Grand Queen Beatriz Galápagos Cruise
A great mix of luxury, safety and wonderful wildlife experiences
A Galápagos Cruise on board the Grand Queen Beatriz
100% CO2 carbon footprint offset
Kayaks on board
Single travellers can share cabin
English guide
- Brand new in 2018
- Great choice of itineraries
- 4 suites with ocean balconies
- Jacuzzi
The "Grand Queen Beatriz" is one of the newest First Class yachts in the Galápagos cruise fleet. She’s over 135 ft long and 30 ft wide, yet only takes a maximum of 16 passengers. This means there’s a real sense of space on Beatriz, and it’s easy to slip away and find a quiet corner to just immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of Galápagos as you sail. With cutting edge technology and stunning design, Grand Queen Beatriz offers a great mix of luxury, safety and wonderful wildlife experiences.
Suite or cabin?
We love the fact that Grand Queen Beatriz has been designed with four suites on board, rather than the usual one. This means it’s more likely that you will be able to book one of these beautiful rooms than on other yachts. Even though there are four suites, there’s no compromise on luxury here. Each suite enjoys its own private balcony overlooking the ocean. With 270 square feet of space and stunning contemporary decor, these suites are beautiful. En suite bathrooms are beautifully fitted out with walk-in rainfall showers and crisp, modern fittings. With a choice of queen beds or twins, each suite has a beautiful picture window that makes it the perfect place to wake up each morning. Her standard cabins are available with twin beds or queen bed, and although just as beautiful as the suites, they don’t feature a balcony. They do feature panoramic windows and en suite facilities. All rooms are fully air-conditioned for your comfort and all feature 110v outlets that accept North American plugs.
Relax inside or out?
Communal areas on Grand Queen Beatriz are decorated modern design and feature luxurious touches. The main saloon has a feature leather sofa with seating for 10, as well as further chairs around the 50” TV. Crisp whites and creams are offset by the gorgeous polished teak floors and stylish accessories. Everywhere is flooded with light thanks to panoramic windows that run the length of the room. This theme of light continues into the dining area. Picture windows again bring the islands inside, and the semi-formal table layout makes sharing your experiences with like-minded guests a delight. The yacht’s chefs delight in providing the highest quality meals prepared with local, sustainable produce. You will enjoy a variety of local and international dishes, and at least once per trip, you will enjoy a selection of grilled specialties served in the outside dining area on the upper sun terrace. On the other side of the sun terrace you’ll find the jacuzzi and an outside bar - the perfect combination for relaxing in the evening after your day’s excursions. There’s plenty of shade and areas of full sun, meaning you can always find the perfect spot. Outside on the main deck is a large communal sofa - another great place for relaxing in the shade. There’s also a boat deck, making embarking and disembarking for your excursions easy.
See more of the Galápagos
Grand Queen Beatriz offers an impressive range of itineraries, offering a variety of 4-, 5- and 8-day options. You can also combine them to provide longer trips and see more of the islands. Speak to one of our Galápagos cruise experts today about connecting itineraries on Grand Queen Beatriz.
As well as a great range of visitor points and wildlife encounters you will learn a lot about the Galápagos from your naturalist guide. Approved by the National Park and fully bilingual, the Grand Queen Beatriz guides are among the best in the fleet. With only 16 passengers being accommodated you’re assured of a very intimate experience, and your guide will make sure all your questions are answered, and that everyone enjoys remarkable wildlife experiences.
Our thoughts
This brand new ship is lovely. We particularly appreciate that she carries not only snorkel equipment for guests to use, but also complimentary wetsuits if required - most others in her class make this a paid extra. The crew have been receiving rave reviews, and already after only a few months in operation are looking like one of the best in the fleet. We love the modern decor here, it’s just clean and crisp and light. This is a lovely boat, and with her choice of itineraries, you will not go wrong if you’re looking for a first class Galápagos experience in every sense of the phrase.
Pictures and Deckplans of Grand Queen Beatriz
The sailing routes of Grand Queen Beatriz
Amenities on board the Grand Queen Beatriz
Transfers to and from ship
Private Balcony
Snorkel gear (free of charge)
All meals throughout the cruise
100% CO2 carbon footprint offset
Kayaks on board
Air conditioning & private bathroom
Single travellers can share cabin
Water, Coffee, Tea & fresh juices
Wetsuits
English guide
Sundeck with jacuzzi
Sustainability on board the Grand Queen Beatriz
At Galapatours we love and respect the pristine ecosystems and fascinating wildlife of the Galápagos Islands, and we insist that our cruise partners do too. To protect the archipelago all our cruise vessels must have sophisticated water filtration systems, modern efficient engines, and strict maintenance schedules to minimize pollution.
The Galápagos National Park authority also defines exact cruising routes that dictate which ships can visit highlights at specific times, as well as limiting passenger numbers. These measures ensure that animals and habitats are not disturbed by too many visitors.
But at Galapatours we like to go even further. We voluntarily offset all the CO2 emissions of every cruise we sell - at no cost to you. And you can also play your part by traveling responsibly and following our Eco Guidelines during your stay. Click here to find out more about these guidelines, our commitment to sustainable tourism, and the Galápagos National Park rules.
Technical details of Grand Queen Beatriz
Category
First Class Ship
Type
Small Yacht
Length
41m
Electricity
110V + 220 V
Cruising speed
12 knots
Beam
9.5m
Capacity
16
Food & Drinks on board the Grand Queen Beatriz
The food on our Galapágos Cruises is among the very best you will find in South America. Most of the on-board chefs are internationally trained and have prior experience working in the best hotels and restaurants in Ecuador and indeed around the world.
You can expect a first-class selection of food, including a good variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, locally sourced poultry and fish/seafood, rice and pasta dishes. Most boats will always include some typical Ecuadorian dishes on the menu during your cruise. If you have specific dietary requirements then these can usually be accommodated by the chef providing you have given advance notice. Please make sure you tell us about any allergies or dietary requirements you have at the time you book with us. If you leave it until you arrive at the dockside, then it may well be impossible to accommodate your needs.
Most boats serve a range of options at meal times in a relaxed buffet-style. At the first class and luxury end of the market, some boats have more formal dining where you will be served at your seat. However the atmosphere is always relaxed on board our cruises, and never stuffy or formal.
Cabins categories on board the Grand Queen Beatriz
Suite
There are four balcony suites on the Grand Queen Beatriz. Each suite enjoys its own private balcony overlooking the ocean. With 270 square feet of space and stunning contemporary decor, these suites are beautiful. En suite bathrooms are beautifully fitted out with walk-in rainfall showers and crisp, modern fittings. With a choice of queen beds or twins, each suite has a beautiful picture window that makes it the perfect place to wake up each morning.
Standard Double
5 standard double cabins on the main deck are available with twin beds or queen bed, and although just as beautiful as the suites, they don’t feature a balcony. They do feature panoramic windows and en suite facilities. All rooms are fully air-conditioned for your comfort and all feature 110v outlets that accept North American plugs.
Reviews of Grand Queen Beatriz
enokimushroom - New York City
Trip report: Queen Beatriz ITINERARY: Quito - Baltra - Santa Cruz - Isabella - Floreana - Santa Cruz (Puerto Ayora) - Espanola - San Cristobal (Punta Pitt, Kicker Rock, Isla los Lobos, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno) - Quito.
THE EXCURSIONS: Honestly, with the exception of the handover days, the excursions were, hands down, stellar. Intrepid/Peregrine seem to run a 14-day cycle, with stops in either San Cristobal or Santa Cruz every 4 days (to accommodate those people on a "five-day" tour). On those days, you're shuttled through yet another tortoise breeding center, and left with free time to "explore". In Puerto Ayora, that free time is quite nice. On San Cristobal, it was boring as heck.
Every other excursion was great. We got lucky and saw pretty much every single creature you're supposed to see on the Galapagos with the exception of hammerheads. Most days, you're doing three or four things (sometimes more)…often two snorkels and two land-based treks. Nothing is physically strenuous--in fact, you almost wish for more (especially given how much you're eating). It takes 2 hours, sometimes, to walk 3/4 of a kilometer. That said, it's often because you're watching frigate birds steal food from a tropicbird, red-footed boobies watching their eggs.
Be prepared that the southern ocean is actually quite cold. The boat provides wet suits, snorkels, masks, and fins, and most of us needed the wet suits. All of the equipment was in good condition (though some of the wet suits looked a little old).
THE BOAT: Incredible. I'm not sure why, but I didn't expect how well-run everything was. The crew worked constantly. Our room was cleaned twice a day. There were fresh towels in our room almost always, and fresh towels any time we finished snorkeling. The boat was super clean. It had just been out of service for a month to be refurbished, so all the public spaces felt very new.
THE SAILS and SEASICKNESS: The long sails happen at night (one of the benefits of being on a boat-based tour…This saves a lot of time and lets you do a lot more). As for seasickness: Let's be honest. You're on a small catamaran in the middle of the ocean. The "gentle" sails are still rough unless this is something you're used to. And the rough sails--essentially anything heading south, as well as the sail from Espanola to San Cristobal--are tough. We had scopolamine patches, which I'd highly recommend. They, plus some ginger pills, worked like a charm on all but the roughest of sails.
THE FOOD: Also incredible. There are two (!!) chefs on the boat, and they seem to be constantly whipping up something. You have three very full meals a day, plus two snacks. Fresh fruits and vegetables every day, and on New Year's Eve, we had a full turkey, carved tableside. Also, the barman makes a mean caipirinha.
Source: https://bit.ly/2UzjsER
Lovintheworld17 - Boston, MA
The wonderful Grand Queen Beatriz The boat was immediately fantastic, and continued to be for the entire trip… I'll just go through the boat amenities first and then the itinerary…
The boat: very nice…clean, modern and spacious. 3decks.. 2bars… A hot tub (which no one used) …etc etc…definitely luxury compared to some others I saw. Really… The common spaces were incredibly comfortable and clean. The dining area had 2 large family style tables and a large buffet as well as a coffee and tea station which was always available. All meals were served inside which I didn't like at first but totally understood after a day of watching one of the crew members hauling plates in and out of the kitchen.
The bedrooms were very large and clean….and cleaned frequently. I dont know how they managed to sneak in and clean so much, but everything always felt fresh. We had a room with a private balcony that was next to the kitchen… Noise from anything other than the motor was not an issue at all. The bathroom was small and no, you can't throw toilet paper in the toilets but they cleaned and changed the trash so much it was a non-issue.
The food….very good. A first, I tried to eat a little of everything. That was a mistake because there really was a LOT of food! Too much for me… I'm not used to eating three large meals a day. The selection was really good so you could just have some fruit and yoghurt for breakfast or a hot, big meal. Lunch and breakfast were buffet, dinner was plated… There was a lot of fish and meats in between. I'm allergic to shrimp, which wasn't a problem for them. There was another woman on the boat with serious dietary restriction…. Also, not a problem. Snacks, water, tea and coffee were always available.
The crew members were really sweet… I speak some semi intermediate spanish which helped engage some of the guys…. Only the boat director and the nature guide spoke fluent English.. The others couldn't speak English which was fine with me… The guys who drove us on the dinghies from the boat to the islands were fun and still interacted with the non Spanish speakers quite a bit which some people really enjoyed. The only female staff member, Jessica, was really such a lovely girl who tended the bar and served all the meals… She was especially sweet and tried so hard to accommodate everyone's needs.
Day to day activities…. 2 landings on islands per day and snorkeling in between. Some days had 2 opportunities to snorkel which i rally loved. Wetsuits and snorkel gear were included In The price. I wore a wetsuit one day and regretted it because the water was beautiful and I prefer to swim without one.
None of the walks on the islands were hard….the terrain was rocky and uneven, but nothing was particularly strenuous for anyone in our group. It was hot, but I didn't find myself to be winded even once during the week. Unless you need ankle support, leave your hiking boots at home! I wore merrell sandals the entire trip… I never wore a pair of socks. This was totally fine for me. Sneakers would be fine, but heavy boots are a no…more bathing suits..less footwear! You can't even wear shoes on the boat… Leave them at home…
Walter, our guide, was unbelievable. He grew up on the island of Santa Cruz and had so many interesting things to talk about. To be honest, I really wasn't expecting to get into all the birding…I absolutely love animals, I just thought I'd rather spend a week immersed in culture. Walter proved me wrong! He was so compelling, interested in what he was talking about….interested in us….patient for photos…even taking his own! We never felt rushed …in fact, his pace, tone and delivery were quite relaxing. I think everyone on the boat thought the world of him as our guide for the week.
My fathers favorite part about Walter was his nightly briefings about the next days activities. He'd prepare us for the next itinerary and make us go around the room and name our favorite experience of the day. This gave us a chance to reflect and hear others' experiences. It was a really nice way to keep people involved and talking about the wildlife and the landscape.
We did a couple of long sails at night, so sleeping wasn't perfect but hey, it's a boat! We seemed to visit some great spots and although we didn't hit up Isabella or fernandina, we got a great sample of some incredible animals on land and under water. It was s good itinerary for what we needed…an overview.
We did pick up new passengers mid way through. I loved both groups, but it would have been nice to have the same group foe the whole time. I enjoyed the time in puerto ayora and almost wished an option to stay in town for dinner was given…seeing the giant tortoises in the wild was really neat..so the Santa Cruz day was well worth it! Some other comments questioned that piece about picking up passengers…..we didn't really even notice because our day was packed with other activities.
Source: https://bit.ly/2CiD1KF
