LIVE(ish) Xpedition - Quito and Galapagos November 11, 2023

[Beachlover1989]

1 minute ago, prmssk said:

I have these in three different colors and really like them.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BRFJZJ8Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing!

[Poconolady]

6 hours ago, prmssk said:

I have these in three different colors and really like them.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BRFJZJ8Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thank you, I just ordered two pair! Should be great for a lot of other occasions too.

[sandiego1]

Thank you for your fabulously detailed trip reports. I can’t wait for our trip at the end of Jan of the Xpedition!

[TimidTrav]

Thanks so much for your posts.  Fantastic photos, and great information.  We head out this coming Thursday for our trip on the Xpedition.

 

[prmssk]

41 minutes ago, TimidTrav said:

Thanks so much for your posts.  Fantastic photos, and great information.  We head out this coming Thursday for our trip on the Xpedition.

 

Have a great trip!

[TimidTrav]

Thanks - so excited!!

[mahasamatman]

Packing this weekend. We leave home Wednesday, arrive in Quito on Thursday, and the cruise starts Saturday.

[prmssk]

30 minutes ago, mahasamatman said:

Packing this weekend. We leave home Wednesday, arrive in Quito on Thursday, and the cruise starts Saturday.

Enjoy!  I would be really interested to hear your thoughts on the differences between the Southern and Northern Loops when you get back.

[catspaw1]

Thanks so much for posting the outstanding TR & photos.

 

We have booked the Xploration for June 2025 & got the last lower priced cabin.

 

Your very detailed report really helped a lot! I know it was a lot of work but very much appreciated!

 

We are heading out on the Eclipse back to Bermuda again in July- no where near what we expect on the Xploration!

 

Question- I know the cruise supplies shorty wetsuits. Did you feel you needed a full wetsuit? We will be bringing neoprene pants &splashguard but 70 water is cold for snorkeling. We used to dive in Bermuda & when the water was below 80 we felt it was freezing. Do you think we should bring a full wetsuit? We are bringing our own snorkeling gear as we know it works. We have dive booties & the fins easily snap in.

 

Thanks!

[prmssk]

@catspaw1  Thank you!  It really was a trip of a lifetime.

 

We wore swim leggings and splashguards under our shorty wetsuits but were in the minority on our ship.  I was glad to have a little extra warmth but most people did fine with just the wetsuits.

 

Have a great trip!

[catspaw1]

That's great to know that we don't need long wetsuits. We have our own shorty wetsuits. Should we bring our own or use theirs? Ours are easy zip up the back- we use them diving. Your pictures were awesome! My husband is an avid photographer & bird watcher so he has loved your pictures. We have good binoculars- should we bring them? I know the cruise said they have some but don't know their quality. Thanks for the fast reply! We decided to go next year due to the El Nino affecting the Galapagos this year. Next year is supposed to be a LA Nina. We booked the Xploration as we wanted a smaller boat with less people. We are blue water sailors so are used to small boats. Any other gear you can think of? What shoes did you bring? We have keen water shoes, & dive booties. We have hiking boots & shoes but think we will just bring the hiking shoes. Slip ons like cross for the boat? What type of underwater camera did you see used? We were thinking of buying a go pro. We are also going to a bear lodge in AK July next year so could use it then also. Did anyone dress up at night or is shorts/shirts or sundress ok?

[prmssk]

@catspaw1

 

Thanks, bird (and wildlife) photography is a hobby of mine and the Galapagos is such an amazing place to do photography.  If you have time, there is some pretty amazing birding on mainland Ecuador as well.  

 

The ship's binoculars are not the highest quality so if you have a favorite pair, bring them.  My husband used his quite a bit, although interestingly not many in our group used binoculars.  A lot of the wildlife is really close but the binoculars came in handy for bird watching and trying to see the different subspecies of the Darwin finches.

 

I don't know what the wetsuits are like on the Xploration.  The Xpedition had a mix of ones that zipped up in the front and some that zipped up in the back.  They were more than adequate for us but we are not divers so don't have a lot of experience or preferences.

 

We wore Keens closed toe sandals for wet landings and I often kept them on for hikes.  There is time to change shoes if you need to before you start hiking.  We used hiking shoes with good tread for dry landings.  None of the hikes are truly that strenuous.  Most are on flat ground along rocky paths.  Any non-slip casual shoe works well for the boat.  I understand the Xploration has more ladder like stairs between levels so keep that in mind when you decide on boat shoes.

 

Dress is casual on the boat.  My husband wore shorts and a t-shirt to dinner most nights.  I brought a couple lightweight sundresses that were a nice change from the day clothes.

 

The best underwater footage came from those with Go Pros or the SeaLife Sport Diver housing for my iPhone that I used.

 

My focus with packing was shoes and camera gear (and money/ID documents).  I figured I could make do with just about anything else.  We tried to focus on lightweight, quick dry clothes.  You may want a backpack for excursions (that can hold your water bottles, maybe shoes, maybe a small towel that they provide).  My husband I made do with one backpack between the two of us and then I had my camera bag.  

 

I think I answered all your questions but if I missed one (or if you have more), feel free to ask it again.

 

Your AK trip sounds exciting.  We keep talking about booking another trip to Alaska but it hasn't quite made it on the calendar yet.  There are too many places to go and so little time. 🙂 

[catspaw1]

9 minutes ago, prmssk said:

@catspaw1

 

Thanks, bird (and wildlife) photography is a hobby of mine and the Galapagos is such an amazing place to do photography.  If you have time, there is some pretty amazing birding on mainland Ecuador as well.  

 

The ship's binoculars are not the highest quality so if you have a favorite pair, bring them.  My husband used his quite a bit, although interestingly not many in our group used binoculars.  A lot of the wildlife is really close but the binoculars came in handy for bird watching and trying to see the different subspecies of the Darwin finches.

 

I don't know what the wetsuits are like on the Xploration.  The Xpedition had a mix of ones that zipped up in the front and some that zipped up in the back.  They were more than adequate for us but we are not divers so don't have a lot of experience or preferences.

 

We wore Keens closed toe sandals for wet landings and I often kept them on for hikes.  There is time to change shoes if you need to before you start hiking.  We used hiking shoes with good tread for dry landings.  None of the hikes are truly that strenuous.  Most are on flat ground along rocky paths.  Any non-slip casual shoe works well for the boat.  I understand the Xploration has more ladder like stairs between levels so keep that in mind when you decide on boat shoes.

 

Dress is casual on the boat.  My husband wore shorts and a t-shirt to dinner most nights.  I brought a couple lightweight sundresses that were a nice change from the day clothes.

 

The best underwater footage came from those with Go Pros or the SeaLife Sport Diver housing for my iPhone that I used.

 

My focus with packing was shoes and camera gear (and money/ID documents).  I figured I could make do with just about anything else.  We tried to focus on lightweight, quick dry clothes.  You may want a backpack for excursions (that can hold your water bottles, maybe shoes, maybe a small towel that they provide).  My husband I made do with one backpack between the two of us and then I had my camera bag.  

 

I think I answered all your questions but if I missed one (or if you have more), feel free to ask it again.

 

Your AK trip sounds exciting.  We keep talking about booking another trip to Alaska but it hasn't quite made it on the calendar yet.  There are too many places to go and so little time. 🙂 

 

[catspaw1]

Thanks for the helpful information. How about hiking sticks? We have really good ones we regularly use hiking. Looks like the Celebrity ones are wooden & won't grip as well as mine with rubber tips. My husband took a photo workshop in Yosemite NP last year & is taking one next month in Great Smokey  Park. We usually go to GSMNP  1-2 weeks a year. Look at Silver Salmon Creek lodge in lake Clarke National Park in AK for fabulous bear watching & salmon fishing. We are staying 3 nights late July next year. Very very expensive but my husband wanted to do bear photography.  It got great reviews. We went to AK 30 years ago &:loved it but I understand it's much more built up now. Be aware that most of Denali park is closed as a bridge fell down & won't be repaired til 2026. We are heading to GSMNP for 10 days in April, going to SD, WY& CO for 16 nights starting in late May & then a Celebrity Cruise to Bermuda in July.

[catspaw1]

We went to the Acadia birding festival last year & it was great. We would definitely recommend it. Unfortunately a noreaster came through for several days so they had to cancel numerous days of boat trips. 

[prmssk]

@catspaw1

The hiking sticks on the Xpedition were wooden.  I assume the Xploration ones are similar.  I never used them so I can't speak to how good they are.  They aren't really necessary on most hikes unless you normally like to have a little extra stability but I know some people really appreciated them for the lava walk.

 

We have really enjoyed the GSMNP a number of times.  I haven't been to Acadia NP in a lot of years.  I hadn't thought birding there.  I remember it being a beautiful park.  Thanks for the AK lodge recommendation.  I'll have to look that up.

 

We will be headed to Bermuda for our first time this fall and I'm looking forward to it.

[catspaw1]

We sailed our own boat to Bermuda & have cruised there before. Let me know if you need any local info. We love horseshoe bay beach & tobacco bay beach in St. George's. The island is very pricey. September is prime hurricane season although Bermuda rarely gets a direct hit.