Expert Aboard: Hermes Galapagos Review

In writing this Hermes Galapagos review, I thought a lot about my last Galapagos Islands cruise 12 years ago. I sailed aboard a 90-guest expedition ship on a very similar Western Islands route, so I was excited to take this cruise aboard the 20-guest Hermes to see the differences of a smaller, luxury catamaran.

It’s also notable that I’m the fourth AdventureSmith staff to travel to the Galapagos within the past nine months, so my insight is fresh from our collective experience aboard multiple ships. Read on for my full Hermes review on what sets this brand-new ship apart and where it has room to improve.

Overall standouts – jaw-dropping suites & ship size
What sets Hermes apart – butler-to-guest ratio & fine dining
Cabin comparisons – only subtle nuances to consider
Favorite place on board – Panoramic Deck
Top wildlife moment – Fernandina Island
Look out for – time on ship

Overall Standouts – Suites & Ship Size

There is no doubt: the cabins aboard Hermes are incredible and incomparable in the Islands. The room is truly oversized in every sense, as is every space aboard (save for the gym, spa and library). The bathrooms steal the show with their glass-walled shower, well-lit mirrors and huge Jacuzzi that pops a frosted privacy screen with the flick of a switch. But the well-thought-out vanity and cabinetry is also something to behold, both here and in the walk-in closet.  

In the walk-in, it was the little things that made a big difference, like the suede jewelry holder; dedicated shelving for shoes; automatic turn-on, LED strip lighting that illuminated every corner; and the fact that if I left my sunglasses out, my butler, Andres, would leave them polished in a tidy row for when I would return.

I can definitively say I’ve never felt so pampered and shiny on a ship, and I think it was a combo of the bathroom and closet where I had the time and space for a little extra self-care. The back-lit drop ceiling was also a nice touch for ambient in-room lighting.  

While the interiors lack some depth by way of incorporating local design elements that other luxury operators integrate, it feels intentional. It was a beautiful, modern blank slate for exploring the Galapagos Islands.  

To give you a scale of the size of Hermes, a few things show it well:

1) This photo of Hermes compared to a more standard-sized catamaran, the 16-guest Ocean Spray, both at anchor near Rabida Island. When I was on the top Sun Deck of Hermes, I truly felt like I had a drone or bird’s eye view of the other ships around us.

2) This comparison chart I drafted up of a sampling of a few other catamarans we offer travelers in the Galapagos Islands: 

While the National Geographic Islander catamaran stopped sailing the Galapagos Islands in 2022 (replaced by its sister ship, the National Geographic Islander II), this chart illustrates that other catamarans might fit some 50 travelers in the same size of Hermes. Most other Galapagos catamarans carry 16 guests and are in the 110- to 120-foot range. If space is what you seek, Hermes is the answer among catamarans.

There are a few other yachts that reach the impressive size of Hermes, as well as some other longevity luxury Galapagos yachts that come close. But of course there are so many more considerations outside of size alone. For example, the number of naturalist guides aboard, service, route and your personal style preferences… so that’s what we’re here for.

What Sets Hermes Apart – Butler-to-Guest Ratio & Fine Dining

So what sets Hermes apart in the luxury space besides size? You can get butler service on other ships in the Galapagos Islands, but not at this level: one for every 5 cabins beats anything else out there. Just a single in-room, phone-button click away, and you can get nearly anything you need (direct to the butler’s cell phone). But more than that I think is the dining experience aboard Hermes.

Dinners are a four-course affair that lasts more than two hours. On other ships, you might dine over an hour, then engage in longer talks at a bar, a post-dinner lecture from the guide or simply have more time to stargaze or explore the decks. Aboard Hermes, fine dining takes center stage each evening.

Tables are primarily set for two vs. larger settings you typically find on other ships. But aboard, they accommodated our request for larger group tables as we got to know other passengers over the week.

I was pleased to find Ecuadorian wine pairings on the menu one night, something that was hard to find even in Quito. Among my table, the biggest hit of the trip was the Crab Timbale appetizer of Manabí royal crab with creamy avocado, yuca chips and a mango reduction. Since I was on the ship’s third sailing, there were some inconsistencies in food and beverage, but all were being addressed we were assured.

My favorite meals were open-air lunches on the Panoramic Deck that featured various grilled meats and even grilled lobster one day. And I also enjoyed the private balcony breakfast arranged by my butler; the eggs benedict and the ship’s fresh lattes are among the best I’ve had. Don’t miss scheduling this included perk to dine in your cabin.

Hermes Cabin Comparisons

You can’t go wrong on this all-suite catamaran. The only main difference is your height and placement on the ship. I thought my Double Suite #103 (Main Deck, midship) was in the perfect location (fastest to access excursions), but other passengers on the Upper Deck said they loved their higher views. My particular room is one that they can convert into the two-room Owner’s Suite. 

The ship’s two Single Suites are closest to the spa/library and thus the anchor (and its potential noise). But by traditional ship standards, these cabins are more than spacious. The queen bed is adjacent the wall, and you don’t get a walk-in closet, but the bathroom is just as jaw-dropping but with a single vanity and smaller Jacuzzi.

My top cabin tip for day 1 enjoyment: take advantage of their unpacking service. A timesaver—and like magic coming into your room after your first excursion with everything set up.

Talk to our experts about some of the other very small nuances we recommend regarding cabin choice on Hermes. As we send more travelers on this ship over the coming year, we’re sure to glean even more insight (the latest Hermes reviews from our clients can currently be found listed as testimonials on our Hermes Galapagos Cruises page).

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My Favorite Place Aboard – Panoramic Deck

The Panoramic Deck was my favorite place on the ship. The al fresco dining area on this deck is incredible. The central stairwell allows for two distinct, more private feeling sides. Frigatebirds often joined us here, wafting along in our wake as we ate lunch here daily.

The blue-tiled grill and bar here are gorgeous, but this bar was not used outside of lunch. While there is a generous onboard crew, with three distinct bars on each deck, there wasn’t a crew member staffed at this location very often. This space would have been my pick for post-excursion cocktails versus the one used most often: indoors on the Main Deck.

Also, due to the size of Hermes, and the fact that there’s only a single central grand staircase vs. multiple ways to go up and down decks, you can almost miss the bridge & amazing bench seating on this deck if you’re not seeking it out. Some of my fellow passengers didn’t even know about this space until a few days in since we were so busy off the ship and enjoying the many other spaces.

We all gathered here as we crossed the equator at sunset one night. I also had the best night of the trip stargazing here with our naturalist guide Diego pointing out constellations with a laser pointer. 

Since the Sun Deck’s loungers and bench seating (pictured below) face the stern, I preferred the forward-facing bow spot, but it’s more wind and sun exposed of course.

Top Wildlife Moment – Fernandina Island

I did nearly this exact same route 12 years ago aboard a 90-guest ship and can confidently say I saw more wildlife this time around. I think much of it had to do with us being able to experience four different off-ship excursions on each full day of my Hermes Galapagos cruise.

This is due not only to the size of Hermes but also the impressive number of crew and guides. Every transition from one activity to another was quick and seamless, with an ample crew on hand to assist in every step of getting on and off the ship. It made for a packed schedule, but I loved it.

On a single day visiting Fernandina Island and Punta Vicente Roca on Isabela Island, I got to swim with marine iguanas for the first time (multiple times) and saw newly hatched babies. Previously I only saw adults on land. We saw a pod of golden rays during a Zodiac cruise. I saw more sharks and about the same number of penguins and giant tortoises (but this time with a mating attempt).

Galapagos snakes (rare to see) and Galapagos hawks were also new species I spotted on this visit with Hermes. But every route shined with unique highlights according to some of my fellow travelers who were aboard Hermes for 14 days.

Look Out For – Blink & You’ll Miss It

Because Hermes is such a large ship and each day is so full of off-ship exploration in the Galapagos Islands, it’s hard to have time to fully enjoy the actual ship.

The jam-packed schedule on my 5-day itinerary left little downtime, and we really only had 3 full days on the boat. Even simple things like showering and dressing for dinner were rushed if you did every activity offered on some days.  

I left disappointed that I didn’t spend more time on the bow/bridge like I normally do. And the Sun Deck. Or any of the stern seating areas at length.

This mega-catamaran simply deserves more time aboard than the busy Galapagos Islands allow. I could see this ship really shining on a relaxing positioning route where you could have more downtime on the ship. And more time to fully enjoy all the in-suite amenities and the spa.

If you want to take advantage of Hermes’s spa treatments, I’d say a longer route (at least 8 days) is a must. In my case, the added transit for the Western Islands made it feel like even less available spa or room relaxation time as I’m prone to seasickness and didn’t want to schedule a treatment during any bigger transits.

But I made it happen with a 50-minute aromatherapy massage, and recommend splurging on this after long days snorkeling. Post-massage in my suite, donning the ship’s supplied robe and slippers as we sailed toward our next anchorage on Santiago Island, I felt a zen I’ve never reached on other expeditions. I truly didn’t want to leave. 

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