Im not going to write a trip report since our trip wasnt with
ABD. Some of you may be interested in a longer cruise in the Galapagos than ABD offers or just interested in how other companies compare, so Ill offer some impressions. I wont go into all the details of all the cool things we saw. Ill just say you really do see all the amazing animals and scenery you read about on the internet.
We took the group flight from Miami. There were 70 Lindblad guests on the flight and we got to know each other a little in the airport, especially since our plane was delayed by 3 hours due to mechanical problems. A Lindblad representative greeted us individually as we arrived at the gate. She gave us some information and was just generally very pleasant. She also had a list of everyone who was supposed to be on the flight, so she was keeping track of whether everyone was there to board. She didnt really have to worry about that since our departure was so late. She stayed with us until we all got on the plane. Then in Guayaquil two smiling Lindblad reps met us once we had passed through customs, took our bags, loaded us on a bus and whisked us away to the Hilton. On the way they gave us some information including the fact that we would be receiving at wakeup call at 5:45 and our bags needed to be outside our door by 6:00. We arrived at around 3:00AM, were very efficiently checked in and given our room keys. After an hour or so of sleep, everyone was surprisingly cheerful at breakfast.
The return trip home was handled just as efficiently. There were two Lindblad reps at the Guayaquil airport to help us with check in, paying departure taxes, etc. One unexpected thing was that those of us on the group flight didn't have to pay the departure tax. The Lindblad website specifically mentions that as being the guests responsibility, but apparently it had already been paid.
For the first two days the ship that ABD uses, the Galapagos Explorer II, was visiting the same islands as us. We never saw any of the people, but we could see the ship anchored in the distance. I think our ship looked nicer, at least from the outside.
After that, we were always the only ship around at whatever island we were visiting. On each island one naturalist led a group of 16 guests. That ratio is dictated by the park service, so it would be the same with any tour company. Sometimes we had fewer on the snorkeling trips or Zodiac rides. Whenever activities were offered there were always 2 or 3 alternatives. Longer, more strenuous walks or shorter, easier walks. Snorkeling was offered every day, but if you didnt want to snorkel there were Zodiac rides, glass bottom boat excursions or kayaking. Or you could just stay on the ship and relax on deck, in the lounge, or in the library or get a massage in the glass-bottomed, floating spa. I didn't visit the floating spa (didn't want to leave the ship without DS), but I did take advantage of the complimentary chair massage offered by the pool.
There was a family from the Galapagos on the ship with us mom, dad, son and daughter all very charming. I dont know how often they do this, but our expedition leader told us that Lindblad invites local families on the ship to give them a chance to see islands other than their home island. They were a wonderful addition to the group. There were around 15 kids on the ship. Some of them stayed close to their parents, especially the teenagers, but there was a group of 8 kids who were almost inseparable. One of them was mine. I was so happy that he made friends right away. The kids commandeered a table in the dining room and DS totally abandoned me during almost every meal. Luckily there were many friendly, interesting people on the ship, so I wasnt lonely.
Some of the things they dont tell you about on the website
one evening after dinner a local band and traditional Ecuadorian dancers came on board and entertained us. The kids (and their accompanying adults) learned to drive the zodiac, and the kids were given a cute drivers license that evening in the lounge before the days recap with the naturalists. There was a ceremony for the kids on the pool deck when we crossed the Equator with King Neptune and his court (the naturalist in silly costumes). There were various activities for the kids in the lounge during the times when we were on the ship making postcards, creating a journal, watching entertaining, but also educational, videos. The naturalists were very good with the kids. The kids even had a pizza and movie party one evening in the lounge while the adults were in the dining room. Sound familiar? The movie was Wall-E!
One evening out on deck, just as the sun was setting, the captain performed a wedding ceremony for two of the guests. What an amazing place to get married! That is something Ive never seen on an ABD.
Next, the food. It was good and very plentiful. Before breakfast there was coffee, juices, fresh fruit and some sort of pastry in the lounge and/or out on deck. We had a buffet for breakfast and lunch and dinner was table service. Each morning we chose our dinner selection from a list of three choices always one fish, one with some other meat option, and a vegetarian option. On Santa Cruz we had lunch on the island at a private restaurant away from the town and one evening we had a barbeque on deck. Each evening when we returned from our activities there were appetizers waiting for us and then cocktails and more appetizers during the recap. After all that eating, we had dinner! Coffee, tea, soda were always available in the lounge, and also beer (not free, but one the honor system). There were big jars of crackers and cookies in the library. DS made lots of trips to the library.
We were given metal water bottles to carry with us on excursions. There were a couple of water/ice dispensers where we could fill them.
Money I spent very little outside the initial cost of the trip. The only meal I paid for was dinner on the last night in Guayaquil. I bought a few small souvenirs, but they were inexpensive. Shopping opportunities were pretty limited, which was fine with me. Paid for most of my drinks on the ship, but a few were included. I also had laundry done on the ship which was reasonably priced and a heck of a lot better than packing a ton of stuff. Lindblad recommended $140 per guest in gratuities. That was divided among the naturalists and crew (a little over 60 people). For a ten day trip, I thought that was very reasonable. The crew was fantastic. Everybody went out of their way to make sure everyone had whatever they needed or wanted. I was just amazed by our cabin attendant. DS was always leaving his clothes on the floor, and every time we left the room for even just a few minutes, wed come back to find his clothes neatly folded on the bed.
Lastly (unless I think of something else) after we were back home I got a certificate in the mail from Lindblad for discounts on future trips. They offer $400 per person off the price of a trip if you book within 12 months, $200 if you book within 24 months and $100 if you book within 36 months. This discount can be combined with one additional savings offer, and they usually have something like a discount or free airfare on their website. The per guest discount is for a maximum of 2 guests, which works great for us, but not so good for a big family, but its still $800 off the total, so not bad.
The only thing I missed was having a guide who takes family photos. Our naturalist did offer to take pictures occasionally, but it's not like having somebody doing it all the time. But we did have a professional videographer recording our trip and that was great. The video was available for purchase for $50. We received our copy before we left the ship, which was nice.
This is a lot longer than I intended and I could go on and on. It was a wonderful trip. Lindblad is great. If you have an questions, Ill try to answer them.
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...and I am finishing up our plans for the land portion.
