Galapagos Charters
Tour boat companies often partner with private agencies, organizations,
or individuals to organize chartered tours that fulfill particular
requirements or requests. Charters provide autonomous institutions with the
flexibility to tweak itineraries, to focus tours on a specific activity, to
control the composition of a tour group, or to plan special events. The crew
and naturalist guide—oftentimes specialists in the activity of choice—are
also more easily accessible and accommodating of a single group's needs and
desires. Because charters require a significant amount of pre-planning and
demand for cruises stays high, it is important to contact boat owners,
Ecuadorian tour agencies, or foreign affiliates and reserve your tour at
least six months to a year in advance. Although prices for charters are
dependent on the specific cruise vessel desired, they tend to be a bit less
expensive per capita than individual cruise tours, if the charter is filled
to at least 80% capacity. The most common charters are targeted at families,
students, scientists, or special interest groups.
Family tours come in two basic forms: those promoted by boat companies to
parents with younger children and those organized by an individual family
unit for a reunion, gathering, celebration, or special occasion. Family
tours that are arranged by the boat company usually offer unique activities
for kids, specially selected guides possessing experience with younger
visitors, and most importantly, a concentration of playmates for youngsters.
A tour organized by an individual family can take any shape or form—the
grandparents' 50 th wedding anniversary, a couple's wedding-vow renewal
ceremony, a child's graduation from university, or the annual family
get-together with an oceanic twist.
Student groups and research teams can also charter boats for educational
or investigative purposes. Since they tend to have the most advanced
ecological sensibilities and primarily learning-focused objectives, these
charters are most often given permission by the Galápagos National Park to
tour restricted island visitor sites.
Finally, a wide variety of organizations sponsor chartered tours to the
Galápagos, the most common of which include: ornithological societies,
photography guilds, alumni organizations, philanthropic groups or
foundations, or local dive shops. Any aficionado wanting to stimulate a
special interest or hobby in the Galápagos can either contact the local
branch of any of the aforementioned organizations or coordinate with others
holding the same interest.
The wildlife you will see on your Galapagos tour are completely
unaffected by Galapagos travel visitors . For this reason, there is a
restricted number of visitors permitted into the Galapagos each year, as
part of a joint effort to protect the delicate environmental and ecological
equilibrium. The most sensible method of Galapagos travel is via our cruise
ships. The M/V Galapagos Legend provides 3 night, 4 night and 7 night
cruises to select from, which can also be easily merged with Galapagos
travel visits to neighboring South American locations