Galapagos Cruise Reviews

Accommodations Review

The boat is beautiful and we benefitted from the fact that only 11 passengers were on board. Our cabin was noisy during passages, but we managed the sleep disruption with the daily naps that are accommodated by the schedule.

Meals Review

The breakfast and lunch buffets were very good, with a variety of hot dishes and fresh salads and fruit. Unfortunately, the dinner entrees were typically over-cooked. The service was top-notch at all times.

Crew & Guides Review

If a rating higher than "excellent" was available, I would choose it. Our naturalist, Ceci Guerrero was extremely knowledgable, organized, and enthusiastic about the subject matter. She is also a friendly and lovely person with a great sense of humor and fun. If I were to visit the Galapagos again, I would make sure to be on Ceci's vessel.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Everything proceeded without a hitch, and Justin made the transactions simple and painless. We wanted a grand adventure that would fit out limited schedule, and we got it. Thank you!

Traveler Advice

Keep in mind that the weather reports on the iPhone read 10 degrees F cooler than actual. Our theory is that the sensor is in a high misty location. I packed too many long-sleeved shirts. 

Accommodations Review

La Pinta was the perfect size and very comfortable. We chose La Pinta because of the size of the ship (not too big or too small), the itinerary (north islands), planned activities for kids, and the availability of a glass-bottom boat. Not a big fan of Quito, but that was a necessary stop. The recommended hotel in the old town area was wonderful.

Meals Review

Lots of options, all of them excellent. Staff worked very hard to accommodate my picky son's whims and were extremely respectful of my choice to be vegetarian.

Crew & Guides Review

The naturalists aboard La Pinta could not have been more professional or knowledgeable. We appreciated Paul sitting with us at lunch and getting to know us personally, and Dennis's enthusiasm about Charles Darwin was contagious. We enjoyed having several guides with different perspectives, but they were all phenomenal.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Nick M. was friendly, attentive, communicative, and very helpful. I handled much of it myself (transportation), but the portion handled by AdventureSmith all ran very smoothly, which was much appreciated.

Traveler Advice

Don't put it off - everyone tells me it's on their bucket list. My son wanted to see penguins, and I was not willing to travel to Antarctica so the Galapagos was the next best option. 

Accommodations Review

Our first cruise experience and it was better than expected. Very comfy, spacious enough and so forth. Sea sickness was not an issue.

Meals Review

The food was fantastic - and beautiful.  Prepared by a very talented group of cooks, chefs etc. Tasty and excellent variety!

Crew & Guides Review

We were totally impressed with ALL the leaders/naturalists!! More so when discovering they were extremely well-educated and enthusiastic Galapagueños!!! Yes, very professional and serious, but personable, kind and funny! What a pleasure to be led by Vanessa, Jonathan, Ben & Gustavo.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Again, very well done.  I never felt "lost" or uncared about - your team was with us every possible inch of the way, including making sure the hotel was available to us when our return flight home was cancelled and then rebooked for us! Even accompanied us to airports and helped guide us through the "process."

Traveler Advice

Be prepared by reading up on AdventureSmith recommendations, packing lists, etc. Be prepared to see and do and experience MORE than you'd expect.

Accommodations Review

Vessel was good. It was comfortable without being over the top - just what we liked. Beds were comfortable and everything was clean.

Meals Review

Food was also good. We like the buffets for breakfasts and lunch. You could eat as much or as little as you liked. A served supper was a great idea. I ate fish at every meal that I could as I love fish.  

Crew & Guides Review

My wife and I were both over the moon about Marcella our naturalist. She was very knowledgeable but it was her enthusiasm that really set her apart. She was just fun to be with. We also really liked Eduardo our server. He gave great service and he was fun to talk to. He is still learning English but he worked so very hard on it. It was nice to get to know him and a little of his family circumstances. My wife and I hate feeling that people are there to serve us. We like it better when we feel that we are all on the same level with guides and servers doing their jobs. We're not above anyone. We were able to make connections with Marcella and Eduardo. It's the connections that will sit well with us on our return.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Aaron was awesome. He really stayed on top of things and made sure that every detail was in place. Great job Aaron.

Accommodations Review

We were glad to be on a small ship as it made the excursions better.  Spacious cabin.

Crew & Guides Review

Mira was our naturalist and was excellent.  Spoke good English and was very knowledgeable. 

Accommodations Review

My cabin was simple but comfortable; it was what I expected on a sailboat.

Meals Review

Excellent - plenty of delicious food, nice presentation, and great service. The food onboard was delicious, varied, and plentiful.

Crew & Guides Review

Week 1 - Fernando - Excellent - very knowledgeable, well read, shared lots of experiences that can’t be found in any guidebook. Week 2 - Josy - Excellent - outgoing, knowledgeable and protective of the special nature of the Galapagos. The representatives for the MaryAnne met me at the airport ticket counters and guided me through check-in. Everything went very smoothly.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Leslie was terrific in helping me plan my trip. Her advice was perfect, and she responded to my questions in a timely manner. The written itinerary was thorough with all the emergency contact names & numbers. Leslie helped me throughout the planning process. I made my own international flight and hotel arrangements, but all of the internal flights and itinerary were provided by AdventureSmith.

Traveler Advice

Don’t overpack. Biodegradable shampoo, conditioner, and soap are provided so you do not need to bring your own. Bring plenty of sunblock, strong shoes or boots for walking on the volcanic rocks in the western islands. The only thing that was confusing was the tipping guidelines. AdventureSmith gave me one guideline which I followed, the Mary Anne had a book with different higher guidelines, and the naturalist guide on the second week had significantly higher tipping suggestions. The guests were confused and several of us went with the AdventureSmith guidelines.