Limited Mobility on Galapagos cruise

[lneilan]

Does anyone have any information about how easy or strenuous the shore excursions are on a Galapagos cruise. I cannot get clear information on Celebrity's website. 

 

[Host Kat]

On 3/12/2021 at 1:20 PM, lneilan said:

Does anyone have any information about how easy or strenuous the shore excursions are on a Galapagos cruise. I cannot get clear information on Celebrity's website. 

 

@lneilan

 

Howdy!   

 

To help you out I have moved your thread to the Celebrity Cruises forum. Be sure to Follow this thread so you will be notified when any new content posts.

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Also, there are pinned threads (aka Stickies) on the Celebrity Flora Roll Calls forum titled Recently returned on Flora and on the Celebrity Xpedition Roll Calls forum titled Xpedition - Anyone recently back? PART 3 that you might want to read. Both threads are for Cruise Critic members that have sailed on Flora and Xpedition to communicate their experiences, post pics and answer questions. Perhaps those two threads will also help you with the information you seek.

 

I sincerely hope this will be satisfactory and glad to have you aboard Cruise Critic! 

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat 

[Alakegirl]

When you say limited mobility it would help if you told us more about that. Are you in a wheelchair? Do you walk with a cane? Do you use a scooter? Or a zimmer?  

[Denny01]

We recently (last week) took part in a Zoom brief by Celebrity and they clearly stated anyone who requires/needs a cane to get around should not go on Galapagos cruises. They didn’t discuss wheel chairs or scooters which would be a no-go even on the ships. 

 

Most of the stops don’t have piers and they transverse using a Zodiac rubber boat. Vey stable but you need to be a bit agile to get in and out of them as they bob around some. Also, most all the tours are strong walking through what most of us would call desert areas. Lots of rocks, dirt paths. Lots of snorkeling and great fun. But if you have mobility issues enough to ask, you probably aren’t a candidate. 

 

Den

[kathynorth]

When we were on the Xpedition in 2016 there were more than a few passengers using canes who managed excursions just fine. As an FYI, the ship had walking sticks that lots of passengers used during hikes. Here are a few questions you might want to consider before moving forward with this particular cruise: One major challenge with the excursions was transportation to the islands was via pangas. Do you think you can independently sit on the side of a panga then pivot your legs over the side? Staff is there to assist, but staff aren't permitted to do anything that requires lifting. I believe the Flora has a stairwell that makes it easier for you to enter the water. Do you think you can wade through knee deep water to get to shore? This cruise includes 2-3 excursion options at each stop, plus the staff will create modified options so everyone feels included. Are you steady on your feet when using a cane? Will you be ok taking the shorter version of a hike while others take the longer version? Would you be ok with taking a wildlife ride on the panga instead of hiking over a lava flow? Will you be traveling with someone who doesn't require a cane and who can provide additional support when necessary?  We snorkeled at 3 stops, but 2 of them were in areas that were difficult to get in and out of the water due to currents. Once in we were fine. The staff can tell you what the best options are. 

 

Also, you should take the time to read the Xpedition Anyone Recently Back threads. There's a link in post #2. There are lots of posts from past passengers, some of whom had mobility challenges. First hand narratives may help you with your decision. 

[Bookishcruiser]

I too was onboard in 2016. Getting on the pangas was not easy. The crew was great!  And super helpful.  I would never want to discourage you, but it was not easy. The other thing to consider is that there was a fair amount of snorkeling. We started from the beach and were left to our own devises getting our wetsuits and flippers on.