to you or your stateroom).

After embarking on the Xpedition, we had a brief introduction to some of the staff, were welcomed with mimosas, and then were escorted to our suites. There was a traditional muster drill (without life jackets) on deck 5 near the lifeboats and then we had a welcome buffet lunch (yes, a second lunch) before our first briefing. In our first briefing, they explained the afternoon's excursion and talk through various safety protocols. Our first excursion was at 5:00 p.m. and was an hour zodiac ride (no landing) in small groups to Black Turtle Cove Lagoons, home to a lot of mangroves. We saw so many turtles (including at least three males trying to court a single female), reef sharks, a couple of Blue-footed Boobies, Lava Heron, Striated Heron, Cattle Egret, Magnificent Frigatebirds (including one trying to steal dinner from a Booby), etc. My husband with his binoculars and me with my telephoto lens were captivated. Upon returning to the ship, the zodiac pulls up to the back of the ship, the naturalist gets out and he (or she) along with another crew member help each passenger out of the zodiac making it fairly easy to disembark. They ask that you be hands free so recommend that you carry everything you need for excursions in a backpack. They provide a simple string backpack that isn't all that strong to all guests. Due to being in a higher level suite, we also got the nicer backpack that Flora guests get. They also provide a rain poncho, sunscreen, lip chap, and aloe. Our briefing for the next day's excursions was at 7:30 p.m. with dinner in the Darwin restaurant afterwards. There was a documentary after dinner you could watch in the Discovery Lounge, but we were not up for that after the long day. Breakfast this morning (and every morning) will be in the Darwin Restaurant (buffet style) starting at 7:00 a.m. I understand a coffee station is set up at the Beagle Grill (with a few pastries and fruit) starting at 6:15 a.m. but I didn't go check it out. The excursions we signed up for today include a Long walk and kayak this morning from Rabida Island and then a Long walk, moderate terrain (flat, sandy and lava field) on Santiago Island. There is space for 16 passengers to kayak at any time. All other excursions have no limit. Everyone can do the same excursion if they want (just in smaller groups - they can have no more than 16 guests per group). Alternatives for the morning include the same long walk we will do but optional snorkeling or swimming from the beach instead of kayaking or a zodiac ride and then optional snorkeling or swimming from the beach. The alternative for the afternoon include a short beach walk and optional snorkeling or swimming from the beach. Last night they said that we have 40 passengers on board which I think includes the two Galapagos National Park representatives who are hear checking on some of the sites we will visit. 28 are from the US, 2 are from the UK, and the rest are from Canada. We have one couple who is Elite+ and two couples who are Elite. I think I expected more experienced Celebrity cruisers. I'm a bit surprised by the lack of use of binoculars and nicer cameras. I stand out a bit with my Nikon and telephoto lens. Oh well. It's off to breakfast now and then to get assigned our snorkel equipment.

Not yet. The two we saw yesterday I believe were adults. But I'm sure we will have more chances to see them.

The flight to Baltra is a chartered flight so I'm not sure frequent flyer numbers would be relevant, just like Marriott rewards numbers don't get you anything but access to the amenities, if you have a high enough status (we will not earn points for the stay). But it doesn't hurt to ask one of the Celebrity representatives in the hotel when you arrive. They are the ones that handle all the arrangements. None of the guides talked about leaving items behind at the hotel but I had heard from other travelers on other online forums that this is possible provided you are not continuing on to Machu Picchu and don't have too early of a flight home that they would put you up at the EB Hotel for your last night. The Celebrity rep at the hotel would be your best resource once you arrive. More to come about today's excursion where we had our first chance to see a Blue Footed Booby and Lava Heron along with so many sea turtles. I have a lot of photos and videos to sort through from just an hour+ zodiac ride. Even if today was the highlight (which I doubt will be the case), this trip was worth it!

This morning we met our same guide in our same small group of 10 in the lobby where she gave us our boarding passes and Galapagos Transit Cards. As a group we traveled the 45 minutes to the airport on a bus. An aside note, when we received our boarding passes, our guide informed those who would be staying at the EB Hotel post cruise of those plans. This included anyone with a very early morning flight. The rest of us would either return to the JW Marriott after the cruise or continue on to Lima for the Machu Picchu extension. At the airport, porters brought our checked luggage to the bag check area but we had to each claim our bags and personally check them ourselves before continuing on to security and then our gate. Our guide left us at security after introducing us to the Celebrity staff member that we travel on the plane with us. We boarded an Avianca Airbus where we had all been only assigned window and aisle seats with the middle empty so there was plenty of room to spread out. Our flight was about a 10:30 a.m. flight with an estimated arrival time of 11:45 a.m. (Galapagos time). On the plane were offered drinks and a light meal of a chicken wrap, smoked salmon, or the vegetarian option. Anyone who had informed Celebrity of food allergies ahead of time had a specially prepared meal. My husband chose the chicken wrap option. Being allergic to dairy, I had a dairy free meal which included the smoked salmon. Once in Galapagos, we deplaned on the tarmac and were greeted by this friendly iguana. We went through customs where they reviewed our passports, Galapagos transit cards (which Celebrity provided this morning), and declarations (a form provided on the plane). We are told to hang on to the half of the transit card they gave us as we will need it to leave the Galapagos. The naturalists met us outside the airport where we had a short bus ride to the harbor of Baltra, boarded the zodiacs with our carryon luggage, and arrived at the ship. Our checked luggage would follow us later. We have our muster drill in a moment, then lunch, and then a briefing. I'll share more later.

I thought it was one of the better city tours we have ever taken. It focused mostly on Old Town and the Equator Museum so just plan your own tour to avoid those sights.

Something funky was going on with the text so I'll continue about the evening in a separate post. We were back at the hotel sometime between 4:30 and 5 which gave us some downtime before we had to meet at 6 for dinner. Dinner was at La Gloria. Celebrity had rented out the entire restaurant for the Xpedition and Xploration guests. They kept us in our same groups from the day trip for the bus ride over as well as table assignments. Which I guess was good as you got to know that small group of people better but it hasn't given us really any chance to talk to anyone outside our small group of 10 who we will soon be crushing with. I forgot to take a photo of the menu although it matched what I had seen others post elsewhere online. I was not as impressed with this ceviche. Breaded fish just doesn't equate with what I am used with ceviche. But the Tonga traditional dish which was rice, plantains, and chicken wrapped in a banana leave with a peanut sauce was very good. We were back at the hotel a little after 8. All our checked luggage had to be packed and brought down to the Celebrity desk as the Galapagos National Park representatives would be opening and inspecting our luggage early the next morning before it was loaded on the busses. They are looking for fresh seeds, fruits, etc. All sharp objects needed to go in checked luggage as well as aerosols but there is no restriction on liquids in your carry ons. They actually encourage you to fill up your water bottles before leaving the hotel the next morning. They do not use single use plastics (single use water bottles, plastic bags, etc.) in the Galapagos and so ask you not to bring them. When you drop off your luggage at the Celebrity desk, they ask that you not lock it. They put a zip tie on the zipper which the National Park reps can cut and then put their own plastic lock on it after it has passed inspection. There was also a paper health questionnaire (much like what you do in the app for any cruise) that we completed and turned in tonight. I think that is about all for today. It's time to get some rest before tomorrow's flight and embarkation on the Xpedition!

We had an amazing day touring Quito. They put us in small groups - ours was only 10 people. Between Xploration and Xpedition, there were four buses. One of the groups which was a bit larger was a French speaking group from Canada. I understand tomorrow Flora will have 7 different groups. Our first stop was an amazing viewpoint of Quito. Take the time to walk past the shops to see the south side in addition to the views of the old town and modern Quito which you can see from the statue of the Virgin Mary. Our second stop was in the old town where we visited a couple of convents/monasteries, churches, and Independence Square which is has the Mayor's house and the home of the President (if the next one chooses to live there). One of the many courtyards in the Convento de San Fransisco The outside of the Iglesia San Fransisco and Convent The inside of Iglesia San Fransisco The front of the Jesuit church, Iglesia de la Campañía de Jesús La Caninatas - They did not allow photography inside but it was absolutely breathtaking. Lunch was a nice buffet in a private room at a monastery. Food options included salad, ceviche, a traditional potato soup, rice, various meats (chicken, lamb, sea bass, etc.), along with quite a few dessert options. Water, soda, and juice are included with your meal and there is a water bottle refilling station here. Staying hydrated is really important this high up. There is a balcony off the room where we had this lunch that is worth stepping out onto. I'm not sure how many found this treasure but the view was worth it. They gave people the option to go back to the hotel after lunch but I'm not sure who would want to miss the trip to the equator. The "Middle of the World" is about 45 minutes outside of Quito. Here you get a chance to stand in both the southern and northern hemispheres at the same time and they show you a number of interesting experiments to show you different effects of being south or north of the equator (or directly on it). We had an interesting discussion with our guide about GPS and how he has found Garmin to be more accurate than some others but even Garmin isn't perfect. This is my Apple Watch right on the equator. I never got it to 0 degrees latitude. You may not be able to read the photo but it reads Lat 0.00107 S. If you like birds, keep your eye out for some quite large hummingbirds at the equator. This is a Sparkling Violetear.

I believe she should get access and be able to bring you. It is a nice perk.