By Debby Merickel

In the last edition you read about romance and the onboard experience. This time we will feature a destination specific cruise.

Small ships: Navigating islands where big liners can’t go.

The Galapagos is one destination that is best served by boat travel, and the smaller, the better. Check with your travel agent to find the one that works best for you.

My sister and her husband chose the Seaman, a 15 passenger vessel in the Superior Tourist Category and were treated to exquisite food and excellent service. This well designed ship is always skippered by one of the owners and due to its size is able to navigate the areas surrounding some islands that the big liners can’t go.

Swimming with whales

Normally they would take 2 excursions a day including snorkeling, hikes, and the Charles Darwin station. Once again, due to the size of the boat and the passengers, they were able to change or be flexible with the schedule to a degree. One day they followed a pod of blue whales for hours and then were able to jump off and swim with them.

Eco-friendly staff

The staff was very knowledgeable and very eco-friendly. In the evening, during cocktail hour, the naturalist would brief them on the next day’s activities. This group visited the four different islands of Bartolome, Genovesa, Plazas and Santa Cruz and often did their traveling at night freeing them up for all the excursions. The animals and birds alone filled up one big photo album.

Masked boobies and Snorkeling with penguins and sharks.

Exploring every island was like being in an open aviary. They saw multiple species of birds flying, nesting, eating, and mating. Personal favorites for the two of them included the masked boobies, mockingbirds and the Galapagos Dove. They also loved snorkeling with the penguins, sea lions and sharks. One penguin swam through my brother-in-laws legs three times before a shark got too close. <<

Where to Next?

This type of cruise, while more about adventure than total relaxation, is just one of a plethora of choices.

Sailing the high seas has as many options for the tourist as the lush buffets served on board do for the hungry.

Fortunately they all provide a total package attending to all your needs and dreams. Are you more interested in the activities and accommodations on the ship or do you want the ship to serve as your home-base as you explore new sites? Once you decide on where you want to go, what you want to do, how much you want to spend and how much pampering you desire the only thing left is to set aside the time and pack your bags. <<

Debby Merickel is putting the finishing touches on her book– a travelogue called The Misadventures of an Aging Globetrotter