From East to West Galápagos

Very beautiful cruise with everything you can wish for Just came back from a fantastic five week trip to South America. We (sister and myself, early 20s) completed a fantastic eight day / seven night cruise of the Galapagos Islands with Aida Maria. When researching our trip to the Galápagos, there were not many recent reviews of boats. Our criteria for the trip was based on dates, cost and itinerary. The Aida Maria met those criteria, so we hoped for the best and booked our 8 day/7 night cruise over Christmas. The boat was well maintained and our cabin was clean, but a little small. There was little room for luggage, so pack lightly! We were fortunate in that we had a main deck room and could open a window. I believe the rooms lower deck were noisier and smelt of fuel due to their location near the engine. We used the common outdoor areas when navigating between islands, but there were also seats indoors to use during free time. Food was plentiful and tasty, though simple. Had seafood at least one meal everyday, with lots of fruit, rice and salads on the side. Breakfast was generally eggs, cereal, toast and fruit. They made a special effort Christmas Eve with a whole Turkey for dinner. Impressive when you saw the size of the kitchen! We covered the northern, central and southern islands of Galápagos in our cruise. We saw lots of birds and most land animals. Snorkelling was a little disappointing due to poor clarity and not a lot of fish, but as Australians we have been fortunate with some excellent snorkelling experiences in the Great Barrier Reef. Most days we did two land based trips and two snorkelling trips. The boat had two pangas so all 16 passengers on board could get to the island in one trip. Land based trips generally didn't consist of long walks, but rather short meanders on the beach, with our guide stopping to tell us about the animals, history, or plants. The boats itineraries were all well organised so landing sights / walks / snorkelling sights were not overrun with tourists. Due to the large distances between islands, we were often navigating at night. The boat was reasonably small and rocked a lot when moving. If you suffer from sea sickness, ensure you pack medication. The crew didn't speak much English, but they were very attentive. Our guide was informative and helpful. Overall we had a fantastic trip. We both felt that 8 days was just the right length - any shorter and you feel as if you have missed seeing lots, but any more than 8 days in a boat would have been a little too long for us! We also both felt that a boat trip was the way to see the Galapagos islands. The distances between islands is large and by cruising, you maximise the time available on islands to see the flora and fauna. Source: goo.gl/yzaW6J

Dream vacation I took a 15 day tour of all the Islands (except Darwin and Wolf which are for diving only) on the Aida Maria. Although I did a lot of research and booked the tour for the Eden, the day before we arrived we received a letter saying that it would be docked and would have to switch to the Aida Maria. I was upset after all that research to be changed but it turned out to be the BEST. The Aida Maria is more up to date than the Eden. This was an amazing vacation, especially for an environmental scientist! Our crew was great. We had amazing food and if you have specific requirements they were more than happy to provide alternatives. It was an incredibly active with hiking and snorkeling sometimes both twice a day! Bring a wet suit if you are snorkeling on the west side of Isabella island. Although you would think that the islands are pristine, they are not. there are 4 cities and like any city that have brought in invasive species that looked pretty or was brought in to solve pest problems. Each island is so unique and I couldn't imagine having been the other 16 passengers that stayed 3 - 7 days, YOU MUST DO THE 15. My one complaint would be our guide was young and didn't have a voice or "backbone" to tell the other passengers to stay on the path. It was extremely frustrating, especially one girl that would ALWAYS wonder off the path to get a great picture when 5 meters farther it would be sitting on the path. This was a great trip for the more relaxed personalities who don't mind wearing the same outfit a couple of times unlike some of the yacht goers. Source: goo.gl/dEJ2dX

Wonderful cruise and experience Just an update - we booked the Aida Maria in March for our vacation, and it was wonderful. Heather was correct that it was not a luxury ship, but it was excellent and the crew was wonderful. I would recommend it to anyone looking at staying on a smaller ship. We had 16 people on board and really got to know each other over the week. I've talked to people who booked a larger ship and while they may have had entertainment and such, I think that takes away from the joys of the islands. Would go back anyday. Source: goo.gl/GFfjyD