www.galapagostourist.org

[Frank]

I will be cruising the Galapagos Islands on Celebrity's "Xpedition" in June. Would love to hear your impressions of the ship/islands if you have already taken this cruise.

[Heather]

I would not go so far as to say the Xpedition is the ONLY way to visit the Galapagos, but it is one great choice for many types of people. Since she is a travel agent and does not represent Celebrity, I agree that Hblenkiron should stop bashing the Xpedition. Here is what I wrote in response to her posts earlier in this forum: "In general, I agree with Heather's postings, attitude and environmental outlook, but having been an initially reluctant passenger on the Xpedition last spring, (left to my own devices I would have chosen a small boat), I have to say it was fantastic and truly intimate. Shore excursions are no larger than on small boats (the park regulates group size and # of naturalists per passengers), so you end up getting different groups of people, different naturalists and more options aboard the larger ship. Onboard, we often had entire decks to ourselves. There were absolutely NO hidden costs with the Xpedition either. We had very nice accommodations, a GREAT crew, good meals, excellent service and outstanding excursions and encounters with the incredible Galapagos wildlife on land and in the water. "