Monday, April 1, 2024

Best Cruise Ships in the Galapagos Islands

galapagos islands cruise

Now home to throngs of spiky marine iguanas, giant turtles and blue-footed boobies, the islands are a haven for these creatures as well as visiting nature buffs. After all, where else can you laze beach side with a seal or kayak alongside inquisitive penguins? Our Galapagos Islands cruises mean you can see all this archipelago has to offer from the comfort of our well-appointed boats. All cabins on the 48-passenger National Geographic Islander II have windows, and some even have private patios. The ship offers deck hammocks, Wi-Fi, and food made with ingredients sourced from farms in the Galápagos whenever possible.

View All Galapagos Cruises & Packages

galapagos islands cruise

From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travelers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises). Explorer Ventures' two live-aboard vessels, the Humboldt Explorer and Tiburon Explorer, accommodate 16 passengers each. The Humboldt has a large dive deck, which makes it easier to get into and out of your dive gear. The eight-day excursion includes up to 19 dives and the 11-day excursion includes up to 28. If you’re a certified scuba diver, a live-aboard dive boat might be for you.

Types of Galapagos Trips to Choose From

Reflective of the golden age of travel, it's all about luxury on board — polished woodwork, gourmet meals and service from a crew of 10, plus two naturalist guides. At Galapagos Travel Center, we offer a range of boats from luxury to budget. Varied activities await you at each of the visitor points to be explored in Galapagos. Kayak on tranquil bays of turquoise waters, take a peek at colorful sea wildlife while snorkeling, and trek through moon-like volcanic landscapes. Book your Galapagos Cruise with GalapagosIslands.com for the best vacation cruises to the Galapagos. One of the most efficient and enjoyable ways to explore the Galapagos Islands is on a live-aboard cruise ship.

Do you cruise between the islands during the day or at night?

These small boats have a unique hull design, like the dual parallel runners of a sled, that many believe makes catamarans more stable in the water. While the animals of the Galapagos Islands get the glory, the evolution and adaptation of plant life here is equally important. Check out the beautiful lava Cactus, which only grows on barren lava fields. Once in a lifetime, you can walk in the footsteps of Darwin, getting closer to the natural world than you ever have or ever will, coming home with a radically new understanding of the planet. 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.

Disney+ and National Geographic Unveil Galápagos Islands Giveaway for Earth Day: Here’s How to Enter - Hollywood Reporter

Disney+ and National Geographic Unveil Galápagos Islands Giveaway for Earth Day: Here’s How to Enter.

Posted: Mon, 15 Apr 2024 22:38:06 GMT [source]

What Are The Different Types of Galapagos Boats?

The waters around the Galapagos Islands are usually pretty calm, with seasickness a minor issue for most passengers. Bearing in mind the unpredictability of nature, big swells and major storms are a rarity. If you suffer from seasickness you may want to reconsider travelling during this period. We’ve taken care of the details so you can focus on spotting wildlife. All our cruises include all meals onboard, tea and coffee, water, beach towels and snorkeling equipment.

Galapagos Yacht & Small Ship List

The entire ship sports a comfortably upscale ambiance, and a favorite hangout is the sun deck with its hot tub and bar. Included activities are different for each day and trip, but as a rule, most guided walking treks and snorkelling activities are included. Our cruising vacations combine the perfect blend of sailing and land expeditions, so you can see wildlife on and off the boat. With years of experience cruising in the Galapagos, our knowledgeable guides and crew are best placed to show you this incredible region. Browse through our list of liveaboard diving cruises and let us help you plan your personalized Galapagos adventure now. Galapagos cruise itineraries are typically a week long and cover a portion of the islands, sometimes more.

Upon arrival at the airport in Galapagos, travelers must then present their Transit Control Card, and pay the requisite National Park entry fee before they are allowed to enter. The ship, which is operated on a carbon-neutral basis, is under charter to the well-regarded expedition company Hurtigruten for select dates each month in 2023. Although each cabin has space to store bags, space is always restricted on a boat, so we suggest that you take a backpack or soft-sided duffle bag with you. Larger fixed suitcases are usually too big to store in the cupboard space. You can also read our guide to beating seasickness for alternative methods of combating seasickness.

For more specific information, check the daily itineraries and Essential Trip Information of your chosen trip. Safety is our number one priority, which is why all our boats are top-of-the-line and equipped with full safety features. The live-abroad experience means sleeping and eating aboard a yacht for the duration of your trip. A cruise is one of the best ways to see all that this remote Ecuadorian archipelago has to offer. Twice-daily Galapagos National Park certified Naturalist guided excursions, including equipment.

galapagos islands cruise

Each of the 24 cabins offers outside views (though only eight offer French-style balconies), and the ship's two Category 5 cabins are noteworthy for offering wraparound views overlooking the bow of the ship. The ship also features a few cool novelties, including video microscopes and an underwater bow camera. 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.

These boats are built to accommodate the specific needs (and gear) of divers, and they navigate special routes and itineraries that include top dive sites. The Galápagos is home to whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, spotted eagle rays, manta rays, sunfish, and many other marine creatures. We work hard to minimize our footprint, and Ecuador’s secretary of tourism has acknowledged our efforts. We support the community by sourcing fresh seafood from local fishermen and pillow treats from local chocolatiers. Guests have donated $1.5 million to the Galapagos Fund and helped plant 50,000 trees. Celebrity Flora, our newest ship here, features dynamic positioning to protect the seabed, silicone paint to glide with less fuel, solar panels to make electricity, and no single-use plastics.

Hurtigruten makes cruising the Galapagos Islands more affordable by waiving the single supplement on several of its Galapagos cruises. The ship carries a maximum of 90 passengers, and its operations are carbon-neutral. You’ll have comfortable accommodation on the boat each night as you cruise around the islands of the Galapagos. As a rule, expect your days to be filled with walking treks and snorkelling, all accompanied by an experienced naturalist guide, as well as a variety of optional activities. With the exception of the first and last days of the trip, fresh meals will be provided by the on-board chef for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The Galapagos Islands, due to its pristine environment and geographic location are a prime world destination to practice Scuba Diving. Not all boats allow their passengers to scuba dive and very few yachts offer diving programs. Experience the uniqueness of the best underwater spots in the Archipelago, such as the Darwin and Wolf islands with one of our 8-day diving programs. If you're stuck between whether to book your cruise on a small ship or a large vessel — both have their advantages — one of these medium-sized boats accommodating 20 to 50 passengers could be the best of both worlds. You'll enjoy more space, a larger group to mingle with, and sometimes a wider variety of activities and services to accommodate more people. All 10 cabins are on the same deck, there’s an open-bar policy, and Wi-Fi is available on board.

Once, volcanos spat and lava flowed, creating an archipelago of 19 islands with a marine reserve that serve as a living museum of evolution. Extreme isolation and the convergence of three ocean currents developed the most unusual wildlife. In the Galapagos, modern explorers come eye to eye with ancient tortoises, comical birds, and other amazing beasts—plus landscapes as fantastical as the animals—for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

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