Galapagos Islands - Galapagos Islands travel community

To be short an concise, you will enjoy a Galapagos islands cruise on all of the above.

 

Helping you choose the best option for you

 

The main focus of a Galapagos cruise is nature, wildlife encounters are the same no matter what boat you choose.

 

Galapagos Cruises range in length from 3 to 14 nights depending on the yacht or ship. Your cruise will navigate through the Galapagos at night presenting you with the opportunity to visit 1 to 2 islands each day. Each itinerary has been designated by the Galapagos National Park in order to best offer you, a chance to discover and interact with the legendary wildlife of the Galapagos, while protecting and conserving this fragile environment.

 

When deciding between the different Galapagos Cruises, one of the first decisions is normally whether to travel with a small group or a large group. The number of passengers on board varies – the average group size is 16 and the maximum number of travelers on board a cruise is 100. Licensed naturalist park guides accompany you throughout your visits. These guides have all been certified by the national park. Each guide is escorts a maximum of 16 guests. If you are on a 16-passenger cruise then the whole group will travel together throughout your visit. If you are on a larger boat, you will breakdown into smaller groups for each excursion. Some visitor sites like Genvoesa are restricted to only smaller boats, while larger boats typically can visit a greater distance in one week. There are benefits to both options and the ultimate decision normally based on personal preference.

 

There are many Galapagos Cruises to choose between and selecting the right yacht or cruise ship is not always easy. 

 

Amenities on board vary by boat - smaller yachts may offer indoor and outdoor dining options, sun decks, Jacuzzis, the use of snorkel equipment and kayaks.  Larger ships may have additional amenities including gymnasiums, piano bars, glass bottom boats and swimming pools.

 

Booking a yacht when a luxury cruise ship would better suit you - or vice versa.

What you need to know about small yachts and small cruise ships

Note: Small Yachts carry 8 to 25 passengers, with 16 being the average. Cruise ships carry a maximum of 100 passengers.

Small yachts rock noticeably more than large cruise ships when navigating -  when moored the opposite happens, the large ship never stops moving since it anchors in open seas, while the yacht is anchored within a bay in calmer waters. When traveling on the open sea between islands the yacht moves more. Both can make you seasick, which would spoil your vacation, our recommendation is posted in our past blog where we recommend consulting your physician for seasickness remedies.

 

Although catamaran yachts rock less than conventional yachts, they rock appreciably more than Galapagos cruise ships when sailing, yet are the most stable when moored.

 

On a small yacht Cabins and public spaces can cramped, beds are narrow, bunks are a possibility, bathrooms are tiny, and toilets might have to be shared, and loss of electricity and hot water are not uncommon. This is in the tourist superior to economy classes. Nowadays the first class and luxury small yachts in the Galapagos offer the same comforts as a 100 passenger expedition vessel. So comfort is not really the issue, a lot of small yachts have a jacuzzi, sun and shade areas, outside dining and many other perks. Catamarans are the most comfortable of the small yachts with lots of space in cabins and social areas.

 

Cabin storage space is typically minuscule on the cheaper yachts not being so on the higher end boats which have similar space as the small expedition ships.

On a small yacht You risk being trapped in a small boat with strangers who  you may despise and have to put up with for an entire week without any chance of escaping them. On a spacious cruise ship, you can physically avoid such cruisemates, yet you have the risk of ruining the nature cruise experience by being on a larger boat.

 

Higher end small yachts and expedition ships hire the same top-rated naturalists. This means your naturalist's English on both types of boats will be clear enough for you to clearly understand him all the time and will be very knowledgeable not being the case on economy and tourist class vessels.

 

Some crew members may not speak English (or, at least, not sufficiently). This happens more on the smaller boats than on the cruise ships.

 

If you have an educated palate, the meals on a larger boat may seem boring, not stimulating since the cook has to prepare food for a large group of 100 people + crew, while on a smaller boat he can focus on higher quality since he is preparing a meal for less people.

 

Most Galapagos boats travel between islands at night.

 

You may not be able to visit the acclaimed western Galapagos Islands of Isabela and Fernandina because they will likely be beyond the range of your small yacht. On the other hand, small yachts can visit some small sites like Genovesa where larger ships cannot go. The Western Islands have a great name to them, yet the truth is all of the Galapagos Islands are just as spectacular. The higher end small yachts do visit the western Islands

Choose a small yacht if you want to focus on diving (dive boats are never large).

 

Choose a smaller boat if your priority is snorkeling, not land wildlife viewing. Although most Galapagos ships and yachts provide frequent snorkeling opportunities (and sometimes the snorkeling gear), some small yachts offer some more time for snorkeling.

 

Other advantages: Small boats create more of a sense of adventure. They can enter shallower waters. They usually (but not always) have fewer people in a shore excursion group. Their onboard activities are less regimented.
Most small yachts are considerably cheaper than cruise ships.

 

Breaking myths about being on a Galapagos cruise ship, some small yacht owners say is akin to vacationing on a megaship. There's no comparison. Megaships accommodate 2,000 passengers, Galapagos cruise ships host 100 or fewer. Megaships cater to mainstream travelers, Galapagos cruise ships to sophisticated travelers. Megaships are onboard entertainment oriented, Galapagos cruise ships offer minimal entertainment.

 

Expedition ship advantages

 

They have roomier, more comfortable, and visually pleasing cabins and public spaces (dining room, lounge, and decks). Some of the higher end small yachts offer these same facilities.

 

Cabins have considerably more storage space on a larger boat. Yet, in the Galapagos Islands less is more. Remember the airline restricts you to 40 pounds per person, unless you are hauling along a lot of photography equipment you will have enough space both on a yacht or a small ship.

 

Large cruise ships often offer their passengers a choice of activities and trail intensities during a single landing (on many small ships there is no alternative activity - everybody does the same activity).

 

Cruise ships offer dozens of vacation-enriching amenities unavailable on small crafts. Enjoy them. After all, isn't this supposed to be your vacation? On the other hand the smaller boat is more intimate and romantic.

 

Sailing boat issues

 

They are narrow beamed by design. These means they rock easily. And cabins and public spaces (including outdoor decks) are small and cramped.
The Galapagos Islands are not sail friendly because it's normally not windy enough. Sails are used more for show than sailing - and sometimes they are unfurled only on the first day as you leave port. The propeller does the real work.
Of course a sailboat always adds romance to any journey.

 

In the end it is your choice and your decision should be based upon personal preferences, to resume it, all the main issues come down to:

 

The larger boat will offer more social life, the smaller yacht will offer a more intimate experience.

 

The Galapagos wildlife is the same for all boats!

Sorry for being out of contact, I have been guiding on board several boats in the Galapagos Islands and have been away from the keyboard for a while. I hope everyone enjoyed the Christmas Holidays and the new year brings happiness and joy.

 

As I mentioned in my past blog post, I am biased towards cruising when it comes to touring the Galapagos Islands.

 

I want to help travellers understand the fears of being on a small cruise ship or yacht are respected and can change your decision of taking or not a cruise versus a hotel based tour. Just let me tell you that being on a boat for a week is not that bad.

 

Galapagos cruising is done on smaller boats than the usual cruise liner, maximum capacity 100 passengers!

 

Small yachts rock noticeably more than large cruise ships - both when moored and when traveling on the open sea between islands. NOT TRUE, small yachts moor close to shore in very calm waters, plus navigation is at night so you are in bed and on the positive side you get rocked to sleep. This could make you seasick, which would spoil your vacation. TRUE. Although catamaran yachts rock less than conventional yachts, they rock appreciably more than Galapagos cruise ships. TRUE but when navigating only, when docked you feel almost no motion.

 

How to avoid seasickness?

 

You Dr. can give you many options, amongst others:

 

Seasickness pills (downset: they make you drowsy), bracelet or ear patch (both work fine, no side effects).

 

Why the hotel option is not better?

 

You still have to take a speed boat to each Island, a few hours there and a few hours back, most of the day navigating, little time visiting the Islands themselves. By sleeping on the boat you navigate while you sleep and wake up at a different Island each day, this allows you to have more time on the Islands themselves. So if you get seasick the best option is to consult your physician for medicine or bracelet or ear patch. All 3 work and have helped thousands of non seagoing travellers enjoy the Galapagos Islands