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Highlights
Expect five-star service,
wonderful food and a very nice cabin. This is truly a quality cruise
(you will be very comfortable!) with a "lighter" natural
history program. All-inclusive package program.
Summary
Experience a truly intimate
encounter with the Galapagos. Operated by the only major cruise
line sailing these waters, she offers touches of the familiar, such
as complimentary plush bathrobes, hot tub, sauna, and fitness room.
This cruise is all-inclusive—from hotel accommodations to transfers,
to round-trip Galapagos airfare, to Park fees and drinks. Excursions
range between high, medium and low intensity so you can explore
the islands at your own pace. Additionally, strict environmental
guidelines and regulations are followed, and the naturalist guides
are certified by the Galapagos National Park and they also follow
their own conservation program onboard.
Itinerary
Trips start and end at the same place, but on alternate weeks
cruise a southeasterly or southwesterly route.
The first and last three days are the
same for each cruiseDay 1 - SE & SW: Quito, Ecuador
On the first day of your journey, you'll be greeted at the airport
and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy free time to relax and settle
in.
Day 2 - SE & SW: Quito, Ecuador
During a guided
tour of the capital of Ecuador, situated at an altitude of 9,350
feet, you'll stand on the equatorial line at the Half of the World
Park and Museum, and marvel at the monasteries of San Francisco
and Santo Domingo. Your tour director will escort you throughout
your Quito stay and serve as your personal concierge. Lunch with
a spectacular view of the city, and enjoy a welcome dinner at a
local gourmet restaurant.
Day 3 - SE & SW: Baltra Island / Daphne Island
During World War II, Baltra served as a U.S. military base protecting
the Panama Canal from enemy attack. Now the cactus-strewn landscapes
of Baltra are home to the region's main airport and where you will
meet the ship. After just a short bus and Zodiac ride you will be
aboard. Your luggage will be delivered straight to your stateroom,
giving you the opportunity to explore the Xpedition, a 296-foot
mega-yacht and your home for the week.
Daphne is a satellite
volcanic cone located north of Santa Cruz Island. The crater floor
is an important breeding site for the blue-footed boobies. This
island is famous for the scientific investigation led by Peter and
Rosemary Grant on the finches' population, one of the most important
studies on the field that support Charles Darwin's theory. The cliff
shore of the island is home for sea lions, pelicans, blue-footed
boobies, and tropic birds. In addition, large schools of fish can
be observed from the Zodiac rides.
| Southwest
Cruise - 11 Days |
| 1: Quito, Ecuador |
| 2: Quito, Ecuador |
| 3: Baltra Is.
/ Daphne Island |
| 4: Espanola
Island |
| 5: Floreana
Island |
| 6: Isabela Island |
|
| 7: Isabela Island
/ Fernandina Island |
| 8: South Plaza Island
/ Santa Fe Island |
| 9: Santa Cruz Island |
| 10: Baltra Island |
| 11: Quito, Ecuador |
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Southwesterly CruiseDay
4 - SW: Espanola Island
A long white sand beach and clear
blue waters make Gardner Bay an ideal spot for swimming, snorkeling,
or just relaxing on the beach. In the water, sea turtles, rays,
colorful tropical fish, and maybe even a white-tip reef shark may
be seen. It is also home to a colony of sea lions. Excursion options
include beach walking, swimming, or a deep water snorkel for experienced
snorkelers.
Espanola is the oldest island in the Galapagos
and is home to an abundance of wildlife. At the site of Suarez Point,
visitors can expect to see sea lions, Galapagos hawks, marine iguanas,
and both blue-footed and Nazca boobies. And, between late March
to the following January, the waved albatross come here to mate
and raise their young. Excursion options include a long, rocky walk
to look for albatross and observe an impressive blowhole that spews
water like a towering geyser.
Day 5 - SW: Floreana Island
Floreana was the first
capital of the Galapagos and where Charles Darwin first met the
islands' governor. Its small brackish lagoon is often home to flamingos,
stilts, and white-cheeked pintail ducks, and one of its beaches
is a highly used nesting site for sea turtles. Check out the green-hued
sand where you land. Excursion options near Cormorant Point include
a relatively short walk to the lagoon and sea turtle-nesting beach,
and optional snorkeling and swimming at the landing beach. In addition,
for experienced snorkelers only, a deep water snorkel is offered
near Champion Island.
Rich in history, Post Office Bay is
home to the post office barrel established in about 1793 where whalers
and others could leave their mail to be picked up by outbound ships.
Continue the tradition and during your short visit, post your own
letter or postcards at this early mail stop.
Day 6 - SW: Isabela Island
Along the beautiful rocky
shore at Moreno Point, a field of hardened black lava flows is pockmarked
by shallow pools, which are home to shorebirds and flamingos. The
mangrove-lined shore also provides a chance to see marine iguanas,
sea turtles, stingrays, sharks, penguins, and the flightless cormorant.
Excursion options include a long walk and Zodiac ride, or an extended
Zodiac ride.
Composed of five coalesced volcanoes, this
is the largest island in the Galapagos and the most recently active.
The latest eruption occurred in 2009. Here at Urvina Bay on Isabela
Island, you will see large land iguanas, finches, and if lucky,
a giant tortoise or two. In 1954, the intrusion of magma below one
of the island's volcanoes caused part of the bay to be uplifted
some six meters. Today, you can walk through the remains of what
was once a thriving underwater reef. Excursion options include a
long, faster-paced hike with some rock climbing required, followed
by an optional snorkel (if conditions allow), or a short walk and
optional snorkel.
Day 7 - SW: Isabela Island / Fernandina Island
The
half-collapsed remains of an ancient volcano make for a spectacular
setting at Vicente Roca Point on Isabela Island. Awe-inspiring cliffs,
blue waters, and wildlife create a Zodiac ride to remember as you
search for sea turtles, penguins, fur seals, the flightless cormorant,
marine iguanas, marine mammals, and the oddly-shaped form of the
elusive sunfish.
Fernandina is the youngest island in the
Galapagos and as Darwin wrote, it is "covered with immense deluges
of black naked lava." With its extraordinary black lava rocks, Espinoza
Point hosts the largest colony of marine iguanas in the archipelago,
along with sea lions and a nesting site for flightless cormorants.
Excursion options include a long walk, a Zodiac ride and short walk,
as well as a deep water snorkel for experienced snorkelers.
Day 8 - SW: South Plaza Isand / Santa Fe Island
One
of two twin islands off Santa Cruz, South Plaza was born of upheaval,
uplifted during a geological event. The rocky island is strewn with
prickly pear cactus and is home to land iguanas, marine iguanas,
and a colony of sea lions. Your excursion here is a short walk to
view wildlife, flora, and geology.
Southeast of Santa Cruz,
the small uplifted island of Santa Fe is dotted with cactus and
is home to some of the largest land iguanas in the islands. Lava
lizards, sea lions, Galapagos hawks, finches, and the Galapagos
Mockingbird may be seen. Excursion options include a short walk,
and an optional deep water snorkel
Day 9 - SE & SW: Santa Cruz Island
Puerto Ayora
is the main population center of the islands, home to the National
Park Tortoise Breeding Center and the Charles Darwin Research Station.
Visit the Tortoise Breeding Center, and hopefully say hello to one
of the island's most famous residents, Lonesome George, as well
as walk through the Charles Darwin Station. You will also have the
opportunity to take a bus ride to the highlands to observe giant
tortoises in the wild and walk through a lava tunnel. There will
also be free time available for shopping.
Day 10 - SE & SW: Baltra Island
Return to Baltra
Island and say farewell to the enchanted islands. A representative
will greet you at the airport for your flight to your post-cruise
Quito experience. Your luggage will be transferred from the ship
directly to the plane. Your flight departs the Galapagos giving
you one last glimpse of the world's most treasured archipelago.
Day 11 - SE & SW: Quito, Ecuador
Upon your arrival
to Quito, a representative will escort you to your hotel. Enjoy
an optional afternoon excursion to the local craft market, time
permitting. Dinner is served at your hotel. The following morning,
after a continental breakfast, your representative will once again
escort you to the airport for your return flight home.
*The above rates are per person based on double
occupancy and serve as a guideline only. Fares increase
by cabin category and as the sailing date approaches. Please
contact ExpeditionTrips for exact rates.
Single Rate: 2 times the regular cabin
category double occupancy rate.
Triple Rate: Triple occupancy cabins are
available upon request and rates will vary depending on the sail
date.
Additional Costs:
International Airfare
Fuel surcharge may apply
Price includes Galapagos airfare, 3 nights hotel and
transfers.
Included:
Voyage aboard Xpedition; meals
and select beverages onboard; room service; onboard programs and
lectures; complimentary snorkeling equipment, mini wetsuits,
binoculars, and walking sticks; gratuities while onboard for
crew, lecturers, and guides; Galapagos National Park fee;
Galapagos tourist card fee; pre-cruise transfer from Quito
Airport to hotel and back; two nights in shared double occupancy
hotel room in Quito before flight to Baltra; meals during land
portion of itinerary; a guided full-day tour of Quito;
round-trip air transportation from Quito to Baltra; transfers
from Baltra Airport to Xpedition; gratuities for hotel staff and
Quito tour guides; post-cruise transfers from Xpedition to
Baltra Airport; one post-cruise night at hotel with dinner and
breakfast; transfer from hotel to Quito Airport. Subject to
change without notice.
Not Included:
Air transportation between
home city and Quito; any food or beverages obtained off of
Celebrity Xpedition (except as noted); purchases of souvenirs,
gifts and other personal items on board; personal services such
as spa, laundry, Internet, and telecommunication charges;
baggage, travel/cancellation and personal insurance; optional
pre/post packages; certain premium beverages; fuel surcharge may
apply.
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