Just off Xploration in Galapagos, ask questions!

[waterbug123]

We are just off a northern loop sailing of the Galapagos on Celebrity Xploration, which is the 8-cabin catamaran.  Much of the info out there for Celebrity Galapagos sailings is specific to Xpedition or Flora (especially Flora!) and some aspects of Xploration are very different.  If you have questions about or are considering Xploration, ask away and I will do my best to answer while it's all still fresh in my mind.

 

Note about flights:  Celebrity operates a charter flight from Quito to Baltra and back, but you can only be on that flight if you also book your international flights through Celebrity, or book a longer package with Celebrity adding the pre/post cruise options.   We booked all international flights as well as pre-cruise hotel & Quito excursions on our own, so hadh to book Avianca flights Quito-Baltra and back on our own as well.  If you have questions about flight/hotel bookings or related topics (getting transit cards etc) I can answer those as well.

 

In a nutshell, we absolutely loved our week on Xploration, especially the intimate family feeling of such a small guest count and crew and wouldn't hesitate to book it again!

[mahdnc]

@catspaw1 ☝️

Edited May 14 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

1 hour ago, waterbug123 said:

We are just off a northern loop sailing of the Galapagos on Celebrity Xploration, which is the 8-cabin catamaran.  Much of the info out there for Celebrity Galapagos sailings is specific to Xpedition or Flora (especially Flora!) and some aspects of Xploration are very different.  If you have questions about or are considering Xploration, ask away and I will do my best to answer while it's all still fresh in my mind.

 

Note about flights:  Celebrity operates a charter flight from Quito to Baltra and back, but you can only be on that flight if you also book your international flights through Celebrity, or book a longer package with Celebrity adding the pre/post cruise options.   We booked all international flights as well as pre-cruise hotel & Quito excursions on our own, so hadh to book Avianca flights Quito-Baltra and back on our own as well.  If you have questions about flight/hotel bookings or related topics (getting transit cards etc) I can answer those as well.

 

In a nutshell, we absolutely loved our week on Xploration, especially the intimate family feeling of such a small guest count and crew and wouldn't hesitate to book it again!

 

Can you give us some information regarding how you booked your flights to Baltra and how easy it was to coordinate it with Celebrity?  For example, I assume that you get to use the shuttle that Celebrity uses to get to the Panga dock from the airport (GPS) and back?

Edited May 14 by mahdnc

[waterbug123]

11 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

Can you give us some information regarding how you booked your flights to Baltra and how easy it was to coordinate it with Celebrity?  For example, I assume that you get to use the shuttle that Celebrity uses to get to the Panga dock from the airport (GPS) and back?

 

We booked via the Avianca Airlines website.  I believe Latam also flies between the two.  A few weeks before our sailing, we called the Celebrity and asked to be connected to the Galapagos department, and gave them our flight information.  We were met at the Baltra airport by the naturalists from our ship.  We had a short wait until the charter flight arrived and we were joined by those guests, and then we were all taken on the same Celebrity shuttle to the pier to board the pangas to Xploration. 

Since we booked our Baltra flights independently, we had to get our own transit cards at the Quito airport.  The transit card desk opens at 5am and as of about 4:30am when we arrived at UIO, (for a 7:51am flight) there were already about a dozen people in line.  The lined moved fairly quickly once they opened, and we had filled out the forms online so all they needed when it was our turn was our passports and to show them on our phones that we had return flights booked.  I was able to wait in line with both my passport and my husband's, and while I was doing that, he was able to take our checked bags to the luggage inspection to get the inspection tag, and then printed regular luggage tags at the kiosk.  Once we were both done, we dropped off our bags, and since we had checked in online, we already had boarding passes on our phones, so went to the lounge to wait for our flight. 

As soon as the naturalists met us in Baltra, then handed us an envelope with the $40 reimbursement for our transit cards.   Our understanding was that we'd have to get our own National Parks Passes ourselves in Baltra as well, and be likewise reimbursed, but the naturalists told us that since we'd given Celebrity our flight info, they had already taken care of the NPP so we didn't have to. 

Note: our commercial flight did make a stop in Guayaquil both going and returning.  The Celebrity charter is nonstop. 

On the way home, the Xploration staff confirmed our flight time (11:33am) and took us back to the pier and on to the airport in plenty of time.  The charter guests remained onboard for a little while longer since their flight was a little later. 

[catspaw1]

We are booked on the Xploration next June & like you, will do independent flights & hotels. So any advice will be appreciated.  We are Bluewater sailors so picked the Xploration as we wanted a smaller ship & since we lived aboard our sailboat for 7 years while sailing, we are used to small spaces. So any tips? Did you arrive early to Baltra or same day? Our thought was to come to Ecuador early & go up to Mindo- if safe security wise & see Quito, than get to Baltra & Puerto Ayova a few days ahead & take it easy before cruise starts. We will stay at a Marriott in Quito as we have lots of points& are Titanium lifetime.  How was the ship itself? Were can you hang up wet clothes- cabin only or outside? Do we need clothes pins? How was the wetsuit quality? Was a shortie warm enough? We plan on getting neoprene dive pants to combat the sun. How was the food? Any helpful hints?

[mahdnc]

3 minutes ago, waterbug123 said:

 

We booked via the Avianca Airlines website.  I believe Latam also flies between the two.  A few weeks before our sailing, we called the Celebrity and asked to be connected to the Galapagos department, and gave them our flight information.  We were met at the Baltra airport by the naturalists from our ship.  We had a short wait until the charter flight arrived and we were joined by those guests, and then we were all taken on the same Celebrity shuttle to the pier to board the pangas to Xploration. 

Since we booked our Baltra flights independently, we had to get our own transit cards at the Quito airport.  The transit card desk opens at 5am and as of about 4:30am when we arrived at UIO, (for a 7:51am flight) there were already about a dozen people in line.  The lined moved fairly quickly once they opened, and we had filled out the forms online so all they needed when it was our turn was our passports and to show them on our phones that we had return flights booked.  I was able to wait in line with both my passport and my husband's, and while I was doing that, he was able to take our checked bags to the luggage inspection to get the inspection tag, and then printed regular luggage tags at the kiosk.  Once we were both done, we dropped off our bags, and since we had checked in online, we already had boarding passes on our phones, so went to the lounge to wait for our flight. 

As soon as the naturalists met us in Baltra, then handed us an envelope with the $40 reimbursement for our transit cards.   Our understanding was that we'd have to get our own National Parks Passes ourselves in Baltra as well, and be likewise reimbursed, but the naturalists told us that since we'd given Celebrity our flight info, they had already taken care of the NPP so we didn't have to. 

Note: our commercial flight did make a stop in Guayaquil both going and returning.  The Celebrity charter is nonstop. 

On the way home, the Xploration staff confirmed our flight time (11:33am) and took us back to the pier and on to the airport in plenty of time.  The charter guests remained onboard for a little while longer since their flight was a little later. 

 

This is great information because you can save quite a bit of money if you do a "cruise only" booking with Celebrity.  During our Xpedition sailing in Nov, we bought a Quito package but if we go next time, I would prefer to avoid the costly package.  I didn't realize that you could get non-stop commercial UIO-GPS flights.  

 

[catspaw1]

I ran the numbers & yes much cheaper to do it on your own. In order to avoid any stress of arriving the same day as the cruise  & with a very early flight time, we are going to arrive early. We are retired so have the time. 

[waterbug123]

17 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

This is great information because you can save quite a bit of money if you do a "cruise only" booking with Celebrity.  During our Xpedition sailing in Nov, we bought a Quito package but if we go next time, I would prefer to avoid the costly package.  I didn't realize that you could get non-stop commercial UIO-GPS flights.  

 

Agreed- we've found that the cruise packages can be costly because they charge per person instead of per room, so essentially you pay double for your hotel room.  I understand people who are not as experienced at making travel arrangements wanting the security of the cruise line booking everything, but anyone who is at all travel savvy can usually do just as well on their own.  That said, we did fly into Quito 4 days before our cruise, so we knew we had some cushion in case something went wrong and we got delayed.  I would be hesitant to make my own arrangements if flying to a cruise the same day or just a day before.

[mahdnc]

4 minutes ago, waterbug123 said:

Agreed- we've found that the cruise packages can be costly because they charge per person instead of per room, so essentially you pay double for your hotel room.  I understand people who are not as experienced at making travel arrangements wanting the security of the cruise line booking everything, but anyone who is at all travel savvy can usually do just as well on their own.  That said, we did fly into Quito 4 days before our cruise, so we knew we had some cushion in case something went wrong and we got delayed.  I would be hesitant to make my own arrangements if flying to a cruise the same day or just a day before.

 

Yeah, flying in on the same day is not a good idea!  One of the advantages of foregoing the package is that you could build some pre-cruise time by staying on the islands which I think would be pretty cool and nice mix with the cruise.

[rmalbers]

OP: Did you get any ideas of how the 'different' loops are different?  I haven't done much research but that's one thing I've always wondered about.  I didn't even realize there were all the different loops at first.

[catspaw1]

We have chosen the south loop & the season to see the waved albatross- that's from May on. We are going in June & the cruise is booked. Water bug, I agree its easier to do on your own but does require more planning. I agree that flying in early is the way to do it. That's my plan! Currently thinking of 2 nights Quito, 2 nights Mindo, 1 night back in Quito, 3 nights Puerto Ayova, 7 night cruise, 1 - 2 nights back in Quito depending on flights home. What else would you suggest? Any tips? How was safety in Quito?

[catspaw1]

Water bug, how was the ship itself? Rooms? Food? How hard was it to get in/out of the dinghy? Any tips? So glad you liked it. We don't get many reviews on the Xploration.

[airhose]

We're going in late May next year, also on the northern loop!  How was the weather?  Water temperature? Do magnet hooks work in the cabins or are the walls fiberglass?

And a flight question....we will be going early to the islands and I wonder if you inquired about a flight through Celebrity.   Will they arrange a flight a few days earlier?

Thanks for your input. 

[waterbug123]

On 5/14/2024 at 12:39 PM, catspaw1 said:

We are booked on the Xploration next June & like you, will do independent flights & hotels. So any advice will be appreciated.  We are Bluewater sailors so picked the Xploration as we wanted a smaller ship & since we lived aboard our sailboat for 7 years while sailing, we are used to small spaces. So any tips? Did you arrive early to Baltra or same day? Our thought was to come to Ecuador early & go up to Mindo- if safe security wise & see Quito, than get to Baltra & Puerto Ayova a few days ahead & take it easy before cruise starts. We will stay at a Marriott in Quito as we have lots of points& are Titanium lifetime.  How was the ship itself? Were can you hang up wet clothes- cabin only or outside? Do we need clothes pins? How was the wetsuit quality? Was a shortie warm enough? We plan on getting neoprene dive pants to combat the sun. How was the food? Any helpful hints?

We arrived into Baltra the same day we boarded the ship. I suppose there is some risk in that but we did it anyway.  We arrived 4 days early into Quito, though. We did a birding day trip to Mindo and it was fantastic- saw 60+ bird species including over 20 different hummingbird species.  I'm a birder so that was a great day for me!   We also did a street art tour and a food tour in Quito, and took the TeleferiQo gondola up the mountain on our own.  We felt perfectly safe in Quito, though much of our time was with a guide, or in a cab going straight to a restaurant/destination or back to hotel.  There were a few places with a gathering of police but guide said it was because it was by a government building.  Went to a great restaurant, Somos (highly recommend!) one night and they had a security guard at the door.  But we never felt unsafe.

We stayed at the Hilton (loyalty members and all that) and it was ok but pictures we saw of the Marriott indicate the Marriott is much nicer.

The ship itself was great.  We absolutely loved the intimate family feeling of the small guest count and small crew numbers. I first tried to hand clothes on our balcony railing with a camping clothesline but the balcony was shaded and things weren't drying quickly, so I did what most did- put the clothesline up on the sundeck railing and/or laid flat on the sundeck and things dried very quickly like that.  Just remember to take any remaining items down at night because it's often very windy up there when sailing at night.  My camping clothesline is made such that you don't need clothespins but I borrowed a few from someone and it worked better that way so I'd bring some.

I'm no expert on wetsuits but thought it was fine. They are shorties- short sleeves and short legs, and we wore thin dive skins (not neoprene, just nylon or polyester) underneath just to avoid having to put  sunscreen on arms and leg while snorkeling, and it helped the wetsuit slide on more easily.  Every time we got in the water (early May) it felt freezing cold but within seconds we were adjusted and it felt fine.  In fact, a couple of times we had the opportunity to do a beach swim after a hike and we just went in with bathing suits and it was the same- just dove in to get the shock over with and then it felt very good and refreshing.  Got to jump in off the back of the boat a couple of times too, just wearing swimsuits and that felt great as well.

We thought the food was very good.  It's not going to win any Michelin awards, but we were impressed with what the chef and sous chef (just the two of them in the galley) were able to do in a small space!  Everything is buffet (except the soup course at dinner) but there are multiple options and we ate well.

[waterbug123]

22 hours ago, rmalbers said:

OP: Did you get any ideas of how the 'different' loops are different?  I haven't done much research but that's one thing I've always wondered about.  I didn't even realize there were all the different loops at first.

Not really.  We were a group of 5 couples traveling together (plus 3 more we met on the ship and became friends with) so we were just trying to find a week that worked for all of us and that had enough cabins available, so we weren't really focused on which loop we were booking. 

[waterbug123]

21 hours ago, catspaw1 said:

We have chosen the south loop & the season to see the waved albatross- that's from May on. We are going in June & the cruise is booked. Water bug, I agree its easier to do on your own but does require more planning. I agree that flying in early is the way to do it. That's my plan! Currently thinking of 2 nights Quito, 2 nights Mindo, 1 night back in Quito, 3 nights Puerto Ayova, 7 night cruise, 1 - 2 nights back in Quito depending on flights home. What else would you suggest? Any tips? How was safety in Quito?

To be honest, I don't think I'd want to spent 3 days in Puerto Ayora.  That said, I didn't research it so maybe there is more to do there than I realized, but we spend 1/2 day of free time there the day we went to the Darwin Center and turtle breeding center, and we just wandered aimlessly for a bit before finding a place to sit and have drinks til it was time to go back to the boat.  We found plenty to do in Quito though, including a day trip to Mindo, and wouldn't have minded another couple of days there.  We arrived on a Tue night and left for Baltra Sat morning.  Doing it all over, I'd arrive on Sat or Sun and get closer to a full week in and around Quito.   And we always felt safe, but as I mentioned in another reply, we didn't spend that much time exploring on our own, as we had multiple guided tours, and took cabs directly to a destination or back to a hotel at times due to time or distance.

[waterbug123]

20 hours ago, catspaw1 said:

Water bug, how was the ship itself? Rooms? Food? How hard was it to get in/out of the dinghy? Any tips? So glad you liked it. We don't get many reviews on the Xploration.

The ship was fine and the rooms were fine.  When we sail with Celebrity on Solstice or Edge class, we usually get a Sky Suite so the rooms on Xploration are smaller than what we're used to, but we knew that going in so it was fine.  The rooms don't feel as "polished" as on the bigger ships either, but again- we knew going in that they'd be a little simpler because we were on a catamaran, and we were perfectly happy with them.  We had plenty of outlets, plenty of hot water, and contrary to what I'd read, our luggage fit just fine under the bed like it does on a regular cruise ship. 

See prior replies about food.  Getting in and out of the pangas (that's what they called them) was fine. There is a crew member on the panga and another on the Xploration and both assist you.  You can hand them your backpack or day bag first, and then get on and they'll hand you your bag back.  And we had no trouble getting back in the panga after snorkeling, either.  I'd read where people indicated the ladder was really flimsy but I thought it was fine.  The trickiest was probably when we had a wet landing and had to get back in the panga from the beach but the crew helps you and it all works out. 

[waterbug123]

16 hours ago, airhose said:

We're going in late May next year, also on the northern loop!  How was the weather?  Water temperature? Do magnet hooks work in the cabins or are the walls fiberglass?

And a flight question....we will be going early to the islands and I wonder if you inquired about a flight through Celebrity.   Will they arrange a flight a few days earlier?

Thanks for your input. 

We had GREAT weather!  A couple days were a little overcast, which was nice because the sun wasn't as bad, but otherwise it was sunny.  Most hikes aren't too long but a couple are longer so definitely take water with you every time, and make sure your spouse takes their own water as well.  (My husband didn't think he need to take any on the first hike but learned his lesson after that!). I don't think it rained on us at all, but it might have one night?  I vaguely recall the upper deck being wet one morning but I might be imagining that.

Magnets don't generally work on Xploration.  A friend brought some and was able to use a couple on door hinges but the walls are not metal.  I brought suction cup hooks.  They wouldn't stay on the wall so I used them on the window.  Some people's suction hooks did work on the walls though; I guess they bought heavier-duty ones that I did.

We booked our own international air and hotel. I asked Celebrity if we could just book the charter flight to Baltra through them and they said only if we also booked international air with them, or booked a pre/post cruise package with them.

[catspaw1]

waterbug, thanks for the very helpful info.

 

We used to live aboard our sailboat as blue water sailors, we always call "our Car' a dingy- I am just not used to calling it a panga.

 

Thanks for the helpful suggestions about wet clothes & hanging them up. I have metal hooks for our Celebrity cruise in May but will just use our normal clothesline we use in hotels. Just used it in Great Smokey Mts these past 10 days as we have a lot of expensive quick dry clothes & socks (darn tough) I don't put in a dryer.

 

We are experienced advanced PADI divers so are used to neoprene wetsuits & have our own but didn't want to lug them due to weight. We will bring our own snorkeling gear as we have dive booties that are easy to get on/off with our fins.

 

We are avid birders also so want to stay in Mindo for a few days before the cruise.

 

We are retired so have more time to take a leisurely visit.

 

The telefrico is at a higher altitude than Quito so any mountain sickness by anyone? I know to acclimatize for a few days before going higher.

 

Glad to hear the JW Marriott is good.

 

My fear of a small ship is having a big group on board & us not being part of it, feeling left out. That was my hesitancy of booking a smaller ship.  

 

Thanks for the suggestion on PA- maybe we will just stay 2 nights but we thought another day would give us some R&R before the big cruise starts.

 

what time would you suggest for booking the flight back to Quito? 

 

Glad to know there wasn't security issues in Quito.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post & answer all the questions! So glad to hear you had a great time.

 

We are looking forward to our cruise next June. But in the meantime, we're off to SD, CO & WY shortly for 17 nights & then headed on a Celebrity cruise in July before our Galapagos trip next year. Still trying to book travel for the fall!

 

Thanks for your help!!!

[airhose]

Another flight question....what time did the Celebrity charter land in Balta?  It looks like we'll be doing independent flights, probably via Guayaquil (to avoid the high altitude of Quito).  We will be on the island a couple of days early and need to know what time to meet the flight. 

 

Many thanks again.  It certainly increases our excitement level!

[catspaw1]

Airbase, celebrity already told me to be at the airport by noon. But confirm with the celebrity galapagos desk - they have a separate number so hold time usually just a few minutes  

[waterbug123]

On 5/15/2024 at 8:32 PM, catspaw1 said:

waterbug, thanks for the very helpful info.

 

We are avid birders also so want to stay in Mindo for a few days before the cruise.

 

We are retired so have more time to take a leisurely visit.

 

The telefrico is at a higher altitude than Quito so any mountain sickness by anyone? I know to acclimatize for a few days before going higher.

 

My fear of a small ship is having a big group on board & us not being part of it, feeling left out. That was my hesitancy of booking a smaller ship.  

 

what time would you suggest for booking the flight back to Quito? 

 

Thanks for taking the time to post & answer all the questions! So glad to hear you had a great time.

 

 

You're welcome!

 

I'm an avid birder so loved our day trip to Mindo.  Our guide took us to 3 different locations and we spotted 65 different bird species, including 24 different types of hummingbirds, 12 different tanagers, 2 different toucans/toucanettes and others.  As a birder, you'll love it!

 

We were traveling with 4 other couples and most of us were taking Altitude sickness meds as a precaution.  Only 1 of the 10 had any real issues, despite the meds.  She had a bad headache she couldn't shake.  We were a little out of breath at the top of the Teleferiqo, so as we walked even higher to the llamas and cloud swings, we stopped a lot and drank water but it wasn't that bad as long as we went slowly.

And on the note of being a big group, yes we a group of 10 but we really enjoyed the week with the other 3 couples on the boat and we *think* they enjoyed their week with us as well.  🙂  

We always mixed it up at mealtimes so we never sat consistently in the same places; that way we made an effort mingle with everyone, and if "our" group was part of it was ever gathered at the bar or sun deck or whatever, we always invited the others to join us, and we all exchanged contact info, have since friended each other on Facebook etc.  Hopefully if you likewise find yourself amongst a large group, you'll all mesh well like we did and become friends!

 

We (4 of us) had a redeye flight back to the states, that left Quito at 11:59pm, so we had loads of time between the flight from Baltra and our departing flight.  The other 6 stayed over at the Wyndham by the airport and took early morning flights the next day.  My husband and I went to the Wyndham with them and had a long leisurely dinner and drinks, then went back to UIO and waited a couple hours in the lounge.  I hate red eye flights, but it was nonstop UIO-FLL and we were staying at our place in southern FL for a few days anyway, so we just sucked it up and booked the red eye since it was nonstop. Otherwise, we might have considered talking the early am flight the next day.  It would have meant a VERY early wake-up though, so 6 of one, half a dozen of the other....

[waterbug123]

21 hours ago, airhose said:

Another flight question....what time did the Celebrity charter land in Balta?  It looks like we'll be doing independent flights, probably via Guayaquil (to avoid the high altitude of Quito).  We will be on the island a couple of days early and need to know what time to meet the flight. 

 

Many thanks again.  It certainly increases our excitement level!

I don't recall exactly.  Our flight from UIO left at 7:51am, made a stop in Guayaquil and then I think we got to Baltra around 11 or 11:30?  By the time we got through immigration and got bags and met the naturalists outside baggage claim, I think we only had to wait another hour or so for the charter folks.  There's an outdoor bar (covered, so in the shade) just outside the airport so we just sat down and had some beers while we waited.  I'd call the Celebrity Galapagos desk and ask exactly when the charter lands so you can plan accordingly.  You'll meet the naturalists just outside baggage claim area.

[catspaw1]

thanks Waterbury for your helpful comments. I'm so glad you included the other 6 people in. Not everyone would do that! I hope if there's a group on our trip, they would do the same as there is just the 2 of us. We are very familiar with altitude sickness but have never taken meds. I had to get  extra 02 by the medic at the Cuzco Marriott. I have learned if I just take it slow,  lots of water & no booze I am ok. But I don't take any meds & within a few days am ok. We have done extensive hiking at elevation also. 

[waterbug123]

20 hours ago, catspaw1 said:

thanks Waterbury for your helpful comments. I'm so glad you included the other 6 people in. Not everyone would do that! I hope if there's a group on our trip, they would do the same as there is just the 2 of us. We are very familiar with altitude sickness but have never taken meds. I had to get  extra 02 by the medic at the Cuzco Marriott. I have learned if I just take it slow,  lots of water & no booze I am ok. But I don't take any meds & within a few days am ok. We have done extensive hiking at elevation also. 

I had never taken altitude meds and never had issues at altitude, and we've skied in the Rockies many times and gorilla trekked in Rwanda just fine.  But I'm getting older (sigh) and didn't want to take any chances of missing anything during our days in Quito, so got Rx for Diamox and took it just in case.