HOWARD
High Expectations were Exceeded
Galapagos Review Agent (Quasar Expeditions) Outstanding support in scheduling the expedition. Once deposit placed very detailed information was provided including all aspects of the trip. Travel to Ecuador, clothing, health information, insurance required, detailed itinerary and suggestions for pre and post cruise arrangements were all easily available. Emails usually responded to within 4 working hours. Ground agents in Quito and Galapagos were always where they said they would be at the time they said with the proper documents. Yacht We were on the Evolution in a C deck cabin. The cabin was very spacious, clean, plenty of storage space with full size bathroom /shower. All cabins had individually controllable A/C with range from 18-26C. All common areas had been recently refurbished thus the cabins and common areas looked almost new. Total ship’s crew 21 including the physician and cruise director. If ship was full that would be 1.5 passengers/crewmember. All crew members were warm cheerful. Meals We found the meals excellent. Passengers with dietary restrictions were accommodated without fuss. Cuisine reflected the region with salads, vegetables, fish and chicken prominent. Each meal had a selection of vegetables and fish/meat to choose from. All non-alcoholic beverages were included. I felt the price for alcoholic beverages was reasonable. Amenities Cabins were cleaned/straightened a minimum of 2 times a day. Generous sized safe in each cabin for important documents. About 2 feet of hanging space, 3 shelves and more than 10 drawers were available in our cabin. Water, coffee, tea, crackers, fruit and small candies were available 24/7. Binoculars available for loan at the cruise director’s station. Snorkeling gear including shorty wet suit provided at no charge. Guides Our two guides were outstanding. Both were level 3 guides (from back when that credential was issued) and each had decades of experience. They were warm, cheerful, engaging and always ready to answer any question. If they did not know the answer to the question they would say so and try to look it up. Their English was excellent. Itinerary We were on the “eastern” loop described as “footsteps back in time”. Each day was full with morning and late afternoon land excursions and a snorkeling excursion usually scheduled after lunch. Information on landing conditions, terrain conditions, shoes/clothing to wear and water conditions for snorkeling were announced the evening before, morning of and just before leaving the boat. Great care taken in seeing that passengers safely entered and exited the Zodiacs. We usually had 12 passengers/naturalist when on shore. Specifics of anchorages and time on shore are highly regulated by the Galapagos NPS and must be adhered to by all ships and guides. Other thoughts: I would suggest bringing a light fleece layer since occasionally in the evening common areas of the ship were seemed cool due to the A/C. Sun protection is a must. I found lightweight SPF 30-50 hooded long sleeve shirt, long pants and large brimmed hat worked for me. I only needed sunscreen for my face and hands. Others passengers just used liberal amounts of sunscreen on all exposed skin. A day pack with hydration reservoir is a good way to stay adequately hydrated during land excursions where pulling out a water bottle might be put off. Day pack is suggested for land excursion to carry extra shoes, camera gear and water. Zip lock freezer bags are useful to protect cameras/phones from inadvertent dunking during entry and exit from Zodiacs. Summary We had an excellent experience in the Galapagos with Quasar on their larger ship the Evolution. We came in with high expectations and they were exceeded.