Cubbivan

On 9/12/2022 at 11:11 PM, eddieg07410 said:

On our 11 day trip we have one extra day to do Quito on our own. Is that advisable or  can someone recommend a guide to hire.

We toured the city on the extra day with Guanguiltagua run by Dennis Yepez (below).  It's about $200 for a full day just about anywhere and he is excellent.  Drivers are English speakers.  It's worth the safety and peace of mind having a local take you around.

Rick and Lynn

I think I understand what the ship is doing now.......... In the itinerary animation, it shows the Flora docking at Puerto Ayora, but actually it docks at the northern point of Santa Cruz Island and the Flora passengers are then bussed over the highway south to the town.

1 hour ago, calsnoozie said:

Cubbivan - what app/site do you use to track the Flora?  We on on the 9/19/21 sailing .

 

Sue from California

I cross check with 3 websites:

cruisemapper.com

marinevesseltraffic.com

shipcruises.org

All 3 agree on Flora's location at Baltra on Saturday.  If true, this appears to be the first cruise since July 1 that didn't go to Puerto Ayora which has the Darwin research center.  I called the Celebrity Galapagos desk today and they said they had no info on this and they could only go by any public announcements put out by Celebrity.  Puerto Ayora has not been dropped from any future Flora itinerary.  They did say that the Celebrity Quito bus tours on Saturday are going as scheduled.

The Galapagos Islands are supposed to have been 100% vaccinated as are the ship crews and passengers coming to the islands.  So I just don't know of a reason why the Inner Loop would have removed the 2 towns on the itinerary.

Today is Saturday, 8/28/2021 at noon.  Several cruise trackers are showing the Flora back at Baltra instead of Puerto Ayora.  Did they skip Puerto Ayora?  Did they also skip Puerto Baquerizo on San Cristobal Island? (They were on the Inner Loop itinerary).  Since they are both the only populated towns on the itinerary, I'm wondering if they were skipped due to covid?

On 8/17/2021 at 10:43 AM, jsiegel said:

Those of you who have or plan on arriving to Quito earlier than the Friday before the cruise I have a question for you.  Did you book the entire 10 day package and if so, did it include the transportation from the airport on arrival the day or more early?  I have friends that will be joining me on the inner loop in February (my husband and I are doing a back-to-back) and they are trying to decide if and how many days earlier to arrive to explore Quito and the environs.  What Celebrity includes might help in their decision.  Obviously additional hotel nights would not be covered but would the transfer from the airport be covered?   Thanks.

We're signed up for the 11 day on 11/26/21 and flying into Quito one day early (on Thursday) Celebrity told me yes, they would pick us up at the airport on Thursday at our scheduled arrival time.  Our price for the JW Marriott that night is $193 total.  If they do the Saturday bus tour, they take us to the old city and the Intinan Museum...........Rick

1 hour ago, Suwannee said:

Thank you for this very informative blog.  Are the Park Entry fees and permits included in the cruise price?  If not, I'm assuming they can be paid by credit card or cash?

Yes, the Celebrity Flora cruise includes all park fees and all charges and tips for the guides.  My wife and I are doing the inner loop on 11/26/21.

On 7/8/2021 at 2:44 PM, jogruffy said:

Same as everyone else on here - Thanks for taking the time to write about your trip. Really helpful to know what to expect when others take the same trip later. We are booked for the end of November and hopefully they have worked out the kinks by then. We were part of the group that got cancelled in Nov. 2019 when the Xpedition ran aground and then last year well you know what happened. So we hope to finally get to take this trip! Despite the issues at the beginning it sounds amazing. I would think that the lack of paper menus and schedules is mainly an environmental thing - less garbage. Glad you mentioned it. Now I will take my cell phone.

Hi, Jo..............are you booked for the November 28, 2021 sailing?   That's what we're on..........Rick

8 hours ago, DrKoob said:

 

Yes I do. Wet suits (and all snorkeling gear) are kept hanging in bags on Deck 3 right where you board the Zodiacs. You get them on the first day, put them in a bag with your stateroom number on it and then it stays there. You grab them as you get on your Zodiac (but the crew loads them on the Zodiac for you). You wear whatever you are going to wear under your wetsuit when you leave the ship (at least that's what everyone on our cruise did). I wore my swimming trunks for the short walk before the snorkel on Day 2. Then when you get to the beach, you grab your bag and put on your snorkel stuff. No skinny-dipping involved. Women had bathing suits under their clothes. The wetsuits are only shorties so they are pretty easy to just pull on and off. When you get back to the ship, you wash them and hang them up to dry on hangers with your stateroom number on the hanger. Hope this helps.

Jim

Yes it does, thanks.............. On another note, American Airlines changed one of our flight numbers and times without telling us.  Surprisingly, Celebrity already had the new flight number on their screen for us.  Your advisement to check flights often is a good one.........Rick

5 hours ago, DrKoob said:

 

You are really welcome Rick. I want a complete report on that Inner Loop as we are planning on going back in 2024. Hope the COVID situation is better than today. Funny you will be there on Ecuadorian Independence Day as we sailed on the Fourth of July.

Hey Dr. Koob...........Foundation Day in Quito, December 6, is kind of a weird holiday because it is celebrated only in Quito, and for 10 full days leading up to the 6th.  It is the founding of Quito as a city on top of a former Inca city about 487 years ago.

I'm afraid that the only place I will see a waved albatross is at Puerto Ayora where they have a 10 foot long statue of one guarding the harber.   Puerto Bazerio has another 'cute' statue of life size Darwin whom you can pose with in front of a small replica of his ship, the 'Beagle'  (not the Snoopy).

Do you know how passengers put on their wet suits?  Are there changing rooms anywhere or does everyone just change skinny-dip style?  Thanks again..........Rick

.....Really appreciate all the good info on this blog.  My wife and I are flying to Quito on Thanksgiving Day which we hope is not as busy as the before & after days.  Our free day on return from the inner loop is December 6th which is Quito's equivalent of the 4th of July, so we'll see if there are any festivities going on.  Everything depends on the covid situation.  The inner loop doesn't get the waved albatross, but it does offer the iconic view of Pinnicle Rock, the zillions of critters on North Seymour, and the red footed boobie at Punta Pitt.  There is also snorkeling with seal pups at that time of year.  We are hiring a private car and driver for the two days we are on our own in Quito..........again, covid permitting.....there's 4 months to figure it out.................Rick