The planning underway for our Galapagos adventure in the fall!

In mid September this year we will be heading to Galapagos for a bucket list adventure.  We are very much looking forward to it after delaying it for the last few years due to Covid.  Looking at our notes, we initially booked it for 2021, then delayed it to 2022, and then to 2024!  Read this post to learn more about some of the planning we are undertaking now to make sure our Galapagos adventure in the fall is the best!

Delays

Back in 2019 we started thinking about going to the Galapagos. We took the opportunity to go to a Celebrity Cruises event put on by a travel agent we have worked with before.  We got quite excited after the seminar and we were keen to book it.  It was one of those ‘if we’re going to do it, let’s do it now when we can really enjoy it!’. There was some slight hesitation – the cost was a bit higher than most of our previous trips.  However, with it being a fully inclusive trip – flights, excursions, Quito hotel, and so on – we decided to go ahead and do it.  We were taking the plunge for a Galapagos adventure in the fall!

Then Covid came. We decided to take the option to delay the cruise.  We still wanted to go, but, we would need to wait.  In 2022, as the date for final payment approached, we decided to delay again.  Although it was sailing, we didn’t see that the onboard experience was back to normal.  So, again, we postponed it. From our perspective paying that kind of money and not getting the experience we wanted was a non-starter.  As previously active cruisers, we knew what that experience ‘should’ be like.  We waited. 

September 2024

Here we are now eagerly anticipating our September Galapagos adventure.  One of the unique things about a Galapagos adventure with Celebrity Cruises is that it is an end to end experience.  From the time we get on our first flight to when we step off the last flight, all the fundamentals are provided by Celebrity.  Flights, all transfers, hotel in Quito, majority of meals in Quito, cruise, expedition style excursions, hotel in Quito and flights home. This is atypical for Celebrity Cruises, and also in many ways different for us.  

We like planning and organizing flights, accommodations, excursions and in many cases, our transfers.  We will see how it all measures up!  You may think that there’s not much involved in this cruise from a planning perspective.  That it is just a book and enjoy type of adventure. I like planning and I like being prepared for what I may experience.  I also like being aware of my options.  For these reasons and to get the absolute best value and experience on this trip, we are doing our research for this Galapagos adventure in the fall.

What are we researching?

Airports

I start at the beginning of the trip looking at flights and the airports we will be spending time in.  Is there anything specifically interesting about them?  If we have time, we try to take a look around and make the most of our time.  It also helps pass the time on longer layovers.

Airlines

What type of service does the airline provide? How many hours do I have to keep myself entertained for?I must admit that we like knowing what type of food we will be getting onboard, if any.  This is pretty straightforward to figure out nowadays with all the information available online, but, there are always last minute changes which can be surprising.  We do this just in case we absolutely don’t get anything during a particular flight or it would be not at a time to benefit us.  Then we either eat at the airport (that’s another topic!) or we get some take out to take onboard the flight.

Location: Quito

We land late in the evening and will be picked up and transferred to the JW Marriott on this trip.  I’ve taken a look at the hotel, the area it is in and what is close by; as well as highlights of Quito.  We are there 2 nights pre and post cruise, and do have some time to ourselves to enjoy in the area and the city of Quito.  We will be exposed to most of the highlights on a city wide tour our first full day, but anticipate other areas we will want to see.  For our last night in Quito before we fly home, we have made a reservation at Zazu which has stellar recommendations for its Chef Wilson Alpala.  Looking forward to it!

Cruise

From embarkation to all the ports of call, we have been researching it all!  In the Galapagos, certain species are more prevalent on certain islands and some of the islands have a diverse history.  For each port I do up highlights on our itinerary, so we can reference it as we go.  We found out recently from the cruise line that due to a mechanical challenge a couple of the ports would be changed – and new ones were provided.  I’ll look into those as well.  This expedition cruise includes 2 different ports each day with approximately 4 options for each port for guests.  Kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, swimming, etc are all potential options.  Days are more active, and the focus is on learning, being engaged and informed.

With all the research above going on, what else could we possibly need to do?  Well, plan our packing of course.  There are lots of helpful hints provided by Celebrity, provided on Cruise Critic (search for the cruise tips you want more info on), and even online on YouTube videos on these cruises.  So, we have assimilated all this information and boiled it down to our packing list.  

Stay tuned to this website for future posts in the next couple weeks on the packing list and the best travel medical kit ever!  Even better, subscribe to our website (bottom of this post) for our regular newsletter to stay on top of travel tips, recommendations, and how to be prepared for what comes your way.