Going into this Galapagos trip, I thought for sure that I’d have a strong preference for a small vessel, something in the 16-20 passenger range. Quaint and cozy, where everybody knows your name. After my cruise on the 100-passenger Galapagos Legend, I now see major advantages to both and was surprised by how much I loved a larger crowd and more room to roam on board. In the cruising world, relatively speaking, a 100-passenger ship is still quite small! But for some travelers who wouldn’t necessarily want to identify as a “cruiser,” it can sound like an intimidating leap in size.
Large ship misconceptions. Let’s clear the air, shall we?
- Bigger groups? Not at all. Since the Galapagos National Park service enforces a strict 1:16 guide-to-passenger ratio for all guided services, each ship will have an appropriate number of naturalist guides on board in order to not exceed this ratio.
- Long wait times? Not to worry! On the Legend, we were always summoned to the disembarkation area by groups - rotating the order in which we were called - and the process from start to finish would take about 10-15 minutes. This didn’t eat into our time for excursions, and we were never standing around waiting. Remember, these cruises are offered year-round, and the crews have it all down to a science.
- Crowded excursions? Nope. The guides do a great job of starting in slightly different locations so that the groups aren’t on top of each other, competing for space and air time. If you’re on a smaller ship, you can expect to see a few other vessels at your landing sites in order to maximize the number of travelers that can be in a location at one time. The larger ships will usually max out that particular landing site, so you’re rarely landing with other ships nearby.
Would a bigger boat be the right fit for me?
- If you’re seriously worried about seasickness, a larger ship is definitely something to consider.
- If you're an older traveler with more limited mobility, the larger ships will often have more amenities on board to make your experience more comfortable. Most ships over 40 passengers will have a doctor on board (the Legend did), and the Legend always had the glass bottom boat ready to go for travelers who weren’t comfortable with snorkeling in open waters - a great alternative!
- If you’re looking for a few more creature comforts - fitness center, lounges, bars, pools, libraries, hot tub (all of which the Legend has) - a larger vessel might be for you.
- If you’re stressed out at the thought of sharing each excursion and meal time with the same 16 travelers, you might enjoy the ability to meet more people and/or blend in with your surroundings - nothing wrong with a bit of anonymity when on vacation!
- If you're a large family traveling with young children, the larger ships will usually have more options for triple cabins and interconnected rooms.
TrustScore 4.8 | 174 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 174 reviews on
1 day ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
3 days ago
Rapid response.
3 days ago
Jess and her non pushy salesmanship!!!!!
3 days ago
Mary Curry. And AL’s discount policy.
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