FAQs about Galapagos: Will there be time for snorkeling?
During your cruise, you will have magnificent opportunities to enjoy snorkeling in the most fantastic underwater scenarios within the Galapagos National Park and Marine Reserve as well as other wonderful activities to complement your experience in the Archipelago.
On Luxury and First class cruises snorkeling equipment (snorkel, mask & fins) are included and on Midrange and Economy class cruises they are available for rent. Some Luxury class cruises also include Wet suits while on First, Midrange and Economy class, Wert suits are available for rent.
Other related frequently asked questions
For cruises and tours, we have flexible payment policies:
- Tours booked from 91 days or more, small 30% deposit is requested to pre-confirm, 70% balance is needed 90 days before tour dates.
- Tours booked 90 days or less, complete payment is needed to confirm your trip.
On a general basis, unless included on the given price for the confirmed cruise, passenger needs to bring enough cash on board to cover costs like Galapagos entrance fee ($100 p.p. in cash on arrival to Islands), mandatory Transit Control Card ($20 p.p. paid before check-in in cash), snorkeling equipment & wet suit rental (in cash on board), personal expenses, extras, soft & alcoholic drinks, tips for guide& crew and other expenses not specified in the itinerary.
Some Luxury and First accept Credit Card payments on board for on board consumption but Midrange and Economy require payments in cash only. It is imperative that you bring enough cash (U.S. Dollars) in all cases to cover your expenses while cruising the Galapagos.
Choosing the right cruise is critical if you are susceptible to seasickness; large vessels are the best choice as they’re very stable when sailing. If you do not like large vessels, then we recommend choosing a nice catamaran (twin-haul), which also offer smooth sailing for passengers’ comfort.
You can also ask your doctor to prescribe you medicine to help you contrast the effect of the motion when sailing; it is also important to be properly hydrated during your cruise as this also helps prevent the effects.
If you are taking a Galapagos Cruise or package, it is best if you book your domestic flights to/from Galapagos from Quito, Guayaquil or mixed route along with your cruise. This because cruises/tours must follow a pre-approved itinerary by the National Park’s Authorities, and all start their itinerary with specific arriving flights to the Islands, and cannot wait for stragglers arriving on different flights other than the one used by the rest of the group.
Catching a cruise when arriving on different flights that are delayed or arrive on different timings can be very expensive and in some cases, impossible, causing distress and unwanted non-refundable trip cancelations.
For this reason, all operators recommend booking your domestic flights along with your cruise or tour to align with the operation and avoid any issues. Get full details on logistics and traveling to the Galapagos.
For domestic flights to/from Galapagos, each passenger is allowed to bring one piece of luggage of no more than 20 kilos plus one hand luggage or backpack of no more than 10 kilos. Each passenger can also brink on plane’s cabin 1 small purse, handbag or camera-bag.
If excess on luggage occurs, the fee will be charged and paid directly at airline’s counter at the moment of check-in after checking space on cargo area on the plane to Galapagos.