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Galapagos Cruise - Santa Cruz - 7 Days
Ship: Santa Cruz
Days: 7
Passengers: 90
Dates: Cruise Only - Starts Fridays (4 days)
Package - Starts Wednesdays (7 days) Just-Released Offer Departures:  9/10/2010, 9/17/2010, 9/24/2010, 12/3/2010, 12/10/2010
Highlights:
Perfect for families and couples who want a quality cruise on a larger ship; great guides, comfortable ship, and a well planned itinerary.
Summary: The Galapagos Islands are considered one of the most spectacular and pristine National Parks in the world. Visitors delight in the abundant, unusual, and surprisingly approachable wildlife--from Galapagos giant tortoises to playful sea lions to the fascinating Blue-footed Boobies. ExpeditionTrips' staff member, Shelley Ussery, has sailed on this voyage. Click to view her travel journal and photos!
This trip may be booked as a package, as seen below, or cruise only starting on Day 3 and ending on Day 6.
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Itinerary - In Brief
Itinerary - Detailed
Day 1:
Arrive Quito
Deluxe Hotel or Premium Upgrade Hotel
Arrive in Quito, Ecuador and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure. Overnight in Quito.
Day 2:
Quito
Deluxe Hotel or Premium Upgrade Hotel
Today is at your leisure. A variety of day tours are available for purchase. Overnight in Quito.
Day 3:
San Cristobal Island / Embark - Cruise Only Starts
Arrival by plane to San Cristóbal Island and transfer to the Santa Cruz. Cabin assignment and lunch. After lunch, introductory welcome talk and boat drill. The ship then takes you to Cerro Brujo’s white coralline beach. Here, you may spot blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, herons, frigate birds, Yellow Warblers, Galapagos flycatchers, and some shore birds. Back on board for a briefing on the next day's activities, followed by a cocktail offered by the Captain and dinner.
Day 4:
Española Island / Floreana Island
Enjoy a morning outing at Punta Suarez for an exciting walk on lava/boulder terrain to visit its unique sea bird colonies, including the waved albatrosses (April - December), Nazca (masked boobies), blue-footed boobies, swallow-tail gulls, and the famous blowhole. Among its landbirds, the Hood island mockingbird, and three species of Darwin’s finches are common highlights. Also, look for red-green-black marine iguanas, and of course a rookery of sea lions right at the landing site. For those planning not to walk the entire trail, there will be a dinghy ride arranged along the coastline of Punta Suarez, followed by a very short walk under easy walking conditions. Back on board for lunch.
Disembark at Punta Cormorant at an olivine-crystal beach for an easy walk that includes a brackish water lagoon where bird species like Greater flamingos, pintail ducks, common stilts, herons, sandpipers, and others may be observed. This outing also includes a white-sand beach where sea turtles come out at night for nesting (from December to May). Snorkeling can take place from the beach, and for those experienced marine enthusiasts, Devil's Crown can be an option. Non-snorkelers can enjoy an introduction to the Marine Reserve on the glass-bottom boat. This evening, briefing and dinner.
Day 5:
Fernandina Island / Isabela Island
This morning brings you to the youngest island, Fernandina. Disembark (dry landing) for a one-mile walk. Punta Espinoza has an amazing combination of barrenness with lots of wildlife. Having no introduced mammals, Fernandina has a very unique environment with the highest density of marine iguanas, sharing their island habitat with sea lions, sally-light foot crabs, and hawks. Lava terrain calls for good walking shoes. Enjoy lunch back on board. As you sail along the Bolívar Channel, astonishing views of the Galápagos’ youngest volcanoes can be seen.
In the afternoon, depending on the conditions of the ocean, enjoy a snorkeling outing along the cliffs of partly-sunken Ecuador Volcano, in the northern tip of Isabela Island. Since there is no landing site at this location, take a coastal exploration by dinghy where your naturalist guides explain the dramatic geology of the area with remains of lava flows and tuff stone layers. This is the nesting place for flightless cormorants. Wildlife here also includes sea lions, Galápagos fur seals, Galápagos penguins, blue-footed and Nazca boobies and noddy terns. This area has a very rich marine life, and is seasonally visited by green sea turtles. Details about the next day’s activities before dinner.
Day 6:
Santa Cruz / Disembark / Baltra / Quito – Cruise Only Ends
Deluxe Hotel or Premium Upgrade Hotel
Disembark early for a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station (optional). After a 30-minute bus ride along the highlands, you arrive at the Station. Here, learn about the rearing in captivity program for the famous giant tortoises, the conservation efforts promoted by this institution, and stroll among the giant prickly-pear cactus forest. After an hour visit, transfer to the Baltra Island airport for your flight back to the mainland. (Passengers not taking this optional excursion may stay onboard for a later wake-up call, then disembark directly at Balta Island and transfer to the airport.) Back in Quito, the afternoon is at your leisure. Overnight in Quito.
Day 7:
Quito / Home
This morning, transfer to the airport for your return flight home.
Notes:
This itinerary is subject to change. ExpeditionTrips.com is not responsible for itinerary changes.
Languages: In addition to English, French, German, and Italian are available on request and with a minimum of 10 guests.
Included (Cruise Only):
Cabin accommodations aboard ship; all meals aboard ship; all shore activities and excursions; guide and lecture services; use of glass-bottom boat and snorkeling gear; transfers and baggage handling between island airport and ship.
Not Included (Cruise Only):
Hotel nights before/after cruise; transfers in Quito or Guayaquil; international airfare; airfare to/from Galapagos Islands; Galapagos National Park entrance fee, USD$100 (children under 12 subtract $50), subject to change without notice; Galapagos Transit Card ($10 per person), paid in cash upon arrival to airport; bar purchases; gifts and personal items; passport expenses; traveler's insurance; international airport departure tax, must be paid in cash; laundry service; gratuities to ship staff and crew are left to the discretion of the passenger; shortie wetsuit rental (2010: $19 per voyage); 2010 fuel surcharge ($72 per person, per trip); Internet (15 min / $5; Wireless Internet ($40 / cruise).
Included (Package):
Three hotel nights in Quito in either a Deluxe Hotel or Premium Upgrade hotel [2010 Premium Upgrade hotel for an additional $125 per person/double room; or 2010 Premium Upgrade hotel for an additional $200 per person/single (hotel based on availability)]; four transfers in Quito; adult Galapagos National Park entrance fee, USD$100 (Children under 12 subtract $50), subject to change without notice; Cabin accommodations aboard ship; all meals aboard ship; all shore activities and excursions; guide and lecture services; use of glass-bottom boat and snorkeling gear; transfers and baggage handling between island airport and ship; Galapagos Transit Card.
Not Included (Package):
International airfare; airfare to/from Galapagos Islands; gratuities; bar purchases; gifts and personal items; passport expenses; traveler's insurance; international airport departure tax, must be paid in cash; shortie wetsuit rental (2010: $19 per voyage); 2010 fuel surcharge ($72 per person, per trip); Internet (15 min / $5; Wireless Internet ($40 / cruise).
If you are booking a cruise only program, we are happy to add hotels, air and land arrangements as requested, and you will be quoted for services.
Airfare between Quito/Guayaquil and the Galapagos Islands:
The flights between mainland Ecuador (Quito or Guayaquil) and the Galapagos Islands are an additional cost. For your cruise security, ExpeditionTrips must reserve these flights for you at the time of cruise booking. Approximate cost (including service fee): $420-$460 per adult; $250-$275 per child under 12 (copy of passport required).
Just Released Offer Details: Members of ExpeditionTrips.com save 20% per person on select 2010 cruise-only departures.
Applicable Dates: Sep, Dec 3-10, 2010
Per Person Discounted Rates: (Cruise Only)
Main Deck Twin Standard: $1,200
Upper Deck Twin Standard: $1,264
Boat Deck Twin Standard: $1,382
Boat Deck Standard Plus Twin: $1,445
Boat Deck Single Standard: $2,083
Boat Deck Superior Twin/Double: $1,507
Boat Deck Junior Suite Twin: $1,578
Boat Deck Master Suite Double: $1,818
Per Person Regular Rates: (Cruise Only)
Main Deck Twin Standard: $1,500
Upper Deck Twin Standard: $1,580
Boat Deck Twin Standard: $1,728
Boat Deck Standard Plus Twin: $1,806
Boat Deck Single Standard: $2,604
Boat Deck Superior Twin/Double: $1,884
Boat Deck Junior Suite Twin: $1,973
Boat Deck Master Suite Double: $2,272
OR
No single supplement for solo travelers on select departures. A savings of up to $2,272! Offer may not be combined with any other promotion.
Applicable Dates: September 2010 Departures
Offers apply to new reservations only and may not be combined.
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