Expert Aboard: Santa Cruz II Galapagos Review

This Santa Cruz II Galapagos review comes from my time aboard on a 9-day Santa Cruz II Galapagos Cruise. Read on to learn about the highlights from my trip, along with added insight from our other experts who’ve been on the Santa Cruz II firsthand.

Our team has consistently booked travelers over the past two decades aboard this ship, so find years of traveler feedback also on this page.

• Overall standout – the crew & guides
• Favorite spaces & places – the Panorama Deck
• Cabin comparisons – upgrade for space
• What sets Santa Cruz II apart – size, activity variety & Quito included
• Don’t miss – dining al fresco & the auction
• Look out for – overall days in Galapagos
• If I booked again – I’d do this 17-day route

Overall highlight: The crew

The crew aboard were true magicians who made every day flow effortlessly from one activity to the next. I was always pleasantly surprised to see the little details taken when returning to my room: from the bed being turned down to the towels being pressed and hung on my shower bar. With my fellow passengers, we often joked about how everything seemed to happen as if by magic because you never saw the staff. On the busiest of days they were tending to my room upwards of five times, so this was quite impressive considering you never saw them in the corridors. It lent a very upscale feeling to the experience.

Greatest asset: The guides

What put this trip over the top were the experienced, passionate, dedicated and talented guides. We were fortunate to have the placement of many junior guides who were being mentored during our trip by the other guides (averaging 20 years experience). The combination of the longevity of the more senior guides paired with the enthusiasm of the junior guides made this a true life-changing trip for me. In fact, one of my guides was so tenured on this particular ship that he’d sailed aboard with another AdventureSmith expert more than a decade ago. I looked forward to their science and history talks each night, and we also had an interesting citizen science project involving us recording and reporting the clouds we observed to NASA.

Favorite spaces & places: The Panorama Deck

I loved to start my day here with a cup of coffee before anyone had left their cabins. Here I could soak in the unfolding of the light as it played across the islands and ocean, watching blue-footed boobies and the majestic frigatebirds who followed them. This deck’s al fresco dining (and bar) options were also fun to come back to the ship for. All the guests buzzed around talking about their day. The grill turned out skewers of veggie, chicken or beef with a sweet treat as well. The guides would also give talks from this space, for example explaining the formation of Kicker Rock and its geology as we sailed around it.

Cabin Comparisons: Upgrade for space

Each cabin in the Horizon Class was well appointed and spacious enough for a person of average build and height. I would suggest a higher cabin class only just to provide a little more maneuvering room. Single cabins were actually quite nice due to the extra space afforded by the smaller bed.

It’s no surprise that the Panorama Deck Darwin Suite will give you the most room, and it can be further upgraded into a two-room suite. But the real star of the Darwin Suite beyond the large double windows is the expansive bathroom. The toilet is in its own room and the vanity/shower space has a rack for hanging clothes, great for drying swimwear and ridding wrinkles. All the bathrooms on this ship could be modernized, but are functional and clean.

What sets the Santa Cruz II apart

At 90 guests, the Santa Cruz II is one of the largest ships sailing in the Galapagos Islands. Despite this large size, efficiency and crowds (aboard and ashore) are not an issue. Onboard, from the bar area to the gym, I always felt like the spaces were open, light filled and comfortable with room to spread out. From the start, we were divided into groups of 12-13 or so that gave us a sense of camaraderie and a disembarkation order for activities. For the excursions that had options by difficulty level, we divided by preference, so we were often in smaller groups due to varying skill and ability levels, like longer hikes or deep-water snorkeling.

Due to the number of activity options and guides available on the Santa Cruz II, multi generations are able enjoy an active vacation together, while each being catered to at their level. For instance, at Barrington Bay on Santa Fe Island, we could deep-water snorkel or take a ride in the glass-bottom boat. At Punta Pitt, those who wanted could do a strenuous pre-breakfast hike. And at the tortoise breeding center on San Cristobal, there were enough guides to accommodate fast walkers and those who wanted a more mellow or photography-focused pace. I even took a guided bike ride—something not offered on most other Galapagos Island cruises.

And a final but big distinguishing factor from other Galapagos cruises, is that all Santa Cruz itineraries include an introduction to Quito, the capital of Ecuador. I cannot say enough about having this segment on the trip. It gave me the chance to recover from a long series of flights while soaking up the culture, diversity and hospitality of the people of Ecuador. I also met my fellow travelers, many of whom became my friends over the week.

Quito is a truly great city which is reflected in the vibrancy of the Old Town and the sights you see on day one. I was thrilled to experience a chocolatier tempering chocolate using a stone slab and a spatula. Taking in the beauty and immensity of churches while observing daily practices was a special treat. Coupled with seeing the Center of World, I feel I was mentally and spiritually open for having the best experience in the Galapagos.

Don’t miss: Dining al fresco & the auction

I also loved participating in the onboard auction, which supports the company’s very transparent commitments to help preserve wildlife, battle marine litter and support the local Galapagos community. They were able to quickly provide me a list of where the contributions went last year, one of many being the Galapagos Petrel Reserve. And these donations also help them host local Galapagos students and teachers in extra unsold cabins, providing a chance they might not otherwise get to help spread the conservation message to other fellow permanent residents. While there were not any students aboard my particular cruise, a past AdventureSmith expert aboard this same ship sailed with two students accompanied by their teacher. 

Look out for

Because all Santa Cruz II itineraries include Quito, keep this in mind as what might seem like 7-day Galapagos cruise on this ship, only has 3 full days in the Galapagos Islands.

If I booked again I’d…

Do the most comprehensive 17-day route, combining the 11-day North and West itinerary with the 9-day East route I did. This would truly be the trip of a lifetime, while allowing for some downtime in what is a very jam-packed week otherwise.

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