Galapagos – WOW! What a trip!!! (Cabin 506)

[ingrid295]

We leave on Friday, 11/5 for Quito on the 10-day package.

 

Anyone just back who can comment on the weather in Quito & Galapagos? Reading conflicting reports on websites re. November weather. One reports 85 degrees year-round in Galapagos while others report 70 degree highs during November days, cooler at night.

 

I generally pack really light, but layer.

 

Is there a Celebrity shop on board?

 

Definintely getting excited reading these posts!

 

Will post on return 11/15.

 

Regards, Ingrid.

[SandyR5]

Lois - Thanks for that suggestion. I can get to Miami cheaply thanks to JetBlue. I will check that out. Didn't realize there were 2 flights to Quito daily.

[flashdog_1]

In one web search I found out

 

CLIMATE OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

Though the islands are located on the equator, the ocean's surface temperature ranges greatly from 7 to 28 degrees centigrade. The islands also go through dramatic changes. January to March is considered the hot/wet season, March being the hottest month of the year. The islands are brimming with plant life, and the water temperatures are ideal for snorkeling and diving at this time of year. Because of the climate changes in July through September, there's less rain and the islands are drier, though cooler. The water temperature drops considerably, though this is the ideal time of year to see more aquatic life, as the animals prefer the colder currents.

 

The principle regulator of the climate of the Galapagos is the temperature of the ocean surface and ocean currents, creating microclimates on the islands influencing the particular flora and fauna habitats found on each island. When choosing the time of year to visit the Galapagos, prioritize. Decide what you would rather do and see, as not all animals are present at all times of year.

 

 

 

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[thrpy]

There ae several good sites, one of which with the weather

 

http://www.ecuadordiscover.com/info/weather.htm

 

Lots of info, just have to chase it down. Including virtual tourist - lots of pics and info.

[Judy S]

Greetings Cruisergal, Ppard, and Goldendaze. We, too, will be on the Dec. 5 sailing. We're coming in early (three nights at the Marriott). Using FF miles we had to. We've been to South AMerica before, but never to Quito or the Galapagos. Can't wait!!! We're going to psych ourselves up by going to the IMAX movie this weekend. We're a couple of 50somethings from Boston who are hooked on cruising. This is the smallest ship we've been on. My husband is a runner, but I prefer to walk for miles. We're trying to get into shape for this trip. Does anyone know if the dress of choice during excursions is bathing suit or shorts? This may sound odd, but do they bring a portapotty ashore, or are we not there all that long. Remember, you sometimes "rent" coffee. LOL. I'm glad about the casual dress on board. Formal night is fun to watch the fashion show, but I hate to pack.

Shall we plan to meet up at the hotel, or at least at sailaway? On our last cruise, the CC'ers had bubbles during sailaway. It was a great ice breaker, fun, and made it easy to find one another. I look forward to meeting you all.

 

Judy and Jim

[disneygal]

Hi Judy and Jim and everyone else on the Dec 5th sailing. We're actually going the previous week, right after Thanksgiving. Now I'm a little sorry we picked that week, since I won't get to meet you all. We also live near Boston. A couple of years ago we were on the SeaDream, which is a 100-passenger boat. It was wonderful! That led me to look for other small-boat cruises and ultimately the Xpedition trip. I also like the casual dress. :-) Hopefully we can compare our experiences upon our return and share with others who will be in the planning stages. I'm hoping someone can answer Judy's others questions too. Wishing you all an awesome trip!

 

Marla (who also loves DisneyWorld)

[Judy S]

We managed to get a flight earlier in the day from Miami. We're using FF miles and are going to be at the Marriott for 3 nights. When I say "earlier", we still get in late in the day, but not that late. We just booked the Boston to Quito round trip on our own. The flights to and from Baltra are through the cruise line. It was easier to do that.

[disneygal]

For those with Delta Skymiles... I noticed that they lowered the number of miles needed from the U.S. to Quito from 50,000 to 35,000. Delta uses partner airline Continental for these flights. We had used 50,000 per ticket, so I called Delta and they refunded me the difference. However, they would not have notified me of the change. Just thought this info. might benefit someone else.

 

Marla

[narob]

We will be looking forward to hearing everyone's report from this Month and December 5th, since we will be on the December 12th cruise. Lot's of details, please. Thanks

[SandyR5]

Hey December cruisers...What made you choose to go in December? We're going to book this trip but just can't make up our minds when to go. March seems the warmest, but rainy. We don't like to travel in the summer. The beginning of December sounds like a time we'd like to go. After you return, please post a report and tell us about the animals you see. Same for all of you that travel on this trip. I know each month different species are active. Would love to hear even a mini report from everyone to know what to expect. Thanks...and December cruisers, tell me why you chose to cruise then.

[goldendaze]

Hi Judy,

It sounds like the Dec 5th cruise will be a lot of fun. I don't know much about the shore excursions/attire, maybe some info will be in our documents when they arrive - should be any day now. I am starting to get excited with the trip only a month away now. I bet we will all meet up at the Marriott at some point as there will be a city tour and some meals prior to the flight to the islands. We are 40 somethings and hope we can keep up with you guys!

SandyR5 - I wish I could say there was some rhyme or reason for picking December but it was a fluke as I received a newsletter from my TA and I spotted this trip listed in there and thought it sounded interesting as we have wanted to see the Galapagos. Since we had a few vacation days left this year I called the TA and she said there were 2 cabins left for 12/5 so she held one for us - I said cool let's go! I will post our December findings.

Dara

[Twojacks]

Hi all,

We are 50-somethings from Olympia, WA, booked on the 10 day cruisetour from Quito December 3.

This has been a wonderful, informative forum! It answered questions we didn't even know we had! My husband is interested in Scuba diving, so hopefully there will be opportunities.

Fellow cruisers, we are looking forward to meeting you soon!

Ken and Carole

[Gillian2]

Hi all December 5th cruisers!
We got our docs today!! We chose Dec. after checking weather, rough/calmer seas, water temperatures etc and who knows??!! Sounded good to us!
We leave the 23rd Nov. (our wedding anniversary) so need to be thinking about what to take. I just filled out the pre cruise forms on the Celebrity web site. I thought I had done that previously but obviously not!
The docs note scuba diving is not included but Celebrity will arrange for local scuba diving excursions guests can purchase while onboard.
Gillian :)

[Gillian2]

Oops, almost forgot. I read, SandyR5, that Elite Captain's Club members get a 10% discount on Xpeditions.
Celebrity is going to accept RCCL cruise credits as of January, so whether those with a lot of RCCL cruises will be able to acquire Elite ranking who knows?? Elite is 11+ cruises.
Gillian

[SandyR5]

Gillian & Dara - Thanks for your answers. We've cruised RCCL and X but aren't quite up there yet. Can't wait for your trip reports. :)

[ppard]

Hi all you Dec 5 cruisers. We heard that December is one of the best months of the year in the islands. If you put "Galapagos, EC" into any weather search, you can check the current conditions. It has been a consistent low of 70 and high of 78 this month. December is a transition month between the wet and dry seasons. It's raining here in WA and I can't wait to get out of it! My husband is a runner, also, and he is already having "withdrawals" about not being able to run on deck but I'm hoping the excursions will be satisfying enough for him. We're looking forward to meeting all of you fellow travelers. It's curious how far we have to travel to meet people who live near us! See you in Quito! Dottie

[Trobrah]

Hi,
I have noticed on most of the travel related websites that pricing for the Galapagos trip is fairly constant. Is this due to Celebrity's new no discount policy or is it related to this specific cruise? I assume from a price perspective, therefore, that it makes no difference whether you book with a travel agent, website or directly with Celebrity since they sould all be the same for a specific sailing.
Thanks,
Jay

[Judy S]

Hello, all! It seems as though our list of pax for the Dec. 5 sailing is growing. By my count we are: Twojacks (Ken and Carole), Gillian2 (Gillian and Dara), Goldendaze (Dara), Ppard (Dottie and ??), Cruisergal, and Judy S (Jim and Judy). Please correct me if I've made any errors. Anyone else out there on our sailing? We'll be in cabin 312. Hopefully we won't be tripping over the anchor chain, or listening to it. I'm getting so excited about this cruise, I can't stand myself, but I'm enjoying reading everyone's posts about this destination. Look forward to meeting you all in person.

Jim and Judy

[TheReadBaron]

Well, as a travel professional with agent status (travel writer/editor) I was unable to get any discounts from Celebrity. Actually, I called a cruise consolidator who sold just the 7 day package and it came out to the same price Celebrity was offering for the 10 day (inclusive of air to Baltra.) I think going through Celebrity is the best value out there...

[Gillian2]

Hi Judy S. It is Gillian and Phil! Thanks for putting us all together in one posting.
Trobrah, I got a discount but I booked a few months ago before all the new regulations. I can't list the agency according to CC rules. Maybe you can give me your email address? You never know if it is still possible until you ask!
Gillian :)
PS Am I the only person who has not read up on the Galapagos Islands at great length? ?? :eek: I do intend to get some books but time is growing short. X sent a reading list in the docs.

[rdowney]

Some of the online agencies are offering MasterCard gift cards in place of discounts. That's not as good as saving cash upfront, but it can represent a significant amount of money. For example, it will be $900 on our cabin. Of course, you have to make up your own mind about whether you want the advice of a live, full-service agent for this trip.

[Cruisergal1208]

YAHOO!! Got our docs yesterday and have read them several times. This is going to be so exciting. Up to date, our land tour of South Africa last Sept. has been the trip of a lifetime but this one may out rate it. The docs really answered a lot of my questions. Will any of you be getting shots of any kind and will you be prepared for altitude sickness while in Quito? Looking forward to all being casual dress and not packing all that formal stuff. Judy, thanks for listing all of us that has posted so far. Our real names are Mary Ann and Tom. Looking forward to meeting you all at the Marriott.

Ken and Carole, were you on the Infinity last March for the South America cruise? We met a couple with the same names and were wondering if it was you.

Going to the book store to purchase some books to read and highlight what we will be doing and seeing.

[Judy S]

I just called my travel clinic, they think we're good to go, but I'll have to speak to the nurse tomorrow. The only thing we may need is malarial medication and a new script for Cipro (just in case). We already have hep A and B, typhoid, tetanus, polio and cholera. I'll let you know what they recommend as well as what to do for altitude sickness. Good news, bad news...the good news is that we're in our 50's and healthy. The bad news is that we don't qualify for flu shots. I guess we'll be waving and rubbing elbows this winter rather than shaking hands, hugging and kissing.

[Trobrah]

Hi,
I booked 9/16/2005 today. A category XO stateroom. Only 145 sf but I figure my DW and I won't be spending much time there. She will want to see every Blue Footed Boobie that there is. We are using frequent flyer miles to get to Quito and back!

[SandyR5]

Hi - I didn't realize you "needed" shots for this trip. Have all of you who are going soon, or have just gone, had shots??? I thought some dramamine and some imodiam...just in case, was enough.