Avalon for Galapagos?

[Stateroom_Sailor]

Has anyone done the 4 night Galapagos cruises on Avalon, or compared it to Celebrity or National Geographic?  I figure a combo would make more sense with Machu Picchu if we go Avalon.

[4774Papa]

What is the price.  4 days seems too short.

 

By the way, we have a trip to Machu Picchu with PeruAgency for four days in late March for Cuzco and MP.  Cost is $799 pp in 4 star hotels. Airfare not included.  Airfare from Lima is cheap.

 

[Stateroom_Sailor]

14 minutes ago, 4774Papa said:

What is the price.  4 days seems too short.

 

By the way, we have a trip to Machu Picchu with PeruAgency for four days in late March for Cuzco and MP.  Cost is $799 pp in 4 star hotels. Airfare not included.  Airfare from Lima is cheap.

 

 

Right now it is a 14 Night package for $6,400.  6 Nights Peru, 4 Nights Equador, 4 nights Galopagos.

[laverendrye]

If you are taking the trouble to get to the Galapagos, I think that 4 days is really not enough. The government has limited cruises to 8 days which means that you still must choose which islands you would like to visit. 

 

I went with G Adventures four years ago and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. They offer many different itineraries of varying length and on several boats. The boats are generally limited to 16 passengers and I chose an upgraded tour on a very roomy boat—picture windows in both the bedroom and en-suite bathroom. (The Ecuador government requires that companies provide one qualified naturalist for every 16 passengers). 

 

I didn’t include Machu Picchu on my tour, but a number of others had done that tour with G Adventures before joining this one in Quito and they certainly recommended it.

 

Regarding the Celebrity and National Geographic cruises, both use quite large ships by Galapagos standards, so you would have a somewhat different experience from cruises by those companies which take 16 passengers. 

 

[dreamercruise]

Cannot comment about Avalon vs Celebrity vs NG, because I have not done this expedition cruise yet.  I shall be doing a 7-day/6-nt LG cruise (northern and western route as opposed to the 5-d/4-nt eastern route) in late May on La Pinta (by Metropolitan Touring).  Won't be able to provide experience until after the trip.

 

However, from my research, I have learned the followings:

1. The experience is definitely different between bid and small size ships.  Smaller ships have more personal service and the ships can get to places which large ships cannot.  Smaller ships are generally more expensive (and perhaps more luxurious).  Avalon ship has only 8 cabins.  La Pinta has about 12 cabins.  Celebrity Expedition is larger.

 

2. Best time to do La Galapagos is between May and June, when it is more sunny and the water is less rough, and also October through November (less likely raining).  Depending on the time of the year, you will see different animals.  In May, you will see nesting of sea turtles, marine and land iguanas, and mating of blue footed booby.  In June, you will see waved albatross laying eggs on Espanola, and humpback whales (also Whale sharks in the very north).

 

The cruise price will vary accordingly, so keep the above two points in mind when comparing cruise fare.

 

In addition sailing dates, ship sizes, and ship operators, keep in mind the inclusions and exclusions such as hotel stays, intra air, gratuities, park fees, and transit control card.  I have the early bird special which includes two hotel nights (a must before start of cruise), free intra flights between Quito and Baltra Island, all airport transfers, park fees/transit control card, and one-day city tour (with Middle of World). The only expenses I pay on my own are my international air and an extra hotel night in Quito at end of program.

 

As for Machu Piccu, best time to visit is June through August, when the weather is most comfortable and less rainy.  I also booked a separate 9d/8nt land tour in early July (different operator).  I prefer to focus on the points of interest in each trip to get the best experience.  Therefore, timing of trip is as important as operator choice.  Besides, my mind may get numb and my energy level may suffer from long and strenuous trips.

 

Lastly, don't forget to bring high altitude medication for Machu Piccu.  Just in case, bring pocket size mosquito spray, mosquito repellent bracelets, cool long shirts/pants, and hiking sneakers (preferably some waterproof ability).

[Host Jazzbeau]

I disagree about the comparison of small and larger ships in the Galapagos.  We did the Celebrity 10-day package on Xpedition when the ship had 100 pax and felt that it was the best of both worlds:  per government rules all excursions were limited to 16 pax, so no different on land than a 16-pax ship, but on board we had the benefits of a larger ship [more stable, more public space] and a more diverse crew [if you didn't like one of the shore excursion leaders, you could easily maneuver yourself into a different zodiac the next day].  On a 16-pax ship you would be stuck with the same guide [and that same obnoxious passenger that every cruise seems to have!] all the time.  Now that Xpedition is being limited to 64 pax [when Flora takes over the 100-pax license] it will be even more roomy.

 

I also think that Celebrity's charter flight from Quito to Baltra is a major plus, compared to other cruise lines that use regular flights which all stop in Guayaquil.

[Stateroom_Sailor]

Ok, great info everyone.  I had no idea that Avalon was only 16 pax, verses 64 or 100.  I believe there is a discount on Galapagos through Celebrity once you're Elite, which we'll be after a transpacific in 2021.  Perhaps better to book Machu Piccu separately too.

 

Still, we have our eye on Avalon for river cruising.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

Ok, great info everyone.  I had no idea that Avalon was only 16 pax, verses 64 or 100.  I believe there is a discount on Galapagos through Celebrity once you're Elite, which we'll be after a transpacific in 2021.  Perhaps better to book Machu Piccu separately too.

 

Still, we have our eye on Avalon for river cruising.

 

Celebrity also offers a longer version that includes Machu Picchu.  We were worried at the time that we would suffer altitude sickness because of the rapid changes from sea level [and I did have a touch of it the first day in Quito], but I believe that Celebrity has changed the Peru itinerary since then to stretch out the altitude changes over more days.  If we did this again I would seriously consider adding Celebrity's MP post-cruise despite it costing more than doing it on your own – I really felt comfortable with Celebrity handling all the details for me [and if you check the blogs in my signature you will see that DW and I are pretty intrepid travelers, at least in Europe!]

[franski]

3 hours ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 Perhaps better to book Machu Piccu separately too.

 

Still, we have our eye on Avalon for river cruising.

 We are doing Peru with Avalon in March. We are booked on the 13 day itinerary that takes us to Machu Picchu - but also takes us to the Nazca lines (flying over) as well as 3 days sailing the Amazon.  We are going in a few days ahead and going to Arequipa and seeing the Colca Canyon on our own. 

 

We are in the process of getting our immunizations up to date (yellow fever) - and prescriptions for altitude meds and anti-malarials. 

 

VERY excited about this trip...

 

Fran

[jpalbny]

6 hours ago, franski said:

 We are doing Peru with Avalon in March.

 

Great itinerary! We have done most of those locations, but on separate trips. I am glad that we did MP years ago before all of the restrictions went into place. We were able to spend as long as we wanted (in fact we went for two days), and we were able to wander anywhere on the site without a guide. We climbed most of the way to the sun gate, climbed Huayna Picchu, and went to the Inca Bridge as well. For us, the current half-day restriction would not have been enough time.

 

We did the Nazca Lines flyover on a Silver Explorer cruise in late 2017. I assume your itinerary will be similar. They load you up into small planes (about 8-10 pax, 1-1 configuration so everyone has a window) at the Pisco airport and from there it's about a 30-40 minute flight to the lines. They descend within 1000' of the ground and make a series of bank turns, going back and forth in a defined sequence from one pattern to another. They make two passes over most of the geoglyphs so that each side of the plane has a view.

 

You're doing this for about 15-20 minutes, then they head back up to cruising altitude for the ride home. When we did it, the way to Nasca was over the coast then the desert, and the way back to Pisco was more inland, over mountains. All very pretty. If you are prone to motion sickness, premedicate. And don't eat too much, too close to flight time! Also, when you're done there is a stamp at the airport where you can put a Nazca Lines stamp into your passport. We did that, and we had multiple customs officers comment on it when we were back in South America last month. They liked seeing it.

 

We saw Ariquepa on that cruise as well. Spectacular setting - beautiful city with mountains everywhere you look, and a place I'd love to revisit some day. Make sure you visit the museum in town, where they have an exhibit about the "Ice Princess" of the Inca. Her frozen mummified body was found on one of the volcanoes, where she had been sacrificed to the gods. Her mummy is on display as well. Gruesome story but fascinating as well.

 

Funny to hear that you're going to the Colca Canyon. I just did a virtual workout there yesterday on my treadmill. It looked pretty.

 

What boat is Avalon using on the Amazon? One of the trips from Iquitos? We haven't done that yet but I've looked into it a few times, and definitely want to some day.

 

Have a wonderful trip and please come back and share more details with us. 

[jpalbny]

22 hours ago, dreamercruise said:

I shall be doing a 7-day/6-nt LG cruise (northern and western route as opposed to the 5-d/4-nt eastern route) in late May on La Pinta (by Metropolitan Touring).  Won't be able to provide experience until after the trip.

 

One other CC member (ging466) was on this ship a few years ago and from what I remember, she really liked it. Hope you have a great voyage!

[TravelerThom]

Unless you are traveling with your own group of 16, I’ll support Jazzbeau comments on the advantages of a larger boat (disclosure: I have sailed on the Celebrity Xpedition, and have travelled in both Ecuador and Peru multiple times [mostly DIY]).

 

Unless you have time constraints I’d take at least a week in the Galápagos and similarly at least a week in the Peruvian highlands. Doing Machu Picchu in a quickie trip without allowing time for altitude acclimation is really not doing the area justice. A nice itinerary would be to stop in Arequipa at 7700 feet above sea level and acclimate while enjoying that lovely town and Colca Canyon before proceeding to Cuzco (11000’), Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Then an extension to Lake Titicaca and the floating islands is interesting. (Actually if traveling by land Titicaca is a convenient stop over point between Arequipa and Cuzco.)

 

Note that if you are not going to Amazonia none of the other major tourist areas in Ecuador (Galápagos, Quito, Otavalo, Cloud Forest, etc) or Peru (MP, Cuzco, Titicaca, Arequipa, Nazca, Lima, etc) have malaria or yellow fever. 

[dolllover]

I'm looking forward to it. I leave in May on Celebrity Expedition. 

[franski]

7 hours ago, jpalbny said:

What boat is Avalon using on the Amazon? One of the trips from Iquitos? We haven't done that yet but I've looked into it a few times, and definitely want to some day.

 

Have a wonderful trip and please come back and share more details with us. 

We are on the Delfin III - think that they charter, as I found a website for the company that does this itinerary on this boat.  We are 4 days/3 nights from Iquitos. 

 

The Avalon tour actually includes 2 half days at Machu Picchu - which is good.  We are there one afternoon - spend the night at a hotel in Aguas Callientes, and then back up to the site in the morning for sunrise. We then head back to Cusco for 2 nights before flying to Iquitos. 

 

I will definitely share detail.  I might try to post about the trip itself along the way, as it appears we should have access to a fair amount of WiFi (before we head to the Amazon).

 

Fran

 

 

[franski]

On ‎2‎/‎3‎/‎2019 at 7:58 AM, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

Right now it is a 14 Night package for $6,400.  6 Nights Peru, 4 Nights Equador, 4 nights Galopagos.

Hi there...  I just want you to be aware of a bit of frustration we are having with Avalon related to our trip to Peru.   

This will be our 4th Avalon cruise (although our 14th river cruise...).  We usually pre-pay our gratuities as it is one less thing to worry about once we are there.

We were offered the chance to pre-pay on this trip as well.  When we enquired about the amount, we were told $84 pp...  I questioned this amount - twice - as was told this was all that was required.   I assumed - based on this amount - and the fact that the documents said we would be met by a local guide in Lima - that our group would be managed by a local guide in each area - and that the gratuities would be for the boat.  

Our final documents arrived last week.  In them, it said we had pre-paid the tour director (that we didn't know we were getting) and that the gratuities for the 3 nights on the Amazon could be paid prior to disembarkation.  I have questioned the amount for the "surprise" tour director - as this is high compared to the daily gratuity in Europe.  But, it just kept getting worse.  Requests for further detail indicate monies for local guides while touring the Nazca lines, for the hotel in Paracas, for the bus driver etc.  Our documents gave a suggested amount per night on the boat - but the communication from the main office suggests an amount/day....  And - that we continue to pay the tour director while we are on the boat - even though we are expected to pay the on board naturalist and crew.   All in all, the gratuities went from $84 CDN to $175 USD - and that is paying at the low end of the scale.  Very frustrating.  

I am still trying to sort the details out - but, I want you to know that the cost you are looking at may not be the actual cost you end up with.  I *think* the issue arises because we are dealing with the Exotics department.  Whatever the reason, I am spending a great deal of time (and, by the look of it - more money) for something that should be easy to manage.  Not sure if this affects your choice to travel with Avalon, but wanted to share our experience. 

 

Fran

 

[franski]

Hi everyone -  Wanted to update you on the above posting.   We heard today that Avalon is going to pay our gratuities for the tour director on our upcoming trip.  We still have to pay the gratuities for the time on the boat - and, for some reason, gratuities for the Nazca Lines portion of the trip as it is considered an  "extension" - although this was never mentioned as an "extension" when we booked.  The gratuity amount we were quoted originally will cover our time on the river - and a few dollars for the tour in Paracas (including the Nazca Lines) isn't a big deal.  So, we are reasonably satisfied with the outcome. 

 

We have learned a few things from this experience - and want to share them with you.

1)  The Exotics division is separate from the division that handles river cruises in Europe - and all queries about cruises considered "exotic" are routed through them.  Be prepared for conflicting responses, and don't be afraid to question something that you don't feel is correct. 

2)  Read *all* documents carefully.  And, compare them.  The e-documents on the MyAvalon site don't always have the same information as the printed documents you receive pre-cruise.  See point#1 re: discrepancies.

3) Avalon reads Cruise Critic.  In the midst of this whole situation, I did say to both our TA and to Avalon that I would be posting about the  situation on CC - as people should be aware of the challenges we are having.  My original post was Tuesday afternoon.... Avalon was on the phone to my TA early Wednesday morning.  I would like to think that Avalon would have come to the same decision about the gratuities even if I didn't post here (my previous experiences with Avalon have all been positive) but the visibility on CC probably helped us.

 

In the end, it was the language regarding gratuities, and what they covered, that was the issue.  We have asked that Avalon review their current documents, and amend anything that could be ambiguous.  When people spend this amount of money on a vacation package (and this is *not* a cheap tour....) they need to know up front what the bottom line will be.  This has taken quite a bit of our time - but even *MORE* of our TA's time....  Which supports my decision that a good TA is worth their weight in gold.

 

I also posted this response on the "Everything Avalon"  thread  --> I know it is a duplicate, but feel that the update (in the spirit of fairness to Avalon) should be in both places as the original post was. 

 

Fran

[Stateroom_Sailor]

Thanks Fran,

 

Good to know that they read CC, and addressed the situation.  Contrast that with MSC, who has an "F" with the BBB.