Are there age limits for excursions and snorkeling on Xpedition?

[mjthecruiser]

I am asking because I read about problems some people had getting on excursions due to being “old” on Celebrity. We are planning a cruise to the Galapagos and I am not going if I can’t pick the experience I want. I called Celebrity and they said there are no age restrictions on any of their excursions which contradicts what I read here.

[sippican]

You may have some luck posting your question here:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2069149

 

However, I have been following the Xpedition threads for a few years and have never heard of anyone being denied an excursion due to age. There seem to be a number of options daily that would fit the varying abilities of the cruisers onboard.

I have read that some had difficulty getting in or our of the Zodiacs due to mobility challenges. (And of course. you would be wise not to choose an excursion beyond your ability - like the long hike on rough terrain if you have trouble walking!)

 

We attended a couple of Galapagos seminars during our transatlantic and, judging from the significant numbers of those of "advanced age" who had completed the trip, I'd say the crew must be very good at providing experiences for all.

[acctgtogo]

Things may have changed, but when we took our Galapagos cruise with Celebrity (2011) the crew went above and beyond to make sure that everyone enjoyed the cruise. There was a gentleman who brought his elderly mother on the cruise. She had mobility issues. The crew made sure she got to see most everything. In one instance they even set up a chair for her and moved her around on the chair. On one island the walking was rather rough, but she was taken on a different route so she could see the albatross. She may not have been able to see everything, but she sure saw most everything. As for the Zodiacs, they were used for almost every excursion as they were needed to reach the island and most islands had no docks. I am not the most agile of people, but I was able to get in and out of them. Maybe it wasn't pretty, but it really wasn't that bad and there were always people willing to help if needed.

[GottaKnowWhen]

Back recently from the Galapagos. Every evening the next day’s excursion options are clearly described, there is great opportunity for Q&A. The working assumption seems to be that passengers are adults who, with sufficient information, will make good choices. If you get into an activity beyond your capability, the other 15 in your group will be quite unhappy to have you hold them back. And they will be careful not to get into your group next time. But I don’t think anybody will say no...

I was one of those complaining about arbitrary age restrictions. But go back and read the thread. That had nothing to do with Expedition, which is a Celebrity operation. It was about Celebrity sub-contractors in the Med.

[ghstudio]

The age exclusions you read about are not from Celebrity. In most ports, celebrity hires a local company to arrange the tours and effectively celebrity is just an agent selling (for a profit) the tours. The local tour operators have insurance that in some cases has age or other constraints that Celebrity, as their agent, must follow.

 

The Galapagos excursions are all run by Celebrity and AFIK there are no age restrictions, although I'm sure they have the right to restrict passengers from doing things that they may not be capable of doing.

[mjthecruiser]

Thanks for all of the replies. My husband and I are in very good shape for our age and believe we can do the excursions we want. I was just afraid we wouldn’t be allowed. I am happy to read that it is our choice.