BOOKINGS NOW OPEN

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO BOOK YOUR SPOT, CLICK HERE.

After a careful review of several 12-20 passenger luxury ships in Galapagos, taking into consideration their itineraries, their ownerships, on-board "feel", value-for-money, we've chosen to team up with the 16 passenger INTEGRITY for our Ocean Safari trips.   

Designed for adventurous, inquisitive and reasonably fit travellers who want to experience the absolute most out of their limited time in Galapagos, guests on our Ocean Safari trip will be happy to spend their down time on board our very comfortable ship, to debrief, decompress and relax after their day's many adventures, both above and below the sea. 

We will be operating 4 departures (10 days / 9 nights) in 2023:  

February 2-11   /   April 13-22 /  June 29 - July 8  /  July 13-22  

Price is US$8,995 / person, double occupancy and includes:  

• 2 nights at a boutique Quito hotel pre-cruise (breakfast)
• Quito World Heritage City private tour (lunch)
• Domestic flight to Galapagos (return)
• 7 nights aboard the Integrity (meals, snorkeling gear, wine/beer and more)
• 2 top quality naturalist guides 
• Carbon emissions offset

Above:  The Integrity - a very comfortable 16 passenger ship. Owned and operated by a long time Galapagos family. 

 

WHY DID WE CHOOSE THE INTEGRITY?

The Integrity scores very high on all criteria mentioned above - specifically:

ITINERARY:  The Integrity follows a very logically planned 7 night / 8 day uninterrupted course, ensuring you experience a maximum number of visitor sites for a minimum amount of navigation and disturbance.  There is no back-tracking, allowing the ship to follow a more relaxed agenda, to linger at visitor sites, and to veer off course to sail alongside a mega-pod of dolphins, or simply to cut the engines at sea and observe a group of orcas feeding nearby.  

Above:  The "Born of Fire" itinerary. Well-designed, no needless backtracking. 

 

OWNERSHIP:  The Integrity is wholly owned and fully managed and operated by the 2nd and 3rd generations of a Galapagos family, having immigrated from Germany nearly 75 years ago.  Being on site, they lead the day to day operation and maintenance of the ship, ensuring that work is carried out to perfection.  Their's is a labour of love - no corners are cut.  It's for good reason they decided to give the ship the name INTEGRITY.

ON-BOARD FEEL:  Looking at the new luxury ship additions to the Galapagos fleet, one could be excused for thinking that these were designed to cruise around in Miami waters. Stainless steel, designer furniture, pastel colours, plenty of fiberglass - all combine to inadvertently transport guests to a place far removed from Galapagos.  The Integrity's design focuses on tranquility and simplicity, resulting in an understated elegance that exudes peace and a zen atmosphere - all the better for nurturing the mind-trip that should be part of any Galapagos experience.  

Above: The lounge with the dining area in the background.  Large windows, generous use of hand-crafted tropical cedar fixtures, resulting in a warm, bright and calm atmosphere.

Above:  A standard cabin on board.  Spacious, with large windows.  Warm and inviting.  

VALUE-FOR-MONEY:   Many luxury ships are managed and/or owned by third parties and/or are under sales contracts with high end marketing partners. The usual global cruise brands operate the highest priced luxury ships in Galapagos.  These factors contribute to inflating the price of a trip on these ships, without any perceived benefit while on board.   The Integrity's owners have chosen to run a modest business operation, keeping overhead costs down, making it one of the smartest "value-for-money" luxury ships in Galapagos.  

 

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO BOOK YOUR SPOT, CLICK HERE.