I was in the Galapagos in 1993, it is still very similar to my 1st trip 25 years ago. You will not be disappointed, bring good walking shoes (or hiking boots) and be prepared to walk on lava rocks in some areas. The ship did provide walking sticks if you need one. Bring a great zoom lens, you will be thrilled if you buy a 60x zoom. Be prepared to take LOTS of pics, everything is a picture opportunity. Be in the moment and enjoy nature. Thank goodness the wifi is very slow on the ship it really makes you unplug.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We arrived 3 days early on Santa Cruz and stayed in Puerto Ayora, the main town about a 40 minute $25 cab ride from the airport, highlight was going to Tortuga Bay, stunning. We arrived back at the airport the day of the cruise and were allowed into the Celebrity VIP Lounge to wait for our naturalist guide, we were taken to the ship about a 5 minute van ride away and were pleased with how easy the transition was.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The Celebrity Xploration is an 8 cabin (max 16 passenger) catamaran, the top deck (level 4) is a sun deck (partially shaded with lounge chairs, regular outdoor seating area and a hot tub. Level 3 has 4 cabins, the bar area and a dining table to seat 16. Level 2 is the inside dining area, a salon where daily passenger briefings took place and 4 cabins (these have balconies). Level 1 is below deck with the crew's sleeping quarters and kitchen .
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The Galapagos Islands has an intense pace of activities from hikes, snorkeling, kayaking, etc. If you feel you need down time there is no problem with staying behind on the catamaran and enjoying the sun, the hot tub, reading or just catching up on your naps.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Service and Staff was 5 stars! Stephenson was our cruise director, Daniel Sanchez P., our naturalist guide, Fernando our "go to" dining room host and bartender and Peter, our chef. All were very friendly personable, funny and helpful, we could not have asked for a better staff.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our cabin was very comfortable and had ample storage space, we decided not to pay for a balcony room and did not miss having one since we only had a total of 14 passengers aboard, the common areas were more fun anyway.
Ship tip
Book now! Celebrity is going to decommision the smaller catamarans and use the 100 passenger ships as the norm (I believe you have about a year to still book the smaller catamarans). This smaller way of cruising is excellent for seeing and experiencing the Galapagos Islands.
Super easy, book a departure flight time as early as 10:30. Be forewarned, we booked Tame Air for 10:30am and a month before the cruise they changed the time to 2:30pm (a very long wait at the airport), we should have booked Avianca at 11;30 (they are more reliable). You can use the Celebrity VIP Lounge again at the airport while waiting for your flight. Be forewarned, there are only a couple of outlets to charge your electronics and the wifi is super slow, so bring a book to pass the time.
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