Galapagos Celebrity vs Lindblad

Hey there

So there is scant info - re Galapagos on that board.. and much of it dated

I am reading that X has retrofitted a couple of ships and a new ship launches next year

Of those who have done the Galapagos.... which itinerary did you do? Would you choose it again?

Are all excursions included? Wet suits? Snorkeling gear etc?

Advice?

TYIA

I went to the Galapagos with Lindblad many years ago and loved the experience.

The Lindblad ship will be totally different, as it is an expedition ship, not a cruise liner. There is no casino, no spa, etc. The ship and the cabins are basic. But none of this had any impact on the trip. All excursions were included, they had zodiacs taking us to and from the excursions. I believe snorkel gear was available, not not sure about wetsuits.

I would recommend Lindblad for any of their trips and would certainly take one of their trips over a cruise liner any day, because the experience is more personal and up close to nature.

I went to the Galapagos with Lindblad many years ago and loved the experience.

 

The Lindblad ship will be totally different, as it is an expedition ship, not a cruise liner. There is no casino, no spa, etc. The ship and the cabins are basic. But none of this had any impact on the trip. All excursions were included, they had zodiacs taking us to and from the excursions. I believe snorkel gear was available, not not sure about wetsuits.

 

I would recommend Lindblad for any of their trips and would certainly take one of their trips over a cruise liner any day, because the experience is more personal and up close to nature.

Surely, I must have missed the casino and spa on the Xpedition :)

The Xpedition or other Celebrity ships in the Galapagos are not cruise liners by any stretch.....they are a very comfortable way to experience the Galapagos. Both Linblad and Celebrity are subject to the very strict laws and scheduling of the Galapagos Management....limits on number of people with one (must be licensed) guide, etc. If there is a difference, it would be on the talks and information provided in the evenings...but I haven't been on Linblad so I can't say if one is better than the other. My guess is that both are very close in what you will experience, learn and see.

Do not equate other Celebrity experiences with what you will encounter on their Galapagos ships....The G ships are all inclusive..that includes meals, wines, tours, wet suits, etc. There may be some extra charge scuba diving gear/etc....not sure what they are offering today. The ships are small...no, there is no casino or theater to entertain you.

Others will surely chime in...this is a very popular subject and I believe there is a whole section on the Galapagos here on CC.

Thank you

Looking at the Galapagos destination Board there was little info and nothing current--much several years old.

I will search other Boards (cruise line brands perhaps)

Certainly as an expedition we aren't looking for shows/casino etc...and honestly never frequent the casino and see few shows on other ships.

Like many the Galapagos is on the bucket list...

Was reading about the size of ships on X and other lines-- from as few as under 30, to just under 100 pax.

Sounds lovely

Consider checking out the roll call board for the Celebrity Xpedition. There is a thread, which is now in part 3, titled "Xpedition - Anyone recently back?" that includes good discussion of peoples' experiences, as well as responses from experienced cruisers to questions asked by folks preparing for their upcoming sailings. It could be a wealth of information -- but is obviously focused on the Celebrity brand and related experience.

Ships in the Galapagos tend to have multiples of 16 passengers, because that is the number that one guide is allowed to handle. Xpedition is 96, which IMHO gives you the best of both worlds: because the ship is the largest possible in Galapagos you have more public spaces, but for every excursion you are broken up into the same-size groups as any smaller ship. Plus, if you don't like a particular guide you can just avoid getting into his/her Zodiac on future excursions. [Celebrity bought two smaller ships recently, but apparently only to get their licenses – as soon as Flora is ready they will be retired. Flora is an all-suite design so the cheapest rate is significantly higher than the top rate on Xpedition.]

Thanks so much for the information and help!

I have been doing a lot of research on the Galapagos for the past couple of years. We have a deposit on the Xpedition, but we will be transferring that to another ship because I just booked with OAT for January in the Galapagos and Machu Pichu. We will be on a 16 passenger ship. The overall trip is 17 days and it was $10,000 cheaper than Celebrity. Alcohol is not included on OAT, but there is no way that our bar bill will be that much! I also liked that we will go to a lot of "non touristy" places, like schools and personal homes, and get a feel for how the people live in Peru.

We researched both the Xpedition and Lindblad prior to our August 2016 Xpedition trip. The Xpedition cruise was 7 nights which meant we had 6 full days of touring the islands. The Lindblad trip was 3 or 4 nights, so just 2 or 3 full days of visiting islands. If we combined the 3+4 for a total of 7 nights we would have lost a full day to pick up passengers in the middle of the trip.

We researched both the Xpedition and Lindblad prior to our August 2016 Xpedition trip. The Xpedition cruise was 7 nights which meant we had 6 full days of touring the islands. The Lindblad trip was 3 or 4 nights, so just 2 or 3 full days of visiting islands. If we combined the 3+4 for a total of 7 nights we would have lost a full day to pick up passengers in the middle of the trip.

Exactly – Baltra is the least interesting place in the Galapagos, so this is far worse than a so-called 14-day cruise in the Caribbean that loops back to Miami in the middle to join to 7-day itineraries.

I have been doing a lot of research on the Galapagos for the past couple of years. We have a deposit on the Xpedition, but we will be transferring that to another ship because I just booked with OAT for January in the Galapagos and Machu Pichu. We will be on a 16 passenger ship. The overall trip is 17 days and it was $10,000 cheaper than Celebrity. Alcohol is not included on OAT, but there is no way that our bar bill will be that much! I also liked that we will go to a lot of "non touristy" places, like schools and personal homes, and get a feel for how the people live in Peru.

You have many good reasons to prefer this trip, but IMHO a 16-passenger ship is not likely to give you a smooth sailing.

Of the different loops--southern/inner/outer etc

Which is preferred?

Was surprised that some of the cruise options had so few real touring days (3/4) of a 7 day cruise instead of say 10 day cruises and seeing more

Did you look at Silversea? They seem to have a more interesting itinerary

We will be doing an onboard booking for the Xpedition in two weeks while on the Millennium in Alaska for a 2020 itinerary.

We did look at Silversea and it is very similar to Celebrity for Galapagos with the exception of nicer and slightly larger staterooms and prices looked about $600 more per person. I would have been happy on either.

I would have liked to book the new Celebrity Flora coming out next year, but prices are almost double the Xpedition. What I like about the Xpedition is that with the 10-day package (2 days in Quito pre-cruise and one post cruise) is that they charter their own plane and take care of everything for you (at a small premium). They have the short and long wet suits and everything you could imagine. I'll have $200 OBC and will have no clue what to spend it on since everything is included.

There is a wealth of information on this board, which is current and active:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2069149

We also did a ton of research on the Galapagos prior to booking and ended up with X. We originally booked the 10 day, feeling that we would put together our own DIY package to Machu Pichu following the cruise. After another round of research and contacting many private options, we upgraded to the 15 day X package. (It came out to approximately $400 more than a highly recommended company, after factoring in all of the non-included items.) We have a high level of comfort with X and felt it was of value to continue the trip with them.

During a transatlantic we were able to attend 2 Glapagos informational sessions. These were attended by many Galapagos "veterans". Every single one of them said they would repeat the cruise without hesitation (and some had). I asked about loops (inner, outer, northern, southern), those that had done both felt they were equally impressive. I also inquired about the best time to go - it seems that there is no "bad time". I have read every single posts on all of the "Recently Back" threads. When it came down to actually booking - we mainy considered information about Machu Pichu crowd levels and weather.

Yes, it is very expensive. Take into consideration the hotel accommodations, meals, flights, transfers, guides, excursions, alcohol ... We are glad we booked Xpedition, and it seems she will have already completed drydock prior to our cruise. As advised by others, do your research; this cruise is unlike anyother. Those who have expressed disappointment seem to have had no idea what to expect, both from the ship, and the itinerary.

I'll have $200 OBC and will have no clue what to spend it on since everything is included.

I haven't been on Xpedition yet but from reading the threads, I believe massages are available for an additional fee and there are souvenir items also available, so I bet that OBC finds a good use!

We are booked on Xpedition for a sailing in 2020, but have just watched a Lindblad Galapagos DVD that I ordered some time ago. It was making DH and I want to re-research. One tiny detail that I'm hoping someone might know the answer to -- In the Lindblad DVD, it shows passengers on kayaks experiencing nature and the wildlife around them. Does Celebrity Xpedition also provide kayaks? I couldn't find any information on this on the X site.

We are booked on Xpedition for a sailing in 2020, but have just watched a Lindblad Galapagos DVD that I ordered some time ago. It was making DH and I want to re-research. One tiny detail that I'm hoping someone might know the answer to -- In the Lindblad DVD, it shows passengers on kayaks experiencing nature and the wildlife around them. Does Celebrity Xpedition also provide kayaks? I couldn't find any information on this on the X site.

The Xpedition did not have kayaks for passenger use. Just a suggestion, when you compare Celebrity to Lindblad be sure to know what you are comparing and read the itineraries carefully. Number of trip days is not the same as number of cruise nights. For example, Xpedition cruises are 8 days/7 nights of cruising. Day 1 and day 8 are transport days getting to and from the ship, with 2-3 excursions/day over 6 full days cruising. When I looked at the Lindblad website I noticed that they have a 7 days Wild Galapagos Escape that gives you 1 overnight, then 5 nights on ship. You have the travel to and from the ship, so just 3 full days of cruising around the islands. You would have to take the Lindblad 10 days trip in order to be on the water for the same amount of time as the Xpedition cruise.

Have you visited the Xpedition reviews here on Cruise Critic? There is some good information there. We sailed Xpedition last November and loved every minute of it. It's completely different from your typical cruise. Here's a link to my review: https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=605848

The level of service from Celebrity and the Xpedition crew was fantastic. Lots of reasons for that and it's not easily repeatable on the larger, mass market ships.

Can't compare to Lindblad but we wouldn't hesitate to go with Celebrity again in the Galapagos. Hope to go back and try the Inner Loop next time.

As kathynorth said above, there are no kayaks on Xpedition.

Good luck!

I haven't been on Xpedition yet but from reading the threads, I believe massages are available for an additional fee and there are souvenir items also available, so I bet that OBC finds a good use

Never got OBC for this itinerary as Celebrity gives you nothing for booking on board. I got a very nice something from my TA though.

Just about everyone who books Celebrity takes the 10-day vacation which included two days in Quito before the cruise (one tour) and one day after the cruise there AND a charter flight right from Quito to Baltra and same thing on the return. It takes all of the logistic problems out of the equation. It is expensive, but they will not allow someone on their charter without doing the 10-day package. We are two years (and have a couple of other cruises before) from this vacation, but we're looking forward to it.

Celebrity will be taking the two smaller expedition ships out of service when the Flora is placed in service next year. I believe they also will be taking several cabins out of the Xpedition as a result of Galapagos regulations on numbers of passengers any one company have in any given week (I think it's 164). In any case, I believe most choose between Celebrity and Silversea. I was comfortable with our choice.

We were on the Xepedition a few years ago and we had a great time but I don't think you could go wrong with Celebrity, Silversea or Lindblad. There will be difference on-board but all of the excursions, the heart of the trip, will be nearly identical. The guides are independent contractors and all receive the same training. The tours follow the same marked routes or snorkel in the same areas.

A couple of thoughts about transportation. If I was going with Celebrity I would book the 10-day trip that included the flight to Baltra. The new Quito airport is next to the mountains and gets a lot of fog resulting in flight delays and I would be more comfortable knowing Celebrity will get me back and forth to the mainland without missing the ship. However the choice of Quito surprises me. Sure it's an interesting place to visit but it is at a high altitude and many people suffer from altitude sickness. The result is that people fly into Quito and spend the day or two there not feeling well only to fly those people down to sea level. This is repeated on the return trip. I'm not sure about Silversea but some cruise operators use one of the port cities as the place to fly to and from Baltra. If I were to go back, I would probably select one of the tour operators that used one of the port cities as a starting point. These cities can also be reached with convenient international flights.

We were on the Xepedition a few years ago and we had a great time but I don't think you could go wrong with Celebrity, Silversea or Lindblad. There will be difference on-board but all of the excursions, the heart of the trip, will be nearly identical. The guides are independent contractors and all receive the same training. The tours follow the same marked routes or snorkel in the same areas.

 

 

A couple of thoughts about transportation. If I was going with Celebrity I would book the 10-day trip that included the flight to Baltra. The new Quito airport is next to the mountains and gets a lot of fog resulting in flight delays and I would be more comfortable knowing Celebrity will get me back and forth to the mainland without missing the ship. However the choice of Quito surprises me. Sure it's an interesting place to visit but it is at a high altitude and many people suffer from altitude sickness. The result is that people fly into Quito and spend the day or two there not feeling well only to fly those people down to sea level. This is repeated on the return trip. I'm not sure about Silversea but some cruise operators use one of the port cities as the place to fly to and from Baltra. If I were to go back, I would probably select one of the tour operators that used one of the port cities as a starting point. These cities can also be reached with convenient international flights.

We did tons of reasearch before booking with X to the Galapagos. As someone above suggested, compare the time each line actually spends on the islands or doing excursions in the Galapagos. There is a significant difference.

We booked two years ago, and are still very comfortable with our decision.

We will be doing an onboard booking for the Xpedition in two weeks while on the Millennium in Alaska for a 2020 itinerary.

 

We did look at Silversea and it is very similar to Celebrity for Galapagos with the exception of nicer and slightly larger staterooms and prices looked about $600 more per person. I would have been happy on either.

 

I would have liked to book the new Celebrity Flora coming out next year, but prices are almost double the Xpedition. What I like about the Xpedition is that with the 10-day package (2 days in Quito pre-cruise and one post cruise) is that they charter their own plane and take care of everything for you (at a small premium). They have the short and long wet suits and everything you could imagine. I'll have $200 OBC and will have no clue what to spend it on since everything is included.

If Lully is still the masseuse, use your OBC on her. Best message I ever received on land or sea. :D

We did tons of reasearch before booking with X to the Galapagos. As someone above suggested, compare the time each line actually spends on the islands or doing excursions in the Galapagos. There is a significant difference.

We booked two years ago, and are still very comfortable with our decision.

I'm glad that your still happy with your selection but Celebrity isn't perfect and there are other options. For true 7-day itineraries the experiences will be much the same because all of the ships go to similar locations with independent guides.

Please report back to us after you've actually traveled to the Galapagos islands.

The Xpedition did not have kayaks for passenger use. Just a suggestion, when you compare Celebrity to Lindblad be sure to know what you are comparing and read the itineraries carefully. Number of trip days is not the same as number of cruise nights. For example, Xpedition cruises are 8 days/7 nights of cruising. Day 1 and day 8 are transport days getting to and from the ship, with 2-3 excursions/day over 6 full days cruising. When I looked at the Lindblad website I noticed that they have a 7 days Wild Galapagos Escape that gives you 1 overnight, then 5 nights on ship. You have the travel to and from the ship, so just 3 full days of cruising around the islands. You would have to take the Lindblad 10 days trip in order to be on the water for the same amount of time as the Xpedition cruise.

Very valuable info. Thank you! My DH is wanting to stick with X after reviewing the actual time on the islands with Lindblad.

Have you visited the Xpedition reviews here on Cruise Critic? There is some good information there. We sailed Xpedition last November and loved every minute of it. It's completely different from your typical cruise. Here's a link to my review: https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=605848

 

The level of service from Celebrity and the Xpedition crew was fantastic. Lots of reasons for that and it's not easily repeatable on the larger, mass market ships.

 

Can't compare to Lindblad but we wouldn't hesitate to go with Celebrity again in the Galapagos. Hope to go back and try the Inner Loop next time.

 

As kathynorth said above, there are no kayaks on Xpedition.

 

Good luck!

I've not reviewed the reviews which seems like a big, "DUH!" :) I will be reviewing them (and yours). Pretty sure we will stick with X after looking more specifically at the Lindblad daily itinerary for a 7-night.