Hola from Quito, Ecuador. Gary and I have just completed Beguiling Outdoor Observations By Yacht (BOOBY) onboard the Isabel II in the Galapagos Island. We opted for the 4 day itinerary. The ship was sold out (21 cabins, 40 people max).
I have no basis of comparison for this ship versus the other Galapagos only cruises, but can compare the expedition nature of the trip to a few other trips we have completed. This was more in keeping with a Yangtze river type of cruise than a Silver Explorer multi-day adventure. The food was quite good (tho the waiters were quite keen on clearing your place quickly - no closing the restaurant after dinner on this line) and the cabin stewards did a fabulous job of keeping clean, dry towels in a tiny cabin following wet landings and/or snorkeling.
The passenger mix was international - we were the only Americanos on board. One third did not use English as a functional language. Let's just say that made landing tours a challenge for everyone.
The one unique experience was the 'tortoise transfer'. A giant tortoise (think teenager) was blocking the roadway out of the restaurant. Our leader decided we had to move that tortoise to keep to our schedule. The men gamely put their backs into it and moved that tortoise out of the way. This, of course, led to 'how many tourists does it take to transport a tortoise?' and 'why does the tortoise cross the road?' conversation. These jokes do not translate well in a diverse group. At least we tried
. Our fellow passengers tried, too. They started with trying to come up with the word for 'tortoise' in their functional language, followed by lots of confusion as to why we pronounce "tortoise" as tor-tus. They kept saying it 'tor-toys' so it rhymed with 'poise'.
Important things to know:
- wet landings are best handled with flip flops or open toe sandals. Bring walking shoes if needed with you
- this is a pretty $$$$ trip. We had 3 nights in Quito + 4 nights on ship. Metropolitan's service includes a much better luggage transfer option than what the other ships offer their passengers. I think Metropolitan's tours are among the best of the small ships plying the Galapagos waters with expedition itineraries. Was this worth the cost vs. Celebrity Expedition or one of the less expensive ships? I'll never know for sure, but the question is spinning in the back of my head.
- I've found the food a challenge for digestion, so expect I'd find that to be the case on any ship in this area.
- The best part is walking within a few yards or feet of the animals and reptiles without having them bolt out of the way.
- study the time of year you are considering going. We were there for sea lion pupping, with lots of moms and babies. Giant tortoises are gearing up for mating season in December.
- water is COLD. Real expedition members rent wet suits!
-Red footed boobies have it all over the blue footed or Nacza variety. Blue footed boobies must have a better marketing department, since they are the #1 thing emblazoned on the T-shirts, mugs, bags, etc.
Cheers, Anne
