Xpedition - Just returned from 12/4/05 sailing

WOW! WOW! WOW! We have traveled all over the world. We have not and we will not ever be able to surpass this trip. Celebrity's Xpedition to The Galapagos is the most fantastic, memorable trip you will ever experience. If you're already booked, you are in for a very special treat. If you have not booked yet, well, get busy planning. The Xpedition can be separated into two distinct parts...The Galapagos and Celebrity's Xpedition ship/crew/service. First, The Galapagos.

The Galapagos Islands are truly remarkable. You cannot believe the wildlife and the geography/geology. You're on a black sand beach for a morning excursion and a red sand beach in the afternoon. You're hiking up a volcano and see the spot that was used in Master and Commander with Russell Crowe in the morning and standing in the highlands in a field of giant tortoises in the afternoon. Then there are the animals. If we never took a photograph the images would still be in our hearts/heads forever. How can we forget the sea lion pup tossing around a clump of seaweed or the pup looking for its mom as it waddled from adult to adult. What a sight the dozen or so blue footed boobies were as the dive bombed synchronized into the water...and how those boobies looked like each one had its legs hand painted. Did you ever see a living hill...dozens of iguanas? There were penguins, turtles, fur seals, commorants, albatross, flamingos and such beautiful birds. You just are awed every day.

The ship, the staff, the crew of the Xpedition are the finest you could ever hope for. From Mario the hotel director...who is always sitting in the Discovery Lounge which doubles as his office :) , to Jorge our cruise director who always was smiling and looking to assist, to the fabulous bar waiters who knew exactly what you like to drink by the second day, to the dining staff who served you impecably, to the room stewards who seemed to come into your room to change towels and straighted up all the time, to the zodiac drivers who was fabulous and the naturalists who were amazing, I just want to tell you that we were treated royally.

The naturalists were incredible. We had 6 on our sailing of 76 people. They were Jaime, Vanessa, Rod, Freddy, Fabio and Manual. Each had their own personality but they were equally knowledgeable. Just by the luck of the draw we had Jaime about 7 or 8 times. We loved hiking with him. Besides his knowledge he has a terrific sense of humor. He would call us all his explorers. When his eyes spotted something nobody else would see, he would tell us, "Oh my friends, you are so lucky". :) (I also think he is part mountain goat because he can climb and climb with such ease. ;) ) We had beautiful Vanessa as our naturalist for our first and last excursions. She has a smile that can light up the darkness. She is so smart and so lovely, so friendly and so informative. Rod has so much passion and love of these islands. He is full of stories and history. Freddy, who we traveled with only once, was also delightful. We traveled with Fabio twice and he also joined us for breakfast once. Fabio made us feel as if he personally invited us into his backyard to share his home. It was wonderful traveling with him. We never traveled with Manual...just the luck of the draw. We always took the high intensity excursions and if anyone has any questions, please ask.

The ship now has a computer for the guests to use. You can sign up for 15 minutes at a time. Presently it is free but that won't last. They're just "trying it out" now. Our cruisecritic group showed Jorge and Mario the cruisecritic site and I'm sure they will be checking it out and learning from the comments...although they really have everything down to perfection.

I could go on and on and on, but I'll let you just ask your questions and I'll be glad to answer. I'm sure some of my traveling buddies will also pitch in. Just know you will be in for a treat.

Thanks for the info, it sounds fascinating. Glad you're having a great time. By the way, any kids on your cruise?

Sandy,

You really have a way with words that made me fell as if I were there. Thanks!:)

All I can say is.....I'm envious!!!! Hal and I have been talking about this cruise for over a year. We would definitely like to do it *one day*.......

The one worry I have - other than the cost, of course:D - is the motion of the smaller ship. I sometimes get sick on larger ships, depending on sea conditions. Tell me honestly, will I be chewing Bonine the entire time? :confused:

HurricaneSally - There were no kids on this sailing. I did ask about it and was told that there are some kids during the summer. There is nothing to do onboard for young kids. There is a hot tub, but no pool and no activities during the time between excursions except some lectures on some days. We'd return from our morning excursion about 11: 30 to a cold towel and cold fruit drink and then we'd hang out outdoors 'till lunchtime which was 12:00 outdoors or 12:30 indoors. After that it was usually up to deck 6 for a nap or quiet reading on a lounge..along with many others...or a relaxing dip in the hot tub. It all starts again about 3:30 for the afternoon excursion.

Kay - I also was afraid of the rocking. Truthfully, I did get sick the first night. I really thought the ship was going to rock itself over! ;) I put the wrist bands on the chewed the bonine. After I deposited my dinner in the bathroom, :( I felt 100% better. NOBODY else onboard had that experience that night so I know it was just me. After that the motion was not really felt. Sometimes there was a gentle rocking as you got into bed but you were so exhausted and excited about the next day that you fell asleep immediately.

Kay - The cost seems expensive, BUT everything is included. You will not put your hand into your pocket for anything but gifts. ALL drinks, tipping, food, excursions are included. That also includes your days in Quito. You don't have to spend one cent and when you include all the meals, sightseeing in Quito AND plane trips between Quito and Baltra and back, it turns out to be less expensive than other trips.

Kay, I was on the trip with Sandy, and everything she says is correct and then some.

Yes the trip cost more $ than we usually spend, but after the very first excursion I felt I received my money's worth. The next 6 days were a bonus. You hear stories about stepping around sea lions, and getting close to birds and its all true. When a baby sea lion starts to follow you like a puppy, or you get within inches from a bird and her chick - wow.

Kathy and Gerry

Hurricane Sally: We sailed in June 2005--about 1/3 of the ship's passengers were families with kids ranging in age from 6-18. The kids that went were well behaved and used to travelling.

Hal: Be sure to get a prescription for Scopalamine Patches. My husband and son get very seasick. They were vital on this trip. Actually, they felt so great with them on they thought they could take them off. Not a good idea. I had no problem at all. This was true with many people-some had no problem, others did.

This was such a fantastic trip. Truly once in a lifetime.

Hi Kathy & Gerry - Hope your flights home were uneventful and great. It's 16 degrees here. A bit different than Ecuador. I can't believe anything will ever top our trip and it sounds like you feel the same way. Take care.

Good review SandyR...

Do you have a link to your pix to share with us?

Ingrid.

WOW! I am so excited just reading your review, Sandy. I leave on Friday for Quito and just hearing how enthusiastic you are has made me smile from ear to ear! I am sure to have a great time, as you did. Could you answer a couple of questions for me?

What was the average temperature each day?

Did you snorkle and did you use one of the wet suits provided by the ship? Was the water cold?

We will most likely be doing the high-intensity excurisons and I plan to bring one pair of sneakers and one pair of Teva sandals. Is that sufficient? As for the daytime, just shorts and t-shirts, correct?

I am assuming that there wasn't a significant problem with illness, correct? Did you ever eat the raw vegetables or raw fruits?

If you can think of anything else that could be helpful for me, I'd appreciate hearing about it! Thanks so much! Monroe

Ingrid - I'm still going through my pictures. It's going to take a few more days. I doubt if I'll put them up "public", but I will be making a shutterfly album to share with friends. If you give me your e-mail address I'll include you.

Monroe - Quito is cool. We wore sweat jackets at the equator. :( Don't think of wearing shorts there. Jeans, short sleeve shirt and light jacket would be my best advice. Our first few days onboard were overcast, but perfect for hiking. Shorts and t-shirts are the way to go. I brought 2 pairs of shorts and 2 pairs od capris, (the ladies will know what I'm talking about) and I'm sorry I just didn't bring shorts. We chose not to snorkel. The water was between 65 and 70. They provided all who wanted with wet suits, most long ones. The usually returned to the ship smiling, but shivering. No problem though, they would go right up to the hot tub and the bar waiters would bring a tray of hot spiked coffee and/or hot chocolates for them. :) As for footwear, you need a sturdy pair of sneakers with good tread for the hikes. There are only 2 days with wet landings, near the end of your trip. Tevas are fine for that. We used aqua socks and they never dried out. There was really no illness. I was seasick my first night and a few people also had a rough night here or there, but it was not from the food. We ate everything including the fruit and veggies. In Quito we brushed our teeth with the bottled water and watched what we eat. Nobody was sick. Get set for the trip of a lifetime.

Sandy, thanks again! If you don't mind, just a couple more questions! Is that all you brought for the whole week? At night, did you wear the same shorts and capris or did you have other casual clothing for the nighttime? Are they very strict about the 30 pound luggage limit?

I have already packed, and my weight is definitely over 30 pounds, but maybe I packed too much! So, what did you wear at night and did you need a jacket or sweatshirt on the boat for the evenings?

Also, did some passengers complain about the noise from the anchor, especailly in the front rooms. I had read the some passengers felt like the 'anchor was coming through their beds', and since I am in a front room, I was just curious.

I sent your other posting to my husband so he can get as excited as I am! You have made my day and the trip will make this holiday, very special!

You will hear the anchor, most days it can serve as your wake-up call :-) Don't worry about the 30 lb limit from Quito to GPS, nobody checks. Ironically enough, 30 lbs is probably adequate. It's a very dressed down, laid back trip ... and a truly unique experience - Enjoy!

Frank

Monroe - I brought 3 "outfits" for the evenings. All were capri length pants with matching long sleeve cotton jacket. I wore a sleeveless tee under them. I repeated each 3 times for the 9 nights. All I brought was a duffle bag weighing 20 lbs and a carry-on. Believe me, when we travel and/or cruise I bring lots and lots of stuff, but its really not needed here. If you have over 30 lbs, you have too much. :) I also brought 2 bathing suits.

As far as the anchor, there's no getting around that. We usually had a wake-up call for 6:50 and the anchor went down at 7:00. It just reinforced the wake up call. It's really no big deal. You get used to it.

Now...go unpack some things. ;)

Sandy,

I will definitely take your advice and take some more items out of the suitcase. And to think, I was so proud of myself for packing lightly!

I will post again when I return from my trip of a lifetime. Monroe (Philadelphia, PA)

using my minutes to say ditto to everything Sandy said. If you can afford it, you have to take this trip-the best vacation I´ve ever been on,best cruise out of 30+. Frank-there are 2 guys here with me who will be on Insignia with us in June, trying to get them to join the Nordic dawgs. More when I get home.

dawg Susie

Ingrid - I'm still going through my pictures. It's going to take a few more days. I doubt if I'll put them up "public", but I will be making a shutterfly album to share with friends. If you give me your e-mail address I'll include you.

Monroe - Quito is cool. We wore sweat jackets at the equator. :( Don't think of wearing shorts there. Jeans, short sleeve shirt and light jacket would be my best advice. Our first few days onboard were overcast, but perfect for hiking. Shorts and t-shirts are the way to go. I brought 2 pairs of shorts and 2 pairs od capris, (the ladies will know what I'm talking about) and I'm sorry I just didn't bring shorts. We chose not to snorkel. The water was between 65 and 70. They provided all who wanted with wet suits, most long ones. The usually returned to the ship smiling, but shivering. No problem though, they would go right up to the hot tub and the bar waiters would bring a tray of hot spiked coffee and/or hot chocolates for them. :) As for footwear, you need a sturdy pair of sneakers with good tread for the hikes. There are only 2 days with wet landings, near the end of your trip. Tevas are fine for that. We used aqua socks and they never dried out. There was really no illness. I was seasick my first night and a few people also had a rough night here or there, but it was not from the food. We ate everything including the fruit and veggies. In Quito we brushed our teeth with the bottled water and watched what we eat. Nobody was sick. Get set for the trip of a lifetime.

Glad to hear you had such a great time.It amazing how few complaints there are about this cruise,particularly when expectations run so high based on all the positive feedback.I know how pumped up you were for this trip and I see it didn't let you down.

One thing puzzles me though. While many refer to it as the cruise of a lifetime, no one has mentioned wanting or planning a return trip. Halfway through my July cruise I decided ,I had to return,and have booked next Christmas.Everyting about it was superb--the fellow passengers were the best I've ever encountered,the staff couldn't do enough,the ship was so cozy,and I hope to contrast the stars-the wildlife, in a different season of development.

One question ...is Celebrity still offering to match Darwin contributions with future cruise credits? I was able to get $500 from the summer and apply it to this Christmas' Infinity cruise. And it wasn't a shipboard credit but a price reduction...great deal.

Drfun - Celebrity is still offering cruise credit for a donation to the Darwin Center. We donated and will use the credit for our already booked Med cruise next November. I called Celebrity today just to confirm.

Sounds like an opportunity of a lifetime! We are hoping to do it in the next couple of years. Thanks for all the info.

Karen

1. Was the spa free too?

2. How do you make a donation, and how do you make sure you get a discount on your cruise when you do?

SandyR -- would love to see your shutterfly album...

Ingrid

jazz4az@yahoo.com

Caribbeanbound - Massages are $25 for 25 minutes and $50 for 50 minutes. Use of bikes free. You can make a donation to the Charles Darwin Foundation, while on the Xpedition, and you will receive a tax deduction for your entire donation and Celebrity will give you a future cruise credit for the amount. It is not shipboard credit, but credit for the cost of a future cruise...even one already booked.

Ingrid - My final total was 251 pictures. The album I sent to friends had about 36. I'll send that one, but IF you want more I'll send more.

There are 6 sick people on Xpedition now that I know about. It lastS 2 days but they were really sick. The doctor said there were a lot sick, but won´t give an exact number. We are fine, going to go snorkel for the second time this afternoon. The Ecuadorian lunch yesterday was the best meal on the ship so far. Most excellent.

Thank you