Galapagos Cruises
 

   Galapagos Cruises

• How to book:

If you book from abroad or through the internet you will pay significantly more (sometimes 2 to 3 times more than what you would pay on the islands or Ecuador). Booking from Quito is the safest option, but it's likely you will pay a premium for doing so. Booking on the islands is often quoted as the cheapest method, but not without a tiny risk and no guarantee of amazingly cheap prices since accounts are mixed and seem to depend very much on individual experiences and seasonal variations and you will also need a couple of days to spare and won't want a particular boat, fly independently to the islands and shop around in Puerto Ayora. There are up to 10 boats of different price levels leaving daily in high season, and fewer boats but also fewer passengers in low season.

The following are bottom prices (cash), after bargaining (roughly):

• Tourist-superior = US$600; hot water and private toilets, air con., accommodates 8-16 people.

• Tourist-class = US$525

• Economy-class = US$450; shared toilets/showers, cold water, no air con., diesel fumes/engine noise may disturb you at night, some cabins may have a few little cockroaches at night, bring some seasick pills, accommodates 8-12 people.

Note: Regardless of boat class, any cruise through the Galapagos will be amazing. All boats go to the same islands, although more expensive and faster boats may add Genovesa Island to their itinerary. Drinks other than water/tea/coffee are never included in the price. Diving is never included in the price either.

• Steps that you should follow on arrival to the islands:

• How many days:

Everyone who buys an 8-day cruise (includes the North and South islands) will actually spend 6 days/7 nights cruising; it actually starts at 7 p.m. on the first day and ends early in the morning on the 8th day. If you are picky and want a specific class of boat, you may have to wait from a few hours to one or two days while you visit some of the sights in Puerto Ayora: enjoy Tortuga beach and the animals, Darwin Research Center, the birds and iguanas until the boat you choose is available. We still had time to spend another day-and-half in Puerto Ayora on our way back and would have loved to stay longer. Shorter cruises (3 or 4 nights) takes you either to the North or to the South islands; considering the air fare and the park entrance fee that you paid to get to the Galapagos, the 8-day cruise is a much better value.

• Money & what to bring:

Take cash to the islands; some boat operators accept Visa and MasterCard but none accept Amex. You can get cash up to the limit of your Visa card at the only bank in Puerto Ayora (Banco del Pacífico) with no commission but will have to wait in line, sometimes for over 30 minutes. You can also get cash from your Visa card at some souvenir shops; expect to pay a commission in this case. Take enough film/memory with you; if you have a digicam you'll be able to easily charge your batteries on the boat. Also bring sun block lotion, a hat and seasick pills (just in case).

• Why travel agencies in the mainland (Quito and Guayaquil) should be avoided:

- They will try to trick you into not booking a cruise directly from the islands, often by creating fear that you may not be able to find a boat.
- They are usually owned by expat foreigners who charge 50% to 70% over the price of the cruise, only for making a phone call to the islands, while the locals (boat owner, captain, tour guide, cook, waiter, sailors) do the real work.
- “The boat returns to port during the trip” is an excuse used by travel agents to downgrade all competitor's boats and sell their own expensive packages to naive tourists. Boats don't actually return to port, they stop in Baltra for a few hours on the 3rd or 4th day to pick-up passengers from the airport and to stock on food/water.
- “There is a very limited choice of boats that sell last minute deals in Puerto Ayora”; that is again bad advice from those travel agents, unless you are looking for a top luxury and very expensive sailing boat.
- “Economy class boats don't offer qualified guides”; again not true, we had an excellent English-speaking Naturalist guide on our economy boat; actually all local guides speak English all the time.
- “We also offer last minute deals to the islands”; all Thorn Tree readers who booked a Galapagos cruise for the last two years paid between 50% and 70% more from Quito than the ones who booked from Puerto Ayora. This is consistent with my survey with all passengers from all boats that I checked myself.

• Flights:

You can go directly to the TAME airline office in Quito domestic terminal, which is located about 20 meters from the international terminal. Or you can reserve your flights in advance through web@tame.com.ec. Last info: there are two daily flights from Quito to Baltra at 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. with a stopover in Guayaquil. There is a 15% discount off TAME flights if you have an ISIC student card and are under 30. The flight back from the islands (daily at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.) can be changed at any time in Puerto Ayora for free, provided that you haven't done the pre-check-in, which should be done a day or two before you fly out, either by the tour guide or by yourself at the TAME office. The penalty for changing dates after the pre-check-in is approximately US$25. Air fares (return trip) are:

• High season (approx. from 1 Nov. to 30 Apr. and from 15 Jun. to 14 Sep.) US$450 from Quito and US$400 from Guayaquil.

• Low season US$400 from Quito and US$350 from Guayaquil.

Note: that what's considered “high season” for air tickets is slightly different than “high season” for cruise boats (approx. from 1 Dec. to 15 Jan. and from 1 Jul. to 31 Aug.) Aerogal (same airfare but no discount for ISIC holders) flies 3 times a week to San Cristobal Island, which most cruise boats don't go to. TAME also flies to San Cristobal 4 times a week.

• Diving:

If you want to dive and there are no diving facilities on your boat, all you will have to do is choose which boat you want to dive with, and tell your captain; he will arrange the divemaster to come talk to you before the first dive, or your captain will take you to the other boat at the right time each day. Suppose you are cruising in an economy boat (which don't usually offer diving) and are diving with a first-class boat; you may even have a hot shower and free breakfast in the first-class boat (if you ask) on the days that you dive with them. Each dive cost around US$60 per tank and includes all gear; if you do 5 or more dives and bargain you may get each dive for US$55.

If you want to dive 3 or 4 times per day you should book a live aboard. A live aboard can go to the islands of Darwin and Wolf (regular cruise boats don't visit those) where you may see a whale shark if lucky. Please look at what Scuba Iguana and Nauti Diving have to offer.

When is a good time of year to go: From January to June, the seas are at their calmest, warmest (26ºC) and the skies are usually clear, although those are also the rainiest months. From June to December, the air is cooler, the skies are often lightly overcast but there is virtually no precipitation in the lowlands. Every guide has his own “best month” to visit the islands. September is the coldest month with the water temperature reaching 19ºC

• Isabela Island:

  Regular cruise boats don't visit Isabela Island, which you can visit on your own; the fast boat takes 2.5 hours and cost US$30. Although the need of environmental protection is everywhere, you won't need a guide to move around the island, and you won't have the time restrictions that you usually have at each place on a regular cruise. You will be able to relax more and enjoy it at your own pace. Sea temperature in West Isabela may drop to 16ºC in the cold season and as low as 13ºC depending on La Niña years.

   

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