Dear Heather,

Thanks for your response. I have read other posts of yours where you suggest a cruise if we want to see more wildlife. You have also suggested a small ship, which is what I thought would be a good idea. We want to see a lot of wildlife! I just did not want us to sit around while others were snorkeling. Are there cruises where they do not spend too much time on water activities?

Are there islands you (or others) can suggest that are the best for wildlife viewing? Looking at itineraries, some are Eastern, some Western etc.. If there are cruises that cover those islands in a 6 day cruise that would be great. We could do a 7 (could not find many) or 8, but that would mean cutting out days from the Amazon rainforest.

Thanks!

About half our snorkeling on our cruise was from the beach, meaning you could stand up if you wanted. We also had several people that were not super comfortable in the water and wore inflatable vests while swimming regardless of how deep (or shallow) the water was.

If you have a phobia of the water or swimming, it may not be worth trying to cruise. If you are just not confident in the water, you might be ok with at least some of the snorkeling situations. You may also want to take a class at a YMCA or dive shop to get more confident. Just knowing how to tread water is a good skill.

The wildlife is different on each island. You should find a website that discusses the different islands and decide if there is a "can't miss" animal/bird that you need to see. Realize that some islands are only accessible by cruise, as they are too far away from the few islands that allow overnight guests on land based tours. A ferry/tour back and forth in one day is not possible.

Just to clarify, are you looking for a 6-7 day cruise for under $1,000 each? I don’t think that exists.

Beyond that, I recommend a 4-5 day trip (to keep costs down) on Golondrina’s western itinerary. That’s what we did. Turtles are probably relatively common everywhere, but penguins are much more numerous in the west. By day 2 I felt like we had already gotten our money’s worth.

As for non-swimming, as mentioned, if you are at all willing, you should try. You can wear a floatation aid and often snorkel from shore in shallow water. Plus the wetsuits add buoyancy, another floatation aid. We went with my teenage son, a complete non-swimmer who at summer camp would sit in the water with 7 year olds because he couldn’t swim and wasn’t allowed in the regular swim area with his friends. Also sat under a pier in Grand Cayman but wouldn’t put his head under the water to “snorkel.” The first time attempting to snorkel he panicked and immediately got back on the boat. But he kept trying and by the 4th day we were at a site with reef-sharks under a ledge 6-8 feet under water. The guide was helping people who needed it get that deep to see them. Basically pushing them under. My son tried but this time panicked when he came back up, saying he didn’t see the sharks and wanted another chance. I said - So you want me to ask a stranger to help push you deeper under the water in the ocean a second time so you can get closer to the sharks? He said “YES! Hurry Up!” So if you are willing, you can be successful.

Welcome

"...We love aquatic animals too, but do not know to swim and have never snorkeled. So cruises focused on snorkeling and diving will not be a good match.."

Sorry, but i disagree.

Ever since JAWS came out i avoided the water. Even fresh water.

I DONT swim either.

On the cruise i went on, this is how it went...

> on the ship..everyone got fitted for wetsuit. If they wanted . And were given snorkle and mask. Everything was rented. You had option of bringing your own as some did.

> EVERYONE put on life vests before boarding dingys. Then we all went to an island with a shallow protected bay.

> EVERONE was check on their gear/ability.

> THE water was warm rnough for me i decided to ditch the wetsuit after.

> my snorkel leaked and i had to wait until returning for a different.

> next snorkrl, i just wore my life vest and working snorkel/mask. 0 PROBLEM !!!!

> we had 1 or 2 off the boat snorkrls. But you just slide off the dingy. 1 was back onto the dingy but they had ladder too.

> evrn with my fears i was so glad i gave it a try.

> i bought an underwater PnS camera and was taking photos. It worked fine too.

> by the wsy, you have time to try this at home if you want. Im sure you have YMCA or School with a pool? Maybe neighbor? See if you cam get a life vest, wear it and get into the water. You wont be able to "dive" as those with wetsuits or swim suits, but you can and will float..and still enjoy.

I just floated smd tried to move sbout. Sometimes we wete fighting the current too.

By the wsy, our ship had 2 dingys, so they kept sn eye on everyone. If you eanted out..just raise amd cross your arm. They would come amd get you. Snd they were not far awsy either.

And there were several others that also wore vests too!

Good luck

Thanks so much for all the encouragement and for sharing your personal experiences. I really appreciate that. I am not terrified of water and I can float in a pool. I used to swim a hundred years ago when I was a teenager, but have not been able to do it again. I can try the snorkel idea at a local pool. Thanks also for suggesting the Western itinerary.

I made a typo. It is not 1000 per head but 2500 per head. I don't think I can edit the post anymore. :(

If you're willing to try snorkeling, it can make a huge difference to get a mask that fits you well. I went to a local long standing mom and pop dive shop and had them fit me. It is so much more comfortable, and does not leak, than any rental mask I've had before. No more dealing with water creeping up into my eyeballs! If you're already a bit hesitant on the swimming part, not worrying about the mask makes it easier.

Snorkeling does not require swimming skills. All you need to do is be able to put your face in the water, and just float on the surface. A wetsuit will help to keep you buoyant. The naturalists are experienced working with people who are unsure of themselves--but let them know. And definitely get a good-fitting mask.

You can check here for an idea of what "last-minute" deals look like https://www.galapagoscruiselinks.com/ You'll notice that some are booking as much as six months out. I would not wait longer to see if the price goes down, as you will need two cabins. If you're able to snag the Samba within your budget, do so. It gets rave reviews for the quality of the itinerary and its naturalists. Otherwise, look for an 8d/7n cruise that does not break up into two shorter cruises.

The alternative is to work with a Galapagos specialist. I've used CNH Tours and can recommend.

Thanks a lot for your kind and helpful suggestions. I will try to get a snorkeling mask and try it in a local pool before I leave. Many thanks to all of you again!

Good luck, I hope it all works out for you. The snorkeling there is amazing and you won't regret it!