FlyerEC

Ditto

How were the connections & land accommodations ?

SanDiego1K

I need to figure out how to size pictures. I don't want them all to come out the size of the ship photo above. I'll write it up once I get past that hurdle.

No one got sea sickness. There was mild wave action that moved the boat back and forth while anchored, and when underway, even that wasn't noticeable.

I thought about you every time I looked at our thermostat. It wouldn't satisfy you. It wasn't precise in its control and it didn't get it as cool as you like. Mind you, it was ok for us and we never went to get help.

Ecoventurna handled our flights from Quito to San Cristobal, Baltra to Quiyaquil. I had debated booking them myself and spent many wasted hours looking for award seats. I could have booked coach tickets for less than they offered but their upcharge to biz was less than I could obtain. By booking with them, they provided support at Quito Airport. We received a sheet of information at our hotel that gave us the name of the agent and very precise instructions for when to arrive at the airport for check in. At San Cristobal, their agent met us, took our luggage, and waited for all the cruise members to arrive. Luggage was taken to the pier by truck and passengers went on a small bus. Once at the pier, we were loaded onto pangas with our carry ons going on a panga of their own. Our suitcases were in our rooms by the time we went thru a quick briefing.

We booked a six night cruise rather than 7 nights and were the only ones who did so. Our arrangements were very smooth at Baltra. We left the ship early for our flight but essential so that other passengers could get to their first stop of the day in time. When we arrived at the dock in Baltra, a driver and van were waiting to take us to the Baltra Airport. 75% of the Galapagos traffic goes from Baltra and it was interesting to see the airport. The island used to be a US Navy base. The airport had a lot of nice shops. It had a lounge that could be accessed with Priority Club membership. I hadn't thought to bring my cards on the trip.

We did not make any ground arrangements with the cruise line. It was very easy to choose hotels in Quito and Guayauquil. Quito is at 9500 ft elevation and as a result is cooler than sea level Guayauquil. We spent 3 nights in Quito, arriving at 10pm the first night and leaving at 8am the final day, leaving us two full days to see the sights. That was sufficient. I particularly recommend the Museum of the Equator. Fascinating. We should have skipped our full day in Guayauquil. It's a big city with little charm.

bhrubin

Thank you so much for considering me on your holiday!

That's not the news I hoped for, but it doesn't surprise me. Looks like the larger but more reliably luxe Silver Explorer is our best bet then.

We are considering a week on Silver Explorer--with another week on a dive live-aboard or an eco-stay at one of the new luxury lodges that might also allow us to dive. Anyone have experience with the diving in the Galapagos?

FlyerEC

Thanks SanDiego1K

Looks like we won ' t make it either , need cool AC .

Counting on you now , bhrubin .
Awaiting your TR whenever you decide to go

SanDiego1K

Why I chose the MV Origin
This thead is evidence to the substantial search that I did on trying to find a luxury cruise in the Galapagos. I was told that the best experience would be with a ship that had capacity for 20 or less passengers. I did my own research and found the MV Origin. The travel agent wasn't knowledgeable with the Galapagos and was of little assistance. Two more ships were identified as possibles, but one of them, a yacht once used by Princess Grace, is now only used for charters. I decided that a newly launched ship would have the best design for today's sensibilities including massive windows in the cabin and shower. Ecoventura, the ship owner/operator, advertised that food and service were at a luxury level on the Origin.

The Origin, and indeed most ships, alternate two one week itineraries. One is a Southern/Central Route and the other is a northern route. The order of the stops and the timing of the stops is very strictly controlled by the National Park. This would be true even if you should charter a ship. We had an approved itinerary in advance and the prior night the captain would be advised of the specific landing times. The Ecoventura also operates the MV Eric and the MV Letty. The Eric and Letty are not the quality of the Origin. Besides the considerble difference in the interiors, the Origin has a cruise coordinator who is a single point of contact for anything needed while on the cruise. She was superb. Ecoventura also has a ship for divers. We often saw the Letty and Eric as they followed the same route as us. We always landed first and were able to hike without others around us.

Before and after cruise

We flew into Quito a couple days in advance of the cruise. There is enough to see and do in the area to fill two days including seeing the Museum of the Equator. We booked our onward flight to San Cristobal with Ecoventura. We happily paid a small additional charge to fly business instead of coach. An interesting aside, we saw a number of Ecoventura staff in the business class cabin from Guayaquil on. I spoke to one who said they all participate in the airline mileage program and used points to upgrade. So FlyerTalk!

We left the cruise at the six day point, and were the only ones who did so. We were taken to the Baltra Airport which is substantially bigger than the San Cristobal Airport. We flew to Guayaquil, thinking this would give us a different land experience. It was very bland with little to see or do. It was at sea level so it was warmer than higher elevation Quito, but I don't recommend lingering. Our international flight left from Guayaquil.

SanDiego1K

Onboard

Public spaces of the boat were designed well. These are pictures of the lounge where we gathered each day for a briefing by one of the two guides as well as the dining area.

SanDiego1K

There are 10 cabins on the ship, virtually identical. I think four rooms had connecting doors. meant for families. Cabins were small. The bed could be made up as two twins or one king. We had it as a king with enough space to walk on either side. There was no place to lounge in the room other than on the bed. However, there was sufficient storage space and we coped quite well.

SanDiego1K

A day would typically include two hikes, two opportunities to go out on kayaks/paddle boards, an opportunity for deep water snorkeling and a time to swim. Some days we also had the opportunity to go out on Zodiacs along the shoreline and see the natural life of that area. There was a family of 5 with daughters ranging in age from 16 to 25 and a couple in their early 30s. The rest ranged in age from 55 to 75. This is a trip for active people. I was in awe at the fitness of almost everyone. Three of the men are in positions of responsibility on the Yosemite conservancy. Each had begun hiking with their parents as young children. Two couples met 15 years ago when bicycling from Atacama, Chile, to Salta, Argentina. Yes, that's across the Alps. Another couple hiked the 2500 miles of the Pacific Coast trail, taking 4 1/2 months to do so. The husband begins the Apalachain Trail hike later this month. A woman went out kayaking in the Pacific most days. Many hikes were rigorous, some with steep slopes and some on volcanic rocks. Unwittingly, I had chosen the hottest time of year to visit. The equator runs thru the Galapagos so I didn't realize there would be much difference from one month to the next. However, the sun is closest to the land during the vernal equinox which is March 20. It was hot and there was no shade on most of the hikes.

The ship carried 5 kayaks and 2 paddleboards. Folks signed up for spots and generally that was sufficient for all who wanted to go out.

MacMyDay

I'm really interested in this trip, so thanks for writing this.

SkiAdcock

Thanks for the trip report!

Cheers.

carsonheim

This is great. I'm planning a Galapagos trip for August. I'll take a look at the ship you recommended Carol!

DonJ

We are just looking into a similar trip. Has anyone considered MY Grace from Quasar?

Pausanias

We got back from the Galapagos only two days ago, via Guayaquil (the exquisite Hotel del Parque) and finally Cartagena, Colombia. The latest luxury yacht thing is the Infinity which we just happened to see alongside the Origin and the Grace at Baltra. The Infinity and Origin are quite similar in design whereas the Grace looks like an old steamer, the sort of boat you might bump into Hercule Poirot. If I were choosing, I'd probably opt for the Infinity.

We chose - rightly or wrongly - a bigger vessel, the Silver Galapagos. I have to say, like Macmyday (who went for the lodge option), I was underwhelmed by the experience - I've had some amazing wildlife encounters but this wasn't one of them, not by a country mile. Yes, of course the Galapagos have enormous historical significance for being the source of Darwin's revolutionary theories. I just didn't find them very exciting or interesting.

MacMyDay

Blimey, we agree on 2 things: Hotel del Parque being superb (and a great bargain) and the Galapagos being anything but. Do you want to pop over for afternoon tea sometime? I feel a new bond has formed.

For those of you unaware, this is the review I wrote on Pikaia: https://thegoodthebadandtheluxurious...dge-galapagos/

moebod

Im looking at a land visit for January, and am trying to figure out which is nicer- the Safari Camp or the Pikaia, did you hear from anyone that has been to both? Seems like a touch call to me without one reviewer who would compare both. Not much info online!

Yes I see Tom C's review of the Pikaia, which seems great other than the fact that its boring to go to the Galapagos which concerns me (I'm not a geologist type in any shape or form!) but also no comparison to the other one.

Or if there is a nicer resort that I should consider over either??