The Offer

We are willing to pay for a Category 1 cabin.

They include airfare from Miami or offer us $450 pp airfare credit. 

LATAM Airlines has direct flights from JFK to Guayaquil,  Ecuador for about $650.

Well, Lindblad had no cabins available that we are willing to pay for.  So we are waitlisted.

Within 24 hours, Nat Geo called and took our offer at the lowest rate for a cabin to be assigned later.

So we are on!!

Who are we going with?

National Geographic / Lindblad

Mainly due to reputation. The ship, National Geographic Endeavour II has only 95 guests.

  There are several naturalist and a photo expert on board.

We cannot figure out what their exact but having spoken with the agents I am confident we will see our highlight list. 

Some more thoughts on the Galapagos

There seem to be many basic cruise choices. The Cardinals: North, East, South, West. Plus center and outer rings and combinations of all the above.

All seem to have similar itineraries. So the choice is going to come down to providers schedules,  availability, and reputations.

Here is a great map to start planning.  

Here is a great map to help plan!! I wish I knew who first published it to give them credit... my version was on a photocopy with scribble!

And here are some of the tour packages and why choosing the right one is so difficult

http://www.wildernesstravel.com

http://www.ecoadventures.com

http://www.go2peru.com

http:\\arctictotheamazon.wordpress.com

Let's look at the Galapagos Island options.

•       December is high tourist season
•       But January is bargain price
•       Having stalled over the idea of when to go it seems no time is bad.
•       The trip looks expensive, but…
•       Airfare is included on some tours
•       All shore excursions are included on most tours
•       There are lots of choices of tours
•       I plotted several of the itineraries on several copies of the map.  I’ve been plotted which birds and animals we expect to see on which Islands, coves, and inlets. Then we made a list of the animals and creatures we wish to see.
•       The animal list is quite easy blue-footed boobies, penguins, and giant tortoises.

Let's Review the SA Cruise

Wow. What a trip to plan.  Let's review:

• Half the days are “At Sea"
• Christmas Day is in a port - what will be open?
• This trip is almost entirely in the roaring 40s and the furious 50s
• The internet of full of stories of missed ports because of weather
• My mother had a story about boarding the ship AFTER one of these cruises
• Airfare is pricey
• Add the shore excursions and bar tab
• We are talking serious money now!!
• We might as well go to the Galapagos Islands for a week.