Silver Galapagos Review
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We really enjoyed our recent cruise on the Silver Galapagos. We were on the North/Central itinerary. Just for background, we are around 60, and while we have done larger, luxury cruises in the past, we now find we enjoy expedition style cruising much more. The service by the Ecuadorian crew was wonderful. The food was amazing. We loved all of the seafood options, and lunch on deck was our favorite. As others have noted, the wine is mostly from Argentina and Chile, but we enjoy those, so it was fine with us. The all inclusive aspect is something we enjoy. We wish we had more time for a pre-dinner cocktail, but this cruise was pretty much non-stop activity for us! Please note there is no entertainment on this cruise other than a piano player. Also, the pace, if you chose to do most of the excursions, is brisk. There were daily early starts - 7:15 zodiac departures. Our opinion is to get the most out of this cruise it helps to be physically fit. There are no ports where the ship docks. Getting off, even in the two small towns we visited, required getting in and out of a zodiac. Also, pay attention at the evening briefings about the physical requirements for the next days excursions. Some of the hikes were very difficult. We participated in as many hikes, deep water snorkeling and kayaking excursions that we could fit in. There were usually at least one hike per day and sometimes two. There was always a shorter option for those who wanted it. Most days there were also one or two snorkeling excursions either from the beach or deep water off the zodiacs or both. Kayaking was twice during the week.
We were lucky on our cruise is not once were the seas not calm as glass. Also, there was only one rain shower and it lasted about an hour at lunch time. We took rain gear and never used it. We also took collapsible hiking sticks, and the most useful item - second skins (long sleeve and long pant which I purchased at Dicks Sporting Goods) for snorkeling. The water was cool, even this time of year, plus they prevented us from getting sun burnt.
For the most part the guides were excellent, although there was one no one cared for as she seemed like she was bored and had little to say. We saw almost all of the wildlife we expected. We did not see flamingos or the really large marine iguanas. The sea lions and boobies were everywhere!
Cabin Review
Veranda Suite
The cabin seemed small to us, but then we were not in it much. Our biggest complaint was the very small amount of drawer space. There is one small drawer in each closet and three stack able at the desk. So basically, we each had two small drawers for all our cloths. (The top drawer we used for papers and the hairdryer.) The end tables by the beds are deceptive as they appear large but are actually just a very thin drawer. Also, this is the first cruise where we could not store our luggage under the bed. Fortunately, we asked and our cabin steward took them away for storage. The other odd thing was the sofa was near the door and not the veranda, so you could not sit there and enjoy the view.