Galapagos News [Archive]

Jeff Wagg

22nd June 2007, 06:59 AM

Skeptic Ginger

30th June 2007, 07:50 PM

Well after I posted this on the wrong thread, I'll try again.

The following are excerpts from a multitude of reviews about the cruise. I just copied stuff I was interested to know. Thought I'd share though since it might also interest you all.

Not in any particular order, not organized, not spell checked, and not divided into who said what:
I had originally wondered if traveling on a large ship, relative to local standards, would detract from the experience. Our ship had 100 guests, whereas many others had 15. No fear! This is what allowed us to have so many choices for activities on each excursion. There was still one naturalist for every 15 people or so, so we weren't herded like cattle.

Smoking is quite restricted. The only place you can smoke is on deck. All indoor spaces are non-smoking, and the park itself is also non-smoking. Even in the towns I didn't see much smoking.

Exercise facilities were fairly limited. There were a few exercise bikes on deck amid ship. There were also a few basic workout devices in the room where the massages were given, but massages take preference and so you can get booted out. Also, there's no wraparound deck to use for jogging. Due to the nature of the shore excursions, however, there's probably enough activity to keep you busy.

For snorkeling purposes the ship provided fins, snorkel and mask to all passengers, sent directly to your room before the first snorkeling opportunity, to be returned on the last night. Wet suit shorties (3mm) were also available in various sizes. Most of the passengers wore them, although admittedly most of the naturalists didn't. These could be left hanging to dry overnight on deck, so no worries about a wet smelly suit hanging in your bathroom.

There was a small library available from which to borrow books. I left one entitled something like "God and Evolution in the Galapagos," which I found quite interesting. There is a small gift shop with some basics. A doctor is on board if you need her. And they have an open Bridge, so you can get a tour anytime, day or night. There is a TV in your room, but it has no live satellite link, just pre-recorded programming.

We also bought Keen Teva water shoes. They look like tennis shoes with tread bottoms and cutouts to look like sandals with very good toe protection. Much to our delight, many naturalist were wearing them too when we came on board. These were invaluable for wet landings that included lava flow hikes that crossed wet beaches,pools and streams. We found these on our feet more than any other footwear.

Be sure to bring water with you on the excursions. Although the naturalist brings some on the Zodiac, it runs out quickly on the hot days.

We paid only for laundry,

As usual when leaving the country. We bought travel insurance from CSA, specifying a low trip cancellation value, but making sure we had medical and medical evacuation coverage as well as lost or delayed baggage protection. The cost was only $227.00.

The sole difference between cabins on Deck 3 (Deluxe Stateroom) and on Deck 4 (Premium Stateroom) is that the Premium cabin has windows, and the Deluxe portholes. In addition there are five smaller cabins (145 square feet), four on Deck 3 and one on Deck four. Deck 5 has seven Xpedition Suites with 230 square feet and one Penthouse

The CD you receive at the end of the trip has enough photos to provide a lot of memories.

The crew were among the friendliest we have ever experienced; although their language skills were not great.

Internet and communications - the ship has 2-3 computers in the corner of the main lounge and they offer 60 minutes of internet for $30. You have to buy the package of 60 minutes and there is no refund for unused minutes. It is a decent connection and is fine for email. We have Cingular for cell phone service and they charged $2.29 per minute for international roaming. We had good reception in a number of places and I heard some people were able to use their Blackberry devices off and on.

Altitude sickness - some folks experienced problems in Quito due to the altitude. Most people experienced a shortness of breath when climbing stairs and during the walking portion of the city tour. There is a café in the hotel that offers Coca Tea as a remedy.

A strong insect repellant is also recommended, as there are some really nasty critters around that would love to make you their next meal.

The Expedition provides many useful extras: Binoculars [not great], Wet Suits (the waters are cold, but once in are not too cold), Snorkeling gear, and Bathrobes, to name a few.

I was very impressed by the small things provided like Q-tips and cotton balls as well as a converter to use for the electrical items we brought. There is also a small clothesline in the shower, although it took ages for anything to dry. There was a TV set that had a few channels, but we were much too busy to watch anything.

Mind you, high-intensity is not really that strenuous. Most trails were under 3 miles round-trip, with minimal elevation change. The big problem is walking on rocks.

If you're at all prone to seasickness, you must take meds with you. Luckily, we didn't get sick, although there was a lot of pitching and rolling. At times, I wished for a strap on my bed to keep me from rolling out of it. The Xpedition's stabilizers help somewhat while it's moving, but when it's anchored they don't help at all. The worst pitching and rolling occurs while it's standing still. It's the worst we've ever encountered, but then it's also the smallest boat we've ever been on

Will you get seasick? OK, the boat does rock when anchored...all boats rock when they are at anchor...this isn't a 2000 person ship. I'd say 1/4 of the guests got sick the first night..and then everyone adjusted

Some beach landings involve sliding out of the Zodiac into water, so you need shoes (sandals are best) that can't be hurt by getting wet.

Some landings are on rocky, uneven surfaces. You need good sturdy shoes/hiking boots with good tread. Since there may be two activities in one day that involve swimwear, you need two swimsuits, as the one you got wet in the a.m. won't be dry by the afternoon.

direct-dial telephones with voicemail, hairdryers, safes and bathrobes are provided at all accommodation levels.

In the hotel lobby, we began to experience altitude sickness, dizziness, shortness of breath & nausea. Quito is 9,500 ft in elevation.
I've never had this happen @ 10,000 feet, even going up after no time to acclimatize. But I did get sick at 14,000 (Pike's Peak, CO, you drive up) I was at 5,000 a few days before going. I had severe head and arm pain which disappeared completely only a few hundred feet down the mountain. I can't recall if I was nauseated.

Machu Picchu: 8,000 ft, 3hr train ride then bus to site

Cuzco: 11,500 ft
Monasterio Hotel, built in 1595 as a monastery.

For anyone who wants to snorkel, I suggest bringing a very small blow up inner tube. They take up little space when flat. I've snorkeled many times and using a little floating device is great. It holds you up as you paddle along looking down.

Antiquehunter

30th June 2007, 09:13 PM

Further to Skeptigirl's post above discussing experiences on Galapagos trips - having just been, may I heartily endorse getting a good quality Teva-type walking sandal suitable for wet landings?

Firstly, on our cruise, the operators were very conscious about not contaminating the islands - this extended as far as not bringing sand/soil from island X to island Y. So, shoes came off when returning to the boat and were rinsed off, as was any snorkel gear. Island shoes were kept separate from whatever shoes you were wearing on board - so we had two pairs with us - one pair for the islands, and one pair for schlepping around the boat.

Secondly, the terrain island to island varies dramatically. Some islands are rough lava flows, others are sandy, some are rocky/pebbly. So you want shoes with good grip, suitable for trail walking and with adequate protection.

Finally, when you're jumping off the pangas / zodiacs, you may be in knee-deep water with light waves - and whatever shoes you're wearing (Tevas included) will fill with sand etc... - so you want something you can quickly slip off, rinse out, and slip back on.

A couple of other notes that were relevant for me:

- Nothing except for water bottles on the islands - and these were meticulously accounted for by the naturalist guides. No foodstuffs, no smoking, no canned/bottled drinks. I'm not sure if Celebrity will follow these same rules, but I endorse them. While the islands are close to pristine, I did pick up litter on a few occasions, and it was shocking to me that people would leave garbage behind. The hikes aren't so long that its a burden to carry around an empty water bottle with you - and someone usually has a backpack with room for a squashed water bottle if its such a hardship.

- Empty your tanks before leaving the boat. Our naturalist endorsed 'What happens on an island in the Galapagos LEAVES the island.' That means if you gotta go, you're using a water bottle and carrying it around with you 'til you get back on board...

Skeptic Ginger

1st July 2007, 01:24 AM

Did the girls bring funnels?

BillC

1st July 2007, 02:41 AM

That's a very useful post, skeptigirl, thanks for sharing that feedback.

Beady

1st July 2007, 03:29 AM

- Nothing except for water bottles on the islands - and these were meticulously accounted for by the naturalist guides...The hikes aren't so long that its a burden to carry around an empty water bottle with you - and someone usually has a backpack with room for a squashed water bottle if its such a hardship.

Sporting goods stores sell camelbacks (http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=1331118&sr=1&origkw=camelback) -- 1 quart water "bottles" that you wear like a backpack, with a drinking tube that comes over one shoulder and clips to the front of a shoulder strap. The deluxe models have cargo compartments of varying sizes. The drinking water stays remarkably cool in 90+ F temps (except for the water in the tube) and, in light of AH's comments, I could see carrying an empty bottle in the backpack part to serve as a urinal. They also fold flat in a suitcase.

Edit: Skeptigirl: Trouble with a funnel is, you'd have to clean it after each use, or have a smelly backpack. I suggest females take along tupperware wide-mouth bottles/jars.

Skeptic Ginger

1st July 2007, 05:14 PM

You know, that brings back memories, Beady. In one of my college homes, I lived in a small shack behind the main house. And there was a lot of poison oak around the shack so stepping out in the dark was always risky especially if you had to remove any covering. So I had a wide mouthed jar. :D

I'll have to visit REI before we go.

AZAtheist

1st July 2007, 10:16 PM

Nancy and I visited the Galapagos in May. We had a great time. We both had Camelbak packs which were quite handy. We brought walking sticks that would collapse for travel, also quite handy. I bought a new camera and took a bunch of pictures of everything. I had two extra batteries and 4 SD (2Gb) storage chips. I downloaded the pictures every night onto my laptop and tried to keep up with the batteries. On one occassion, I didn't have enough batteries for the trek. We had a limit of 44 pounds for our checked luggage to the islands. Luckily it was casual clothes all the way. On the Santa Cruz, we had 90 passengers comparable to the Xpedition's 100. The group was broken up into smaller groups for the island visits.

It was a great trip. I should post some pictures...

Skeptic Ginger

1st July 2007, 10:27 PM

Might as well post this now, I suppose we will revisit the whole thread later.

Sky Events Calendar, 2008
Interesting celestial events for the year

August 11/12, pre-dawn: The famous Perseid meteor shower will peak on these days. For the last decade or so, the Perseids have shown a complex behavior with two peaks. This year the first peak will occur about 8 p.m. on August 11 and the second one will be around 9 a.m. on August 12. Acadiana observers will miss the first one because the shower radiant will not have risen, and the second one because of daylight! Best Acadiana viewing will be between the peaks on August 12, between about 2:30 a.m. (after moonset) and dawn. Observers far from city lights can reasonably expect to see a dozen or two meteors per hour, but city observers will see very few because of the lights. As with all meteor showers, small numbers of shower members may be seen for days before and after the peak.

August 14 – September 20: This will be another good time to see the planet Mercury during evening twilight. It will appear in the west as a slightly pink starlike object about as bright as a medium bright star. Although not as easily seen as earlier this year, Mercury will appear to pass three other planets during this period, all due to the motions of those planets and Earth around the sun. Scroll down through the next entries to see those appulses. August 15, evening twilight: For a few days before and after this date, look for Mercury, brilliant Venus, and Saturn in the same binocular view. Of these three, Saturn will be dimmest, and binoculars will not show its rings. The entire group will be low in the west and a little challenging to find, but Venus should make it easier.

Aug, 2008
01 New Moon
01 Total Solar Eclipse
The path of totality will begin in northern Canada and move east and south through northern Greenland, Siberia, Mongolia, and central China. A partial eclipse will be visible throughout most of Greenland, Europe, And Asia.
15 Neptune at Opposition
The blue planet will be at its closest approach to Earth.

Aug 10-
Independence Day, Ecuador (Ecuador declared its independence from Spain in 1809)

Aug 13-
International Left-Handers Day

16 Full Moon
16 Partial Lunar Eclipse
The eclipse will be visible throughout most of South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.

Gary Kronk's meteor shower page on Perseids (http://meteorshowersonline.com/perseids.html)For observers in the Southern Hemisphere, the Perseid radiant never climbs above the horizon, which will considerably reduce the number of Perseid meteors you are likely to see. Nevertheless, on the night of maximum, it is possible to see 10-15 meteors per hour coming up from the northern horizon.

There are also a few other Aug meteor showers. (http://meteorshowersonline.com/showers/delta_aquarids.html)

So a full Moon and low on the horizon for the Perseids. Oh well.

Jeff Wagg

2nd July 2007, 07:02 AM

It looks like we'll be subject to the 44 pound limit as well. I'll find out if we can leave a bag at the hotel or how that works. 44 pounds for 11 days doesn't seem reasonable.

Nancy and I visited the Galapagos in May. We had a great time. We both had Camelbak packs which were quite handy. We brought walking sticks that would collapse for travel, also quite handy. I bought a new camera and took a bunch of pictures of everything. I had two extra batteries and 4 SD (2Gb) storage chips. I downloaded the pictures every night onto my laptop and tried to keep up with the batteries. On one occassion, I didn't have enough batteries for the trek. We had a limit of 44 pounds for our checked luggage to the islands. Luckily it was casual clothes all the way. On the Santa Cruz, we had 90 passengers comparable to the Xpedition's 100. The group was broken up into smaller groups for the island visits.

It was a great trip. I should post some pictures...

Doubt

2nd July 2007, 07:41 AM

It looks like we'll be subject to the 44 pound limit as well. I'll find out if we can leave a bag at the hotel or how that works. 44 pounds for 11 days doesn't seem reasonable.

Not hard to meet that requirement but it may require some thinking. I normally travel with a tool bag that pushes the weight of my checked luggage up to the 50 lb. limit on the airlines. Half of the weight is the tool bag. The rest is clothing for 5 days including heavy work boots.

One thing that has to be considered is the weight of the bag itself. Those big pullman cases with wheels are rather heavy. Foot gear can also weigh a great deal. Does the ship have a laundry? Cut the clothing required to pack in half if it does and is not to expensive.

I typically use a rolling duffel type of bag to keep the weight in check. I would be tempted to bring my own mask, snorkel and fins, but that may not happen if the bag ends up to heavy.

AZAtheist

2nd July 2007, 07:10 PM

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/134564689a7cdd5b55.jpg
A picture from our first day on the islands.

AZAtheist

2nd July 2007, 07:43 PM

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/134564689b57009f39.jpg
I have a lot of pictures of these guys but this one...

AZAtheist

4th July 2007, 06:31 PM

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/13456468c48a7369da.jpg
The animals don't mind if you take their pictures. This bird is a nesting Albatros.

Skeptic Ginger

4th July 2007, 06:41 PM

It looks like we'll be subject to the 44 pound limit as well. I'll find out if we can leave a bag at the hotel or how that works. 44 pounds for 11 days doesn't seem reasonable.There were other comments leaving bags at the hotel was fine.

On a ship, having heavy bags might be OK. But I can't imagine carrying that much on a trip. It's a pain. Packing light is an art. I perfected my skills at it on my first trip to Central America. I just kept leaving stuff with people I met until I had one small backpack left. The secret is having clothes that dry fast and all match each other. And if you don't want to wash clothes often on a long trip, bring lots of underwear and socks. Those you change every day and they don't take up much room.

I expect to have one bag, not big enough to check and that should be plenty. I have one that has a handle and back pack straps.

conadera

5th July 2007, 12:03 PM

I signed up for Galapagos (as a 60th birthday present to myself) but they only have doubles and triples left. I am hoping to find a cabinmate. I am female, longtime atheist, skeptic, and TAM junkie. Don't smoke or eat crackers in bed, and am looking for a roommate, not a romance. Anyone?
Thanks ...

The Central Scrutinizer

5th July 2007, 12:48 PM

Wolfman

10th July 2007, 04:49 AM

*sigh*

I wanted to go on this cruise soooooo badly...but the dates are exactly the same as the dates for the Beijing Olympic Games. And as I'm not only living in Beijing, but was involved in helping them with the bidding process (thus ensuring I get free tickets to Olympic events), there's just no way on earth that I'm not going to be here.

Don't suppose you guys could move the date to about three weeks later? :cool:

The Central Scrutinizer

10th July 2007, 09:27 AM

Wolfman

10th July 2007, 11:39 AM

Actually...I am thinking of trying to organize some sort of JREF thing for anyone who's planning to come to the Olympics. I'm right here on the ground, have all the necessary connections...will possibly make a post about it soon, to see how many people would be interested.

If I can't go on the Galapagos cruise, the next-best thing is to organize something so great that all those who go will say, "Oh, darn...I wish I could have gone to Beijing!"

atlas107

29th July 2007, 12:14 PM

Wow.. this is selling out fast. Out of nearly 50 cabins, only 13 are left.

Quick things..

Weather in Quito is unexpectedly cool.. Average temp of 58F in August.
Weather in Galapagos is expected to be in the 70F's with very high humidity.
There will be NOTHING formal on this trip. Think expedition rather than exhibition. Barefoot and tank tops are always acceptable. Pack light!
We are FLYING from Quito to the Galapagos to meet the ship. This flight is included. (Look at a map..)
If you are interested in doing a side-trip to Machu Picchu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machu_Picchu), please call 1-800-794-SHIP (7447) and let Joe know. If we get enough people, we'll organize one. (Randi and I have both been. It's stunning.)
Passports.. get one, you'll need it. Sooner the better actually, the passport system in the US is a damn mess right now.
There are people looking for cabin mates. If you're one, let me know!
There is a way for you to go on this cruise for only $5000. Check for the thread on that.
More questions? Let me know...
Three questions for Jeff Wagg:

1.) I am reserved for a premium stateroom and need a roommate. Your post says that you can help with finding roommates.
2.) I was told that if I didn't find a roommate that I would have to pay for the whole room myself. Is that true? If so I will need to find a roommate before January when I can still get all my money back since I cannot afford to pay the whole room myself.
3.) You said in your post that there is a way to get on this trip for 5 grand and that we should ask you about this. Is this option still available and what are the details?

Thanx,

Jason H.

SkepticScott

3rd August 2007, 01:38 PM

Jason,
The $5K option was for 4 people to split the three beds in the most expensive cabin on the ship ($20K total). I don't know if that has been filled or not.

atlas107

8th August 2007, 09:26 PM

This is may be a little early to be talking about but I was wondering if anyone would be leaving from the Los Angeles area for Quito and would like to travel together from L.A. to Quito...we could get our tickets on the same airlines. Traveling together makes it more fun and less stressful in my experience.

If interested, email me at atlas107@juno.com

Thanx,

Jason Hanson

scotth

20th August 2007, 07:33 AM

It looks like we'll be subject to the 44 pound limit as well. I'll find out if we can leave a bag at the hotel or how that works. 44 pounds for 11 days doesn't seem reasonable.

Hmmmm.... I expect I'll have 44lbs of camera gear alone. Eeek.