We just returned from the magnificent cruise around the western islands of the Galapagos with Silverseas. The voyage is as amazing and wonderful as most reviews have said here. Actually, we both read a great many of the reviews on this website and we were well prepared for the cruise (and yes, we saw in advance the BBC documentary Islands that Changed the World). Even so, our expectations for the Silver Galapagos were significantly exceeded and we cannot recommend this cruise highly enough.
Apart from the islands themselves, a great strength of this cruise is the staff of the Silver Galapagos. All are from Ecuador and many are from the Galapagos themselves (especially the guides). There is an esprit de corps among the staff that is like family, along with a great pride in the islands. It is a real joy to spend time with them for the week.
An additional strength, as several review here have said, is the seamless integration for logistics (much of that provided on land by Abercrombie and Kent). From plane to hotel to airline to boat and back, everything works like clockwork. If you have been on many cruises, you know this outcome is an exception, not the rule.
This was the old boat (to be replaced over the summer 2020). We had what was supposed to be the worst cabin -- only portholes, no balcony, immediately next to the restaurant. We were pretty thrilled. The space that would have gone for a balcony went for a huge walk-in closet. We were never bothered by noise. And there was lots of room, needed for spreading out to dry all the wet clothes this trip generates. Way better than we expected.