Review of Xpedition Galapagos Cruise Feb 14/16

My husband and I did the 10 day package with Celebrity on Xpedition in cabin XS501. This was definitely a different type cruise than we are used (we like lazy beach time) but we knew that going in and were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed this trip. Lots of reviews on the ship tours etc so I will concentrate on the things that stood out for us.

Although we booked our own air arrangements we were very happy that once we arrived in Quito (we arrived mid afternoon the day before which we recommend) Celebrity looked after all travel from that point on. The transfer to the hotel (JW Marriott) by bus was fine (approx 1 hour door to door). Once at the hotel we asked right away about upgrading the Quito to Baltra flight to business class and they took note of that. We found it to be very reasonable ($400 total for 2 return trip) and worth it to us to be comfortable. We learned that you can't book this in advance so best to ask as soon as you arrive at the hotel if you do want it. The charge was added to our shipboard account.

Our cabin was in the perfect location we thought and we loved having a balcony. We spent a couple hours there each day between morning and afternoon zodiac trips. Make sure you bring good binoculars - we use Canon image stabilizing binocs which are especially helpful on the water. We sat out and saw huge sea turtles, beautiful countless stingrays (many even jumped out of the water) and even a hammerhead shark from the balcony. We ordered fries from room service as a snack (heh we were on vacation :-) and enjoyed the quiet time. Our room was a great size for the two of us and was very well looked after by our cabin attendants. Be sure to ask for extra beach towels or whatever you need - you will be taken care of. We definitely felt the rocking of the ship most days - the first night was the worst - make sure you secure things in your cabin (like glassware, bottles etc. and anything that might roll around). Take some gravol or motion sickness meds and you will be fine.

One of our other favourite things to do onboard after an excursion was to grab some drinks and head up to the hot tub on the 6th floor. We did this pretty much everyday and only once was someone else in it. It was a lovely quiet place to absorb the setting and the outdoor shower there is highly recommended. Take tons of sunscreen with you on this trip - it was hot in February when we went and i can't even imagine what it would be like later in April, May etc! I would also recommend that ladies bring a few sports bras for daytime hikes etc so you can keep your regular ones clean and non-sweaty. I didn't think of this until afterwards and wished I had. We did use the ship's laundry service several times and found it to be fast and good value.

We are 40 and 49 and were probably the one of the youngest couples on our cruise. There were no kids on our sailing at all which we liked. We were impressed that some of our fellow (older) guests dealt with the physical challenges of exiting and entering the zodiacs which were at times a bit tricky. Everyone on the boat seemed to be young at heart for sure.

This was probably the only time we have ever been unable to reliably receive/send email and or surf but we went in to the trip expecting that and it was fine. We found it actually forced people to put down their phones and talk to other guests which was both refreshing and entertaining. If we really HAD to get our messages we would time it so that we were the only ones in the lounge area where wifi was available and then we had some success although it was still slow. If more than a couple people were in the lounge attempting to do the same thing we quickly learned it was a waste of time.

We heard a few guests saying they were doing back to back inner/outer loops and were happy that we were not. One week was enough for us but I can understand wanting to maximize your time while there. We just didn't think that it would differ that much and felt one week was the perfect amount of time.

Thank you so much for your review. This cruise is on our list of "must do's" at some point. I really appreciate your perspective and tips!

Thank you so much for this review! We are doing this cruise in 2018 and also booked an XS. I was wondering if we really would get good use out of the balcony but it sounds like we will. Also, thanks for the tip about upgrading on the Quito to Baltra flight. I didn't realize that was an option.

prim8keeper - yes definitely the balcony - there is a lot of downtime between excursions and we really enjoyed having our own quiet spot to spend the time. It would have been a completely different cruise without it!

Thank you for your review.

Keith

Many thanks for your review and insight; this is also on our list. So glad you enjoyed it!!!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thank you for the review.

My husband and I did the 10 day package with Celebrity on Xpedition in cabin XS501. This was definitely a different type cruise than we are used (we like lazy beach time) but we knew that going in and were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed this trip. Lots of reviews on the ship tours etc so I will concentrate on the things that stood out for us.

 

Although we booked our own air arrangements we were very happy that once we arrived in Quito (we arrived mid afternoon the day before which we recommend) Celebrity looked after all travel from that point on. The transfer to the hotel (JW Marriott) by bus was fine (approx 1 hour door to door). Once at the hotel we asked right away about upgrading the Quito to Baltra flight to business class and they took note of that. We found it to be very reasonable ($400 total for 2 return trip) and worth it to us to be comfortable. We learned that you can't book this in advance so best to ask as soon as you arrive at the hotel if you do want it. The charge was added to our shipboard account.

 

Our cabin was in the perfect location we thought and we loved having a balcony. We spent a couple hours there each day between morning and afternoon zodiac trips. Make sure you bring good binoculars - we use Canon image stabilizing binocs which are especially helpful on the water. We sat out and saw huge sea turtles, beautiful countless stingrays (many even jumped out of the water) and even a hammerhead shark from the balcony. We ordered fries from room service as a snack (heh we were on vacation :-) and enjoyed the quiet time. Our room was a great size for the two of us and was very well looked after by our cabin attendants. Be sure to ask for extra beach towels or whatever you need - you will be taken care of. We definitely felt the rocking of the ship most days - the first night was the worst - make sure you secure things in your cabin (like glassware, bottles etc. and anything that might roll around). Take some gravol or motion sickness meds and you will be fine.

 

One of our other favourite things to do onboard after an excursion was to grab some drinks and head up to the hot tub on the 6th floor. We did this pretty much everyday and only once was someone else in it. It was a lovely quiet place to absorb the setting and the outdoor shower there is highly recommended. Take tons of sunscreen with you on this trip - it was hot in February when we went and i can't even imagine what it would be like later in April, May etc! I would also recommend that ladies bring a few sports bras for daytime hikes etc so you can keep your regular ones clean and non-sweaty. I didn't think of this until afterwards and wished I had. We did use the ship's laundry service several times and found it to be fast and good value.

 

We are 40 and 49 and were probably the one of the youngest couples on our cruise. There were no kids on our sailing at all which we liked. We were impressed that some of our fellow (older) guests dealt with the physical challenges of exiting and entering the zodiacs which were at times a bit tricky. Everyone on the boat seemed to be young at heart for sure.

 

This was probably the only time we have ever been unable to reliably receive/send email and or surf but we went in to the trip expecting that and it was fine. We found it actually forced people to put down their phones and talk to other guests which was both refreshing and entertaining. If we really HAD to get our messages we would time it so that we were the only ones in the lounge area where wifi was available and then we had some success although it was still slow. If more than a couple people were in the lounge attempting to do the same thing we quickly learned it was a waste of time.

 

We heard a few guests saying they were doing back to back inner/outer loops and were happy that we were not. One week was enough for us but I can understand wanting to maximize your time while there. We just didn't think that it would differ that much and felt one week was the perfect amount of time.

Thanks for the review. We arrive in Quito on July 1 but think the weather may be a bit cooler in both Quito and in the islands since it is Winter. Good to know there is downtime between excursions. We were given the impression that it would be 2 a day for the 7 days and rush rush along.

Thanks for the review. We arrive in Quito on July 1 but think the weather may be a bit cooler in both Quito and in the islands since it is Winter. Good to know there is downtime between excursions. We were given the impression that it would be 2 a day for the 7 days and rush rush along.

There are definitely 2 excursions a day but there always seemed to be a few hours between them where you were free to do as you wished.

Have a fabulous trip - it truly is a wonderful experience.

Thanks for the review. This cruise is on my bucket list! :cool:

Thank you for the review. This is a bucket list trip. We are booked for January 2017. We are starting to figure out what items we need to take with us. Can you please share things that you found to be absolutely necessary to take-- eg, sunscreen? What did people use when they were getting out of the zodiacs? Did they carry a change of shoes for walking/hiking? How buggy was it? Did you carry bug repellent? Etc.

Thanks for any information you can share.

We did this trip a few years ago and it was one of our favorites. Nature lovers can't help but fall in love with the Galapagos Islands. We did not have a balcony but spent our time in the one lounge visiting with our fellow cruisers. We plan to do this trip again.

Who was your cruise director? We had a man named Scott we liked very much.

Thank you for the review. This is a bucket list trip. We are booked for January 2017. We are starting to figure out what items we need to take with us. Can you please share things that you found to be absolutely necessary to take-- eg, sunscreen? What did people use when they were getting out of the zodiacs? Did they carry a change of shoes for walking/hiking? How buggy was it? Did you carry bug repellent? Etc.

There are wet landing which means you get off the zodiac in shallow water, not much deeper then your ankle. It is suggested you bring aqua shoes which I did and was glad to have them. Also wear pants that are capri length or shorter so you won't have to deal with wet pant legs. A disposable raincoat like from the 99 cent store was used and a wide brim hat, the sun becomes glaring.

Thank you for taking the time to share your review.

We are planning to do this trip for sometime in 2017.

Thank you for the review. This is a bucket list trip. We are booked for January 2017. We are starting to figure out what items we need to take with us. Can you please share things that you found to be absolutely necessary to take-- eg, sunscreen? What did people use when they were getting out of the zodiacs? Did they carry a change of shoes for walking/hiking? How buggy was it? Did you carry bug repellent? Etc.

 

Thanks for any information you can share.

Definitely take sunscreen and bug spray as it is quite expensive to buy there and you likely wont see any familiar brands etc. We wore cheap flip flops for the wet landings which worked well for us. We didn't care if they got soaked as we immediately changed into our walking shoes anyway. Flip flops were also easy to take on and off, and wipe sand off and stow in backpacks (we just left ours on the rocks at the start of our hike). Make sure you take GOOD binoculars if you want to see wildlife from the balcony. (the ship ones are not great) Make sure you take a hat that will stay on your head in the wind!! (we got Tilley hats which look kinda dorky but everyone had them and looked dorky so it was fine haha). Definitely bring sea-sickness meds - this is a very small ship and it ROCKS ALOT! You will get used to it but the meds will help you for sure.

Really good advice about the air upgrade to Baltra and the sports bras, thanks! What was the plane like on the flight out to the islands in bus./first class? Do you know what type of aircraft it was? $400 is a really good deal on that.

Really good advice about the air upgrade to Baltra and the sports bras, thanks! What was the plane like on the flight out to the islands in bus./first class? Do you know what type of aircraft it was? $400 is a really good deal on that.

I forget what type of plane it was but I believe the seats in economy were in a 3 x 3 configuration and biz was 3 or 4 rows of 2 x 2 .

We really liked the extra room and being able to board in the first group so we could get our carryons settled etc. Also we did not want to get stuck in a middle seat! We heard that the food in economy was not that great - we thought it was pretty good in biz. Keep in mind this is only a 2 hour flight so you wont starve either way ;)

Thanks for the review and especially the sports bras tip! I've not seen this mentioned before. We're booked for June 2017, can't wait.

Thanks for the review. This is on our bucket list, but it will be a few years yet.

Great review! I want to do this cruise in the near future. Thanks for sharing!

Lisa

My husband and I did the 10 day package with Celebrity on Xpedition in cabin XS501. This was definitely a different type cruise than we are used (we like lazy beach time) but we knew that going in and were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed this trip. Lots of reviews on the ship tours etc so I will concentrate on the things that stood out for us.

 

Although we booked our own air arrangements we were very happy that once we arrived in Quito (we arrived mid afternoon the day before which we recommend) Celebrity looked after all travel from that point on. The transfer to the hotel (JW Marriott) by bus was fine (approx 1 hour door to door). Once at the hotel we asked right away about upgrading the Quito to Baltra flight to business class and they took note of that. We found it to be very reasonable ($400 total for 2 return trip) and worth it to us to be comfortable. We learned that you can't book this in advance so best to ask as soon as you arrive at the hotel if you do want it. The charge was added to our shipboard account.

 

Our cabin was in the perfect location we thought and we loved having a balcony. We spent a couple hours there each day between morning and afternoon zodiac trips. Make sure you bring good binoculars - we use Canon image stabilizing binocs which are especially helpful on the water. We sat out and saw huge sea turtles, beautiful countless stingrays (many even jumped out of the water) and even a hammerhead shark from the balcony. We ordered fries from room service as a snack (heh we were on vacation :-) and enjoyed the quiet time. Our room was a great size for the two of us and was very well looked after by our cabin attendants. Be sure to ask for extra beach towels or whatever you need - you will be taken care of. We definitely felt the rocking of the ship most days - the first night was the worst - make sure you secure things in your cabin (like glassware, bottles etc. and anything that might roll around). Take some gravol or motion sickness meds and you will be fine.

 

One of our other favourite things to do onboard after an excursion was to grab some drinks and head up to the hot tub on the 6th floor. We did this pretty much everyday and only once was someone else in it. It was a lovely quiet place to absorb the setting and the outdoor shower there is highly recommended. Take tons of sunscreen with you on this trip - it was hot in February when we went and i can't even imagine what it would be like later in April, May etc! I would also recommend that ladies bring a few sports bras for daytime hikes etc so you can keep your regular ones clean and non-sweaty. I didn't think of this until afterwards and wished I had. We did use the ship's laundry service several times and found it to be fast and good value.

 

We are 40 and 49 and were probably the one of the youngest couples on our cruise. There were no kids on our sailing at all which we liked. We were impressed that some of our fellow (older) guests dealt with the physical challenges of exiting and entering the zodiacs which were at times a bit tricky. Everyone on the boat seemed to be young at heart for sure.

 

This was probably the only time we have ever been unable to reliably receive/send email and or surf but we went in to the trip expecting that and it was fine. We found it actually forced people to put down their phones and talk to other guests which was both refreshing and entertaining. If we really HAD to get our messages we would time it so that we were the only ones in the lounge area where wifi was available and then we had some success although it was still slow. If more than a couple people were in the lounge attempting to do the same thing we quickly learned it was a waste of time.

 

We heard a few guests saying they were doing back to back inner/outer loops and were happy that we were not. One week was enough for us but I can understand wanting to maximize your time while there. We just didn't think that it would differ that much and felt one week was the perfect amount of time.

Thanks for the great info! I'm booked on March 3 sailing! What did folks wear for evening meals? With luggage weight restrictions don't imagine they dressed up to much! Any other hints would be appreciated!

Gzyteck - it was very much smart casual in the dining room - anything else would have been out of place. Also, if you are using Celebrity for air to/from Baltra - dont be too concerned about the luggage weight as this is a charter flight. It was not an issue AT ALL.

These boards were incredibly helpful to us.....especially the sports bra!

May I also recommend 2 bathing suits as you may not have the opportunity for one to dry completely prior to the next dive!

Did not need the bug spray at all...that being said, we did the Machu Pichu add-on and I did get bit in one area....

I will watch this board in case there are other questions......

I also brought a small bottle of detergent to wash out some undies/socks etc!

This really is a laid back cruise...no need to bring all that glitters!

Happy to hear you had an enjoyable trip and that the sports bra thing worked out for you :-)

Thanks for the review.