Starting to think about Galapagos….

[cruisetonowhere10]

DH and I are starting to seriously discuss a Galapagos adventure.  We’ve done some research and I have a few questions:

 

1. how does one pick a ship?  There seem to be pros/cons to all 3.  
 

2. what is the flight credit stuff I read about?  I’m trying to understand the pricing.  The price I see if I start to book, does that include this flight credit of $500/person if I book flights through celebrity? Doing a pretend flight search on Google flights, there are flights under that for us.  Also, if we are talking 2025 or 2026 those flights aren’t even released yet, so the flight part of the booking would be on hold?

 

3. inner v outer loop? I’ve done some research that southern is more bays/beaches and northern is more volcanic, but inner v outer? And, they seem to hit mostly the same islands.

 

4. while it looks like the pricing is fairly all inclusive, what am I missing? Outside of massages on the two bigger ships and alcohol, if desired, in Quito pre/post, it seems like everything is included. 

[airhose]

So far, only the Flora is offered in 2026, if that is when you're planning to go.  We had hoped for the Xploration, so we changed plans to May 2025.   

[cruisetonowhere10]

37 minutes ago, airhose said:

So far, only the Flora is offered in 2026, if that is when you're planning to go.  We had hoped for the Xploration, so we changed plans to May 2025.   

I saw that.  I assumed (maybe incorrectly) that they just hasn’t be released yet.

[prmssk]

We cruised on the Xpedition doing the northern loop in November. I did a live which is linked in my signature.  @mahdnc was on the Xpedition right after me doing the southern loop and also did a live thread.  @KenTheCruiser had a live thread in December of the Flora Inner loop I believe.  There's been one or two more recent threads as well.  Those might be some good places to start comparing the differences.

 

The inner loop has a lot of similarities to the northern loop.  The outer loop is more similar to the southern loop.   I don't think you can go wrong with any of the itineraries. 

 

We chose the Xpedition because it is built for 100 passengers but now only holds 48 so figured it would give us more space.  It also was more cost effective than the Flora and we didn't think we needed the latest amenities.  We were a bit intimidated by the small size of the Xploration.  As someone else noted, it appears they only released Flora as an option for 2026.  I don't know what that means.  I see there is a PowerUp webinar about the Galapgos that I haven't watched yet so I don't know if it has any more information.

 

Flights can't be booked until just under a year before your trip.  If you book with a fare that includes a flight credit, you don't call Flights by Celebrity until you get to that point.  Our flights were more than the credit so it was a good deal for us and made the experience really seamless.

 

It truly is all inclusive including the alcohol.  There is a small gift shop on the ship.  Massages are extra.  The Flora has glamping.  But that really is it unless you do some extra days or touring before or after.

[cruisetonowhere10]

2 minutes ago, prmssk said:

We cruised on the Xpedition doing the northern loop in November. I did a live which is linked in my signature.  @mahdnc was on the Xpedition right after me doing the southern loop and also did a live thread.  @KenTheCruiser had a live thread in December of the Flora Inner loop I believe.  There's been one or two more recent threads as well.  Those might be some good places to start comparing the differences.

 

The inner loop has a lot of similarities to the northern loop.  The outer loop is more similar to the southern loop.   I don't think you can go wrong with any of the itineraries. 

 

We chose the Xpedition because it is built for 100 passengers but now only holds 48 so figured it would give us more space.  It also was more cost effective than the Flora and we didn't think we needed the latest amenities.  We were a bit intimidated by the small size of the Xploration.  As someone else noted, it appears they only released Flora as an option for 2026.  I don't know what that means.  I see there is a PowerUp webinar about the Galapgos that I haven't watched yet so I don't know if it has any more information.

 

Flights can't be booked until just under a year before your trip.  If you book with a fare that includes a flight credit, you don't call Flights by Celebrity until you get to that point.  Our flights were more than the credit so it was a good deal for us and made the experience really seamless.

 

It truly is all inclusive including the alcohol.  There is a small gift shop on the ship.  Massages are extra.  The Flora has glamping.  But that really is it unless you do some extra days or touring before or after.

So the flight “credit” is an add on from a pricing standpoint not inherently part of the price I see?  

[PTC DAWG]

Watch the latest video..

[cruisetonowhere10]

3 minutes ago, prmssk said:

We cruised on the Xpedition doing the northern loop in November. I did a live which is linked in my signature.  @mahdnc was on the Xpedition right after me doing the southern loop and also did a live thread.  @KenTheCruiser had a live thread in December of the Flora Inner loop I believe.  There's been one or two more recent threads as well.  Those might be some good places to start comparing the differences.

 

The inner loop has a lot of similarities to the northern loop.  The outer loop is more similar to the southern loop.   I don't think you can go wrong with any of the itineraries. 

 

We chose the Xpedition because it is built for 100 passengers but now only holds 48 so figured it would give us more space.  It also was more cost effective than the Flora and we didn't think we needed the latest amenities.  We were a bit intimidated by the small size of the Xploration.  As someone else noted, it appears they only released Flora as an option for 2026.  I don't know what that means.  I see there is a PowerUp webinar about the Galapgos that I haven't watched yet so I don't know if it has any more information.

 

Flights can't be booked until just under a year before your trip.  If you book with a fare that includes a flight credit, you don't call Flights by Celebrity until you get to that point.  Our flights were more than the credit so it was a good deal for us and made the experience really seamless.

 

It truly is all inclusive including the alcohol.  There is a small gift shop on the ship.  Massages are extra.  The Flora has glamping.  But that really is it unless you do some extra days or touring before or after.

And I’ve read all the lives/trip reports…lol…how did Xpedition seem from a fit/finish?  Less upscale than flora appears?  I get this is subjective but potentially traveling with ppl who are accustomed to higher end/retreat/luxury line situations. 

[cruisetonowhere10]

1 minute ago, PTC DAWG said:

Watch the latest video..

Do you have a link to that?  We’ve watched everything on the website.

[cruisetonowhere10]

12 minutes ago, prmssk said:

We cruised on the Xpedition doing the northern loop in November. I did a live which is linked in my signature.  @mahdnc was on the Xpedition right after me doing the southern loop and also did a live thread.  @KenTheCruiser had a live thread in December of the Flora Inner loop I believe.  There's been one or two more recent threads as well.  Those might be some good places to start comparing the differences.

 

The inner loop has a lot of similarities to the northern loop.  The outer loop is more similar to the southern loop.   I don't think you can go wrong with any of the itineraries. 

 

We chose the Xpedition because it is built for 100 passengers but now only holds 48 so figured it would give us more space.  It also was more cost effective than the Flora and we didn't think we needed the latest amenities.  We were a bit intimidated by the small size of the Xploration.  As someone else noted, it appears they only released Flora as an option for 2026.  I don't know what that means.  I see there is a PowerUp webinar about the Galapgos that I haven't watched yet so I don't know if it has any more information.

 

Flights can't be booked until just under a year before your trip.  If you book with a fare that includes a flight credit, you don't call Flights by Celebrity until you get to that point.  Our flights were more than the credit so it was a good deal for us and made the experience really seamless.

 

It truly is all inclusive including the alcohol.  There is a small gift shop on the ship.  Massages are extra.  The Flora has glamping.  But that really is it unless you do some extra days or touring before or after.

Last thing we are looking at the 10 day with Quito but that appears to be part of the pricing on those options.

[prmssk]

7 minutes ago, cruisetonowhere10 said:

So the flight “credit” is an add on from a pricing standpoint not inherently part of the price I see?  

The promotion when we booked was a $750 fight credit or a $500 discount on the cruise fare.  I don't know what the current promotion is.

 

7 minutes ago, cruisetonowhere10 said:

And I’ve read all the lives/trip reports…lol…how did Xpedition seem from a fit/finish?  Less upscale than flora appears?  I get this is subjective but potentially traveling with ppl who are accustomed to higher end/retreat/luxury line situations. 

It is a comfortable and simple but not fancy ship.  It was perfect for our needs.  If you want more luxury, you may want to consider the Flora.

 

FYI - The Xpedition does not have any elevators and the zodiacs used are not the modern ones that Flora has which I understand are a bit easier to get in and out of.

[cruisetonowhere10]

1 minute ago, prmssk said:

The promotion when we booked was a $750 fight credit or a $500 discount on the cruise fare.  I don't know what the current promotion is.

 

It is a comfortable and simple but not fancy ship.  It was perfect for our needs.  If you want more luxury, you may want to consider the Flora.

 

FYI - The Xpedition does not have any elevators and the zodiacs used are not the modern ones that Flora has which I understand are a bit easier to get in and out of.

Thank you.  

[prmssk]

12 minutes ago, cruisetonowhere10 said:

Do you have a link to that?  We’ve watched everything on the website.

This comment in the Power Up points thread has a link to the webinar.

 

[cruisetonowhere10]

1 minute ago, prmssk said:

This comment in the Power Up points thread has a link to the webinar.

 

Awesome. And I’ll get more power up points. 😂

[mahdnc]

3 hours ago, cruisetonowhere10 said:

DH and I are starting to seriously discuss a Galapagos adventure.  We’ve done some research and I have a few questions:

 

1. how does one pick a ship?  There seem to be pros/cons to all 3.  
 

2. what is the flight credit stuff I read about?  I’m trying to understand the pricing.  The price I see if I start to book, does that include this flight credit of $500/person if I book flights through celebrity? Doing a pretend flight search on Google flights, there are flights under that for us.  Also, if we are talking 2025 or 2026 those flights aren’t even released yet, so the flight part of the booking would be on hold?

 

3. inner v outer loop? I’ve done some research that southern is more bays/beaches and northern is more volcanic, but inner v outer? And, they seem to hit mostly the same islands.

 

4. while it looks like the pricing is fairly all inclusive, what am I missing? Outside of massages on the two bigger ships and alcohol, if desired, in Quito pre/post, it seems like everything is included. 

 

Here's the flyer on the current Galapagos air promotion which includes the fine print. This promotion has been active most of the time in the past. You save $750 pp if you book your air through Celebrity. The fine print days you will be credited $500 pp if you independently make your own air arrangements. When we are talking about air, it refers to the flights from your home and back. The round trip air from Quito to Baltra is part of your package.

Edited May 18 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

As far as the all inclusive aspect of the trip, you're not missing anything. Everything is covered except for the gift shop, massages and some alcohol. When I would go to my online Cruise Planner for our Nov 2023 Xpedition sailing, this is what appeared:

 

 

Tips are also covered but some passengers will hand out extra discreetly. Extra tips are not solicited nor implied. 

Edited May 18 by mahdnc

[cruisetonowhere10]

29 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

Here's the flyer on the current Galapagos air promotion which includes the fine print. This promotion has been active most of the time in the past. You save $750 pp if you book your air through Celebrity. The fine print days you will be credited $500 pp if you independently make your own air arrangements. When we are talking about air, it refers to the flights from your home and back. The round trip air from Quito to Baltra is part of your package.

Okay, I feel really dumb, but I read the flyer.  So, there’s no additional charge on the trip price provided the flights are under $750 (anything over that you pay the difference?) 

[mahdnc]

13 minutes ago, cruisetonowhere10 said:

Okay, I feel really dumb, but I read the flyer.  So, there’s no additional charge on the trip price provided the flights are under $750 (anything over that you pay the difference?) 

Yes, you read that right.  The promotion is essentially a credit. $750 pp towards your air fare if you use Flights By Celebrity or $500 pp credit if you book it yourself.  Also some people like to use the credit to cheaply upgrade to business or first class. 

Edited May 18 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

Here is a comprehensive 68 page Galapagos brochure published by Celebrity. I hope you find it useful. 

[mahdnc]

Here is a 13 page brochure that gives more detail about the shore excursions that are run at each island.  It might be useful in helping you figure out which itinerary you want. Although it is written for their flagship, Flora, the shore excursion description should be the same for the other two ships--it was for our Xpedition sailing. 

Edited May 18 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

Galapagos FAQs published by Celebrity. 

[waterbug123]

Correct, pros and cons to all 3 ships.

Flora- newest, prettiest, feels more like a cruise ship, I think there are several dining/lounge options.  But it's also the most expensive and you may not get first pick of excursion each time due to passenger count

 

Xpedition- built for 100 but only carries 48 so people say it feels very spacious in public areas, less expensive than Flora but bigger than Xploration

 

Xploration- least expensive (I think) and feels very much like a private charter.  But also the smallest and I think simplest interior.  But small pax count makes it fast and easy to get off on excursions etc.  We just sailed on it earlier this month and absolutely love it!

[SHIP TRAVELER]

I have one comment to add to this conversation.  Do not delay this trip.  You will need to be agile and able to walk distances.  We did the 10 day trip in 2009 and it was a great experience.  We could not do the same trip now.  The excursions are physically challenging because the islands are natural habitats without roads and docks in many cases.  GO NOW if you are considering this trip.  It is not a luxury float trip for the elderly.

[Ken the cruiser]

16 hours ago, prmssk said:

We cruised on the Xpedition doing the northern loop in November. I did a live which is linked in my signature.  @mahdnc was on the Xpedition right after me doing the southern loop and also did a live thread.  @KenTheCruiser had a live thread in December of the Flora Inner loop I believe.  There's been one or two more recent threads as well.  Those might be some good places to start comparing the differences.

 

The inner loop has a lot of similarities to the northern loop.  The outer loop is more similar to the southern loop.   I don't think you can go wrong with any of the itineraries. 

 

We chose the Xpedition because it is built for 100 passengers but now only holds 48 so figured it would give us more space.  It also was more cost effective than the Flora and we didn't think we needed the latest amenities.  We were a bit intimidated by the small size of the Xploration.  As someone else noted, it appears they only released Flora as an option for 2026.  I don't know what that means.  I see there is a PowerUp webinar about the Galapgos that I haven't watched yet so I don't know if it has any more information.

 

Flights can't be booked until just under a year before your trip.  If you book with a fare that includes a flight credit, you don't call Flights by Celebrity until you get to that point.  Our flights were more than the credit so it was a good deal for us and made the experience really seamless.

 

It truly is all inclusive including the alcohol.  There is a small gift shop on the ship.  Massages are extra.  The Flora has glamping.  But that really is it unless you do some extra days or touring before or after.

I believe you’re referring to my @Ken the cruiser Live From thread, which is listed in my below signature area. 

[cruisetonowhere10]

On 5/18/2024 at 1:57 PM, waterbug123 said:

Correct, pros and cons to all 3 ships.

Flora- newest, prettiest, feels more like a cruise ship, I think there are several dining/lounge options.  But it's also the most expensive and you may not get first pick of excursion each time due to passenger count

 

Xpedition- built for 100 but only carries 48 so people say it feels very spacious in public areas, less expensive than Flora but bigger than Xploration

 

Xploration- least expensive (I think) and feels very much like a private charter.  But also the smallest and I think simplest interior.  But small pax count makes it fast and easy to get off on excursions etc.  We just sailed on it earlier this month and absolutely love it!

Well, we’ve decided on Xpedition (southern loop) as we like the midsize option.  We will be doing in July as I’m a teacher and only time I get enough time off to do a 10 day trip.  So excited!
 

My only concern is reading about poor AC (DH will not like that at all.) We are booking an Xpedition suite which looks fine (not sure on stateroom number as I’m waiting on my TA) so with any luck the reviews regarding AC will be unfounded.  Reviews suggest the food in general is good, couple of poor reviews (but food is subjective and if it’s not amazing, less dieting after.) 😂

 

 

[mahdnc]

23 minutes ago, cruisetonowhere10 said:

Well, we’ve decided on Xpedition (southern loop) as we like the midsize option.  We will be doing in July as I’m a teacher and only time I get enough time off to do a 10 day trip.  So excited!
 

My only concern is reading about poor AC (DH will not like that at all.) We are booking an Xpedition suite which looks fine (not sure on stateroom number as I’m waiting on my TA) so with any luck the reviews regarding AC will be unfounded.  Reviews suggest the food in general is good, couple of poor reviews (but food is subjective and if it’s not amazing, less dieting after.) 😂

 

 

My wife and I did the Southern Loop Xpedition sailing in an Xpedition Suite (502) this past Nov. Here is the live thread that I posted. The suite air conditioner was just fine. Except for a bug we caught right after the cruise, the trip went very well. Celebrity did an excellent job. The trip is expensive, but we got what we paid for and more. 

 

Edited May 21 by mahdnc