Galapagos Islands???

[StarSong]

Has anyone been to the Galapagos Islands via cruise ship or otherwise? I'm very interested in visiting there in early 2010. Any recommendations, advice, help or warnings would be very much appreciated.

 

Thanks,

June

[WeBeGone]

The Celebrity Expedition is a very popular "main line" cruise.

Go to http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=90.

 

Also check the Celebrity forum and the Roll Call section http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=278.

 

The Ports of Call section also has a lot of info. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=76

[paul929207]

Few of the cruise lines go there. I think there are restrictions on the number of people there at a time.

 

I know Grand Circle goes there with small ships (25 or 50 passengers or so).

[CruisenOne]

We visited the Galapagos Islands several years ago.

 

We used Over Seas Adventure Travel.

We had sixteen in our group.

 

We spent a week in the Amazon Forest, a week aboard a small boat and then a week touring Ecuador.

 

We made four or five wet landings from the boat.

 

OAT, we found, was much less expensive than the Expedition and in our opinion, offered us more of an adventure.

 

It is a great trip.

[Jade13]

Has anyone been to the Galapagos Islands via cruise ship or otherwise? I'm very interested in visiting there in early 2010. Any recommendations, advice, help or warnings would be very much appreciated.

 

Thanks,

June

 

Yes, our favorite cruise so far. Try the Santa Cruz. The ship is owned by Metropolitan Touring. We hope to go back some day.

 

http://www.metropolitan-touring.com/page_content.asp?id_page=2

 

# Company Founded: 1953

# Employees for 2006: 698

# Headquarters: Metropolitan Touring Building

# Avenida De Las Palmeras N45-74 y De Las Orquídeas. Quito - Ecuador

# Locations: Offices in the main cities of Ecuador and sales, support and R&D offices worldwide.

# Contact: (593) 2 298 8200

# Websites: http://www.metropolitan-touring.com / http://www.galapagosvoyage.com

 

(Note: Tauck tours uses them but you can book direct)

 

I'd advise to go with an Ecuadorian company for this trip.

[cruiserbryce]

we recently looked at a trip on X Expedition...its a great looking trip but getting there is a bit pricey...its going to be a trip for a few years down the road

[StarSong]

Thanks everyone - it really helps to hear from people who have been there. :) Since I live in Los Angeles, the flights to Quito aren't too pricey ($500 round trip).

 

It looks like we'd have to put this into that "Once in a Lifetime" category and figure about $10,000 per couple for a one week stay in reasonable comfort. Does that sound accurate or am I way high on this estimate? (I hope so... lol)

[snausman]

We went last Thanksgiving week (2007). This is a trip of a lifetime, it was wonderful. This coming from the person that did not want to go. My DH really had to talk, to get me to go, but boy am I glad he did. WOW just does not cover it. We took X Xpedition there. Small ship, you get to know everyone and they know you, it was like a large family. I would go again in a heart beat just to see the different seasons. LOVED IT!!

 

Laura