Rewind

DW and I both had the Chicken Chikita but then split for dessert between the churros and the apple pie

Most crew seem to be from the area and I think they just rotate between crews A and B (but not all at once). While lunch is a buffet, it isn't like the larger ships with an abundance of choices. There is normally a chicken, a fish, maybe a beef, some salad and fruit, and a soup or two. There was pork tacos one day and there was pizza another day, but those are not everyday items.

Afternoon on North Seymour - we saw a lot of Frigate birds, plenty of Blue Footed Boobies, a few iguana, and a handful of sea lions including some newborn pups. To the left of Mama is a pup in the rocks: Different pup:

Let's talk shoes: I think I was pretty good with my choices. You will need a good pair of hiking shoes but if you are slightly uneasy on your feet, I highly recommend upgrading to hiking boots. There is plenty of uneven terrain and your feet will thank you. The third pair of shoes from the left are my water shoes. I could take or leave those. They keep more sand out, but not all sand. And if you take the shoes off on the beach, good luck not getting sand in them. However one trick - keep the shoes off when you board the zodiac from the beach so you can rinse your feet as you get in and then put your shoes on once you sit down. The gray Keens that are second from the left are my other wet shoes. I wore them to another beach stop and they get sand in them easily but also clean out super easily. I also wore them to the top lookout spot on Bartolome as they are very comfortable. I think for ease of cleaning, I would rate them better than the more closed water shoe. But that is personal preference. The other Keens I have on the very left are my "boat shoes" that are thinner / lighter weight - I am only wearing them around the ship. My DW is doing something similar with a pair of sandals. It is nice to have a clean pair of shoes to use to go to the discussions and dinner. Knowing what I know now, I would only take three pair of shoes; hiking, wet, boat. I think I can do a week with only three pair.

We are just about to leave for a long walk on Seymour North island. Here is tonight's dinner menu:

Not much to report today yet. This morning was a beach walk which was more than just a beach day. The walk went back and forth a long the beach, to a couple brackish ponds, saw a couple flamingos, ghost crabs, and marine iguanas. Then it was time to snorkel and some people saw a couple sea turtles and my DW saw a shark. Then just before lunch we spotted a turtle from our windowed veranda and had enough time to roll the window down.

I did try the short ribs and it was pretty good. We were dining with a group last night and someone said as long as the menu states Braised, the meat should be tender. Not sure why the ribeye is better, but my guess has to be preparation. They are required to source beef from the Galapagos and as they said in a presentation that as there are no plains, the cows have to roam up and down the mountains to feed which makes their muscles nice and tough.

Afternoon Walk to the Top was a workout. There were a bunch of Blue Footed Boobies diving near our landing zone. It is then 380 steps to the top with some places to rest and take pics. This is the place where if you search for a pic of the Galapagos, this is the place you will see. We left the ship at 4:30 and we're back on board at 6:15. On the way back, they did a quick tender ride to go look for penguins...

Tonight's dinning room menu:

This morning we took the Long Lava Rock Walk. This is for steady footed people only and they even recommend not using walking sticks as they could get lodged in crevasses and actually cause you to lose your balance. For timing, we were on the first tender that left at 8:30am and we were stepping foot back on board at 10:45am.

Nope - no facilities on any island. There hasn't yet been a need for anyone to need facilities - all the excursions have only been a couple hours. Line up to get off the ship at 8:30, back on the ship around 11:00, maybe 11:30. I think that is something you might need to call the Galapagos desk at Celebrity to find out if that is something they can plan for.

Ok, one more

Good morning from the coast of Bartolome island. We got up early: Still waiting for breakfast to open:

I don't think there is room near the wetsuits for everyone to hang another bag. For us, we like to shower off as we remove our swimsuits to rinse them out. That would require going back to the room, rinsing everything, then taking the bag back down to the marina. It's just a minor inconvenience at this point. There are a few hooks in the shower where you can hang things, but then our stateroom attendant has been rehanging things on hangers over a towel from our ceiling in the infinite veranda area. We feel bad though as we don't want to make extra work for her, but I think it's easier for her to clean the bathroom if things aren't hanging everywhere in there.

I know we are only a couple days in but we were discussing at dinner how well everything is designed. The ship doesn't ever feel crowded, there is plenty of space but it doesn't feel overwhelming, the staff are super attentive and amazing, the staterooms are spacious, it is easy to get around, but also the ship doesn't feel tiny. It was also mentioned by other cruisers that the zodiacs being used on Flora are the easiest to navigate. The steps to get in and out are great and the lowering of the front for water landings is super convenient. My DW pointed out the only improvement they could have put in would be a wet locker in each stateroom to hang your wet swimsuits / rash guards from when you come back from snorkeling. But just two days in and we are being attended to on another level that we are considering the outer-loop cruise... in a few years.

We decided to go with the "Dinner Under the Stars" tonight. The menu is mostly the same each night but the soup and salad might change from day to day. The FIL and DW did get the Ribeye and it is confirmed that it is better than the fillet in the main dining room. I got the Cajun Chicken and it was delicious. Coconut Tart: Lava Cake:

Just back from our short beach walk and snorkeling excursion and... it was not quite as advertised. It was pretty much a beach stop. There was no real place to walk and the water was too rough and kicking up a lot of sand to try to see anything. There were some fish swimming around but nothing really else to see. On the plus side, the water was warmer than yesterday. If you squint, you can see the Sea Lions on the rocks below the ship:

Yes walking sticks are provided. They are wooden ones that come up to your waist and have a rubberized handle. They are located just before you board the zodiacs. If you think you want something better like a trekking pole, you will need to provide that yourself.

Back from our morning long walk at Dragon's Hill. This is one of our replacement stops so I don't know how many will go here, but it was a short or long walk. The short walk was VERY short according to those who went on it. The long walk we did eclipsed it by quite a bit. We got off at a nice lava area that is a bit tricky to walk on (so be careful and take a walking stick if you are slightly uneasy). Then there was a short sandy trail along the beach, up over a hill to a brackish pond where there was a flamingo. That is where the short walk stopped. The long walk continued on through some loose golf ball sized rocks for a tenth of a mile or so. Some were stable, some was not. Once past that section, it was sid ground through a loop up the hill. Coming back you was to walk through the golf ball rocks again and then back past the beach and lava field. Our group saw 15 Galapagos Land Iguanas and a couple marine iguanas swimming as we were leaving.

Real quick; I noticed a detail that is different from all the pics I have seen previously. It looks like they have added another layer of frosting over the glass between the bathroom and the bedroom in the suites. I'm guessing too many people didn't want to be looked at in the bathroom by their travelling partners. In person, if you look carefully you can still see the gradient that was there previously. My guess is they added a layer from the bedroom side across the entire window.

You are not required to wear suits but the water is "refreshing" and the suits do help. Even some more experienced snorkelers that went without yesterday said they will wear the suits for this afternoon's snorkel. We were on the early walk group yesterday and were the first few in the water - a Sea Lion swam up about 10-15 feet away from my DW to see what was going on. But it swam off after. We do take the Celebrity pack with us on every trip so far. They might get a few drops of water but I wouldn't say they get wet on the zodiacs. They will encourage you to drink water and will stop for mandatory hydration breaks on excursions and the packs are great for carrying the water bottles. The provided backpacks have one large zippered pocket, big enough for shoes (I wear a size 13 men's) but too small for boots. Then just below that is a small zipper pocket just the right size for glasses or sunscreen. Then below that is a zippered medium pocket that can fit hats and a GoPro on a floaty handle. There are two side pockets that either can hold the provided water bottle. On the bottom is the secret zippered pocket that holds the pack's rain cover.

Morning. Today we are planning for a Long Walk and a Short Beach Walk with optional swim/snorkel. Tonight's menu:

Not much else to report tonight other than we are tired. I'm about to pass out as I type this so I will see you all tomorrow.

I haven't seen anyone be left out of anything. The kayaks I think the only limited resources and they did ask if you have already kayaked to not sign up again so others can go.

I think it comes down to personal preference. My inlaws seem to like their water shoes really well, but I like my Keens that are a bit more open.