I have a personal, world-saving reason to encourage Galápagos escapades—an ecocidal loop if you will, but a week's cruise fosters enough of permanent environmental consciousness and life-balance to challenge a year's worth social media campaign. Staying on the islands longer than a regular holidaymaker let me work out a bunch of frugal hacks and spent twice as little I would have otherwise. The way out of the pricey online claims, however, had to go beyond the usual sacrifices: camping is forbidden, cruises are the only way to see the islands and the list of prohibited products, including foods, is quite lengthy. Nonetheless, it is a feasible tick-off of any bucket list—and I do not mean settling for a three days' cruise or staying on the Santa Cruz island only.
Booking in advanceAdvanced booking is an ideal solution for those who had too much money. Should your argument be having your holiday secured and without surprises, it is far from the case either: the cruises are notoriously overbooked, and you might be informed yours has been "canceled." Although there would be a bright side—a discount for a different cruise—the amount and schedules of the sea trips are strictly limited for environmental reasons. In practice, this means you are unlikely to land a similar offer during the same period (e.g. the same route or class) which might be a problem if you have already booked the flights.
Should you decide to book online anyway, it might be a good idea to first check out the fixed routes on the map since the cheapest cruises usually sail just around two main islands, and thus do not offer much diversity. Pick the ones you are interested in and email the website asking for a cut—I can assure you this haggle makes a legit part of their PR and sales strategy. You should get a reply with a suggested discount or another budget offer within a few hours. Still nothing thrilling/thrifty enough? Give them another couple of hours and wait for a new set.
Booking ON the Islands
This is the safest and most affordable option. A most successful local agent is eager to craft a tailored, worthwhile itinerary according to your budget and nautical expectations. (And their ability to do that should not necessarily be guessed upon the interior design or the agent's mien.) Combine a walk around one of the two inhabited islands, Santa Cruz or San Cristóbal, with a friendly haggle here and there for last-minute slashed bets, which typically means up to a few hundred bucks' gulf—not only between online and ad hoc bookings but even between some of the agents. Our two weeks of pure leisure on Galápagos (which included a 6-day cruise around Isabela Island, several day trips, diving, and snorkeling) equaled roughly 2070$ per person, so less than we would have paid for the cruise itself had we decided to book it in advance.
Tip: Strategically, it is best to set your base on Santa Cruz (Baltra) since it is the departure point for most cruises and day trips. Besides, there is a plethora of sights and activities on the island itself: from visiting the Charles Darwin Research Station and paled-turquoise Tortuga Bay to serious surfing and snorkeling.
Tipping the crew, double the cost
Popular sources mention the custom of tipping the crew, ranging from 10$-30$ per day for the crew plus 'pocket money' for the guide: the sum to be deposited in a non-anonymous envelope left on your berth. Online rumors have it that the more expensive the cruise, or the more luxurious the vessel, the higher tip would be in order. The real life has it that once you have neared the end of the cruise, someone will reasonably bring it up: was the service worth the tip (at all)? Did you have to pay extra for what was supposed to be provided, such as equipment? People from different cruises I talked to left from nothing or 10$-30$ in total (rather than per day) to over 200$ (in the circles where a splurge is part of the fun).
Tip: On most ships, you are going to be charged extra for snorkeling equipment around 20-30$ per cruise (and, in most cases, the money will go straight to the crew's own pockets—a point to consider before tipping), so make sure to clarify that with your agent beforehand. Usually, it is cheaper to rent it at your agency (around 3$ per day).
Sunscreen
Equatorial sun burns even on a cloudy day, and the islands' economy basks in its golden rays. You might want to get yourself a decent supply of sunblock before hitting Ecuador. Shopping on the mainland will (insignificantly) less, and bringing a few tubes along does pay off.
Getting your money back if you can't make it
It is true that every agreement has its small-font "no reimbursement policy, " but it is also quite likely that not all your expenditure have gone down the drain. The case will need a bit of die-hard negotiation wherein you can win a surrogate cruise, possibly with a partial reimbursement. For example, I was offered half of my money back after losing my guts just before a dive and staying on board instead. However, swapping one day trip for another is not a problem at all.
Tip: If you have booked your cruise online (not via an agency), try to be on the islands at least one day before the departure time—should you miss your flight you will still have the chance to catch up with your ship. A canceled-/delayed-flight factor might be considered exclusively on the emphatic basis, if at all.
Higher class does not mean high-priced
Last not least, there is one more reason to step out of your prep comfort zone (often delusive, anyway). As long as you are reading the offers right off the final-beg chalkboards on the islands, the odds are you will land a fancy class cruise at the price of an economy bet. In practice, the difference means more than enough headroom in (or even on) the toilet: the actually-fitting and operative equipment is what levers the puck on the fun strike, aside from the sufficient amount and edibility of meals.
Should you decide to book online anyway, it might be a good idea to first check out the fixed routes on the map since the cheapest cruises usually sail just around two main islands, and thus do not offer much diversity. Pick the ones you are interested in and email the website asking for a cut—I can assure you this haggle makes a legit part of their PR and sales strategy. You should get a reply with a suggested discount or another budget offer within a few hours. Still nothing thrilling/thrifty enough? Give them another couple of hours and wait for a new set.
Booking ON the Islands
This is the safest and most affordable option. A most successful local agent is eager to craft a tailored, worthwhile itinerary according to your budget and nautical expectations. (And their ability to do that should not necessarily be guessed upon the interior design or the agent's mien.) Combine a walk around one of the two inhabited islands, Santa Cruz or San Cristóbal, with a friendly haggle here and there for last-minute slashed bets, which typically means up to a few hundred bucks' gulf—not only between online and ad hoc bookings but even between some of the agents. Our two weeks of pure leisure on Galápagos (which included a 6-day cruise around Isabela Island, several day trips, diving, and snorkeling) equaled roughly 2070$ per person, so less than we would have paid for the cruise itself had we decided to book it in advance.
Tip: Strategically, it is best to set your base on Santa Cruz (Baltra) since it is the departure point for most cruises and day trips. Besides, there is a plethora of sights and activities on the island itself: from visiting the Charles Darwin Research Station and paled-turquoise Tortuga Bay to serious surfing and snorkeling.
Tipping the crew, double the cost
Popular sources mention the custom of tipping the crew, ranging from 10$-30$ per day for the crew plus 'pocket money' for the guide: the sum to be deposited in a non-anonymous envelope left on your berth. Online rumors have it that the more expensive the cruise, or the more luxurious the vessel, the higher tip would be in order. The real life has it that once you have neared the end of the cruise, someone will reasonably bring it up: was the service worth the tip (at all)? Did you have to pay extra for what was supposed to be provided, such as equipment? People from different cruises I talked to left from nothing or 10$-30$ in total (rather than per day) to over 200$ (in the circles where a splurge is part of the fun).
Tip: On most ships, you are going to be charged extra for snorkeling equipment around 20-30$ per cruise (and, in most cases, the money will go straight to the crew's own pockets—a point to consider before tipping), so make sure to clarify that with your agent beforehand. Usually, it is cheaper to rent it at your agency (around 3$ per day).
Sunscreen
Equatorial sun burns even on a cloudy day, and the islands' economy basks in its golden rays. You might want to get yourself a decent supply of sunblock before hitting Ecuador. Shopping on the mainland will (insignificantly) less, and bringing a few tubes along does pay off.
Getting your money back if you can't make it
It is true that every agreement has its small-font "no reimbursement policy, " but it is also quite likely that not all your expenditure have gone down the drain. The case will need a bit of die-hard negotiation wherein you can win a surrogate cruise, possibly with a partial reimbursement. For example, I was offered half of my money back after losing my guts just before a dive and staying on board instead. However, swapping one day trip for another is not a problem at all.
Tip: If you have booked your cruise online (not via an agency), try to be on the islands at least one day before the departure time—should you miss your flight you will still have the chance to catch up with your ship. A canceled-/delayed-flight factor might be considered exclusively on the emphatic basis, if at all.
Higher class does not mean high-priced
Last not least, there is one more reason to step out of your prep comfort zone (often delusive, anyway). As long as you are reading the offers right off the final-beg chalkboards on the islands, the odds are you will land a fancy class cruise at the price of an economy bet. In practice, the difference means more than enough headroom in (or even on) the toilet: the actually-fitting and operative equipment is what levers the puck on the fun strike, aside from the sufficient amount and edibility of meals.
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