Isabela II Galapagos Cruise

Einmalig! Es war Einmalig! Besatzung und Guide haben stets ihr Bestes. Eine tolle Zeit. Quelle: https://goo.gl/McedHj

Amazing! Amazing experience! Staff is great, naturalists are wonderful. Went with Tauck. Lovely time. Feedback from: https://goo.gl/McedHj

CruiseCritic Review of the Isabella II 40-passenger Isabella II is an expedition yacht offering year-round cruises in the Galapagos Islands. The former supply ship was built in 1979 and reconstructed for Metropolitan Touring in 1988. Like its sisters, the ship is regularly refreshed; the most recent dry-dock occurred in September 2012. Here's what you can expect aboard Isabella II Galapagos cruise: Cruise fare: what's included. The cost of the cruise includes excursions (island treks, snorkeling, kayaking, etc.), all meals and snacks, lectures and snorkeling equipment (masks, fins, snorkel). Three-millimeter shortie wetsuits, which are recommended during the June/July to December cool season, can be rented onboard. Wi-Fi, which is available in Isabella II's lounge and small library, and sodas/adult beverages are also extra. Expedition essentials. Passengers cruise with one expedition leader and two naturalist guides. Other expedition accouterments found on Isabella II include sit-on-top sea kayaks, a glass-bottom boat, and three pangas, the omnipresent water taxis that facilitate ship-to-shore transportation in the Galapagos. A doctor is also stationed permanently onboard should passengers run into any minor issues with the equatorial sun, wasps or seasickness. Cabins. Isabella II features 18 139-square-foot inside cabins (Classic), one 128-square-foot inside cabin (Standard) and one 170-square-foot Master Suite Cabin with picture window. (These snug accommodations are par for the course in expedition cruising.) There is some variation in cabin configuration; the Classic cabins feature either fixed twin(ish) beds that run parallel or fixed twin(ish) and singles that form an L. The one Standard features a twin-sized bed, and the Master Suite has a queen. Cabins amenities include hair dryers, telephones, safes and 110-volt, U.S.-style outlets. Dining. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served open seating at designated times in Isabella II's dining room. Breakfast and lunch are buffet-style while dinner is served course-by-course. The occasional meal is also served alfresco on a top-ship (covered) secondary venue. Post-excursion snacks (juice and pigs 'n blankets, say) are offered daily. Public spaces. The social hub of the yacht is the comb bar-lecture room, which is used for evening briefings, video presentations and as a destination before-and-after dinner drinks. An adjacent mini-library houses a pair of Web-ready computers and a collection of books about South America, the Galapagos and wildlife. (Wi-Fi is available in the library and bar/lecture room.) Isabella II's lobby features a small boutique selling logo hats, shirts and jackets, as well as a variety of travel essentials for forgetful passengers (sun block, aloe, sunglasses). An exercise room contains a bike, elliptical and treadmill. The yacht's sun deck features a smattering of wicker loungers and a jacuzzi with room to comfortably accommodate six passengers.

Trip Report - Isabela II Galapagos - Amazing!!! The boat was really nice. It was a 40-passenger boat, but there were only 33 people on our trip, so we had a little extra space. The bottom floor had a bar / big lounge where we did our evening briefings about what we would see the next day. It also had the dining room, gift shop, and hospitality desk if you needed anything. There was wifi on board and it could be accessed on this floor. I believe it was $15 for the week (that could be wrong), but there was also a little computer lab if you didn't want to pay that and needed to get online. The second floor had all of our rooms. Although not huge, the room was actually a little bigger than I expected. We had two beds, a little couch, a desk, two small bedside tables, and a closet. There was an outlet under the desk and one in the bathroom which we used to charge our phones and cameras. The third floor had an open deck with another bar, a hot tub, workout room, and a place where you get all of your snorkeling equipment to use for the week (mask and flippers are free; wet suits can be rented for $15 for the week). Food: The food was really amazing on this boat. We had buffets for almost every meal, and there were several options for entrees (multiple types of meat, seafood, and vegetarian options). You could eat as much as you wanted and everything was very tasty. In between meals, they served hot appetizers when we came back from afternoon adventures and gave out free juice and water. Drinks from the bar were extra -- sodas were $2, beer was $3, wine was $8 a glass. You just tell them your room number and you settle up the tab at the end. Passengers: My friend and I (both mid-30s) were a little worried that we might be the youngest people on the boat. We weren't. We were actually pleasantly surprised by the nice mix of people on the boat. There were some older retired couples, a few families, other 30-somethings, teenagers, etc. We actually really enjoyed getting to know the fellow passengers on our boat and didn't have anyone annoying on board! Illness: I was really scared that I was going to get seasick on this boat. I've had experiences where I've been really ill on other boats, so part of why I chose this one is because they had a 24-hour doctor on board. I brought two packs of dramamine with me too. Didn't need any of it! The boat was very nice and I didn't feel sick at any point. Didn't even need to take the dramamine! Snorkeling: I was scared to death of snorkeling before coming on this boat too. They ask if anyone is new at snorkeling and helped me through everything. They fitted me for the equipment, helped me get a wetsuit, taught me how to clean the mask so it wouldn't fog up, and the guide let me stay close to him the entire time I was in the water. As it turns out, snorkeling is amazing. We saw tons of cool fish, sea lions, sharks, sting rays, etc. in the water. At the end of the trip, a sea lion swam up to my face and smiled at me before swimming underneath me and disappearing. I really appreciated the guides helping to teach me how to overcome my fear on this trip! I owe them a lot! The day-time adventures to the islands were really fun and we saw tons of animals. I made a 5-minute video of the animal footage I captured if you'd like to check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eadFvdBKiNs On the last night of the boat trip, they served us a farewell cocktail and showed us a slide show of our adventures. I believe they're going to post all of the pictures on Facebook, so you can download them later if you didn't bring a good camera with you. We also had a karaoke party on the last night and all of us sang and had a great time. This was probably the best vacation of my life. John, Carlos, and Mariuxi were amazing guides. I would highly recommend Isabela II to anyone I know.

Amazing Galapagos Adventure This was our first experience with small ship sailing--30 passengers, 4 Naturalists, crew/kitchen staff and a physician! The cabins were comfortable--with AC and heat (not needed)--and it seemed that the cabin staff kept refreshing our room (with clean dry towels, esp.) every time we stepped out of the cabin! Most of the snorkelers enjoyed the hot tub after the afternoon dives, and the upper deck had a small fitness room, comfortable tables, chairs and lounges. Dining was buffet style for every meal--with a salad and fruit station for lunch and dinner, fruit and cereal/yogurt stations at breakfast--but other selections included eggs, breakfast meats, sometimes french toast/pancakes at breakfast; always a fish, pork/chicken and beef choice at lunch and dinner, lots of vegetables, and various versions of rice and potatoes. And of course, a dessert table, which offered fruit and other temptations! Food was simple, plentiful and delicious. My favorites were the Ecuadorian choices, the lunches with 3 types of ceviche, and the dinners on the top (patio/lounge) deck where we could watch the sunsets. The dining staff also provided juice and snacks each afternoon, after the activity--a welcome treat after snorkeling or kayaking! There was a full bar lounge in the lower deck, as well as a small shop (t-shirts and small souvenirs). There was never a dull moment--each destination/island was unique and beautiful. The Naturalists were knowledgeable, personable, and with us 24/7 (it seemed) to answer every question, and provide insights into the culture, history and ecological challenges of the islands. They were enthusiastic, passionate, experienced and attentive. Each day provided 3-4 activities: a 1-3 mile hike on a new island to note animals, geology or historical sites, deep water snorkeling (and a couple of days of beach snorkeling), glass bottom boat tours, sea kayaking in sheltered bays (but still challenging!), and zodiac/panga cruising along the coasts of the islands into coves and caves too small for the Isabella. We had two lectures by our published naturalists--one on the fish of the Galapagos, and the other on Darwin--They were interesting, informative and educational--beyond the reading/video list that was offered prior to the expedition. While we did not travel with children, one family travelled with three boys, ages 10, 12, and 14. The staff were especially attentive and ensured the safety of the children--who were great swimmers and did everything with the adults. As an observation, I would not recommend this trip for younger children, as the activities were rigorous. The trip description was accurate--one should be in good physical condition to embark on the activities, though we found the hikes usually less difficult than described. We have been pleased with the quality of the merchandise and found the packing lists helpful (though I tend to OVERPACK for every trip, I am amazed at those who can bring all their essentials in a backpack!) The ship did provide wet suits and snorkel equipment, if needed.

Sehr empfehlenswert Sehr empfehlenswert, die Kreuzfahrt auf der Isabella II. Meine Erwartungen wurden bei weitem Übertroffen. Die Angestellten sind super, von ganz oben (Kapitän) bis hin zur Küche und zum Guide. Vielen Dank! Quelle: https://goo.gl/5nERBg