What's the recommended length of a Galapagos Cruise?

Penguins seen on one of our Panga rides.

Of course this depends on a variety of factors.


Do you want luxury or can you rough it out a little?
Typically the luxury cruises have bigger boats and tourists have to be broken up into smaller group to get onto the islands. We went with a First Class | Tourist Superior boat (ratings vary) that sleeps 16 people. The crowd was varied, couples, students, single travelers, and retirees. No kids. It certainly makes shore activities a lot more efficient. A luxury boat has its advantages too, more stability, larger cabin, and better facilities.

How comfortable are you sleeping on a boat?
Due to booking last minute (a common theme with me?), we weren't able to get an 8 day cruise and had to settle for a 5 day one. That turned out to be a blessing for me because it can be quite rough sleeping in cramped quarters on a boat! Many of the other passengers on the trip also echoed my sentiments. However, I really loved the islands so it is a tough call.

We decided to spend our remaining 2 days on Isabela Island (the largest of the Galapagos islands). Comparing the 2, we definitely saw a lot more while on the cruise.


Are you prone to getting very sea sick?
I don't usually get seasick. While on the Seaman Yacht, I was ok during the day however both P and I weren't able to sleep the first night. The boat usually travels at night and it was extremely choppy. We got smart the second day however and took some Dramamine which helped us sleep like babies.

How much are you willing to spend?
Luxury Class: > $3,000
First Class: $1,900 - $3,000
Tourist Superior: $1,500 - $1,900
Tourist: $1,000 - $1,500

Do you need to visit every island?
I was very satisfied with what we saw. Every creature imaginable. We swam with turtles and penguins, sunbathed with seals, saw reef sharks, blue footed boobies, red footed boobies, and iguanas. Don't quote me on this though, since we don't know what we missed not having seen all the islands! My favorite island was Genovesa though with more time we could have gone out to Fernandina.

A lovely view from Bartolome Island: