Live: Nov 18 2023 Xpedition Galapagos Southern Loop

[mahdnc]

 

Before the cruise, we received the customary MoveUp email from Celebrity.  The RS was still available for our sailing although the PS was booked even though it was included in the MoveUp options.

 

There was a very nice couple on our sailing who were celebrating a wedding anniversary.  They also had booked an XS cabin and had bid the minimum ($500 pp) for the RS but it was never accepted.  As many of you know, stateroom assignments are controlled by Miami before a cruise, but after the cruise starts, the ship has control.  So once on board, this couple talked to Xpedition's Hotel Director, Andres, and they were able to secure the RS for $500 total.  Nice.

[mahdnc]

 

There have been questions about whether you can leave a suitcase behind at the JW Marriott and then pick it up when you check into the hotel after the cruise.   The answer is yes.  There is at least one couple on our sailing that did it.  

 

By the way, you can email the hotel at this address: guest.relations@marriottquito.com.  Also there is no concierge desk at the hotel--so no email address there.

 

10 night cruise tour guests who had an early flight home out of UIO were given a room at the EB Hotel which is right at the airport.  I am told it is a nice hotel.

 

We purchased the 11 night cruise tour which meant that we spent two nights in Quito after the cruise.  We were assigned the JW Marriott even though our flight out of UIO was at 7am.  Our cruise tour package included ground transportation to UIO.  So on the day of our flight, a car with a driver and a guide came to the hotel at 4:30 am to take just us to the airport.  The car however was barely able to hold our luggage along with its 4 occupants.

[tjunmin]

Thanks for sharing your experience. It was enjoyable following your explorations. Wonderful photos as well!

[mahdnc]

Here is the post cruise information and instructions that we received when we returned to Quito:

 

[mahdnc]

This Galapagos marketing video was published by Celebrity last month: The Web of Life Galapagos Video.  It focuses solely on the wildlife.  No ship information.

[mahdnc]

I got a couple of questions about my camera equipment.  I carried a full frame Nikon DSLR with three zoom lenses: 16-35 mm (attached to the camera in the photo), 80-400 mm (left), and a 28-300 mm (right). @prmssk carried the same first two mentioned lenses along with a cropped sensor camera which is ideally suited for telephoto work (and she put it to good use).

 

 

Changing lenses in a sandy environment is a bit of risky proposition when done frequently.  Plus it takes agility and time.  I found myself leaving the long lens (80-400 mm) attached to the camera body while ashore on the islands and I would pull my iPhone 15 Pro out of my pocket for any wide shots (landscapes, groups of people, etc).  The 16-35 mm lens was used a lot in Quito for landscapes and interior photos.  I found myself using the all purpose 28-300 mm lens during the days we were in seeing the tortoises are were in town (Puerto Ayora).

 

I noticed a couple of passengers had DSLR cameras with kit lenses.  I saw one of the naturalists carrying a Sony mirrorless camera.

 

Most passengers used their iPhone.  I found that an iPhone does real well in the Galapagos.  The iPhone will take excellent landscapes with depth of field.  You will also get good photos of the larger land animals such as the sea lions, tortoises, and iguanas.  Here are some uncropped photos taken from my iPhone to give you an idea:

 

 

 

 

The only thing the iPhone is lacking is getting consistently good bird photos because the iPhone lacks good telephoto capability.  This means that it is difficult to get a good bird-in-flight shot with an iPhone.  Here are a couple of photos that I took with my DSLR with my telephoto lens pushed to 400 mm:

 

 

 

But the iPhone can take good bird photos if you can get close enough.  Using her iPhone, our naturalist (Vicky) was able to snap a nice photo of an elusive Red-Billed Tropicbird chick hidden amongst the rocks that we saw on Santa Fe Island. 

 

 

A few other comments:

 

I brought a tripod with me on this trip for my camera.  It comes in handy for landscape shots where I want a large depth of field (things near and far are all in focus) or for night shots which is a different matter.  The naturalists said that I could bring it ashore onto the islands.  The problem with using it as it turned out was time.  You need time to set up the tripod, put the camera on it, compose the photo, and get the camera settings right.  That kind of time would cause you to be left behind by the group which I got the feeling was not real cool since the naturalists are supposed to keep an eye on you to make sure you aren't doing anything evil.  So I didn't want to be "that" guy and I didn't bring the tripod ashore.  I got some decent night shots in Quito with it, but in the end I should have left it at home.

 

I had read differing accounts about the need for bringing a dry bag to protect your camera gear in case it fell into the water--or in case you fell in the water with your camera equipment.  Consequently I purchased and brought a couple of light weight dry bags for this trip.  From my experience during this trip, the dry bags were not necessary although you have to be careful.  All of the wet landings were on a sandy beach which was easy to negotiate.  Also the crew would often hold your stuff (camera or backpack) for you to allow you to use your hands to help you get on or get off the zodiac.  So the danger of getting your equipment soaked was extremely minimal from what I saw during our trip.  Incidentally your biggest risk of getting your equipment wet was getting back into the zodiac during a wet landing.  We had a couple people lose their balance as they shimmied backward onto the zodiac and they slid right into the shallow sandy water.  My wife was one of those people.  It's good that I don't have pictures of that. 

 

During the week at the Galapagos, I shot in RAW +JPEG with my Nikon camera.  By the end of the cruise, I had completely filled up a new 128GB SD card.  

 

Finally, I did bring an underwater camera set up.  I used a small Canon PowerShot S120 camera with a custom underwater housing.  The camera is old by today's digital standard and my iPhone is better.  But either way it's difficult to get good underwater shots.  You really are at the mercy of the lighting and visibility if you see something worth taking a photo of.  The best you can hope for is a nice bright sunny day and some luck.  I'd say about 25% of my underwater photos were any good on a technical basis and some of that was due to my lack of skill and not just the conditions.

 

 

 

[prmssk]

Re Cameras and lenses, I agree with most of what @mahdnc says above.  My 80-400mm lens was my go-to lens for most islands and stayed on the body.  I pulled out the 16-35mm lens for Bartolome (it was all about the views and landscape) and started a hike with it on one other island that had a lot of black rocks and neat landscapes.  At the Darwin Center, I started with my 16-35mm but quickly switched to my fixed 60mm (the third lens I brought) which worked better.  

 

I did not even bring a tripod because I had read enough ahead of time there that really wasn't a lot of time to set one up and I really didn't want to carry it around for just a couple opportunities.  If you are serious about landscape photography, the one place where you probably would have enough time for it would be Bartolome Island (on the Northern or Inner Loops).

 

I agree underwater photography is hard.  It does require good lighting and visibility and a lot of skill.  I stuck to mostly video but even those were hit or miss as to what actually turned out.  It was also so hard to follow a penguin or cormorant racing by.  I used a SeaLife SportDiver housing for my iPhone 14 Pro.  It has a red filter that is easily removable that I found generally helped with colors unless I was really close to the surface.

 

 

 

A photo taken with my iPhone in the SportDiver

 

Here is a short video I put together of some of the video footage I took underwater just to show others some examples of what the SportDiver can do.

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

17 minutes ago, prmssk said:

Re Cameras and lenses, I agree with most of what @mahdnc says above.  My 80-400mm lens was my go-to lens for most islands and stayed on the body.  I pulled out the 16-35mm lens for Bartolome (it was all about the views and landscape) and started a hike with it on one other island that had a lot of black rocks and neat landscapes.  At the Darwin Center, I started with my 16-35mm but quickly switched to my fixed 60mm (the third lens I brought) which worked better.  

 

I did not even bring a tripod because I had read enough ahead of time there that really wasn't a lot of time to set one up and I really didn't want to carry it around for just a couple opportunities.  If you are serious about landscape photography, the one place where you probably would have enough time for it would be Bartolome Island (on the Northern or Inner Loops).

 

I agree underwater photography is hard.  It does require good lighting and visibility and a lot of skill.  I stuck to mostly video but even those were hit or miss as to what actually turned out.  It was also so hard to follow a penguin or cormorant racing by.  I used a SeaLife SportDiver housing for my iPhone 14 Pro.  It has a red filter that is easily removable that I found generally helped with colors unless I was really close to the surface.

 

 

 

A photo taken with my iPhone in the SportDiver

 

Here is a short video I put together of some of the video footage I took underwater just to show others some examples of what the SportDiver can do.

 

 

Wow! What an awesome video!!

[mahdnc]

That is a nice video indeed. If you look closely at the photo of my underwater housing, I have a red filter threaded on. I use it mainly for shadow reef diving which is where it is most effective.

 

My wife shot video with a GoPro and we have yet to review the footage as she had to go back to North Carolina because her mom passed away this weekend. 

[Gardenbunny50]

Oh my goodness - so fascinating.  Thank you. I am not a snorkler - have tried but I just can’t get the hang of the breathing and water in tube, etc etc. Just not coordinated, and to be perfectly honest, a bit afraid.  But  to be able to get that experience from watching your beautiful video was priceless for me.   I totally loved the star fish.  

[prmssk]

@mahdnc So sorry to hear about your wife’s mom!

 

Some others in our group got some good footage with GoPros. 

[TimidTrav]

Again, great information from @mahdnc and @prmssk.  Thanks!  I am not a great photographer, and have a tendency to drop anything I am carrying (including my phone!), so I purchased an Olympus Tough TG-7 waterproof camera for the trip.  I hope to get some decent photos, but we will see!

 

So sorry to hear about your mother-in-law, @mahdnc.  

[mahdnc]

 

[prmssk]

16 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

I love those sculptures!

 

We came home with a small painting of a Blue-footed Booby painted by the shop owner’s husband. 

[Gardenbunny50]

Art imitating real life - such a wonderful remembrance.  Condolences to you, your wife and family.

[mahdnc]

3 hours ago, prmssk said:

I love those sculptures!

 

We came home with a small painting of a Blue-footed Booby painted by the shop owner’s husband. 

 

Nice.  I am sure it looks good hanging in your house.  I did very much like the shop.  The sculptures were impressive.

 

 

 

 

[sandiego1]

@mahdnc You and your wife have my condolence on the passing of her mother. May her memory be a blessing to you and your family.

[WeBcruisingMN]

@mahdnc May God bring peace to you and your family, as you grieve your mother-in-law’s passing. Sympathy and compassion to you 💟

 

Thanks for the additional Galapagos info you continue to provide ✅

[mahdnc]

A tour of Darwin's Restaurant.  All the pictures hanging on the walls of the restaurant are landscape photo consisting of: Kicker Rock, Daphne Major, and Bartolome Island.  I maybe forgetting one.

 

 

Because Xpedition is currently licensed to carry only 48 passengers which is half of her carrying capacity, the restaurant is spacious.  There are several tables always empty during dinner.  All meals were open seating.  On several occasions I saw the Captain and her staff dining together at Darwin's Restaurant--ordering from the same menu that we had (well at least the cover of the menu looked the same).  Here is a photo of them during one of their dinners: link

 

 

There was always sea food to be had every meal.  Shrimp was on the menu every night.  There was universal agreement by virtually all the passengers that the beef dishes were almost always not very good..

 

 

There was an omelette station always available for breakfast.  For dinner the station was set up differently for different nights (pasta, ceviche, paella, etc).

 

 

Here is an example of "etc":

 

 

During dinner I often entertained myself by watching the ship's tilt from looking at my wine glass:

 

 

Breakfast and lunch were buffets with table side service for drinks.  Dinners had full table service.  Two of the dinners were held al fresco at the Beagle Grille area.

 

 

Service in general was very good and unhurried.  It was less formal than on a normal Celebrity ship. 

 

 

The dining room staff always relished an opportunity to wish their passengers a happy birthday or anniversary.  Their joyful singing was accompanied by great guitar play, maracas, and howling, of course.

 

 

Here is a folder with the dinner and dessert menus in it: link

 

 

All tables sat a minimum of 4 people.  Many sat 6.  There were a couple of tables that could seat large groups.  There was a multi-generational family (9 people? including a toddler) that sat at one of the large tables.  If you wanted a table just for two, there were several empty ones that could be commandeered at the back of the dining room.

Edited December 8, 2023 by mahdnc

[mchell810]

I've only just found this thread; I have to say your first photos are already stunningly beautiful.  I look forward to seeing more and reading about your trip.  Thanks for sharing!

[mahdnc]

On 11/20/2023 at 10:20 PM, Dancing Shoes said:

Thanks for the memories.  We were on the Expedition when deck 3 had cabins in 2010.  They only had one loop.  Best trip ever.  Enjoy the sights.

 

The fact that Xpedition is half full is great for passengers and crew.  There is something like 62 crew for a ship licensed to carry up to 48 passengers.  So the passengers benefit from a crew to passenger ratio of better than 1:1.

 

Captain Nathaly told me that the officers are housed in the Deck 3 cabins which lightens the load in the remaining officer and crew quarters.  So more space for the crew makes for happier crew.

 

Everybody wins!

 

Edited December 8, 2023 by mahdnc

[mchell810]

@mahdnc  Very sorry to learn about your mother-in-law's passing.  So very glad you and your wife were back in the states before it happened.

[mchell810]

David -- I really enjoyed your pictures; your ability to capture wildlife just doing there thing is awesome.  It almost inspires me to travel with proper cameras. 😜

 

Thanks for all your information about cameras.  If/when you have a chance I'd love to get your thoughts on the GoPro camera.  I rely on my iPhone and am generally happy with the results; however, I am considering buying a GoPro for a likely Antarctica trip so would love to get any reviews. 

 

@prmssk I'd love to get your opinions as well.

 

 

[prmssk]

2 hours ago, mchell810 said:

If/when you have a chance I'd love to get your thoughts on the GoPro camera.  I rely on my iPhone and am generally happy with the results; however, I am considering buying a GoPro for a likely Antarctica trip so would love to get any reviews. 

 

@prmssk I'd love to get your opinions as well.

I don't have any personal experience with a GoPro but I have heard nothing but great things about them.  There were several on our trip who used GoPros and got some pretty good footage.

[mahdnc]

 

The Beagle Grill served two purposes for my wife and me--getting a snack after each shorex and having a couple dinners at night.

 

Each time we got back on board Xpedition after doing a shorex, the Beagle Grill was set up with refreshments for the passengers.  So it was a very nice place to crash with a cold drink and sharing what you just experienced with the other passengers.

 

 

Oddly enough, my wife and I chose not to eat any of our meals out there except for the two dinners that the ship scheduled to be done al fresco at the Beagle Grill. 

 

The first outdoor dinner, was billed "Dinner Under The Stars" and was conducted on the 3rd evening of the cruise.  It was a very nice night and we had an enjoyable dinner.

 

 

 

The second outdoor dinner was held on the final night of the cruise and it featured large lobster tails.  Unfortunately it began raining as soon as we were seated with our food.  Half the passengers who had tables under the overhanging cover near the grill were fine.  The rest of us took our plates down to Darwin's Restaurant to finish the meal.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 9, 2023 by mahdnc