Xpeditions-Galapagos Advice Needed

[Hoosierheadhunter]

My wife and I are planning on going to the Galapagos during the Jun/July 2007 time frame and I am looking for some advice. We are seasoned cruisers but have never booked anything on such a small vessel. Is it too early to think about booking this cruise 12 months in advance? Is there an advantage to waiting or do the sailings fill up quickly? Do they discount from "Brochure Rate" at all. Any benefit to using a Travel Agent versus booking direct through Celebrity? How about a land pre/post package? Is it safe and is it worth it? Any idea how Celebrity stacks up to other tour operators who offer similar itineries, but on even smaller vessels. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Hoosierheadhunter

[cruisePRN]

I went last Oct and it was a fabulous trip. you go to Ecador two nights early and back for a night after the cruise so it's up to you how much time you need before and after your cruise. the smallness of the ship makes it perfect for the naturalists to give you tours and information. all tours by all companies are capacity controlled to about 14 to 1 so people are never allowed to wander alone and spoil the ecology. xpedition met and exceeded all my expectations, it was a first class act.

[bunnybear]

We were on the Xpedition in April 2006 and it was truly a fabulous trip. I would recommend it highly. You will want to book in advance because the trips fill up fast. I don't think there are any "discounts" on this trip. It's an all inclusive trip so it's pricey but the value is worth the trip. Our trip was sold out - or so it seemed - but we only had 84 passengers aboard. WE LOVED THE SMALL SHIP and would love to go on other trips like this one.

 

You must enjoy adventure, lots of activity and love wildlife to truly get the most out of the sights of the Galapagos trip. There is not a lot of "resting" time - it's go go go. But we loved every minute of the trip and had the opportunity to meet almost all of the passengers aboard and have made lasting friendships with three couples we met.

 

Don't hesitate.

[SandyR5]

Hi - Go on this trip. It is the trip of a lifetime. It is NOT discounted but some agents give stateroom credit. The only trouble is that you don't need stateroom credit because everything is included. ;)

[Hoosierheadhunter]

Thanks to all who have written so far. Did anyone take a look at other options like Inca Tours, Boundless Journeys, or Natural Habitats? I know Celebrity is pretty much it for the big names in cruising; but there are some tour groups with mostly yacht sized vessels who have about the same itinery. Did anyone take a look at those as well. If you did, I would be very interested in what made you choose Celebrity. We're leaning toward Celebrity.

 

HH

[chachabell]

Hi - Go on this trip. It is the trip of a lifetime. It is NOT discounted but some agents give stateroom credit. The only trouble is that you don't need stateroom credit because everything is included. ;)

Elite level Captains Club members get 10% off.

[SandyR5]

Hi - We checked several other outfits. Many take about 15 passengers. One of the reasons we chose Celebrity was that there are 6 naturalists onboard. You cannot go onto the islands without a naturalist. With 15 passengers there will be one or two onboard. That limits your choices. Each morning/afternoon we chose from either high/med/low intensity excursions. There were also some folks who chose to snorkel. There were enough naturalists so everyone could do exactly what they choose to do. You didn't have to settle or compromise. Also, we saw many other ships passengers snorkeling without wetsuits...which Celebrity just gives to you to use. All this, plus the fact that we think Celebrity is just a class act.

[mason525]

Hi- Went 1/06 w/ my son. We loved this adventure. I thought our ship was beautiful & much better looking than any other we saw. Did not explore alternatives before sailing but since I'm back & want to go to the Galapagos w/ younger son, I've been looking at Linblad trips & other options but nothing seems to be the same mix of luxury & education. Loved the crew without exception. The one thing that might have improved this trip would be to include Macchu Pichu, which I think a number of people have done. Good luck, Meg

[SheilaNC]

FYI, I think there is now a Macchu Pichu option. I, for one, would have been exhausted if I'd added on a high altitude trip to the Galapagos. But I'd go back in a heartbeat. It was a wonderful trip in all ways - the best, IMHO, was a combination of the incredible naturalists and the wonderful people with whom we sailed. The crew was amazing, the food good and the ship like being on a lovely large yacht. As an all inclusive vacation, it can't beat it. We know others who have sailed on LLindblad and other ships and loved them as well....

[HRHMadonna]

We have had wonderful experiences on Celebrity, but for the Galapagos we opted for a 16 passenger motorized schooner, the "Cachalote".

 

It was a 7-day cruise. We had 2 shore excursions every day and went snorkeling 1 or 2 times a day. We are normally "night people", but the sun, water and physical activity left so exhausted, we were usually asleep before 9 PM. The accommodations were small and quite modest, the meals were served family style, the passengers came from 5 different coutries. Our "entertainment" was provided by the stars at night and the sea lions, penguins and blue-footed boobies by day!

 

It was totally different from any other cruise experience. It was not luxurious by any stretch of the imagination and there was no martini bar, but for the Galapagos it was perfect for us. It was the trip of a lifetime!

[susyls]

We just booked this cruise for September 16th 2007. I'm so excited.

I looked at other options but I like using a "brand" that is proven.

We really like princess and hope our experience on the xpedition will be just as special, if not more so.

[Susan-M]

I chose Celebrity for our upcoming trip after reading reviews from those who had been on Xpedition, as well as from those on small yachts (16 passenger). The small yacht experience appealed to us but I was concerned about a few comments re tight accommodations, incompatibility with other passengers, inadequate or unsatisfactory food, motion problems, etc. There were also positive comments from the small yacht experiences - but we have done a couple of sailing trips elsewhere with small groups and I know what the advantages and disadvantages can be. After read nothing but rave reviews about Xpedition, it seemed like the right choice for us for this trip. You will find some reviews of small yacht experiences on http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g294310-i6637-Galapagos_Islands.html

 

I also spent a lot of time looking at extending our trip to include Machu Picchu through an independent tour operator, but we are limited to two weeks when we go in November, and felt it was a tight squeeze to do justice to the Peru portion. Celebrity now offers a M.Picchu extension, but I would look carefully at how much travel time is involved (a lot) vs. sightseeing time in Peru. We ended up choosing the 10 day Celebrity trip, and will stay on for a few days in Quito to do some day trips from there.

[Cruisin Brenda]

We were on the Xpedition 6/11/06-6/18/06 and absolutely loved it and would recommend it without hesitation. It was the perfect mix of nature, education, and luxurious pampering with unequaled service. We chose to extend our stay in Quito for an extra day post-cruise and wound up sharing a cab with another couple we met on board to visit Otavalo, Calderone (the bread-dough figurine village), and the village that specializes in leather goods (i forget the name). It cost us $110 total for the cab for the day, and we had a great time. We loved Ecuador and wished we could have stayed longer. Friendly, honest people, great prices, good weather and no problem with altitude. I did have some stomach issues but they passed with the help of pepto-bismol and time.

 

Brenda