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Galapagos
Cruise Ship Categories and Standards
The
ships cruising around the Galapagos Islands vary quite alot
with respect to the quality of the services offered, the crew's
training and the level of catering on offer as well as the
standard of the ship and its acommodation and equipment. This
can be a little confusing as there is so much information
to wade through.
In
order to make the task easier we have provided you with a
classification of ships below. By doing this we hope that
the categories will help you to better plan your cruise. We
sometimes hear of unsatisfied people traveling with other
companies, because their expectations concerning the cruise
have not been fulfilled. After having had a look at the many
websites of various companies offering Galapagos cruises you
will notice that the same ship is often listed in different
categories. We aim to be concise and precise so that your
cruise through this unique paradise will be something you
never forget.
Call
or email us to find out which yachts have spaces for your
dates
We
can then slot the package of your choice into your main vacaction
combined with Peru, or on its own or another country, so that
it all runs together smoothly and without any fuss or effort
for you. The length of your cruise will depend on how many
days you have on vacation. Speak to us about this so we can
fully advise you.
For
Galapagos Islands cruises the ships are usually classified
into four different categories and these can be contracted
for periods between 4 and 8 days:
Economy
(E):
The equipment of ships belonging to this category is fairly
basic. Due to the size and the speed of the boat, fewer islands
can be visited compared to ships of a higher category. The
guides (Naturalist Class I) are usually from Galapagos and
they often speak only a bit of English. The food aboard is
not very diversified. In general, this category is suitable
for younger travelers on a lower budget.
Tourist
(T):
The cabins of tourist class ships are more spacious and possibly
equipped with air-conditioning.
The ships do not vary significantly from economy class boats
with regard to size and service but your guides (Naturalist
II) will have obtained a better level of training, speak English
very well and possess a better knowledge of the islands. All
in all the organization is a better standard than the previous
category.
First
Class (F):
Ships of this class are very comfortable and comply with international
standards of superior cruise ships. The cabins are spacious
and are equiped with hot and cold water as well as air-conditioning.
Your guides will be qualified to Naturalist Class III, which
means that they will have studied specialist subjects (for
example biology) and therefore possess very good scientific
knowledge of flora and fauna, the evolution of the archipelago
and are probably multilingual. In this category the meals
are served in buffet style.
Luxury
(L):
Ships belonging to this category are cruise ships with a capacity
of 20 to 100 passengers, also single cabins may be offered.
These are very well equiped ships with satellite telephone
and TV/Video. These ships are a lot faster and so more islands
can be visited in less time. This makes the program even more
interesting than it already is. It goes without saying that
the guides belong to the Naturalist Class III mentioned above.
Due to the latest technology aboard luxury class ships use
environmentally friendly fuel.
Call
or email us to find out which yachts have spaces for your
dates
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