Review of Xpedition Galapagos Inner Loop May 10-17, 2015

Well we went ahead and took the plunge; booked for June 2017, a year sooner than planned! We figured, why wait? We're just so excited and I must say your review and photos have enhanced the gleam in our eyes! We've settled on the inner loop, for the boobies of course, and are going all in with Machu Picchu!!

 

I've taken brief forays into the extended "roll call" thread, but will now have to tackle it in earnest. Luckily, Bass Pro Shop is my friend so we already have a few necessary clothing items. Adventure awaits, and lots of questions, I'm sure.

Glad I could help. Bon voyage!

I'm glad you enjoyed your Galapagos cruise on Lindblad -- we are thinking about taking some of their cruises in the future. But I stand by my belief that Celebrity is better for Galapagos for these reasons:

 

• Since they bring in 96 passengers every week throughout the year, they have a great relationship with the Marriott, the restaurants and the tour guides in Quito and this gives their guests a first-class experience

 

• Celebrity charters its own jet for the flight from Quito to the Galapagos -- it's a non-stop flight and coordinates very smoothly with the transfers to and from the ship; everybody else uses regular flights that stop in Guayaquil [longer travel time and an unnecessary landing/takeoff sequence]

 

• Xpedition is the largest-size ship allowed in the Galapagos -- you don't get that "yacht" feel you liked, but it does have stabilizers that can be very helpful in rough waters and there are enough passengers that you more easily meet people you find compatible

 

• You get lots of points toward your Celebrity/Azamara loyalty status

 

• If you make a $500 donation to the Galapagos Conservancy not only do you get the full tax deduction but Celebrity later gives you $500 off a future cruise [don't forget that the "fire sale" prices you got on Lindblad are not available now, when you compare what you paid to the current Celebrity prices]

 

• None of the above are must-haves nor would they salvage an otherwise terrible experience. But in the context of a trip that was flawlessly organized, a ship with a great crew and excellent food (and free-flowing drinks), a wonderful group of naturalists, and a choice of two interesting itineraries and weekly sailings to fit your schedule -- I think it adds up to an unbeatable package.

Thank you for telling us about this donation. I'm going to plan to have the extra money so I'm able to do so. I would have hated to have been on board and wanted to do it but not have allotted for it.

We are going on the Machu Picchu extension after the cruise and I want wondering if anyone can give me any information about it.

I also wanted to thank the op for his very detailed review! [emoji2]

Thank you for telling us about this donation. I'm going to plan to have the extra money so I'm able to do so. I would have hated to have been on board and wanted to do it but not have allotted for it.

 

We are going on the Machu Picchu extension after the cruise and I want wondering if anyone can give me any information about it.

 

I also wanted to thank the op for his very detailed review! [emoji2]

Here's some info I posted after our trip. You'll find more info on the Expedition just back thread.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=51292932#post51292932

Hi Jazzbeau,

Thank you SO much for all the information, day by day! We are doing the pre & post Galapagos/Machu Picchu. I cannot find much info on the Machu Picchu extension unfortunately. I saved it on my Evernote so I can peruse during our trip for extra information! You said that you were glad to not having done the Machu Picchu piece. Can you explain why? Was it just because of the elevation? We want to be as prepared as possible! Thank you in advance!

:)

There were two reasons we were glad we hadn't signed up for Machu Picchu. First, the elevation symptoms we experience on the first day in Quito at the beginning of the trip -- Machu Picchu is even higher, and at that time the Celebrity itinerary didn't take a gradual approach to getting you acclimated. Second, the week on Xpedition was very active, so we were worn out by the end of it and ready to get back to our own bed. But others on our cruise who did it reported that they had a good time and were glad they had done it -- and I believe Celebrity has adjusted the itinerary now so that you had some time at an intermediate elevation before hitting the really high part.

... the elevation symptoms we experience on the first day in Quito at the beginning of the trip -- Machu Picchu is even higher, ...

Actually, no.

"...Machu Picchu, located about 2,430 metres (7,970 feet) above mean sea level, over 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) lower than Cusco, which has an elevation of 3,600 metres (11,800 ft)..." [From wikipedia]

There were two reasons we were glad we hadn't signed up for Machu Picchu. First, the elevation symptoms we experience on the first day in Quito at the beginning of the trip -- Machu Picchu is even higher, and at that time the Celebrity itinerary didn't take a gradual approach to getting you acclimated. Second, the week on Xpedition was very active, so we were worn out by the end of it and ready to get back to our own bed. But others on our cruise who did it reported that they had a good time and were glad they had done it -- and I believe Celebrity has adjusted the itinerary now so that you had some time at an intermediate elevation before hitting the really high part.

Thank you so much for your quick reply! Good to know that Celebrity has adjusted the itinerary as to give us time to acclimatize to the elevation. We have some altitude pills that we will betaking prior to arriving to the Galapagos and hopefully that will also be helpful. :)