The most popular way to see the islands is by boat. See the most complete list of boats available below, and filter by price and features.

These boats become the visitors’ homes for the duration of their tour, and all activities (eating, sleeping, relaxing, partying, etc.) take place onboard. Due to the increasing popularity of the Galápagos, some 75 vessels are now available
for cruises, ranging from small but charming sailboats, to elegant, custom-designed motor yachts and luxurious, mid-sized cruise ships. Most, but not all, of them are listed here: this is due to some ships being in and out of service recently.

ITINERARIES
Because park rules limit the number of boats visiting each island, each boat carries a fixed trip length and itinerary. Voyages vary in length from four to fifteen days, although currently most cruises are excursions lasting four, five or eight days, counting the days you arrive and depart at the airport.

You can get a taste of the Galápagos in four days, but since each island has its own unique characteristics, you will see a broader variety of plants and animals with each additional day’s visit. Besides, since the first and last days of the tour include a morning flight, a four-day tour yields only two full days and two half-days in the islands. Because of travel time required on each end of the trip, an eight-day trip is recommended, at least until the six-day itineraries start in 2011 and 2012.

Boat tours combine land and marine visits on the islands. Tourists usually visit two different land sites and one or two snorkeling sites on each day of the tour. Usually, guests staying a full week get to spend some time in
the highlands of Santa Cruz or the visitor’s center on San Cristóbal while the guides pick up new passengers and drop off those who
are departing.

Currently, Galápagos cruisers are on an eight-day cycle around the islands, generally divided into a four-day and a five-day itinerary. That doesn’t add up, right? That’s because your fi rst and last day are counted twice. Monday to Monday, for example, is eight-days, Monday to Friday is five, and Friday to Monday is four. That’s how five plus four can equal eight!

In 2011, many ships will switch to a 15-day cycle, divided into three cruises of six, six and five days (see math above if 6+6+5 does not equal 15). By 2012, most ships will have adopted the new itinerary. Basically, this change was made to reduce wear and tear on major visitor sites. That’s great for the boobies, but not for the tourists, who can no longer see all the major islands in one week. Generally, the three tours will be divided into Western Islands (Isabela and Fernandina), Eastern and Southern Islands (Española, San Cristobal and Floreana) and Central and Northern Islands (Santa Cruz, Genovesa and Santiago).

Each of these tours has its highlights, but unfortunately if you want to see all of Galápagos you’ll need to spend two weeks on board Checking the ship’s itinerary should definitely be an important part of your booking process. Itineraries change frequently and are partially controlled by the park service, so make sure you’re looking at information that is up-to-date.

See this book’s section on visitor sites to help you make up your mind. For instance, those interested in birds will want to prioritize ships that visit Española to see the Waved Albatross and Genovesa to see Red-Footed Boobys. Those who want to snorkel with sea lions will want cruises that stop at the Devil’s Crown (Floreana) or Isla Lobos (San Cristóbal). Between the visitor sites and the itineraries,you should be able to quickly pick a good cruise for what you want to see and do.

GUIDES
Each boat is required to have one or more naturalist guides—each guide is responsible for up to 16 passengers—who is in charge of providing daily island briefings, natural history information on flora and fauna of the islands, and suggestions for island conservation. There are over 200 certified naturalist guides in the Galápagos (not all work concurrently), who are qualified with a level I, II, or III according to their educational background.

Generally speaking, level I guides have their high school diploma; level II guides have a bachelor’s degree and some foreign language training; and level III guides have an advanced degree or specific training in the biological sciences and fluency in a foreign language. Lamentably, these
are fairly arbitrary designations that do not take into account years of experience in Galápagos, naturalist behavior, or group facilitation style.

Guides can make or break a tour, so it is prudent to ask for additional recommendations and/or qualifications that clarify the ranking of the guide assigned to your cruise. Unfortunately, since most guides are hired on a tour-to-tour basis (some have semi-permanent placements on boats), visitors have very little control over guide selection.

CREW
Galápagos cruisers are crewed almost exclusively by Ecuadorians, most of them from the Galápagos. There will be captains mates, cooks, panga drivers and in some cases engineers and even doctors. Most of the time, the crews are very friendly and professional,but there are a few bad eggs.
Some visitors have reported sexual harassment and petty theft. The higher the cruise class you choose, the less likely it is that you’ll have a bad experience.

Most crew members only speak Spanish, but they’re usually able to communicate with just about anyone. In general, ships have one crew member for every two or three passengers. Remember to tip them if
they provide good service!

Here are some related tips to help plan your trip to The Galápagos Islands: Galapagos islands Cruisers,