Northern Galápagos Loop

Celebrity Xpedition Galapagos Cruise Our eight day/seven night cruise on the Celebrity Xpedition exceeded our expectations. We took the outer loop cruise, visiting eight islands during our 520 mile cruise. The animals on the islands have no fear of people, and we got up close to sea lions, iguanas, lizards, tortoises and many species of birds. The M/V Xpedition was very comfortable, with lots of lounge and social space, the food was good, and the staff and crew were friendly and helpful. Alcohol and gratuities were included in the tour price. No one got sick from either food or motion. The anchor, which probably wakes everyone on the ship when it goes down, was never dropped before 6:20 am, about when we were getting up anyway. There were four Zodiac RIBs, each carrying 16 passengers, to get us on and off shore, and the drivers were good at making wet and dry landings go as smoothly as possible, sometimes in challenging conditions. There were two different excursions (long and short) each morning and afternoon, which split the 100 passengers on the ship into two groups, and reduced wait times for loading the Zodiacs. When we landed, the people in each Zodiac stayed together as a small group, with its own naturalist. The naturalists were very knowledgeable, spoke excellent English, and were attentive to the needs of their group. Snorkeling gear (fins, mask, snorkel and wet suit) was in good condition, although opportunities to snorkel, and the variety of animals and plants to be seen, were somewhat limited (but we did swim with three sea turtles!). Procedures for arriving in Baltra to start the cruise, and leaving at the end, involved a lot of lining up and waiting, some of it outside in the sun, but Celebrity did what they could to make things bearable. The included day in Quito before the cruise was interesting and worthwhile. The Galapagos Islands are an incredible destination, and Celebrity did an outstanding job of making sure we had a good time while we enjoyed them. Our visit to the Galapagos Islands was a fantastic experience. Source: https://bit.ly/32FjCyW

This is a trip of a lifetime! I did some extensive research before choosing the best ship and itinerary for the Galapagos Islands before I booked with Xpedition. I had somehow read reviews of the Inner Loop itinerary but not so many about the outer loop one so thats why I am posting a review. I think this is a trip that you should do at least once in your lifetime! We chose the outer loop itinerary since this goes to the islands that naturalists consider as the top ones: Espanola, Isabela, Fernandinha and we did a day tour to North Seymour as well by ourselves to complete the list. We only booked the cruise portion with Celebrity and arrived a day before to Baltra, where we took the gigant turtle tour to el Chato (worth going) and also went to Darwin Center (which is just ok). Now let me tell you this is an increible ship with an increbile crew, very experienced naturalists and the lady in charge Bitinia is at the top of the game here, no wonder why they have received so many awards for small expedition cruising. The food is top quality in my opinion, and they offer a dining experience under the stars as an alternative to the normal dinner as well, which includes grilled meat fish and chicken. The rooms are excellent as well, we booked the cheapest rooms I guess but the only difference with rooms which were a thousand dollars more expensive was the size of the windows. Now, for the itinerary itself: - It will let you explore some of the favorite islands according to experts - The difference with the inner loop itinerary is that here you get the chance to see albatross while in the other itinerary you can see frigate birds a bit closer - We arrived a day before and went to North Seymour, the island where you actually see frigate birds a bit closer on our last day (when the ppl on board took the tour to the highlands to see turtles) so we feel we saw all the top islands and animals. We did the highlands on the day we arrived. - If you are interested in penguins I would choose this itinerary since most of them live in the west coast of Isabela and Fernandinha island - My favorite places: Espanola Island, Isabela Island: Punta Vicente Roca (i think its better than Bartolome), Post Office Bay, South Plazas - My least favorite place: asides from snorkeling in Champion island, Gardner bay and Punta Vicente Roca there was another place where they took us where it was just ok and I would avoid doing the snorkel there, I cant recall the name but its skippable (the snorkel experiences worth doing are the ones mentioned above) - Best snorkel: punta vicente roca (dont miss) You will have options for short and long walks and for advanced or basic snorkeling so there is an option for everyone. You will meet people and make friends. The naturalists are exceptional! This is a trip of a lifetime! Source: https://bit.ly/2XVYtBU

Just Back from Celebrity Xpedition Inner Loop Tour If you're looking at the Galapagos then you understand you are paying for access to one of the most remote and extraordinary places in the world. The Xpedition is NOT a high-end luxury cruise ship - it is an EXPEDITION class ship, so understand the difference and manage your expectations. It is however all-inclusive, extremely comfortable and has a crew that is phenomenal. Having just returned from this trip I can honestly say I'm extremely glad I did tons of research before booking--my family believe we chose the best trip for us. Be sure you understand the level of physical activity required---its really HOT, and humid, and you need good balance and mobility to deal with many stairs, getting on/off moving zodiacs, and hikes on various types of terrain including large, uneven lava rocks and sand. We were especially glad we chose one of the largest ships cruising the Galapagos--my husband and I got motion sickness as did many other passengers - I didn't believe it would be a problem on such a large ship, supposedly in the calmest season--WRONG. Consider getting a patch before you leave and head off any problems. Dr. Mary, the onboard physician, was great in visiting my room and providing fast-acting medication and advice: avoid alcohol, and drink lots of juice, water and soft drinks. PACK LIGHT! Our family of four each took only rollaboards and were able to keep our luggage with us instead of turning it in the night before departure in Quito and upon return on Sunday. The Laundry charges on the Xpedition are incredibly reasonable---$1 for a pair of socks and $2-3 for a shirt ,pants or shorts. Back the next day or same day with a surcharge. Total charge for all four of us for the week, less than $100--totally worth it! I'd recommend three pairs of lightweight pants with zip-off legs, t-shirts and lightweight long-sleeve shirts with UV protection. STAY AWAY FROM RED/PINK AND ORANGE clothing for excursions---some wasps are attracted to these colors! Some people changed to nicer clothes for dinner (khaki pants/polo shirts for men and capris or sundresses for women) We did not and did not feel out of place. Teva or Keen closed-toe water sandals are perfect, but if you're more comfortable with traditional hiking boots for difficult/uneven terrain, then wear water sandals for wet landings and change once onshore. The Xpedition supplies large brown towels in your cabin for snorkeling and beach activities. Do consider packing one-way snorkels if you plan on enjoying the opportunity - choppy water can quickly make you sick if you swallow too much saltwater. Recommend 2 bathing suits as putting on a wet one is difficult - Celebrity provides regular snorkels, fins, masks, wetsuits and float vests if you desire. Yes the ocean feels cold but once you're in the water the wetsuits provide excellent buoyancy and warmth--I'm very cold-blooded and I was fine. Deep water snorkeling requires good swimming skills and the crew frowns on float vests in these instances. Know your limits! The sun on the equator is unbelievably intense---take a wide-brim hat with a chin-strap you can tighten (its windy!), 2 pairs of polarized sunglasses (in case you lose or break one), water-resistant high SPF sunblock and apply it regularly, ditto sunblock for your lips. SPF 60 sunblock at the Quito Marriott was $26, and SPF 80 sunblock was $20 at the Quito airport--pick some up before your flight to Baltra. The Xpedition has a VERY limited shop onboard, mostly hats, sunblock and clothing---pack carefully since you might not visit a town until the end of your tour. Biodegradable shampoo/conditioner/body wash and bars of soap are supplied in all cabins of the Xpedition, as are cotton balls/cotton swabs, sewing kit and bath/hand towels and wash cloths. One nice terry robe and two pairs of terry slippers in our clothes closet Also necessities: Bug spray with DEET, lightweight rain poncho, and I'd recommend a small, lightweight headlamp for watching the numerous animals which are active at night around the boat (sharks, sea lions, turtles, fish, birds, etc) A Monocular (as opposed to binoculars---the ones in each room aren't that great and its much easier to focus one eye on a moving ship or zodiac than two) underwater video/still shot camera for snorkeling, small backpack for taking stuff on daily walks/excursions. At least one pair of socks to wear with boots provided for tree-planting and tortoise ranch. Can't say enough about the Xpedition's crew: their level of customer service is simply outstanding--its essentially 'whatever you want, whenever you want' There were at least 8 choices (each) of appetizer/starters, mains/entrees and desserts each night for dinner---most were very good with a few misses. Red and white wine offered with dinner but the wait staff would bring you a cocktail , champagne, soft drink/iced tea or whatever you desired. Its important to keep in mind that you are 800 MILES from the coast where much of the ship's supplies are coming from--remember this if you feel something isn't quite 5 star quality. Make a reservation to tour the bridge (interesting) and to dine under the stars at least one night for dinner, and don't miss the daily briefing before dinner where you will learn about the next days' activities and excursions and sign up for your choice. TV in the rooms offered 4 movie channels (not on-demand) and several Galapagos documentaries on a loop - the latter were excellent and added to our experience. Board games were also available in the lounge - WiFi is dreadfully slow and you should just expect to be without it for the duration while at sea/out of port. My husband got me a one-hour massage for my birthday which was fantastic - and a bargain at $90 (plus discretionary tip) Work-out room is very small, but hot tub on top deck is good size and popular! We liked our Junior Suite Cabin - which offered a full-size (NOT Queen) bed and twin-size sofa bed which was also very comfortable - nice linens and the air con sufficiently cooled the room. We LOVED our private balcony which allowed us to sit outside in the morning with coffee or at night under the endless stars on display. Would've been nice to have a coffee maker in the room but it was available from 6 am on each morning on the aft deck, just a few steps away from our room. Nice small mini-fridge which was stocked with various soft drinks and water. A small plate of sliced fresh fruits showed up in our room after the morning excursions, and a few small amuse-bouche-size appetizers appeared in the afternoon. A bottle of champagne the day of arrival and another bottle of cabernet sauvignon later in the week. Wonderful Ecuadorian chocolates on our pillows every night with turn-down service. Source: https://bit.ly/2GDzb0X