Xpedition Trip Report

[SheilaNC]

Mary,

We took out own snorkel equipment (because I use short fins due to a knee problem) and I don't remember what the ship had. I'm sure that someone on this board will come up with the answer :)

[bunnybear]

The ship provided the full foot type. They were very nice fins that were in good condition.

 

We used their snorkel gear also. My husband had some issues with his mask but mine worked great. I think if we ever went back we would bring our own mask and snorkels but would save the room for the fins and wetsuits.

[maztoz]

Thank you ladies!

Karen, I asked you the fin question on that other thread. Forgive the repetition. I'm finally getting the hang of this thread thing....

 

I'm planning to bring my own mask and snorkel since I'm picky about them, but packing full fins and booties are a pain.

Sheila, I'd love to hear more about the short fins. I saw them at the Sports store and thought they looked pretty cool and certainly smaller, but do they really help the knees? I have pretty bad arthritis in one foot and knee :( and can use all the help I can get.

[gooch47]

I didn't take our own stuff because of the weight issues.

[SheilaNC]

Hi,

My fans are not the very short speed swimmer's type but about 1/2 the length of the regular ones. I find it easier to kick without my kneeing hurting a lot when I'm using them (possibily because they are also lighter). We had very expensive almost new long fins and I had to sell them because of the strain on my arthritic knees. Hope this helps.

[maztoz]

"My fans are not the very short speed swimmer's type ...."

 

Must be nice to have tall fans ;)

My fans ARE the very short type, although they can't swim very fast, have long floppy ears and leave spit all over your face.:rolleyes:

 

Seriously, thanks for the info. I will definitely try a pair of shorties before the trip. I'll have opportunity this spring while down in the Caribbean.

Have a great week!

[SheilaNC]

Sorry for the mistype :o but it was a good laugh for the day! Enjoy your shorties ( I won't even go there :) )

[barbydaul]

We had an incredible time. We were very fortunate - I don't think anyone got sick that I am aware of. There was one passenger that suffered from depression that stayed in her cabin a lot but there was no outward signs of any type of digestive problem. I ate everything - fruit, juices, vegetables, salad and never had an issue.

 

In fact there is not a thing I would have wanted to change. We met the most incredible people onboard and had such fun getting to know them and experiencing the islands together. The naturalists were wonderful. In fact my husband wants to write a letter to Celebrity to compliment these wonderful people.

 

I will write a review once I have time.

 

I didn't want to leave - I could have stayed a few more days.

 

My husband and I are thinking about doing this trip next year. I was wondering what the time difference is. We live about 80 miles from Houston, near Beaumont, and I didn't know if we left on Friday, would we arrive there on Friday also. We are thinking about the 10 night tour. Also, is there a better time of the year than others. Is the water warmer in the summer months. I don't mind the heat at all. Would appreciate any feed back you can give.

 

Thanks,

 

Barbara

[thmpsn]

Equador is in the Central time zone. Flight time is approx 4 hrs from Miami.

Jim

[Keksie]

Bunnybear: How was this excursion?

[bunnybear]

Ecuador is actually in the Eastern Time Zone but they don't follow Daylight Savings Time so it was the same time zone as Houston. The Galapagos is actually in the Central Time Zone but the ship follows the mainland time so we were on Houston time the entire 11 days.

 

From what I have researched is that there is something to see no matter when you go. We selected April for the warmer water temps. But understand that this is the end of their rainy season. We were very fortunate and had no rain, but I don't think rain would have been all that awful.

 

My suggestion is not to hesitate - call your TA today and put down your deposit.

[barbydaul]

We booked the Mercury 10-night Mexican Rivierra for next April before we got off the Mercury 10 night Mexican Riviera this April. We already have a deposit on it and were going to transfer it to the Expedition cruise to keep the $200 cabin credit. We are waiting for dates past April to be announced.

Thanks for your reply

 

Barbara & Fred

[Keksie]

We will have an extra day post-cruise and I wonder if we should do the Mindo Cloud Forest or something else. Or are there things not to miss in Quito? Suggestions would be appreciated.

[Dorothy & Morty]

We were on the April 9th Xpedition cruise. Overall, it was an amazing adventure. The Marriot Hotel was much nicer than expected. Beautiful lobby and pool area with a nice restaurant and responsive staff. We enjoyed the tour of Quito. Don't miss dinner at the Opera house on the last night. Beautiful setting and a great meal. We came home with over 800 photos and amazing video. In my opinion, the best hikes were the high intensity at North Seymour Island, and the high intensity hike on Espanola Island and the high intensity hike on Fernandina Island. These activities are definately in the "not to be missed" category. We went on all the advanced snorkeling activities which we enjoyed. The only activity I would not recommend is the visit to the Interpretation Center and stop in the town of Puerto Baquerizo. Not impressive and since we arrive early, none of the stores were open. The staff on the ship, expecially the housekeeping and dining room staff were incredible. Always trying to please. The food was good (not great).

 

Unfortunately, at least half the passengers on our cruise were sick during part of the week (one woman was sick for most of it). Several people needed shots from the doctor. During a visit to the Highlands, a bus had to return to the ship early because so many passengers were throwing up. My husband said that he has never been so sick in his life. The people who got sick were not all elderly. Many were in their 40's and 50's. Not sure what Celebrity can do differently. They have hand sanitizers on the boad and hand wipes in the cabins. Unfortunately, they must get the food from local sources. Also, the ship never docks and food is transported on rafts in coolers. Not sure if the refrigeration is adequate. Most people I met had taken immodium during the week.

Despite the illnesses, I would still recommend this cruise. It is a unique and wonderful adventure. Please post any questions and I will try to answer.

 

Joyce,

Thanks for your review. We are seniors and are excited about our cruise in August. The illness idea bothered me. I had heard about the Mercury in March, but not this ship. Also, do you think I could make the hardest level on this trip? I had a broken ankle 2 years ago and watch each step I take. Also, how hard is the Zodiac ride? Can you request beef at night?

I plan to take lots of medicine from my doctor with me incuding Immodium.

My husband loves nature and we are both looking forward to a great cruise. Please respond soon. Dorothy & Morty

[SheilaNC]

Dorothy and Morty,

IMHO, the best excursions for you would be the intermediate or low intensity ones. I have bad knees and was able to do a few high intensity ones, but sometimes with difficulty due to the distances of the walks/hikes. Getting into the Zodiacs is not a problem since there is plenty of help available and they are used to people with different abilities. Be sure to take the onboard walking sticks with you for stability...they really help. You should have a wonderful trip (we did!) and as you know the nature observations are wonderful on ALL excursions. Re: illness, just follow the CDC guidelines and be sure to have Peptobismal with you and be careful of ice and water when on shore. Be careful of Immodium, sometimes it causes serious problems. http://www.cdc.gov/travel is the best place to get good information that is country and disease specific.

Have a great trip.

[Dorothy & Morty]

Bunnybear, you were indeed lucky to have a trip on which nobody got sick.

 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the Pepto therapy and being relatively careful works for us during our June trip. I suspect that some of the people who get the most sick have never been to these boards or done much research and so set themselves up for illness. Of course, I'm sure it's not true in all cases but we know that knowledge is always helpful.

 

Hello,

I see that you're going in June. We'll be going in August. I'd love to hear about your trip when you get back. We're excited. Dorothy & Morty:) ;)

[Dorothy & Morty]

Dorothy and Morty,

IMHO, the best excursions for you would be the intermediate or low intensity ones. I have bad knees and was able to do a few high intensity ones, but sometimes with difficulty due to the distances of the walks/hikes. Getting into the Zodiacs is not a problem since there is plenty of help available and they are used to people with different abilities. Be sure to take the onboard walking sticks with you for stability...they really help. You should have a wonderful trip (we did!) and as you know the nature observations are wonderful on ALL excursions. Re: illness, just follow the CDC guidelines and be sure to have Peptobismal with you and be careful of ice and water when on shore. Be careful of Immodium, sometimes it causes serious problems. www.cdc.gov/travel is the best place to get good information that is country and disease specific.

Have a great trip.

 

;) :)

Sheila,

Thank you very much for answering us so promptly. What do you mean about a walking stick on board? Do you mean something like a cane?

Also, if anyone is reading this. We are leaving on August 4th and going on the Expedition trip on the 6th of August. Anyone going at that time? We are sort of interested in going one day early to take the tour mentioned before. Is it worth doing? Not sure what the cost of the hotel will be etc. I plan to carry a good supply of medicines. I was warned that there is a 35 lb. weight limit on luggage from Quito to Baltra. Did they weigh each piece of luggage and add $$$?

We plan on dressing casually and informally. So no gowns etc. to weigh us down. Ha! I'll keep checking in for messages. You can reach me at

dzreads@bellsouth.com. (I'm a retired teacher.)

Sincerely,

Dorothy & Morty

[gooch47]

The Cruise Director, two of the naturalists and a woman who had visited the Galapagos 21 times all suggested October.

 

They all said that there are nice things to see every month, but without prompting or consulting, each one mentioned October.

[SheilaNC]

Dorothy and Morty,

Re: walkng sticks - the Xpedition has enough to go around...they are thick wooden sticks (like canes but with the curved top). At first I thought it would be annoying to lug one around but on the uneven paths (some of which are strewn with rocks) they were sooooo helpful. Never left the ship without one. The naturalists take them from you and stow on the Zodiac so you don't need to worry about balancing acts getting on and off.

 

Re: talking with folks on your trip...go to the Celebrity Roll Call Board to see if someone has set one up for your date. If not, set one up yourself - it's easy and wait to see if anyone responds. We didn't have much traffic on our board due to the low number of people on the cruise and the percentage that know about cruise critic.

 

Re: hotel and tour in Quito. We dd the 10 day trip that included a 2 night stay at the JW MArriott - highly recommend and a 1 night after the cruise. Are you doing that? If not where do you plan to stay? I think it's definitely worth going early to adjust and see more than just the Galapagos...we loved Ecuador.

 

Hope this helps.

[CruiserJen]

The naturalists were wonderful. In fact my husband wants to write a letter to Celebrity to compliment these wonderful people.

 

Bunnybear,

 

Who were your naturalists during your visit? We joined a group on a small vessel and I think we ended up with some of the X naturalists (they must move around). We had one really great naturalist named Ron.

 

Jen