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Celebrity Summit

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Celebrity Millennium

Celebrity Infinity

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Celebrity Apex

Celebrity Beyond

Celebrity Xpedition

Celebrity Ascent

Celebrity Flora

A Trip of a Lifetime!

This really was the trip of a lifetime. It is a full-on trip, with 2 excursions each day, with additional snorkeling on some days. The snorkeling is a must as you see and experience so much wildlife this way, from sealions, sea turtles, marine iguanas, to reef sharks, and a huge range of fish. 

The ship's crew were all fantastic, friendly, efficient, polite and made you feel so welcome.

The food is not very high end, but is plentiful, and tasty. There is a wide selection of wines, so easy to find something to your liking. The crew put on entertainment, which was fun, if not professional :-).

With only 48 passengers you get to know everyone onboard. For me, it was a perfect number. It didn't take long to get people disembarked on the zodiacs for the excursions, and the group sizes were small.

I would highly recommend this trip. Average age onboard was likely around 60-65.

Amazing trip of a lifetime

I cannot say enough good things about the crew and naturalists aboard the Celebrity Xpedition. My husband and I were traveling together, and every experience was absolutely first rate. Traveling in the Galapagos is strenuous, and the crew on the Xpedition made every effort to be informative and to see to our comfort. 10/10 would do this trip again.

There were forty passengers aboard our ship, and we felt like we had plenty of space. 

Deep water snorkel trips are not to be missed. That is where we saw the most interesting critters.

The JW Marriott in Quito was outstanding and a great stop before and after our cruise. We walked to restaurants in the local area and never felt uncomfortable.

One note about our cabin: We booked the Junior Suite. It had a good sized bathroom, mini fridge, storage, and a lovely balcony. This cabin should probably be used for one person, not two. The bed is against the wall next to the stateroom door. One side of the bed is open, the other is up against the wall. There is no room for a side table on either side, so there is no room to set up a CPAP. Even without that, the person who sleeps on the side of the bed by the wall will have to either crawl over their cabin mate, or over the end of the loveseat.

We have always dreamed of embarking on a Galapagos cruise holiday and an offer came up on ROL Cruises.

Flights were included from London via Amsterdam to Quito and outbound went smoothly.

The Celebrity representative met us at the airport and transported us to the very plush JW Marriott quito hotel, keeping us all entertained and informed throughout the journey.

After breakfast the next day we were whisked off in a group of 7 people for a full day tour of Quito, complete with our own minder. Very safe 

Next day we were off to Baltra in the Galapagos Islands to join our cruise. Fully accompanied by the Celebrity reps, even on the aircraft and shuttle bus service.

Finally, a short Zodiac (Large RIB boat) saw us checking in on board the Celebrity Xpedition.

There were 39 passengers on our cruise, so, well outnumbered by the 51 crew.

Our cabin was as expected, clean and well presented, just settling in, as the ship repositioned, and lunch.

But, no time to waste, there was a briefing and we were soon boarding our designated Zodiac in groups of 8 or so to explore the first Galapagos Island with our very own very knowledgeable Naturalist.

Back to the ship, refreshments and clean up for a quality relaxing evening meal. The food was very good quality.

Then an evening briefing of what lay ahead for the following day, with choices of adventure, all included with accompanying Naturalist, be that a walk on another Island, explore a beach or take to the water for some snorkeling.

One adventure (not excursion) in the morning (around 8:30am) back for lunch, whilst the ship repositioned, and another adventure in the afternoon.

Each day followed a similar pattern, so no time was wasted and what a fulfilling holiday.

The crew were amazing the guides/naturalists knowledgeable and entertaining the other guests good company the food was always quality drinks free flowing, everything with a smile.

Sad to end the week, happy to have had the experience of Celebrity Xpedition.

Then the journey home back to the UK, just short of a nightmare, took us 24 hours and KLM not a very comfortable aircraft.

Perhaps consider alternative routes or make sure you upgrade to business class or first class early on in the booking

Absolutely first class

We chose this cruise as an expensive trip of a lifetime. It turned into a nightmare. The cabin was sweltering the entire cruise. The engineer came on day 1 and recognized there was little air coming through the vents. A half an hour later, he sent up a big fan the blew air over ice cubes. The first night, they set it wrong so it beeped over 30 seconds. The room remained so hot that it was not possible to replenish the ice cubes fast enough. Although we upgraded to a suite with a patio, we had to keep the curtains closed because the sun beating in only made it hotter. We had to sleep on our backs with no covers to try to stay cool. 

My partner had an upset stomach on the first night. We made the mistake of not traveling with Imodium. We called the medical office to try to get some. She would not give him anything to stop the symptoms. She did give each of us three covid tests over three days. All negative. She ordered us to quarantine in the cabin - me for one day and him for three days of a seven day cruise. He had to eat nothing but chicken soup and rice in a hot cabin each day of the quarantine. It seems that many people on the ship had upset stomachs but did not report it after his experience. 

In addition, we paid Celebrity a lot of extra money (and extra for insurance) to be upgraded to Delta One on our flights from Atlanta to Quito and return. Within an hour of boarding, time Delta changed the airplane to one that did not have the lie flat beds we booked. This happened in both directions. 

It has been over four months since our return and complaints to Celebrity and Delta. We have been ignored by both. No explanations, no reimbursements. 

We are most unhappy with our experience.

Nightmare cruise

Our cruise package included a three day land tour of Quito, Ecuador as well as a week long Galapagos cruise.  The tour package included lodging at the excellent JW Marriott hotel in Quito (2 days prior and 1 day after the cruise).  Meals were included in the land tour as well as transportation and a tour of the old town.

The JW Marriott was top of the line and likely rated five stars.   The hotel room was spacious and had all the amenities.   The restaurants were excellent and hotel staff was friendly and always helpful.  Ecuador required that when in public places, even outside, we had to wear a mask.  N95 masks were provided by Celebrity.  The tour of the old town included the masteries of San Francisco and Santo Domingo.  Also, we visited several historical buildings in the area.  Quito was an old city with a lot of history.  We enjoyed our tour and an excellent lunch was included during the tour.   Quito is about 9000 feet above sea level and my wife and I took altitude sickness pills prior to and during our stay in Quito.  We had little problem with the altitude.   Our tour group's guide was excellent and the hotel provided a security man that went with us, keeping us from straying from the group and protecting us from potential pickpockets and thieves.   We were warned about keeping our valuables secure.

Two days after our arrival in the country, we checked out of our hotel and were taken to the Quito airport for our flight to Baltra Island in the Galapagos.   This island was the sight of a U.S. military base that focused on protecting the Panama Canal during WWII.  Upon arrival in Baltra, we were taken by buses to a site on the ocean were we picked up our zodiacs that took us to the Xpedition.  Zodiacs are inflatable boats with solid flooring and a large engine.  Celebrity's zodiacs would transport between 12-14 persons.    They were used to tender us to and from the ship on all occasions.  We wore life vests every time we rode on the zodiacs.  We had two types of landings on the cruise, wet and dry.  About half of our landings were wet and half dry.   A wet landing would require stepping into the surf of shallow water, usually ankle deep, sometimes more.  A dry landing involved stepping from the zodiac to a hard surface without stepping in the water.  The wet landings required that we were what were called water shoes, which we removed after our arrival on the beach, dried our feet (hand towel provided by Celebrity) and then put on our socks and shoes.  I took a pair of waterproof low cut walking boots as well as standard athletic walking shoes.   For most of the hikes on the islands, I wore the boots.

Upon arrival at the ship (capacity of only 48 passengers-we had 45), we checked into our cabin on deck 4.   Most of the passengers were in cabins with a medium sized picture window, but no balcony.   That is want we booked.  There were suites on decks 5 and 6 with balconies.  Cost was a huge factor, since our cabin still cost us over $13,000 for the tour and cruise.   Suites were a lot more expensive.   In fact, we have done 21 cruises, 12 with Celebrity and this cruise was by far our most expensive cruise.   In fact, it cost more than double any other cruise that we have taken.   Still, the cruise included all alcoholic drinks and excursions.  It was all inclusive.   

The dining was exceptional and featured a lot of seafood.   Someone warned us about selecting the beef, if it was an option.   Most of what I chose was seafood, fish or shrimp.    I did have an excellent steak with lobster one evening.   However, we had a Tex-Mex lunch that included a beef in a tortilla.   It was not the high point of our dining.    I had few complaints about the dining, but one was the beef in the tortilla.  Also, for one dinner my wife and I choose the Moussaka, which was mediocre. However, overall the dining was exceptional.  We had wonderful sea bass, salmon and shrimp that we very much enjoyed.   One thing, we found that after a day on the ship, we were eating too much and tried to cut back.  I alternated between getting an omelette for breakfast to oatmeal and fruit.

Dr. Ellen Prager, a distinguished marine scientists and author was a great addition to the ship.  She provided interesting and informative presentations of sea life and insight into her book, "Sex, Drugs and Sea Slime."   I read about half of her book that was in the ship's library.  It was a colorful way to explain the importance of sea life from algae to higher life forms in the ecosystem of our oceans.  She went on some of our excursions and added significantly to our understanding of the Galapagos.

Every excursion was broken up into four groups of 10-12 persons.     Our guides were Ecuadorians, some native to the islands.  They were all trained naturalists and were excellent guides.   They would explain the wildlife and environment so we all understood what we were seeing on the excursions.    Also, we had about 7 opportunities to snorkel during the cruise.   I snorkeling twice and enjoyed it a lot.   However, I always chose the excursions with the long hikes (usually about 1.5 to 2 miles) and when I did two hikes a day as well as snorkel, it was a bit exhausting.   Well, I am 74 years old.  

Our first excursion was the afternoon of our arrival on the ship.   We took a zodiac ride to Black Turtle Cove, Santa Cruz Island (just south of Baltra Island).  We saw birds, a few sea turtles and some mangroves.   The next day, day 4, we tendered into Rabida Island.   It was know for its volcanic landscape and distinctive red sand.  We saw pelicans, sea lions and birds.  I did the hike and after snorkeled.   I saw several different schools of fish of different sizes as well as sea lions.  Some saw a couple of small sharks, but I did not.   On another snorkel, I swam with over a dozen sea turtles.

After the morning excursions, we returned to the ship and cleaned my snorkel gear, then showered and had lunch.   Later, we had an afternoon excursion (a typical day on this cruise) visiting Egas Port on Santiago Island.  It was a black sand beach with coastal tide pools.  We say flamingos (not sure it was on this excursion or the morning one), also fur seals, sea turtles, penguins and flightless cormorants.

I won't list all the places that we visited, but mention the most memorable.   We did a hike on Tagus Cove, Isabela Island and saw Darwin Lake.    Every island was volcanic and the amazing landscape showed different types of lava flows that our expert guides explained how they formed.   We did a great climb of Bartolomé Island to the top of the extinct volcano that was special.   The island was very barren (someone said it looked like Mars) with spatter cones and an amazing pinnacle rock.  We climbed up the steps of a wooden starway (with hand rails) to the top.  This was a special part of our cruise.

Other excursions like the Genovesa Island was amazing, since it was known as Bird Island.  We saw all the bird species that we had been told about and seen to some degree on other islands, however on this island we saw hundred and hundred of birds.  It was amazing and I remember taking over one hundred photos on that single excursion.  We even saw an owl, which our naturalist said was rare.

On two occasions we saw the huge giant tortoises native to the islands.   The best was on the last full day of the cruise, when on Santa Cruz Island, were we took a bus to the center of the island to a farm, were we had a nice lunch and there was a show of native Galapagos folk dancing.   The dancers were excellent and very colorful.   After the dances, we visited the nearby area were several tortoises were seen, some quite large as well as some smaller and  younger.  

Our Galapagos cruise was great and we saw much wildlife that you just don't see anywhere else in the World.  Yes, we have seen many places were sea lions are seen, but not the animals and birds that you can almost walk up to and photograph at will.    

After our cruise ended, we flew back to Quito for one overnight and the next day back home.

Amazing wildlife in a week on the Xpedition

The Galapagos are a magical place.  Is the Xpedition just as magical?

The Galapagos southern loop was exceptional.  Traveling with reduced capacity made for a very intimate expedition.  The food, service, and accommodations were beautiful.  I completely understand and appreciate the care and concern from island to island, as we were asked to wash off our shoes, each time, so no seeds or poop could be transferred to another island. The talks were invaluable and films, priceless.  

This cruise is completely all inclusive, so tipping isn't necessary, except if you have a wonderful barmaid, named Anita...wanted to take her home. 

Celebrity made sure to keep small groups in 'pods', for Covid safety, we felt completely safe, and for ten days were able to forget the drama of the rest of the world. 

Go in our (US) summer, their winter, as the weather will be cooler, and less rain. 

Be aware, the ship is small and hasn't stabilizers, so it's a bit rocky.  But it side to side, not up and down and very comfortable to sleep under., taking a shower is a bit of a challenge.

TRIP OF A LIFETIME

Our j.w. Marriott pre cruise hotel beautiful. nice city tour.Equator is interesting.excellent food. flight without problems. Our transfer to pier very short. welcomed to the boat by staff,. our adventure  started,Most people around 40 -70.Since there was only 48 of us we had plenty of room on the boat. naturist on board that joined you for meals. All 5 were very good. The food very good. Lobster, Red Snapper , Pig.  The staff Dora ,,Carlos the Best . Our rm 407 nicely laid out. enough rm, with sofa and table and closet space. stocked with robe. Bed comfortable. Most things on this floor,  excursions choices . Usually long walk, short walk ,zodiac ride, deep water snorkel, kayak Twice a day.,.The animals and islands are why you come to visit. Remember this is a expedition ship. This boat has had recent upgrades., This cruise should be on your bucket list..Celebrity does this boat right.!!

50th wedding anniversary. 

Our cruise on Xpedition was a celebration of my 40th birthday, and the trip truly exceeded expectations.  From the exceptional staff to the fresh local food on board, we thoroughly enjoyed our vacation.  Xpedition is a relatively old ship by modern cruise standards, but she has aged well and is lovingly maintained.  We were surprised how much she felt like a true Celebrity ship just on a much smaller scale.  With one dining room, one bar, and close quarters, you get to know the other passengers and crew much more than on a large ship.  Fortunately for us, we enjoyed our fellow travelers and crew members.  

The Galapagos itself is a very special place, and the way the National Park is managed really limits crowds.  The naturalists who lead the excursions are exceedingly patient and considerate.  They are informative and knowledgeable about the environment, wildlife, and geology of the islands.

Finally, make sure you know in advance what this trip is and is not.  We were shocked to learn that a handful of passengers did not realize this was an adventure cruise with rugged hikes.  The experience is not for everyone, so make sure you are up for an adventure when you book this trip.  If you are, you’ll be rewarded with a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Incredible Experience

This was a bucket list item for me and my friend.  I wanted to see what Darwin saw in 1835, and he wanted to see the Galapagos tortoises, since he has two "normal size" tortoises as pets. Our wives had no interest in going, so we shared a room together. We wanted to spend time in Quito, Ecuador, so opted for the time in Quito before and after the islands. 

  We flew into Quito from our departure airport, and almost immediately I felt the altitude. I told my friend to slow down, as we walked off the plane, as I felt hot, and out of breath.  This only lasted for a day, however he would react far worse than me on the return to Quito.     

  Upon exiting Customs, were met by Anna, who corralled us all together.  We then had about a 45 minute bus ride to the JW Marriott in Quito. As you will see, I cannot say anything negative at all about the hotel, as the hotel itself is impressive, the staff was responsive  to our needs, and the food we ate there was quite good. The next day, we went on a city tour with Joanna, our very knowledgeable and pleasant tour guide.  Lunch was at a very nice restaurant.  All during the tour we were also accompanied by a security person.  I was told by a policeman to mind my expensive camera, as motorcyclists were known to snatch and grab items from tourists.  Our group was bused to a very nice restaurant for dinner that night, quite good.  As the bus was waiting for the last few people, some kids came to the bus door and tried to sell us candy and other items. 

  The next day, we all got up early for a breakfast buffet followed by the 45 minute bus ride back to the Quito airport for the about 2 plus hour flight to the Galapagos, about 868 air miles.  We landed in at the Baltra Island Airport, and were assailed immediately by the heat and humidity. We took rigid inflatable Zodiacs to the ship, 16 people to a Zodiac, the only was on and off the ship.  We would find out that there were wet landings (beach shoes), and dry ones (walking shoes). Our cabin was 316, on deck 3, third cabin from the bow. If I had it to do over, We would have gotten a cabin on decks 4 or 5.  Our cabin was always warm, despite the efforts of the crew to make it cooler, plus we had to be close to the anchor locker, as every time we did anchor, it sounded like the chain was coming thru the wall. It was a small cabin, but did have plenty of storage for our clothes and gear.

  Each day, we went to a different island, under the knowledgeable care of a naturalist.  Bettina was the Cruise Director, and her staff of naturalists (Martha, William, Diego, Manuel, David and Victoria) were quite good.  They were all pleasant and answered every question thrown at them. We would have a hike in the morning and afternoon, with several days followed by snorkeling.  My fitbit showed me walking anywhere from 5 to 8 miles per day.  This was either on sandy beaches, rocky or volcanic trails. At the end of a day, when we returned in the Zodiacs, mostly everyone was quite tired. There were also cold drinks for everyone when we arrived back each day.  Being tired did not stop us from talking amongst ourselves as to what we saw. It was quite distressing to see, even there, the amount of plastic washed up on the beaches.  We also observed a sea lion with netting stuck around its body. 

  The second day, I opted to not use a walking stick on a rocky trail, and ended up sustaining some deep cuts to mostly my left shin.  Martha, our assigned naturalist, with the advice and assistance of several doctors on our hike, managed to apply a lot of gauze and bandages. I was checked out by the ships doctor upon arrival on the ship.   Unfortunately, that curtailed my snorkeling. I used a walking stick after that! I have to say that all the activities were correctly characterized, as to difficult and distance by Bettina before dinner preceding each day. Pictures and maps during her talk explained the following day.  

  We did see what we came to the Galapagos to see.  There were plenty of Marine and Land Iguanas, Nazca, Blue and Red Boobies, plenty of Sea Lions and a handful of Penguins.  Of course, we saw many of the two, distinctly different Galapagos Tortoises.  The main difference is in the shells, to allow one sort to reach the high bushes.  Those folks that snorkeled saw lots of sea turtles, and many kinds and sizes of fish.  

  You did have to be careful, as on my cruise, I scraped my shin, a woman fell and hit her head, another landed on a cactus with her hand, and there were a number of wasp stings. I would be difficult to med-evac someone in a timely fashion if they were really sick/hurt.   But, as I said above, the cruise staff took care of the guests quite well.  

  Meals on the ship were not gourmet like on the big cruise ships, but they were good.  I especially liked the lunches.  They had four lunches in which they highlighted certain cultures. The four the head Chef Roger highlighted were: Chinese, Amazonian, Ecuadorian and Asian. I ate mostly fish for my dinner entree, and especially liked the red scorpion fish, native to the Galapagos waters.  Towards the end of the cruise, there was a BBQ, very nice.  And, as with the big ships, an exhibition of the musical talents of the crew.  All of the guests were invited to a ships party on deck 6 to meet and talk with the senior staff.  The Master, Captaincies Pacheco, and his hotel counterpart, Hotel Director John Flynn, were the hosts.  I got to see the ships Doctor who asked me how my leg was doing.  We also had a crossing-the-equator party. We also went to a private farm for a lunch after a reforestation effort by most of us.  Native dances in costumes followed a good lunch.

  On the whole, except for my fall, it was a great trip.  We had a good time on the ship, and saw what we came so far to see.  I especially liked when we were leaving the ship, that the Captain and Hotel Director shook each person's hand as we left.  They waved goodby as we left for our last Zodiac trip. As someone who has been on several Celebrity ships, this continued the classy aspects of the trips my wife and I have had on Celebrity.  My friend also enjoyed himself on the ship.  

  We then flew back to Quito and checked into the JW Marriott again.  My friend then started having a very bad reaction to the altitude, and with a half hour of his request, there was an oxygen machine in our room.  The next morning, were were supposed to go on a tour, but he was still hurting.  The hotel arranged for us to go to a local pharmacy to get some medication, as well as providing for for us to eat on the excursion bus.  We went to a number of location, all at lower altitudes, which helped my friend.  During the excursion the concierge called our guide and arranged for us to go back in our same room upon return, to give him another 4 hors of oxygen until our ride back to the airport that night.  That to me was a very nice thing to do, and shows that the Marriott staff there takes care of their guests.  

  All in all, this was a great trip, with Celebrity and the Marriott doing an outstanding job.

Strenuous But One Will Always Remember 

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