We recently took a bucket list trip to the Galápagos Islands, were we spent a little time on the island of Santa Cruz and then headed out on an incredible expedition cruise to explore this magical archipelago.
I have been planning this trip for years (quite literally), and I am pretty confident I considered every single ship available for our cruise journey. So if you're planning a Galapagos cruise as well, let me save you a little time with this quick guide!
Jump to:
- Cruise vs Land Based Trip
- Large Cruise Ships vs Small Expedition Ships
- Budget & Cruise Class
- Accommodations for Families
- Accommodations for Singles
- Minimum Age for Galapagos Cruise
- Number of Nights
- Itineraries - What islands and wildlife do you want to see?
- Best Time of Year to Go
- Booking - Direct vs Travel Agency
- Should you book last minute for a deal?
- Combining Cruise & Land Based Visits
- Final Thoughts!
Cruise vs Land Based Trip
First things first, should you do a cruise or a land based trip? Well frankly, we can write another whole article on that topic. And I will. But in short, the very best wildlife viewing in the Galapagos occurs on the further out islands, especially the western coast of Fernandina. So if that is your main reason for visiting, a cruise that includes these locations is going to be the best way to see the wildlife on your wish list. That's my personal reasoning.
Cruising is also an excellent way to enjoy the islands with a bit more peace and serenity than staying in the busy towns and venturing out on day tours. It's also important to note that the majority of visitor sites within the national park require a tour guide, so you will be limited in what you can see on your own in a land based trip anyway.
Large Cruise Ships vs Small Expedition Ships
I suggest first deciding whether you are looking for a larger or smaller cruise ship. Now, none of the ships in the Galapagos are going to be the massive style of cruise ships you are used to seeing in the Caribbean cruise ports. A large ship here is going to be somewhere between 50-100 passengers.
These larger ships will offer more amenities. You may find things like a swimming pool, hot tubs, and multiple bars and dining areas. So the upside is more stuff to do on the ship! If you are worried about seasickness, these larger ships will likely be more stable as well.
But the cons are somewhat significant, in my opinion. With many passengers on board, the ship will often need to take guests out in smaller groups, which can mean waiting around to take turns doing activities. And the large ships also can not access some of the specific wildlife sites that I thought were the most interesting.
On the other hand, the smaller expedition cruises will have 16-20 guests in just 8-10 cabins with 1-2 naturalist guides. The national park requires one naturalist guide for every 16 guests, which is why you'll see so many ships with a guest capacity of exactly 16. With this small number of passengers, you are able to get straight to the exploring without waiting around for your turn, and you get a much more personal experience.
The smaller ships are also able to access all of the possible wildlife viewing areas around the islands, getting you into places that the larger cruise ships sometimes can't.
Budget & Cruise Class
Galapagos cruises are generally sorted into three classes: Budget, Mid-Range, and Luxury. You can think of the classifications kind of like hotel star ratings - it's a similar concept. The class affects cabin size and finishes, ship amenities, food quality, and sometimes staff to guest ratios. But it doesn't have much impact on the sites you'll visit or the wildlife you'll see. (That's mostly about itinerary, which we cover above.)
Budget (Economy/Tourist Class) - $450-650 per person, per night
These will be smaller boats with very simple cabins, and no extra amenities. Given the size of the ships, the cabins may be on the lower level and may have bunk-style beds. Meals will be basic, but still good. Don't expect much in the way of creature comforts.
Mid-Range (Tourist Superior/First Class) - $650-1100 per person, per night
Some operators and agencies divide this up into two different categories. But you'll find there is a lot of inconsistency in how the same ships are classified by different sources, as there is no official definition. If you see both listed, first class will be a cut above tourist superior.
These ships will be a step up in both cabin comfort and food quality. You'll likely find larger cabins with proper beds, not bunks. You may find extras like cabin balconies, a hot tub, or kayaks/paddleboards. And these ships will often have more experienced guides. This is a solid middle-ground choice for most travelers, and is the category most Galapagos ships fall into.
Luxury - $1000 to $1,700+ per person, per day
As with most luxury categories, the sky is the limit! But on these luxury ships, you can expect to find more spacious suites. Cabins will often have private balconies. And the ship will certainly have some of those extras above such as a hot tub and/or water toys. You should expect top-tier dining. And these ships will have highly experienced guides and possibly a lower guest to staff ratio.
These rates typically include your cabin, all meals, naturalist-guided excursions, and snorkeling gear. Although the Budget cruises may charge a small fee to rent snorkeling equipment.
You should expect additional costs for your flights to/from the islands, the $200 per person park entry fee, a $20 TCT card for each traveler, and gratuities for your guide and cruise staff.
Accommodations for Families
If you are traveling as a couple, all ships will have appropriate accommodations. But if you're traveling as a family with kids, things can get a little more tricky.
If you are a family of four, you will likely need to book two cabins. If you are not comfortable having your children in a separate room or splitting up the adults, you will want to look specifically for a ship that offers adjoining cabins. This is not super common, but it is available.
If you are a family of three, you will have two options. First, is to book two cabins and pay the single supplement for one of them (see more on this below). The second option is to choose a cruise ship that offers triple cabins. Again, this is not available on every ship, but there are ships that offer 1-2 cabins in a triple configuration. That is usually in the form of a sofa bed for the third person.
As we were travelling with an eleven year old, I felt most comfortable having him in a cabin with us, so we booked a triple cabin on the Ecogalaxy. We had a king sized bed and a single sofa bed, which was very comfortable for everyone.
Accommodations for Singles
If you are traveling as a single person, you will have the option of booking a double cabin for yourself, and paying a single supplement fee. On some ships, that supplement can be modest and on others it could literally be double the fare, so this can get pricey quickly.
Alternatively, there are a limited number of ships that have a single cabin, which won't have a single supplement fee. It will be a smaller room, likely with a twin size bed. But it can be a significant cost savings! You may also find ships more willing to waive or reduce the single supplement fee as the sailing dates approach.
You may also find some ships that will match you up with a roommate to share a cabin. This is more common on the Budget class ships with bunk-style accommodation. I'm much too old to roll with that kind of thing, but this could work out great for adventurous young people on a budget!
Minimum Age for Galapagos Cruise
Many ships have a minimum age requirement of six years for Galapagos cruises. And once you experience it, you'll understand why. These cruises are extremely active with a large amount of time spent in the water.
And snorkeling off a panga in rough water is not anything like snorkeling off a sandy beach. It is simply not feasible for very young kids to participate in the activities, and could actually be very dangerous.
Regardless of the rules of the ship, I would not take any child that isn't 100% comfortable in the water. If they wouldn't be comfortable jumping into deep water from the side of a boat, snorkeling unassisted, and then climbing back into the boat from a swim ladder, they aren't ready yet. (This actually applies to adults too!)
That being said, if your child loves the ocean, swimming, and wildlife- this is the perfect adventure! My Florida-kid loves the ocean and had no trouble keeping up. In fact, the adults had a harder time keeping up with him.
Note: If you are planning to charter the whole boat, which is not uncommon for large groups, the age minimums may be waived. It's still worth considering the safety factors above!
Number of Nights
Next, I would suggest narrowing things down based on the number of nights you have available for cruising. A full one week cruise is the most popular choice, but there are cruises as long as two weeks and cruises as short as three days.
We opted for a five night cruise, which was the perfect fit for us. It worked well with the amount of vacation time we had available, and was really the maximum amount of time we would want to spend on a small ship, no matter how nice the ship may be. ;)
I'd suggest narrowing down to a range (3-5 nights, 5-8 nights, 7+ nights). Then take a look at the itineraries, to see what you can visit in that amount of time.
Itineraries - What islands and wildlife do you want to see?
Now this is a really critical decision, especially if you have a wish list of wildlife you are hoping to see on this trip! If you have all the time in the world, go ahead and choose one of the incredible two-week itineraries that cover the whole archipelago! But if you're like the rest of us with limited time and budget, you'll have to make some choices.
Some of the most popular options include:
Western Isabela & Fernandina - This area is entirely uninhabited and only accessible by liveaboard ships, making it a rich wildlife destination. This is the area to see the famous Galapagos penguins and Blue Footed Boobies.
Floreana - This island has a rich history and is the setting of the infamous Galapagos Affair. It's also home to Post Office Bay, where you can drop a letter and pick up another to hand deliver to someone back home.
Genovesa - Known as "bird island", this is the place to be if you're an avid birdwatcher.
San Cristobal - Some ships do embark or disembark in San Cristobal. But the real highlight here is Kicker Rock, which is possibly the best place in the world to swim with hammerhead sharks.
Here are a few other things to keep in mind when you're choosing an itinerary:
Some cruises offer itineraries that are actually two separate cruises done back-to-back. So the "14 night cruise" may actually be the "7 night Western Galapagos Cruise" paired back-to-back with the "7 night Eastern Galapagos Cruise". You get the idea? That's not inherently bad. But it's likely that most of the passengers will be changing between the two itineraries. And there is a fair amount of wasted time as the ships makes its way back to the airport in the middle to change passengers.
I also don't care for itineraries that spend time stopping in the major towns. The towns of Puerto Ayora in Santa Cruz, Puerto Villamil in Isabela, and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno in San Cristobal are all towns that you can reach by plane or ferry and stay in a hotel. A cruise is meant to get you out to the areas you can't otherwise reach!
Best Time of Year to Go
The Galapagos really has two seasons, and neither one is a bad time to visit - it just depends on what you're after.
Warm & Wet Season (December - May) - Air temps run 77-88°F, seas are calmer and clearer, and this is prime time for snorkeling and diving. You'll get brief afternoon showers, but the islands are lush and green. This is also nesting season for green sea turtles (January-March) and courtship season for blue-footed boobies and waved albatross (April-May) - so if you want to see those famous mating dances, this is your best window.
Cool & Dry Season (June - November) - Nutrient-rich currents move in, which sounds unglamorous but means more marine life - bigger fish, more action underwater. Skies turn overcast (locals call it garua), and the water and air both cool down a bit. Seas can be choppier here, especially on the western side of Isabela and Fernandina, so pack your seasickness meds. This is also whale shark season at Darwin and Wolf islands (peak July-October) and when sea lion pups are born.
Shoulder months (May and November) are worth a special mention - you often get a mix of both seasons' best qualities, plus fewer crowds.
If you want to dodge the busiest crowds and score better pricing, aim for early December (just before the holidays), early January (right after), or September.
We cruised in early June and landed right at that warm-to-cool transition - the water was still comfortable without a wetsuit, but we hit some very rough seas on a couple of days (you read about that in our Ecogalaxy review!). So if smooth sailing matters more to you than budget or crowds, that's worth factoring in.
Booking - Direct vs Travel Agency
If you are choosing a large cruise ship, such as Celebrity Flora, you can go ahead and just book direct with the cruise line. They are well equipped to deal directly with consumers.
But you will find that the smaller cruise operators don't always have the customer service set up you might expect. Some don't have a website at all. Most don't offer online booking. And you may or may not find an English-speaking customer service rep if you call. And if you're trying to get pricing and availability on multiple options, you may find yourself making a lot of inquiries and spending a lot of time waiting for responses.
So this is one trip where it can make a lot of sense to use an agency. Personally, I did a ton of research and narrowed my list down to three ships/itineraries that I was interested in. Then I contacted a travel agent and had them get me pricing and availability on those, plus any others that they recommended based on my criteria.
From there, we made our choice and had the agency complete the booking for us. The pricing is typically the same regardless of whether you use an agency, so there is really no downside.
We booked through CNH Tours, and their website has a lot of helpful trip planning information also. (I have no affiliation with them other than being a customer, and don't make any money if you book!)
In full transparency, we never use a travel agency for anything. I am generally very meticulous about our trip planning and like to handle all the details myself, but I am glad we enlisted some help this time around!
Should you book last minute for a deal?
So can you get a better deal by booking a last minute cruise? Actually, yes. There are often deals to be had as cruise dates approach. Once you get within 30-60 days of the sail date, many operators will discount remaining cabins to ensure the ship is full.
If you have a flexible schedule and aren't too particular about accommodations or specific itineraries, this could be a great way to save some money.
Of course, if you have your heart set on a specific itinerary, need to work around key dates like school breaks, or need a particular type of cabin (like a triple or single), you will probably regret waiting to book.
We were really not flexible. We needed to travel in a specific two week period, wanted a triple cabin, and had very specific wildlife sites on our wish list - so we booked way in advance. I'm sure that means I paid a premium, and I'm okay with that because I got exactly what I wanted.
Combining Cruise & Land Based Visits
Another popular option is to combine a cruise with a bit of time spent on land. As most cruises depart from Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz, that is the most common place to spend a few days before or after a cruise.
However, you may find it more enjoyable to spend a few nights on San Cristobal where you can enjoy a bustling town with an enormous population of sea lions or on Isabela, which is arguably the quietest and most relaxing of the three main islands.
Final Thoughts!
There's a lot to weigh here - ship size, class, itinerary, timing, cabin type - and it can feel overwhelming at first. But don't let that stop you from booking this trip! The reality is that you can have an amazing experience on any of the Galapagos ships!
My recommendation? Figure out your must-see wildlife first, then let that drive your itinerary and season. Everything else - ship size, class, budget - is really just about your comfort level and what you're willing to spend to get there.
We booked a five-night cruise on the Ecogalaxy and it delivered everything on our wildlife wish list and then some. If you want the play-by-play of what a cruise actually looks like day to day, that review is a good next stop. And once you've settled on a ship, check out our guide on what to pack for a Galapagos cruise - half the packing list isn't what you'd expect.
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