The Galapagos Wrap-Up

You’ve been waiting for this. And finally… the last installment of my “Not Quite Live from the Celebrity Xpedition” blog. It’s been such a busy time this past week or so, I didn’t want this to get lost in the rush of other news and sales.

Some closing thoughts. The crew was terrific overall. I can’t say enough about the naturalists, especially. They really know their stuff, and care. Each has their different strengths. Some have a slower pace, some make sure you see more – you get to know which are your personal favorites throughout the week. Do go with a variety – you’ll learn something different and get a different perspective from each one.

Pack next to nothing. There’s an inexpensive laundry onboard. Make use of it. You really only need shorts and shirts for the day, very casual in the evening – everyone repeats and no one cares. I did find that changing my shirt from morning to afternoon made it more comfortable, so take enough for a 2-3 days, and just send out the laundry 2-3 times. A couple light slacks or skirts and tops for the evening is plenty.

Make sure your camera gear is all set. If you shoot a DSLR, consider renting a longer lens if you don’t have one in your kit. (I really like the folks at http://www.lensrentals.com/.) Have lots of batteries and memory cards. While you can download to a disc onboard, you don’t want to risk the burn being bad or similar – keeping the images on your cards until you return home is the safer way to do it. People with compacts can get some very nice pictures on this trip – don’t feel the need to buy a whole new setup if you won’t use it otherwise. It is more important to know your camera than to have something “good” you don’t have the faintest clue how to use.

Food ranges from good to excellent. Since it is all locally sourced, sometimes it has a different flavor than you’re used to. If you’re a fish eater, I highly recommend the fish entrees, especially at dinner. Any chance you get to eat Ecuadoran food, take it – it’s wonderful! I long for the various types of Ecuadoran breads I ate during my stay. Dinner can sometimes be a bit slow after the evening lecture, but it’s a wonderful socializing time. Remember, the wine is included.

The crew is all local. While they may not be as polished as you’ll find on one of the other Celebrity ships, they’re every bit as warm and friendly. Because they’re local, their knowledge and expertise are a wonderful compliment. Celebrity touches are everywhere, and the crew really cares that you have a remarkable time.

Your fellow passengers will add a lot to this experience. This is the type of trip where you become true friends. The nature of this trip lends itself to some pretty deep bonding over the shared experiences you have. Because of this, it’s perfectly appropriate for solo cruisers, though there are almost never reduced supplements, unfortunately. Friends, families and couples all mingle well onboard. There are typically a lot of families onboard during holiday periods – Christmas, spring break and summer. Think of this as a moving, living science lab for your children. Very young children aren’t really appropriate, but older elementary and above do quite well, of course depending on the child. Just remember, there aren’t a lot of onboard diversions on the ship itself.

The friends I made on this trip were an essential part of how this affected me. There is so much to see, learn and experience, and the shared experiences and discussions lead to greater understanding. But the fun also was a huge part. When you’re having such significant experiences, laughter is essential. I met and began to know some very special people on this journey, and I want to thank them. I hope you’ll have a similar experience when you go. Seek out the interactions, find people with whom you can bond. This ship and experience make it easy, and you’ll be glad you did.

If you’re so inclined, and the weather permits, consider sleeping at least one night up on the top deck. Even for just part of the night. It’s spectacular – you won’t believe how many stars you see. It’s so peaceful, but you’ll hear the sea life attracted to the boat, the ocean, and you’ll have a chance to just absorb everything you’ve experienced. The lounges are comfy, but be sure to either bring up a blanket or dress warmly – it does get chilly.

I highly recommend taking the Celebrity package of at least 10 nights. While it is possible to get yourself to Baltra to catch the ship, it is nice to have the time in Quito, and to have the chartered flights with everything taken care of. It really makes a difference I think. I understand that they’ve changed the pre-cruise tour to allow for a couple options – in addition to the city tour I described earlier, they also now have a couple other choices. Bravo, Celebrity!

Do consider doing a pre-cruise trip to Machu Picchu as well. I recommend pre-cruise, as your body will likely handle the altitude better at the start of the trip rather than at the end. But post-cruise is also a good option. In other words – while you’re in the area, go to Machu Picchu! Either through Celebrity or a package arranged on your own – it’s fairly easily done. Celebrity, of course, does it all first class, including the Hiram Bingham Orient Express train.

I’ve been asked to compare Antarctica and Galapagos by many of my clients, especially since I traveled to both in a close period of time. Which do I prefer? I can’t say one over the other – I think both are essential experiences for an adventurer. But they’re very different. Antarctica hit me emotionally, while Galapagos, though emotional, was more an intellectual shock to the system. Antarctica is sweeping and beautiful and personal with the penguins. South America ranges from urban to rough and rugged. But it’s more visual and grand. Galapagos is intensely personal, challenging your preconceptions, and touching your soul in a raw way. I’ve used raw frequently, possibly overusing it, but it’s the word which best describes these islands. They’re not pure, as you’ll learn, but they’re not tamed, either. What you see is the power of nature at work. In a way you can’t experience anywhere else in the world. You realize you don’t know as much as you think you do until you immerse yourself into it in person.

Which would I recommend doing first? Both are threatened, by different processes. Antarctic access is likely to become more limited in the years ahead if the Antarctic Treaty Organization has its way. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a dramatically reduced number of visitors mandated in the next few years. And of course, there are the constantly changing climatic issues at work here, too.

Galapagos access is tightly controlled by the Ecuadoran government, and there are signs that, while tourism is an important aspect to these islands, the government may more tightly control that as well. Celebrity has an excellent relationship with the government, but of course people in power come and go, and that can change. I think Celebrity is one of the operators most likely to have an ongoing permit to operate in these waters, as they’ve carefully cultivated their relationship, but as the government looks at restricting access further, this will serve to make the Galapagos far more expensive and difficult to do.

What does this all mean? I recommend putting both these locations high on your “must do soon” list, rather than your “someday I want to go” list. They’re worth making the effort and sacrifices to do sooner, rather than later. Which one you do first is up to you – timing and circumstances will dictate that to a certain extent, especially since Antarctica is only a seasonal option.

As many of you know, I travel broadly. I do my best to keep exploring new territory. I rarely repeat. I always have new priorities moving to the top of my list as I mark off one destination. However, both these locations I’m repeating – Antarctica in January, 2009, and Galapagos in 2010. It takes something very special to make me want to go back that quickly. Galapagos is THAT amazing. Every time you go it will be different. I want to see it again, learn more from it. And I want to do it on Celebrity.

Has this whet your appetite for the Galapagos? Want to go with me? I’m returning in April, 2010 to be exact. In time for the Waved Albatross migration, still with warm waters and dry weather. Come with me? If you’re interested, the flyer can be found at: Celebrity Xpedition April 2010. Give me a call or email me with questions or to book into this group! Because this is more of a once-in-a-lifetime trip for most, I’ve booked it a bit farther out than usual to give you time to save and plan. I also wanted to be sure to go at the optimum time.

Join me! See that what I’ve talked about and posted is just the tip of the iceberg. Live for yourself the moving experiences I’ve described, and come to your own understandings and realizations about raw, unfiltered nature.

If you’ve missed any part of this blog series, the full series, with larger pictures, has been compiled and can be found at Not Quite Live from Celebrity Xpedition