Celebrity Xpedition Cruise Reviews - Reviews

We have been on many cruises and this is the best one yet! Celebrity went out of their way to be assured that everything went smoothly, including helping with flights at the airport when weather caused delays. This is a cruise of a lifetime with lots of activities to learn about the wildlife and the islands. There are 2 activities in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. Kayak, snorkel, hike, boat trip around the island are some examples. You pick whichever you want. Everything is planned out and you just have to show up. We were sad that it was over!

An action packed go-go -go experience for nature lovers. The small ship gives opportunities for different kinds of interactions with others on the trip as well as the staff. The Nature staff was outstanding and the Zodiac drives had super skills. All in all a wonderful experience.

This was unlike any cruise we were on. It was amazing to be so in touch with nature. Beautiful landscapes, animals, mammals, fish, etc.

A cruise not to be missed. Everything was an awesome experience and adventure. A smaller ship, but well maintained. The staff and crew were all amazing......from top to bottom and bottom to top. You will see and experience things like no other place on earth. I'm ready to do it all again!!

Except for Celebrity hiding that the ship was not in service and cancelling cruises week by week with two days notice , we were lucky and on the first actual sailing which was a Wonderful experience.

This is a great cruise with great people who care about what they do every day. I highly recommend this cruise to anyone think about cruising the Galapagos.

Great Cruise, really had a good time. You must like strenuous activity.

Active, interesting trip with varied landscapes and animals. Highly recommend.

The Xpedition is a small ship that exceeded our expectations. You will be treated special because you are 1 of only 100 guests. All guests come for one reason, to see The Galapagos and you will see them. After the first day we were so amazed at the island we could have gone home satisfied we saw them. However each day just got better. The wildlife is amazing. On the last day, they offered us a chance to plant small trees to re-forest part of the island which gives you a sense of helping out. Celebrity Expedition was the best cruise we have ever done.

Dialy excursions to individual islands.  Naturalists were most informative and easy to understand.  All questions were answered without hesitation.  All seemed to have a strong appreciation for their job. 

Expert guided hikes and snorkeling, then return to pampered luxury on board Xpedition. All staff were delightful and helpful. Their only wish was for you to learn and enjoy every minute of the tour. 

From the time we were met at the Quito airport until the time we departed Quito, Celebrity staff made this trip perfect.  Everything was right on time.  Service was warm and personal.  The trip was casual, yet elegant at the same time.  No need to dress up, but the dining room was lovely, staff were very attentive, the bar staff made all our drinks cheerfully and quickly.  The naturalists were with us on every shore excursions to explain all the magnificent birds, animals and plants, and always were looking out for our safety while we hiked or snorkeled.  The ship was immaculate and everything was well-organized and timely. I could not have asked for more and the whole trip exceeded our expectations in every way.

This cruise was everything Celebrity promised....... and more! The crew of the ship was awesome. Everyone was very friendly and did everything to make sure all of the guests were comfortable and happy. The naturalists were OUTSTANDING! No matter the situation, they were reassuring, patient, and supportive. The stops that we made optimized the kinds of animals and terrain that we experienced. It was worth every cent that we paid. I can't say enough good things about sailing on the Xpedition and the crew.

This WAS the trip of a lifetime.  With about 90 passengers, you get to know just about all your fellow travelers, and we made great friends.  The staff was also outstanding.  Special mention goes to bartender Ana, always prepared and always with a smile.

 Loved the snorkeling opportunities.  Excellent, informative naturalists (though sometimes things got a bit repetitive), and helpful presentations.  The walks can be a challenge, so invest in good trekking shoes before you go.  You may want to consider below the knee pants or knee pads, because falling on the lava rock would not be pleasant and you may want to kneel to take photos. Also loved having walking sticks available.

The ship is comfortable and enjoyable.  My only complaint is that the mattresses and pillows could be of a better quality.

This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. We loved everything about the cruise. It was well organized. The staff were all OUTSTANDING! Meeting our every need. The naturalists on every island landing were all knowledgeable and enthusiastic. They loved sharing about their homeland. Monica, the cruise director, was informative every night about the next day's activities. My suggestion... Go on every panga ride a valuable. Learned so much, saw so many animals, snorkeling was so good. We used the ship's snorkel gear and did use wet suits to prevent sunburn. On and the food.... Great choices, Carlos and staff, could not have been more gracious. Everyone spoke English, but they were so helpful to us learning our Spanish. WONDERFUL cruise, way better than expected. Totally different as everything is paid for up front...drinks, gratuities and snorkel.gear. 

It is an intimate experience secondary to the 100 passengers onboard.  From the airport pick up to the hotel, the level of services was incredible.   This continued on to the cruise, the post cruise hotel and the airport drop. 

Outstanding adventure. It is not cliche in this instance to be considered a trip of a lifetime. As experienced travelers, the two of us tend to expect the promotion to far exceed the experience. In this case the Galapagos Islands, as seen from the Xpedition, is a correct use of "awesome."  I would have enjoyed a second week back-to-back for the outer loop but my sweetheart was satisfied with the one week.  We also are satisfied with the cooler temps and wildlife options during November.

We tend to avoid the herd and travel independently. But we are glad we opted for the 11 day package beginning and ending in the airport in Quito. The Galapagos restrictions and requirements are extensive and cumbersome. It was worth the cost to avoid navigating all of those contingencies. 

We likewise enjoyed the morning tour of Quito, lunch, and afternoon at the Equator. The Marriott is truly 5 star as well. 

Each day on the Xpedition includes two or three excursion options. A 1-3 mile hike, a Zodiac (Panga) ride, beach/swim snorkel or deep water snorkel. You need to do all of them to experience the full beauty and diversity of the Islands and wildlife. Bring a prescription dive mask if needed and a "dry top" snorkel. Celebrity provides gear including short wet suits. In November we found the water cool but did not need the wetsuits. With the 44 pound weight limit for the one suitcase, use their fins. Bring sunscreen and bug wipes. I am glad I brought hiking boots, water shoes and another pair of loafers. 

We could have worn shorts and short sleeves but opted for added sun/bug protection of long sleeves on the Islands. You may need a light rain jacket. 

Laundry came back same day even if you did not check the one day option. It is relatively inexpensive as hotels/cruises go but we chose to wash items ourselves. They dried rapidly on the deck or in front of the fan. The newly added room 500 suite is reviewed below. 

The usual Elite priviledges do not apply. We chose to eat in the suite each evening, ordering from the dining room menu. Food overall was excellent. Our Southern Sweet tooth would have preferred different desert options but the chocolate souffle was delicious.

We thoroughly enjoyed this cruise and recommend it without hesitation. 

This is a once in a lifetime experience that shouldn't be missed!  Everything was included and perfect!  You will never have a chance to experience nature as it was meant to be seen anywhere else.  This is one place that hasn't been commercialized in any way.  The ship was great but now they are putting it in dry dock in a few weeks to totally refurbish it so it can only get better.  We were in a cabin without a balcony for our first time ever and I thought it would feel small in the room.  The room was perfect.  We had a window and didn't miss the balcony at all.  The staff was awesome.  

The Celebrity Xpedition was an exceptional cruise with a great itinerary and overall amazing experience of the Galapagos natural ecosystem, of the land, the geological transformation, of the range of life-forms in the water, the birds and land-animals.

There are two areas of improvement recommended:

1. No smoking should be enforced.  We were in the Penthouse Suite but a neighboring suite (602) had heavy smokers and their smoking was not curbed by the staff.  

2. Some of the "naturalists" were not very knowledgeable and also were rude or unfriendly - very unlike normal Celebrity experience.  Their boss was also grumpy, possibly unsuited for the job.

Perfect ship for this type of adventure cruise. Recognize that the venue is the entertainment so don't expect same options as on large regular cruise ships