Review from 6/11 Xpedition to Galapagos. LONG...

[Kami's pal]

Also, did you take Ecuador cuurency?

[Eliot]

No need - Eucador uses the US dollar for curreny.

[Kami's pal]

Thank you, Eliot. So I need to get US currency in small bills.

 

Silver03,

 

Hope you're still reading Xpedition questions, or that sdomeone else is back from Xpedition sinc your post. I'd still be grateful for personal experiences with altitude in Quito. I think the Marriott Hotel is lower than the old city part of the tours, so perhaps 9500 feet vs 12000 that I getting from worldatlas.com. Anybody?

[silver03]

Thank you' date=' Eliot. So I need to get US currency in small bills.

 

Silver03,

 

Hope you're still reading Xpedition questions, or that sdomeone else is back from Xpedition sinc your post. I'd still be grateful for personal experiences with altitude in Quito. I think the Marriott Hotel is lower than the old city part of the tours, so perhaps 9500 feet vs 12000 that I getting from worldatlas.com. Anybody?[/quote']

 

Hi!

The highest we went with the Celebrity tour was about 10500 ft. I felt a little pressure in my head, but nothing major. On my trip, I heard of one person having a headache the first day, but that's all. If you are concerned, I think your drug store should have an altitude medicine. I hope this helps!

[Gillian2]

Goldendaze..see you on 12/5. We leave LA November 23rd for our Machu Piccu/Sacred Valley/Lake Titicaca/Lima trip and will arrive early afternoon on the 3rd of December into Quito out of Lima. I just checked on yellow fever/malaria shots for everywhere we are going and none are recommended. :) I am still seeing my MD in October re altitude meds (more for the Peru trip) and for a prescription (I hope) for Cipro. Friends who had tummy troubles in India said Cipro was the best, but again I am planning ahead more for Peru. An acquaintance lost 8lb on the M-P portion of their trip in Feb.. For what it is worth she told me a doctor sits at the entrance to Machu Picchu (or thereabouts) and dispenses great meds for those with sickness. [Reimbursible for those with insurance on return to the US!!!] :p

All of you booked prior to December please report your experiences. Can't wait (although off ot Canada and Hawaii first).

For those who have already been, do I need to practice snorkeling? Celeb said they have wetsuits for us. I have to admit I have never snorked before. :eek:

[goldendaze]

Gillian2,

 

Your trip prior to the Xpedition sounds great. I bet you'll have some good stories to tell all of us. I hope we get some more trip reviews soon, this is fun.

[silver03]

Gillian:

 

I had never snorkeled before either. On the first day, I really had to concentrate on my breathing (so as not to hyperventilate.) After that, I was fine. Snorkeling was definitely a highlight of my trip. Also, for some perspective, I am not the best swimmer, but i did great! *Pats self on back* :D

[starsjohn]

I have supervised campers at elevations above 9000 ft for years. There are a very few that do have problems, the best cure is to take them lower to near 6000 ft until they are better. Then return to altitude the next day.

 

Ways to insure you do not have problems, are:

-drink lots of water to stay hydrated.

-get plenty of rest and reduce activity level.

-do plenty of walking and exercise regularly before going on the trip.

-limit your salt intake.

-take aspirin or Tynlenol at the onset of a headache, if allowed.

-talk to a doctor about your medical perscriptions at altitude, and have them give you a physical.

 

If you are at 12,000 ft, dropping to 10,000 feet should be enough to benefit. A mild headache is generally not a problem and will disappear as you climatize.

 

John

[Kami's pal]

Silver03 and Starsjohn, Thank you. I have of course talked to my doctor. He says everyone reacts differently. Same advice re hydration, going lower, reduce activity, etc. Guess I'll find out. My daughter just returned from climbing. She had violent headache 3 days but she was much higher. She still wants to do Inca trail, so I guess our family likes adventures.

 

Countung the weeks now!

[Gillian2]

Thanks silver03 for the encouraging snorkeling response. I am a very weak swimmer also. We will get a heater for our pool maybe so I can work on the breathing ahead of time!!!!

[starsjohn]

Another aid to avoiding the headaches at altitude is to avoid alcohol.

 

John

[silver03]

Thanks silver03 for the encouraging snorkeling response. I am a very weak swimmer also. We will get a heater for our pool maybe so I can work on the breathing ahead of time!!!!

 

Gillian,

You don't need to bother with the heater for your pool. That way you can practice swimming in the cold water too! LOL. Have fun.

[Gillian2]

Oh you are just TOO bad Silver03!!!! I just had a great excuse for having a gas heater added to my pool equipment!!!! :rolleyes: :(

Starsjohn...South America has the best wine!!!! Do I haaavvvee to abstain????? We had a blast with the restaurants in Argentina and Chile when we were there in February/March. The food and the wine were the best!!!!! And so reasonable.

[thrpy]

Silver03, question, what size electrical converter did you take or would you recommend. I understand that the transformer type is best. Needs are for battery chargers and a laptop.

[BillC]

I've put together a group for the 8/28/05 cruise.Many of the group want to scuba.How was this arranged on your cruise? I've E-mailed the 2 scuba companies listed in my tour books but they say they don't work with Celebrity.:)

[silver03]

thrpy-

I'm not sure of exactly what we used. We bought one of those conversion kits at target and figured it out when we got on board. Sorry I can't be of more help.

 

BillC-

On the first day of the cruise, people were given the chance to sign up if they wanted to scuba dive. The head naturalist on board took care of getting all of the equipment etc. and guided the group in the dives. We never had to deal with the dive shops ourselves. I'm sure you could when you arrive in Port Ayora, as there were a number of dive shops there, but I personally would feel more comfortable doing it with the group and the naturalists from the ship. JMO.

Hope this answers your question.

[Tornach]

I just got back yesterday from the 10 day package and had an awesome time, if anyone has any questions that havent been answered already I will do my best to answer them.

[Eliot]

I just got back yesterday from the 10 day package and had an awesome time, if anyone has any questions that havent been answered already I will do my best to answer them.

Well Hi Tornach! I don't recongnize your screen name but we were on the same cruise with you. This is Jodie. I posted a little review of our cruise under a separate thread labled "Galapagos - Wow...." See if I missed anything! It sure was wonderful wasn't it!

 

Cheers,

Jodie and Eliot

[lpritzkur]

hi to all of you,

 

thanks for posting your experiences on this trip. we are leaving on friday, october 8, on the 11 day. flying into houston and then on to quito on continental.

 

wondering if n e 1 else has booked this time slot. carol (mahini), i know you are going in november. we'll post to this board on our return to add our experience.

 

thanks again,everyone.

 

lew and rissa in delaware

[Mahini]

Lew and Rissa,

 

Have a fabulous trip, and I look forward to hearing all about it when you return!

[Kami's pal]

Bon voyage! Two weeks for you?

 

I'm expecting my documents soon, maybe this week! I'm for Oct 31, Hallowe'en. So far haven't heard from anyone here who's doing that week. I'm guessing I might get to see some interesting religious celebrations of All Souls' Day since I'll be in Quito that day.

 

Do hope you post a review. I am especially interested in effects of altitude (I get migraine when a low pressure system is coming :( ).

 

Also, I don't remember anyone mentioning insects. Do I need to buy DEET or something?

 

Thanks everyone who has posted. I'm addicted to this board now. Need a fix every day.

 

:D

[LoisO]

Reviews have indicated this is somewhat physical and require some dexterity. How difficult are dry and wet landings and how arduous are excursions?

[LoisO]

Reviews have indicated this is somewhat physical and require some dexterity. How difficult are dry and wet landings and how arduous are excursions?

[XFed2001]

Anyone who is considering taking this trip, DO IT. It was the best vacation we have ever had. Celebrity has a winner on its hands. Ok, here goes:

 

Ship: As most of you know, the “ship” is a lot smaller than most cruisers are used to. But with the 90 or so passengers, we never felt crowded. The rooms were more than adequate, with every room having an ocean view. The decks had plenty of room for anyone who wanted to lay in the sun (or shade). At night, they would turn the lights off at the very front of the ship for stargazing, which was amazing. The head naturalist, Jason, and the captain came out a couple of nights to point out constellations and any other things of interest. The sixth floor also had a hot tub, which was great after snorkeling in the cold water or a morning of hiking. The fifth floor has the Blue Finch Bar with the nicest bartender. The 4th floor had the discovery lunge which is where cocktail parties/briefings about the next day’s activities were held. I guess there wasn’t an abundance of activities to do ON the ship, but after all of the activities OFF the ship, everyone seemed to be too tired to notice. The hot tub (which was never full) or taking naps (either in your cabin or on the deck) seemed to be the activities of choice when we were at sea for those few hours between ports. There was also a small gym and sauna.

The 3rd floor housed the Darwin restaurant. This is where we had buffet breakfast (including a great omelette station,) buffet lunch (which featured a good pasta station) and a casual sit down dinner. You can also eat lunch on the 4th floor at the outdoor beagle grill, which served hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza, salad, etc. Breakfast was consistently good, dinner was always great, but lunch was usually just ok. We never went hungry though. We did hear through the grapevine that the chef was having a hard time receiving his orders from the Ecuadorian suppliers. Some background… Celebrity had to jump through a lot of hoops to be able to cruise the Galapagos. They had to hire abut 90% locals and had to order their food through the local growers/farmers. We would see deliveries being made at sea (A little beat up boat would speed up to us and unload boxes.) Anyway, the chef would order certain ingredients and would rarely receive everything that he ordered, so he had to make do with what he had. I guess I’d say that the food wasn’t the best I’ve ever had on a cruise, but I didn’t go on this one for the food. I would rate the food a 4 out of 5 overall. Highlights: Fresh fish, fresh juices, and especially the homemade ice cream, YUM!

Staff: Although the majority of the crew was new to working on cruise ships, they were very eager to help and consistently went above and beyond to give us excellent service. This was definitely the best service I’ve received. I don’t know what else to say about that.

Excursions/Naturalists: The naturalists were the guides who lead us on all tours. They are trained and licensed by the Galapagos National Park and stay with you for the entire week. They were unbelievably knowledgeable and made this trip what it is. They truly enjoy what they do and it shows. Their enthusiasm was infectious! Everyday we had two excursions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. We were able to choose between high, medium, and low intensity choices. “High” usually consisted of a hike, “medium” was a walk on smoother terrain, and “low” was a boat ride around the island. This varied based on the different islands. I can give more specifics if anyone is interested. We had the option of snorkeling at least once a day, regardless of which option we chose. They provide snorkeling equipment for us. We were told that they will also be providing wetsuits but they did not arrive in time for our cruise. Luckily my husband and I brought our own because the water is surprisingly cold, especially since we were on the equator. TIP: Confirm that they have wetsuits, otherwise bring your own, you won’t regret it! Also, there was an option to scuba dive once or twice. There was an extra $80 charge for this. I did not do this so I don’t have much info on it, but it was available. They definitely kept us very busy and I feel that we got everything we paid for and more.

We saw the most amazing animals all of these species co-existed with each other! I don’t want to ruin it for anyone but I will say that it was just an amazing experience. They really didn’t care that we walked right by them and sometimes had to step over/around them because they were in our path!

 

Fellow Cruisers: Being on a small ship of about 90 passengers was a wonderful experience. We really got to meet almost all of the different passengers. We all had the common interest of seeing the world which made a great starting point for great conversations. There was no assigned seating at meal times, so we sat with different people almost every time. Towards the end, we sat with people that we formed the closest bonds with, but it was great meeting everyone. There were literally people from all age groups. There were two 9 mo. old babies and retirees and everything in between.

 

Pre-cruise tour: We had a tour of Quito the day before the cruise and it was wonderful. They showed us Old and New Quito. We also visited the equatorial line and museum which was really interesting. We stayed at the JW Marriot in Quito, just a few minutes from the airport. It was a very nice hotel with a great pool. We did have one problem. A Celebrity rep. was supposed to pick us up from the airport when we arrived and take us to the hotel, but they did not. Granted, we did have to change airlines that day because our original flight got cancelled (that was a whole other ordeal, which has nothing to do with celebrity so I wont get into it.) I did call Celebrity to give them our new flight info, but we ended up taking a cab to the hotel. Celebrity was very apologetic and paid for our cab ride and then some. I’m letting it slide because everything else was great, and let’s face it…$hit happens.

 

Oh, someone asked if we go to the same island twice. We do. There are so many things to do there that they give you two opportunities to do it all. It proved to be an excellent idea. Otherwise it would have been so hard to decide what to do there.

 

Please let me know if I missed anything or if you have any questions. I could talk about this trip all day (as you can tell by the length of this post.)

 

Jane

I'm getting ready to book but my wife would like to know if June or July offers a better chance for better weather and seas. Any input will be greatly welcomed. In any event, I'm looking forward to some adventure. Happy New Year to all!

[Gillian2]

I was told by one of the naturalists that mid May to mid June or mid November to mid December were the best times.