Galapagos, anyone

[MikieF]

My husband and I are seriously considering the Xpedition to the Galapagos in 2007. For any of y'all who have been (whether on Celebrity of not), please let us know what time of year you went, and why you would/would not choose that same time again. We know that each month there are "new" babies being born, different critters nesting, etc. We are reasonably open for 2007, and are trying to make an informed decision of a good time to go! Thanks in advance for your help!

[voyageur]

We went the end of November... I can't imagine it getting any better, but we have nothing to compare it to. We saw everything on the "list" of wildlife they gave us except for the red-footed booby.... lots of sea lion pups, baby frigates and baby albatross. We say the blue-footed boobies and albatross mating. We saw turtle hatchlings come out to sea... although he didn't make it before the blue heron decided to have him for lunch. (nature is sometimes not beautiful to watch). I know since the trees were dormant, it was easier to spot the wildlife especially the birds... I imagiine after rainy season it would be harder to find the birds. And we were told that in the spring and summer they do more snorkeling... my husband saw lots of turtles, sharks, peguins, etc. I don't snorkel but spent time on the beach with the iguanas and sea lions... and did get to see the penguins on the nearby rocks. I'm sure someone who went at a different time could fill you in on what they saw.

[BillC]

We went the end of last August,which is still in the non-rainy season.The vegatation was pretty sparse on most of the islands,which certainly does help in spotting animals on land.There were no whales sighted since they generally are not there then.The weather was perfect and rain never bothered us.We intentionally selected a date when the moon would not be a factor.You will find that stars truly amazing,particularly the 2 nights that the naturalists put on an informal lecture on the top deck.Lots of babies,particularly the blue footed boobies and sea lions.

[SandyR5]

Hi Bill C - We're off to the Galapagos in less than 2 weeks, but when I noticed your list of past/future cruises I saw that we're booked for the same trip. We're also on the 11/10/06 Millenium Med cruise. We have a thread on the roll call board. Right now I'm busy trying to decide when to fly into Venice and where to stay. ;) It's nice to have these problems. ;)

[MikieF]

To all...Thank you very much information...It IS helpful! Hopefully we'll hear from other times of the year as well!

 

To SandyR5 (Bill C.)...We have posted on the Millennium Board. Our cruise on the Millie is Oct. 29, and it originates in Barcelona and terminates in Venice. I know several people on our board (ourselves included) have booked at the Locanda Orseolo close to San Marco. It is a very small hotel, but sounds charming!

[herenthere]

Just got home from Expedition last night. I know there are a few people from our cruise that will probably write to you about the fabulous time we had. We're too exhausted to do much of anything but think about the trip. So here I am on the boards....silly me! Sounds like we had a similar experience to last November. The seas weren't rough and that was nice. Wonderful, wonderful animals! End of November is when things are just about to change so we had some cloudy mornings and sunny/warm afternoons. I liked hiking in the shade to tell you the truth but loved the warm sun too. Since you are looking at booking so far out, you might think about getting a balcony. No matter where you stay, it's a wonderful time. However, we booked early and decided to get a balcony room (506). It was great! We could leave the door open (perfect temp at night) and listen to the ocean as we moved to our next location. Saw lots of sea creatures from the balcony and one day we heard a commotion outside and saw penguins darting around the boat. Loved having the balcony to dry our wetsuits and bathing suits too. We didn't even think about the moon and wished we had booked when it wasn't full. We saw very few stars. Oh well! Otherwise it was all lovely! Any questions?

 

Karen

[Hutch&Pat]

Best trip ever! -- researched going there for over 10 years, and can't imagine doing it any other way. We went the first week in Oct. 2004 and our friends did the same week Oct. 2005 and had a super time! We had only 49 passengers and they had 66. We both got balconies to dry our wetsuits on. Amazing that such a small ship could offer 3 different level of intensity excursions twice a day! (We had no problem with the 'intense' ...) We had no rain; we did see red footed boobies.

Actually considering doing it again sometime in the opposite season, perhaps April. We especially liked knowing exactly what it was going to cost including wine and gratuities and shore excursions and great pre and post in Quito. We enjoyed having a totally free day in Quito after the cruise, and took a Gray Line Tour to see some butterflies and orchids and visit a cloud forest etc -- they sent a van with driver and a guide for the two of us and we had one of the best tours we ever had. Ivan took us to the 'real equator' and also to a meet a fellow named Santiago who raises butterflies and orchids -- he was a real gem and visiting his place was a really special treat!

I think you'll really enjoy the smaller boat. ....Interesting that after doing this and a few Windstars, we can't seem to get ourselves interested in doing any more mega ships. The ease of getting on and off twice a day and getting to know almost everyone on the ship really made the trip so much more enjoyable. We just did the Harmony, have booked the Spirit of Oceanus for July, and find ourselves seriously considering Oceania line for the smaller ship benefits but without some of their often hefty price tags.

Enjoy!

Pat

[drfun48]

Just got home from Expedition last night. I know there are a few people from our cruise that will probably write to you about the fabulous time we had. We're too exhausted to do much of anything but think about the trip. So here I am on the boards....silly me! Sounds like we had a similar experience to last November. The seas weren't rough and that was nice. Wonderful, wonderful animals! End of November is when things are just about to change so we had some cloudy mornings and sunny/warm afternoons. I liked hiking in the shade to tell you the truth but loved the warm sun too. Since you are looking at booking so far out, you might think about getting a balcony. No matter where you stay, it's a wonderful time. However, we booked early and decided to get a balcony room (506). It was great! We could leave the door open (perfect temp at night) and listen to the ocean as we moved to our next location. Saw lots of sea creatures from the balcony and one day we heard a commotion outside and saw penguins darting around the boat. Loved having the balcony to dry our wetsuits and bathing suits too. We didn't even think about the moon and wished we had booked when it wasn't full. We saw very few stars. Oh well! Otherwise it was all lovely! Any questions?

 

Karen

Even with the balcony ,why would you want to leave your wetsuit draped there? There is a perfectly good storage area without cluttering your limited space.With regard to the bathing suits,for a dollar or two, the laundry will have them back to you washed and dried.It's much better than leaving them with residual salt in them.I trust you brought more than one suit so returning them the next morning shouldn't be a problem either.

Also for those interested in viewing sea creatures,the view up close outside on deck three can't be matched.If the spotlights aren't on already,just ask any of the crew ,theywill be happy to do it for you.

[Verde]

Sandy,

 

We're planning on taking the Mellinium Med cruise next summer/fall. Please let us know about your trip, including, Venice hotel suggestions, cabin recommendations and shore excursion recommendations.

 

Thanks,

 

Dennis & Larraine