silver sea or lindblad for galapagos -is all food bad on these trips?

[rosewood jo]

I had been pricing silver sea, lindblad and celebrity for galapagos....I am hoping someone will give me their experience on these ships. I realize Ecuador controls the food, guides and islands to attend. Price range is quite different. Western and Northern itineraries are broken up on silver seas but all islands are visited by lindblat/nat geo. Help...want to get the best experience and not over paying. I have been on Silver Sea and understand the quality. Yet, friends of mine got back and said how bad the food was on Lindblad. Does is really matter if all food is going to be border line and guides are determined by the government of Ecuador?

 

Basically what you pay for 7 days for Silver sea you get 10 days on Lindblad? What's the difference and you see all the islands on Lindblad? Three of the top 5 on Silversea? Planning for May of 2014

 

ps were the seas rough for anyone going in May?

__________________

[PaulMCO]

We are just back from the Galapagos on Celebrity. Yes Ecuador controls all of the food being used. That means all meat and produce comes from the mainland on the charter flight that brings you over.. Fish is bought or caught fresh daily. Ship ran out of some produce after 5 days.

 

So was the food bad. Answer no. Some good and bad, when bad -- was offered another selection. Lots of criticism of the meat on CC boards. Found the steaks to be fairly good - creative sauces help. Fish was good -- though sometimes overcooked.

 

But of course in the end you are there for the Expedition... However (just my DW opinion) -- in 10 days how many more sea lions or Blue footed Boobies will you see. After 7 days --- too many. After 10 days???

Edited January 29, 2013 by PaulMCO

[Seas the Day]

I've been on three Silversea cruises (not adventure) and I chose Lindblad for the Galapagos. I thought the food was very good, and the experience was fantastic. Our cabin was not big or luxurious - but, for me, I was interested in the animals and learning and activities.

 

Since the Lindblad Galapagos cruise, I've been determined to go on another. As for Silversea, it is great - but I have found other options as nice or better.

[RachelG]

As I stated elsewhere, food on lindblad not terrible but just ok. Not the highlight of the trip. Food on xpedition ranged from pretty good (fish and salads) to terrible (all the meat). Hoping silversea will be better.

Edited January 30, 2013 by RachelG

[drron29]

Cruising the Galapagos is all about the wildlife.So IMHO a smaller ship is much better and by small I mean small.We went on the Athala 2.It is a 16 passenger vessel.The small numbers make wildlife viewing just so much better.I had both blue footed boobies and gannets do their mating dance at my feet,was snorkelling in a school of small fish with the boobies diving within a foot of me catching their lunch,a very close encounter of the best kind with a juvenile sea lion who surfaced with me his flipper holding my back.You are much less likely to have such close encounters if many more people there.

We went snorkelling nearly every day-just fantastic.Where else can you see penguins swimming over a coral reef?

No vessel will stop at every island.Visits are closely controlled by the Ecuadorian government.Islands are periodically closed so even after your cruise has started the itinerary may change as it did for us.

The Athala 2 has now been taken over by a subsidiary of Abercrombie and Kent and apparently undergone an extensive refurb.We thought it was very comfortable when we went.The cabins were quite large.And with a smaller vessel it is easier to keep up a supply of fresh fish.

A few of my photos here if anyone interested-

https://picasaweb.google.com/112898583910292646023/GalapagosAugust2008#

[ging466]

I agree with drron, in the Galapagos, the smaller the better - although I'm sure the SS ship will be lovely.

 

I went on a chartered vessel, Yacht La Pinta. There were 40 Australians and we were split into 3 groups when we went on our hikes. We snorkelled or kayaked every day. It was a very comfortable little boat and I thought our food was excellent.

 

No matter what ship u go on, nothing can take away the experience with the animals. That's what is important.

 

Cheers

Jennifer

[frenchtwist]

We are just back from the Galapagos on Celebrity. Yes Ecuador controls all of the food being used. That means all meat and produce comes from the mainland on the charter flight that brings you over.. Fish is bought or caught fresh daily. Ship ran out of some produce after 5 days.

 

So was the food bad. Answer no. Some good and bad, when bad -- was offered another selection. Lots of criticism of the meat on CC boards. Found the steaks to be fairly good - creative sauces help. Fish was good -- though sometimes overcooked.

 

But of course in the end you are there for the Expedition... However (just my DW opinion) -- in 10 days how many more sea lions or Blue footed Boobies will you see. After 7 days --- too many. After 10 days???

 

Yes I agree,,,Too long 5 days is sufficient But I am doing 7 in Dec with General tours...

[Merriem]

I vote for Celebrity! We have been on this trip once already, and are booked again in Jan 2014. The food was much better than on the Whisper a year ago. They have fresh fish everyday and everything is prepared well. Not being big meat eaters, we were very happy with pastas, great salads, it was excellent. Remember Celebrity Xpedition is all inclusive, also. The staff is very friendly, and I don't think you would be at all disappointed in this trip. I might add we wish Celebrity had other small ships like this, because they know how to do it right!

 

Additionally I like the fact that Celebrity gets you there from Quito and you do not get hit with that $100 park fee!

Edited October 22, 2013 by Merriem

[drron29]

We went to the Galapagos to and from Quito-you still have to pay the $100 park fee.Celebrity must be including it in the fare.

And in the Galapagos all ships will have seafood as a predominant menu item due to the Ecuadorian Governments regulations about sourcing the food.

[5waldos]

I think that until we get some trip reports from the Silver Galapagos it is hard to really compare, except based on the size of the ship. Celebrity certainly gets good reviews, and does Lindblad. The single very very brief thing I have seen on the S Galapagos was very positive but over the next few weeks we should hear more.

 

I suspect that whichever line you chose those you will have a wonderful time.

[RachelG]

Drron is correct about the $100 park fee. Celebrity just includes it in the fare. I specifically inquired about this when we went.

[Merriem]

Drron is correct about the $100 park fee. Celebrity just includes it in the fare. I specifically inquired about this when we went.

 

Of course it is included in the price, but Celebrity has proven itself over many years there. Few trips do we take twice, but that is one to do again.

[ppiew]

i am not a fan of fish at all. guess it will be lots of salads for the week. How about soups? Do they have many and are they good?

[zqtchas]

Cruising the Galapagos is all about the wildlife.So IMHO a smaller ship is much better and by small I mean small.We went on the Athala 2.It is a 16 passenger vessel.The small numbers make wildlife viewing just so much better.I had both blue footed boobies and gannets do their mating dance at my feet,was snorkelling in a school of small fish with the boobies diving within a foot of me catching their lunch,a very close encounter of the best kind with a juvenile sea lion who surfaced with me his flipper holding my back.You are much less likely to have such close encounters if many more people there.

We went snorkelling nearly every day-just fantastic.Where else can you see penguins swimming over a coral reef?

No vessel will stop at every island.Visits are closely controlled by the Ecuadorian government.Islands are periodically closed so even after your cruise has started the itinerary may change as it did for us.

The Athala 2 has now been taken over by a subsidiary of Abercrombie and Kent and apparently undergone an extensive refurb.We thought it was very comfortable when we went.The cabins were quite large.And with a smaller vessel it is easier to keep up a supply of fresh fish.

A few of my photos here if anyone interested-

https://picasaweb.google.com/112898583910292646023/GalapagosAugust2008#

We went on a small boat (Nortada) total 5 couples + crew in '94. Food was simple like you might call home cooking, but was good. Our cabin was in the bow & had a window hatch above & wall to wall mattress, hand pump toilets & a combo toilet/shower area. No formal nites! It was fun snorkeling & watching the penguins dive to the bottom & then pop out of the water like little corks & land upright on a rock. The sea lions (seals?) like to play & will head toward you like they are going to ram & then veer off at the last moment.

After that we were off to the upper Amazon for rides in African Queens & dugouts.

[Greythoundmom]

We loved Lindblad, and thought the food was great! Breakfast and lunch buffets. Dinner menus are posted the night before for you to select, so that they can get an approximate count. I'm sure they would work with you if you didn't like the choices. We've sailed with them three times, and would highly recommend. The guides are amazing. I would mention that the cabins aren't luxury, but they are fine.

[Herman The Cat]

I know this post is a bit old, but we are now considering a Galapagos trip possibly combined with Macchu Picchu.

 

Any updates or additional thoughts on Silversea vs. Linblad vs. National Geographic's ships vs. Celebrity vs. any others (A&K)? And also thoughts on the two Silversea itineraries and what is better for the first time to the Galapagos.

 

We understand it is all about the excursions/lectures (as it should be), but we want to make sure the cabin is clean, functional and up-to-date and the food is good. We also hope the ship will not be overrun with children.

 

We are thinking of mid-to-late April, so any comments on weather would be appreciated as well.

 

Look forward to your thoughts. Thanks in advance.

[57 varieties]

We did b2b the two itineraries in November and I wrote a review on here. Plenty of snorkelling, wonderful naturalist guides and small groups (not more than 12 per guide). Ask any specifics. Can't comment on any other ship.

 

 

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[57 varieties]

Herman I just reread my review and I have not compared the itineraries there. The western itinerary visits the more recently formed islands which are very bleak. There is plenty of wildlife everywhere but more variety of birds on the northern/eastern itinerary. Both go to the two towns for good tortoise experiences.

We had no children on our trip in November but that would be different in April, I expect.

The food was very good with plentiful and varied fish and excellent meat and fresh fruit and salads. We loved the ceviche served at lunchtime on deck. A different one every day.

Many of the cruisers on with us had visited Machu Pichu in the week before the cruise and had had a large number of flights but an extraordinary experience. We decided on full Galapagos immersion and did not visit anywhere else in Ecuador or Peru on this occasion.

 

 

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[SeaSiq]

The DW spent two full weeks on the Silver Galapagos, before her latest refurbishment. The best point I can make is that she is ready to go back for another week next year. The food on the ship was good+, if you take into consideration the fact that there is a lot of seafood and that everything is restricted by the Ecuadorian government. First source must be Galapagos, then Ecuador, then outside sources. Many items are required to come in frozen, to reduce the chance of pests riding along. Preparation of the food by the chef was good and there is enough variety for anyone.

 

As far as size of the ship, she saw almost all of the other ships during her two weeks and was extremely happy that she had not booked any other. Unlike the 16 passenger boats, Silversea had some alternative shore excursions and, anyway, all shore groups are a maximum of sixteen, regardless of the ship. On her trip, she averaged about 12 people per excursion. Remember, on a small boat, if you run into a tight knit group or people you don't get along with, there is no escape to another group.

 

The crew moves from ship to ship at a sort of ridiculous rate, so you can't say taking a particular boat will get you the best crew. Those crew members she spoke to considered the Silver Galapagos to be the top ship in the Galapagos. Howver, they weren't happy with some of what they called, " stuck up" changes that were being pushed by management. No singing, no towel animals, more "respect", less "friendship". They felt that the passengers were enjoying these things and wanted to keep doing them. They also were not happy with the anticipated, at that time, changes that Silversea was supposed to make to the suites and overall color scheme. From warm wood paneling, a standard Silversea beige was anticipated. Haven't seen the changes yet, but wife liked the wood.

 

Also, take a look at cabin sizes. Silver Galapagos had fairly large suites compared to other boats in the Galapagos.

[Herman The Cat]

Herman I just reread my review and I have not compared the itineraries there. The western itinerary visits the more recently formed islands which are very bleak. There is plenty of wildlife everywhere but more variety of birds on the northern/eastern itinerary. Both go to the two towns for good tortoise experiences.

We had no children on our trip in November but that would be different in April, I expect.

The food was very good with plentiful and varied fish and excellent meat and fresh fruit and salads. We loved the ceviche served at lunchtime on deck. A different one every day.

Many of the cruisers on with us had visited Machu Pichu in the week before the cruise and had had a large number of flights but an extraordinary experience. We decided on full Galapagos immersion and did not visit anywhere else in Ecuador or Peru on this occasion.

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

57,

Thanks so much for the review and the information--very helpful. Appreciate your thoughts on the itinerary, as we would only do one week. April 18, 2015 appears to be the western itinerary and April 25, 2015 the eastern? The website is not specifying as such. Sounds like we should opt for the eastern with only one week. We would go later in April as we would expect less children later in the month.

Can you comment at all about your travel to Ecuador and hotels pre and post cruise--did you go through the US? And did you arrange this independently or through Silversea?

Thanks so much and happy holidays.

Cheers,

HTC

[57 varieties]

Sorry to confuse the North Central is what I called Eastern itinerary.

 

We took the Silversea package for flights and hotel in Quito which was KLM flights London-Amsterdam-Quito and Guayaquil-Amsterdam-London. We stayed at the Marriott in Quito and had a private Silversea transfer or a small bus with other SS guests.

 

The flight Quito-Guayaquil-Baltra is also a SS package and worked well. They sort out park fees and inspection and transport of luggage.

 

As we only flew in the day before our cruise, we felt safer taking the whole package from Silversea in case of hiccups but happily it all went to plan.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Herman The Cat]

The DW spent two full weeks on the Silver Galapagos, before her latest refurbishment. The best point I can make is that she is ready to go back for another week next year. The food on the ship was good+, if you take into consideration the fact that there is a lot of seafood and that everything is restricted by the Ecuadorian government. First source must be Galapagos, then Ecuador, then outside sources. Many items are required to come in frozen, to reduce the chance of pests riding along. Preparation of the food by the chef was good and there is enough variety for anyone.

 

As far as size of the ship, she saw almost all of the other ships during her two weeks and was extremely happy that she had not booked any other. Unlike the 16 passenger boats, Silversea had some alternative shore excursions and, anyway, all shore groups are a maximum of sixteen, regardless of the ship. On her trip, she averaged about 12 people per excursion. Remember, on a small boat, if you run into a tight knit group or people you don't get along with, there is no escape to another group.

 

The crew moves from ship to ship at a sort of ridiculous rate, so you can't say taking a particular boat will get you the best crew. Those crew members she spoke to considered the Silver Galapagos to be the top ship in the Galapagos. Howver, they weren't happy with some of what they called, " stuck up" changes that were being pushed by management. No singing, no towel animals, more "respect", less "friendship". They felt that the passengers were enjoying these things and wanted to keep doing them. They also were not happy with the anticipated, at that time, changes that Silversea was supposed to make to the suites and overall color scheme. From warm wood paneling, a standard Silversea beige was anticipated. Haven't seen the changes yet, but wife liked the wood.

 

Also, take a look at cabin sizes. Silver Galapagos had fairly large suites compared to other boats in the Galapagos.

 

SeaSiq, thank you for your thoughts and comments. It was interesting to read some comments about how some of the food was inedible on NG. I don't mind simply prepared, good or ok, but don't like the idea of inedible. [Of course, all opinions on food are subjective!]

 

I can imagine that some of those changes would bother the crew and seemingly make the ship more stuffy. Time will tell. I did meet someone on our last cruise a few weeks ago who was on the Silver Galapagos last year and said it was terrible--ship very rundown, etc. From what i understand, the ship was recently in drydock for 2-3 weeks and completely gutted.

 

Good tip on the cabin sizes. I tried to get that info on the NG website but it is nowhere to be found. Cabins must be tiny because they look tiny even in the photos!

 

One last question...did your wife go with the Silversea air travel package or book on her own? Did she do a Macchu Picchu pre- or post-cruise package?

 

Thanks again!

[SeaSiq]

DW has seen the pictures of the refurbished SG and still feels that the warmth of the original wood was nicer than the company wide greys and beiges that are now on SG. The removal of the large mirrors also seems to make the suites look smaller.

 

As far as the food, once again, it can be luck of the draw regarding the chef. DW had a really great chef on the first week's cruise and then it changed to a passable chef for the second week. Lots and lots of lobster. Lunch and dinner were pretty equal. Dinner, of course, was sit down. Dinner was late, to give everyone a chance to change after doing the afternoon excursion. The hot rock cooking worked well, but you must understand that things are informal. You should not try and compare everything to the regular SS cruise ships, or you will be disappointed. DW is VERY picky about food and had no complaints

 

We booked her air separately and used SS for the hotels and transfers. She did get an extra night in Quito as an SS add on. It was less costly that way than doing it herself. No trip to Machu Picchu. Transfers were handled quite well.

[SeaSiq]

If you head to this site, you can see a shot on the ship of Galapagos Lobster For Lunch

 

http://www.pbase.com/britestar/image/156681398

 

You can decide if you think this looks edible.

[wishIweretravelling]

Note that the lobster is not year-round. I was on the SG in August, and there was no lobster to be had--it was out of season.