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After Celebrity Flora made its debut, Celebrity Xpedition's passenger capacity was knocked down from 100 to just 48, meaning this is one spacious expedition ship. The ship offers all drinks and tips included in the price, along with excursions guided by a stellar expedition team and the high-quality cuisine and service that Celebrity is known for. The 96-passenger National Geographic Endeavour II offers lots to like, including plenty of window-lined public rooms and staterooms that are smartly designed but decidedly unpretentious and uncomplicated.
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However, we continue to strongly recommend that all Intrepid travelers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and others. Our staff live and work in the area, which means revenue from all our trips benefit the local economy. Safety is our number one priority, which is why all our boats are top-of-the-line and equipped with full safety features.
This Expedition Cruise Line's Latest Sale Has BOGO Trips to the Galapagos - Travel + Leisure
This Expedition Cruise Line's Latest Sale Has BOGO Trips to the Galapagos.
Posted: Mon, 19 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
How do we get from the boat to the shore?
This region may be better known for its landscapes and wildlife, but the Galapagos Islands are also an excellent place for stargazing. And there’s no better Galapagos cruise ship for stargazing than the Celebrity Flora. The 100-passenger vessel feels more like a luxury yacht than an expedition ship.
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To get close to Mother Nature in the mostly unpopulated islands, you need to get on the water — and land on islands in the company of a licensed Ecuadorian naturalist guide. Galapagos National Park tightly controls who comes in and where ships can explore. Cruise ships that sail the Galapagos must adhere to strict rules, including one that states a certain percentage of the crew must be from Ecuador.
Expedition Travel Guide for the Galápagos Islands
Yes, this sounds obvious, especially when I see it in black and white. I anticipated strong sun and made sure to load up on SPF 50+ sunscreen for my family, but we still felt the effects of the straight-on rays that are a hallmark of the destination nearly 365 days a year. Let the Galapagos experts give you free travel advice and planning for your perfect adventure to the Enchanted Islands. The live-abroad experience means sleeping and eating aboard a yacht for the duration of your trip. It is always recommended that you visit your doctor or travel clinic for up to date advice and make sure to schedule vaccinations 4-6 weeks before your departure date, as some require time to become effective.
It wasn't complete silence but rather a calm that teemed with sounds not normally present in my daily life. If you take your time and enlist the help of a seasoned travel agent, you should be able to eliminate many of the usual snags and focus on enjoying your time on some of the world's most untouched islands. On the opposite side of the island is Post Office Bay, named for what might be the world's smallest post office. A small door in an old barrel gives way to a pile of postcards stuffed into a Ziploc bag.
Some were rocky, devoid of vegetation and provided no place for us to land, necessitating scenic sailing only. Some islands were home to colorful flowers and lush vegetation and were well suited to grow coffee, cocoa beans and sugarcane. With roughly 97% of the Galapagos preserved as a national park, I was expecting the islands to be wild, and I was right.
With us, you'll encounter flora found nowhere else, come face to face with fauna that has not learned to fear humans, and hike moonscapes that barely resemble Earth. In retrospect, we should have spent an additional day easing back into reality and exploring the surrounding cloud forest — which would have been a much more relaxing and special way to end our adventure. Of course, it's a good excuse to plan a return visit to Ecuador, and hopefully the Galapagos Islands, in the future. However, there are a LOT of birds in the Galapagos, and a guide wasn't always available to point out each one. I'm talking 13 types of finches, each with a special niche, plus hundreds of other species of rare fauna and flora. Browse through our list of liveaboard diving cruises and let us help you plan your personalized Galapagos adventure now.
Galapagos Cruise Prices
All the ships are Ecuadorian flagged, Ecuadorian crewed and owned by Ecuadorian companies, sometimes in partnership with leading cruise companies. The sailings are year-round, and routes are always subject to change based on park control. The Cerro Colorado Tortoise Breeding Center, on the south part of the island, focuses on mitigating threats to the islands' giant tortoise population. It's another location where giant tortoises are bred in captivity and released into a monitored natural habitat to be protected and studied. San Cristobal Island, another of the Galapagos' inhabited islands, is home to a second airport that cruise passengers sometimes use to reach their ships. Here's a rough breakdown of which islands you might visit in each region.
A Galapagos cruise can also offer a hassle-free way to tour the islands compared to a land-based trip. The cruise booking may cover many travel logistics, including pre- and post-cruise hotel stays, land-based adventure extensions and meals. Make your Galapagos experience even more unforgettable with a fully guided, once-in-a-lifetime journey to Peru’s iconic Machu Picchu, a lost Inca city nestled stunningly in the Andes. Discover two of the world’s most awe-inspiring destinations on one incredible vacation—and leave virtually every detail to us.
I have no sunburn to speak of, I wasn't eaten alive by mosquitoes (for once), and I'm not suffering the ill effects of jet lag because I didn't have to adjust to a large time difference. However, that doesn't mean the destination didn't leave a mark on me. Although people do change for dinner, you likely won't need dressy clothes. In terms of accessories, you'll want binoculars, a day pack (waterproof, if possible) that you can use ashore and a water bottle if your cruise line doesn't provide one. Toss some seasickness remedies into your bag, and download some movies or TV shows onto your smartphone or tablet in case your cabin doesn't have a TV.
The vessel plies the waters of the Galapagos, offering space for up to 16 passengers across seven cabins. Highlights include marble bathrooms, sustainably sourced food and a 1-to-1 crew-to-passenger ratio. On the flip side, the dry, cool season — July to November — offers more blue skies but also colder water temperatures. Although you can spot wildlife in the Galapagos all year, this season tends to attract more fish, mammals and birds because of the nutrients and plankton that become available as water temperatures cool. Additionally, the islands are home to many plants and animals that you can't find anywhere else, offering a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see them up close. While the Galapagos Islands are Ecuador's most famous destination, its capital, Quito, is a remarkable place unto itself.
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