Hoping your trip is wonderful. We are flying into Ecuador on a Thursday night, arriving on a Friday morning. Staying at Wyndham Guayaquil for 2 nights before we fly to Baltra. Staying 2 nights at Finch Bay Hotel and then onto the Legend. Sooo looking forward to finally doing our bucket list trip!

I have not been on the Legend, but 3 years ago my family was on the Coral I, which is operated by the same company. We were very pleased. The ship was clean and beautiful, and the staff and the food were wonderful. We had no complaints! I hope the Legend will be a similar experience for you, but just larger!

Yes! Sailed on the Legend April 7-14. We chose this ship because it's larger; I get really seasick (had wanted to do a live-aboard dive trip, but I just couldn't be on a smaller boat). Our trip was the combination of two itineraries. We started at San Cristobal and ended up at Baltras, after going south and then north. The food was good, the staff professional and attentive, the guides knowledgeable and helpful. The biggest negative perhaps was that the schedule would change, so if you plan your day at a certain time, sometimes things didn't happen that way. But we're all on the same boat, so going with the flow is fine. All the trips are from dinghies, so that got a bit old of donning and doffing life jackets, hopping into the boat, and then doing it again and again.

I should have perhaps stated that the U.S. State Dept. had issued a warning about travel to Ecuador due to COVID. We already had our plans, so off we went, 2 1/2 weeks in Peru plus 8 nights planned for Ecuador. The day we left the Galapagos, 4/14, we were scheduled to fly back to the U.S. through Quito. Took the required COVD test at the Quito airport, and we both tested positive! Our world suddenly changed. We quarantined for a week at the Wyndham Quito Airport hotel. Thankfully tested negative last Thurs., 4/21, and are now back at home. We have no idea when or who we contracted the virus from, but believe it happened in the Galapagos.

Thank you for your review. My husband's biggest fear is not of contracting covid, but contracting it while in Ecuador and being "stranded" at a hotel for x amount of days. We will be flying back to the U.S. through Guayaquil, and are fully vaccinated and boosted. No one can afford to spend an extra week or 2 out of the country due to their jobs. Then again - a lot can happen between now and when we leave 8/11.

We're booked on the Legend, getting on board 21st July, which is our 40th wedding anniversary. We're so hoping it lives up to our expectations. By then, we'll already have done several days in Quito -- at altitude, of course -- and a week cruising the Amazon basin. Hopefully those will both go well.

My questions for others concerns scheduled activities. We booked the Legend as my husband has limited mobility and walks very slowly. We didn't want him holding up the same people every day. Is there more than one activity planned each day? Are some more suitable for people with limited mobility? Can you usually still see interesting things if you stay on the boat sometimes?

My wife and I just finished a 25-28 Apr trip on the Legend and thought it was mostly great. We were on the N Central route with stops at Genovesa, Santa Fe, and multiple visits to Santa Cruz. #4's response about staff etc generally was our opinion also except we weren't bothered by the quick and easy life vest changes. We were fortunate to have good weather, calm seas, and the food was good and plentiful.

Re your husbands limited mobility. You may have to be more specific plus it would also depend the length and routing of your visit. You will see very little from the legend itself which means you will have to transfer from the Legend to the zodiac boats for transfer to the islands and their sights. Though awkward, there are plenty of staff there that assist everyone during this process. Then there are the landings on the islands. Most on our routing were dry but a couple were wet ie you had to shimmy over the side into the water and of course the reverse when going back. Of the islands/sights we visited, most trails were easily navigated and relatively level. The exception was Prince Philips Steps on Genovesa sland which meant climbing ~100 meters up and over uneven rocks. Again, what is your definition of limited mobility?

As far as activities go, there are activities scheduled throughout the day from 8-5 including 2-3 island excursions. glass bottom boat trips or snorkeling/deep water dives etc. Except for Santa Fe Island Barrington Bay, the glass bottom boat trips were disappointing due to reflections.

We had a lady in our group who had limited mobility who was having knee replacement surgery 10 days after leaving the islands, The guides (and rest of travelers) were very helpful to her and we never felt that she held us up. Hopefully they will do the same for your husband and you both have a memorable 40th anniversary.

Thanks so much for that informative reply. Clambering over rocks is definitely beyond my husband's abilities nowadays, and shimmying over the side of a boat is doubtful too, but hopefully the group will be patient with him on the walks. I'm hoping he'll be able to get into a kayak and let his arms do the work at times. I'm also hoping he'll do a dive or two. We did a trial dive a few years back and he loved the experience. Water was always his element and nowadays even more so as it's so liberating. I unfortunately had panic attacks so it isn't something I can do again. We'll do some snorkelling together, with a bit of luck.