Galapagos (probably on Endeavour) questions

We're in the process of planning a Galapagos trip for 2016 (possibly 2017 if we can't get one of the cabins we need) for either 5 or 6 people in 3 generations. Based on my research, we're leaning heavily toward the Endeavour, but could still be steered toward another line or way of experiencing the Galapagos.

We will have 2 "active seniors", around 70 years old. We will have two children, ages 5 and 11 (or 6 and 12, if we have to put it off a year.) There will also be 2 40-somethings, me and my husband. We've been trying to juggle waiting as long as we can for our (currently 4 year old) daughter with going while my mother and her husband can still enjoy the trip.

We actually looked at Adventures by Disney and Tauck Bridges Galapagos, but neither will take a 5 year old. I know Lindblad will allow us to bring her, and I know I have seen people comment about bringing younger children along. It looks like our best bets are the Endeavour or the Celebrity Xpedition, and we're leaning pretty heavily toward the Endeavour. Our son is extremely interesting in photography, particularly wildlife photography, and has done workshops and entered competitions with his photos already. It seems like National Geographic would be a perfect fit with his interest. We also love that there is a glass bottom boat if someone doesn't want to snorkel but wants a glimpse at the ocean dwellers.

So, here are my questions.

1) How rough do the waters get? My step-father is extremely prone to motion sickness, and has trouble on even the mega cruise liners without the patch. He is not sure he should come, because he is worried about sea sickness. How often are the seas really rough? Is the patch likely to be enough?

2) Will the kids be allowed to snorkel if they wear lifevests in the water? They are both good swimmers, even without lifevests, but I would feel better in deep water if they were in vests. I know someone mentioned a child not being allowed in the water, and I wondered about the age rules and life vest policies.

3) My mother and step-father are close to 70, but very fit and active for their age. (Sometimes I think they are in better shape than my husband and I are.) It looks like there are more and less strenuous hikes and walks. Do you feel like you are seeing a lot if you always choose the less strenuous option? Or do you feel like you are really missing a huge percentage of the wildlife if you have to take it a little easier?

4) How much access does one get to the National Geographic photographer on board? I would love for my son to get to really talk to him or her, since photography is such a passion for him.

5) Is there typical Americanized kid fare available to eat at meals at all? I have one very picky eater with sensory issues, who doesn't do well trying new foods.

6) I know they provide partial wetsuits. Is it better to bring a full one of your own, or is what they provide sufficient? It also looks like there aren't ones available for kids, so you have to bring wetsuits for them?

Sorry to have so many questions. Thanks in advance, if anyone has any answers.

We went on Islander, the smaller sister ship.

1) Not rough at all. Like driving on the highway. Lunchtime glasses could rattle on dining tables as the ship moved from point to point. The short Zodiac transfers to shore might on occasion be very slightly bumpy, but usually last two minutes. Longer optional Zodiac rides might be slightly bumpy.

2) The one younger child on our trip snorkeled.

3) I couldn't even make the hikes because I wasn't fit enough to keep up. I saw lots from the zodiacs. Everybody on our ship thought they saw lots no matter which hiking option they chose.

4) We had lots of access. Again, Islander a smaller ship... but we were on a slightly larger ship in Antarctica and there was lots of access there too. This won't be a problem. Lindblad does a good job here. But check out if your ship has actual pro photographers aboard that sailing, or naturalists who have taken the in-house course. The naturalists are still good at helping you get shots, but it's not the same thing as traveling with a Jay Dickman or a Ralph Lee Hopkins.

5) The non-Ecuadorean food on our ship was abjectly nasty. (The local cuisine was excellent.) Posters here say what's on Endeavour is better. (And our trip was two years ago.)

6) We went in December. The adults were all fine with the provided shorty wetsuits. (A few of us, like me, went without.) Can't recall the child's arrangements.

We are making our third trip to the Galapagos this summer with Lindblad with our second set of grandkids (on the Endeavour). On our second trip to the Galapagos we took the first set of grandkids ages 8 and 10. On our particular trip there were about 35 kids ages about 6 to 17, and it was amazing to see how the entire group bonded! The older ones took the younger ones under their wings, camped out in their own part of the lounge and played games etc. I must say these were a group of amazing young people. The trip was around July 4th in the summer. Lindblad tells me that all the summer trips tend to have many children on board. We had an amazing trip and both the kids and grandparents made incredible memories.

Lindblad does a good job with the younger ones. They have a junior naturalist program and have a pizza and movie night. Bear in mind the Endeavour is not a luxurious cruise ship, staffed for the most part with enthusiastic Ecuadorian personnel and sails under the restrictions of the Galapagos. Food is adequate, not the same caliber as the Lindblad Explorer, but our first set of grandkids did fine (one extremely picky eater, one who would try anything including octopus).

The ship sails on two different itineraries according to Galapagos rules, and we were on the western one. As I suffer from extreme seasickness, it was very calm, nothing like I experienced in the Drake passage! I wouldn't worry about the motion as you move from location to location at night. I have worn the patch for my last few trips and had no problems.

Concerning snorkeling, both of the boys were avid snorkelers, wearing the yellow inflatable vests and the shorty wetsuits provided. We arrived just as the cold current moved in, so the younger one opted to just snorkel from the beach, while I took the older one in the deeper waters. They have patrol zodiacs in the water and keep a close eye on everyone. Not to be missed. The experience in the double kayaks is another highlight. Hiking is easy, you can choose an easy hike or a longer one with more elevation gain. As I don't do elevation, the other grandparent took the eager ones on those hikes. I can think of only one island that has a hike with a significant elevation gain.

I don't think there is a dedicated NG photographer on board for most of the itineraries as there would be on the Explorer or Orion I believe they do have photo trained personnel on board for all trips. Lindblad does have dedicated "photography trips" on the Endeavour and they are marked as such. Our first trip to the Galapagos was one of those and it was delightful. However with grandkids, we went for numbers of younger passengers....summer.

Haven't experienced other ships in the Galapagos, as we feel Lindblad does a good job. They do their best to have worry free trips and when something goes wrong, they work around it or fix it. Hope this helps.

I am so glad to hear there were a fair number of kids on board! Our son (the currently 10 year old who will be 11 or 12 when we make the trip) is fairly introverted and doesn't actually need to be surrounded by other kids, but our daughter (4, will be 5 or 6 when we go) is happiest when surrounded by people. She prefers other children, but any person who will interact with her will suffice. She's the reason we've been looking for as kid friendly a trip as possible, and the reason I've been trying to postpone this trip as long as possible.

We've never cruised with Lindblad before. We've all cruised a fair amount (even the 4 year old), but it's all been on larger, mass market lines (DCL, RCCL, X, NCL), and I admit that none of us are really sure what to expect on a smaller, more eco-focused line. We think we will love it; we love seeing wildlife and going new places, and two of us are birders.

I didn't realize we'd have to pick from different itineraries with Lindblad, although I had figured out we would have to if we went with X. Do both of them get you access to islands with the tortoises, marine iguanas, and the blue footed boobies? (I know I've read the the red-footed booby is less commonly seen and not on all routes.) How likely are we to see the Galapagos penguins?

One more question that I know is probably going to sound like a stupid question, but every time I read about trips to Galapagos, it looks like it is easy to see the wildlife, and you are almost guaranteed to see many of the famous animals. However, I've done other tours in other parts of the world (Australia, Belize, Costa Rica, Alaska) where if you looked at all the photographs people had taken and the stories people told, you would think it would be easy to see many species, but honestly, it isn't. If you're lucky, you might see half a dozen animals in the wild over the course of a week, but you may not actually get lucky, and you may not see much. Wild animals just don't seem to know or care that you spent a lot of money to come to try to see them. ;) Are you really almost certain to see many species of animals on the trip? I know we'll see something, but I also want to have realistic expectations.

Quick reply to your questions. We have never cruised on a large ship and probably never will. We like the smaller, expedition ship where you are able to get to know wonderful like-minded and interesting travelers. Don't know if one is able to choose the itinerary. For summer trips, you normally book at least a year in advance, and I am not sure how far ahead the itineraries are assigned to each ship. You might inquire with Lindblad. As far as wildlife, you will find it everywhere, and with no fear of humans. The guides constantly remind you to give the wildlife space, and to be respectful of the magic of the Galapagos. Being birders, we were very satisfied with everything we saw. Recommendation: read the "Beak of the Finch" before you go.

This is two-year-old info, but here goes:

--The itineraries are quite similar. One doesn't get to one particular subspecies of albatross and one doesn't get to a particular subspecies of booby, but otherwise both itineraries have everything in common.

--You'll see a ton of wildlife, to the point of it kind of getting repetitive. One couple we shared some flights with had been forewarned by a colleague at their university that once the week was nearly over, we'd be more than ready to go home because we'd be bored by the end. We thought this ridiculous before the trip started. By the end, while we weren't bored, we'd seen so much stuff so many times over that, yeah, we were more than ready to go.

--One thing to remember is that there's no explore-by-yourself option on this trip. It's like being guided through a museum. It's still good, but it's not like Antarctica where you land at the site and everybody fans out to discover what they're interested in. There's a tiny bit of that with the snorkeling, but not much. You're guided alomg narrow paths, and the law-of-the-land says it's "stay with the tour". I do get the need for conservation, but this goes well, well past the point of reason.

This is 10 year old info, but here goes.

We went to the Galapagos in 2005 on the Lindblad Polaris (since retired). Have been on Endeavour since then in Arctic and Antarctic - a very well suited ship for the Galapagos.

If your interest is wildlife - the Galapagos will blow your mind. We have followed our interest in wildlife on earth and under the sea - game drives in Africa and SCUBA dives around the world start out the same way - what will we see? Sometimes it's nothing - occasionally, it's mind blowing. In the Galapagos, it flows continously. No, it's not a zoo nor is it a private reserve. It is a world where an incredible variety of creatures live, feed and procreate where they can be observed. Yes, you will see them all. Penguins, Boobies,Tortoise, Iguanas,fur seals, Hammerheads, albatross, Frigates - all up close. We actually came upon a Galapagos Hawk perched on a low hanging limb within 2 ft. of us. It stayed in place as we marveled at it. Might this be boring or repetitive? Maybe - but not for us.

May tax the budget a bit, but we added the Machu Pichu post cruise extension after Galapagos. Place this on your list!

I guess I see the glass 25% empty and hrprof sees it 100% (or close) full. One of the joys of Cruise Critic, to be able to share different perspectives politely. But I think what we agree on is that you will see a ton of wildlife--well the tortoises will be multiple tons in themselves but you get the idea.

I'm an amateur photographer and the long lens did stay in the bag all week. The aminals really are right in front of you. When hrprof says the hawk was only 2 ft away, I expect the only reason hrprof didn't get closer was out of deep respect for the bird. Touching, perhaps petting it would have been physically possible, but please be gracious not to.

It all sounds amazing, and I'm really excited about seeing the different animals close up. I still remember seeing a photo spread of the Galapagos Island wildlife when I was a child, in National Geographic World, and wanting to go there more than any place in the world. I'm very excited to be planning a trip there.

hrprof, we would love to add on Machu Picchu, but my mother is very susceptible to altitude sickness, and refuses to try it. Since this trip is at least half for her, it won't happen this trip. We were actually very seriously looking at combining it with the upper amazon expedition, but my mother is worried about the yellow fever vaccination, since it isn't always safe for people over 60. (The yellow fever vaccination is actually why we didn't do a safari to Tanzania last year; it is a big deal in her mind.)

I can't imagine that we'll get tired of seeing animals. I am a little concerned about letting the kids snorkel near hammerheads, however. I assume those were viewed from the boat?

@GoldenRose: there is an allergy/adverse reaction test for the YF vaccine, if that helps.

Golde Rose

We have dived with Hammerheads all over the world - in large schools and as individuals. They have never shown the slightest interest in us. Think about what he could tell his friends should he catch sight of one! Do they still have the glass bottom boat?

I think they still have the glass bottom boat. I would be willing to snorkel with sharks, but I admit I'd be nervous letting the kids do so. You're right that he would have stories to tell his classmates!

(Honestly, though, I wish he'd quit talking about the Galapagos trip with his friends and classmates. He's so excited that we're going, even though it is more than a year from now, and he's making a lot of his peers (and even our friends) very envious.)