April 2008

 

With a maiden voyage of May 2007 and 2974 passenger ship, she alternates between 2 itineraries covering the Mediterranean Sea. Service on the ship was quite fantastic, although nightly Broadway style entertainment was marginal. The dinners were quite superb and restaurant service was exceptional. Having a large movie screen on the Lido deck (pool deck) brought lots of entertainment during the afternoon & late night evenings.

 

Due to the many interesting ports of call, the12 night sailing did not seem long at all. The weather was averaging 89-100 degrees in the month of July; somewhat-humid-to-very humid; no rain; and beautiful sunny days for the entire trip. Below are some highlight locations to know:

 
NOTE: Shoulders & legs must be covered when entering many religious buildings. Italy is known for their delicious Gelato ice cream

- Mt Vesuvius (a volcanic mountain which erupts every 50 years & is late for its last eruption). At a height of 3,000 feet, the mouth of the crater walls can be reached on foot by a a narrow path that zigzags up for approximately 1,000 feet.

Once at the rim of the crater walls, and with an official alpine guide, there are hot spots in the wall. If you scrape a small hole, push some paper into the hole, you may find that it will ignite.

 

            - Pompeii - an ancient Roman town which was completely covered over from an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius back in 79 AD. The town was buried under 20 feet of ash and pumice stone, preserving the entire city. Three quarters of the city has been excavated over a period of 300 years. The walking tour can get strenuous and comfortable shoes are highly recommended.

      

            - Capri – from Sorrento Marina, take a 25 minute jetfoil ride to Capri. A tiny island with an area of 5½ square miles, has a wondrous beauty lined with narrow streets and fun shopping.

           - Sorrento – this delightful town has a wonderful climate and marvelous views of Naples Bay. 

            - AmalfiCoast – enjoy a breathtaking coastal drive of Amalfi Coast.

In 2006, my aunt, cousin and I started looking into trips for the Galapagos. Since I had previous successful experiences with Sally, we decided to get her suggestions for cruises in the area. First she provided us with some broad information about Galapagos tours, as well as details on what we would see and experience depending on the month. Both of these were helpful in selecting the type of tour/boat and the time we wanted to travel. After getting a general idea of what we were looking for, Sally provided us comprehensive information on cruises that met our requirements. After some deliberation, we selected Celebrity Xpedition in April 2008.

 

From the moment we landed in Quito, everything was well organized. All pick-ups and transfers were accompanied by a Celebrity member, and we were never left guessing where or at what time we were supposed to be somewhere. And each staff member, from the ship crew to the naturalists, was attentive, helpful and friendly.

 

I didn’t even start talking about the amazing sites we saw at the Galapagos. The landscapes and scenery were absolutely breathtaking; however, they didn’t compare to the animals. Every day we saw sea lions playing. One even jumped on one of the small boats to catch a snooze. We also saw marine iguanas, land iguanas, and giant tortoises less than a foot away. And we swam with sea turtles, sharks, sea lions, tons of fish and even penguins!

 

This vacation was the trip of a life time and I wouldn’t hesitate one second to do it all over again.  The islands, animals, and flora were all beautiful. The quality of the ship, crew, food/beverages and atmosphere were all spectacular. The weather couldn't have been better.  And we had ample of opportunities to get right up close to the animals.  Thank you so much for finding this cruise, it truly was the experience of a lifetime.

Thanks Sally!

 

Written by Pauline

Woodcliff Lakes, NJ

 

To describe the Galapagos Island in a single word, would be ... AWESOME!

 

We had a great time. Cruise (Celebrity Xpedition) was so well organized, all we

had to do was select what we wanted to do and go relax, eat, drink and be merry. Took great pictures, about 2000 in all, mostly by Stacey. The place is so peaceful and beautiful but the animals were simply incredible.

 

My best were the spectacular and colorful crabs. Blue footed boobies were incredible looking as were the sea lions, fur seals, sea turtles, tortoises, frigates etc etc. One better and more beautiful than the other. Best for me was the snorkling--my first. Got to swim with the sea lions, sharks, variety of fishes, star fish, penquin and pelicans.  No words can describe the awesome sense of thrill and pleasure.

 

Most of the excursions I went on where intense except for 2 but you get to see all the animals regardless of the excursion levels. The amount of walking and the type of surface really defines the intensity. If you hike at all you will have no difficulty at all. You can get real close to the animals. A few finches even tried to land on my camera. It is such a great trip you must take it.

 

Food was quite good and surprise was the quality of the liquor. We all had a great time and highly recommend Celebrity. We went at a good time in terms of weather, water temp, calmness of seas, animals present. Best, best time might be late April to mid May per the naturalists.

 

Thanks for arranging. We'll send you a FEW pictures when we finish uploading.

To determine which month to make this trip, here’s a “nesting calendar. Their rainy season consists of “perhaps” an hour of rain a day; otherwise it’s a dry, arid region where cacti can grow.

 

      

January

Beginning of the rainy season.  Land birds start nesting, generally after the first rain. On Española the adult male marine iguanas become brightly colored. The green sea turtle arrives to the beaches of Galapagos to lay their eggs. Land iguanas begin reproductive cycles on Isabela. Both, water and air temperatures rise and stay warm until June. Ideal time for snorkeling.

The highest water temperature reaches 25°C (77°F). This temperature remains until April. Very few penguins are sighted in Bartholomew. The nesting season of the Galapagos dove reaches its peak. 

March 21, the beginning of the summer equinox signals the arrival of the waved albatross to Española.

 April

The ship goes to 2 ports per day. 2-3 excursions are offered in each port (mild, moderate & intense). “Mild” is getting on a small boat (the Zodiac) that takes you around. You get to choose which excursions you want. The ship is like a large yacht. It has your dining rooms, grille, small spa, hot tub, bars/lounges and the cabins. There are no casinos, Broadway-type shows. Cruise fare includes all the excursions (approx 21 excursions), gratuities, port charges & taxes, 6 naturalists, beverages and some alcoholic drinks (not premium drinks), snorkels & wet suits. Does not include massages, souvenirs, laundry (dry cleaning not avail) or drinks on shore. 

 

Celebrity Xpedition Cruisetour includes all of the above, plus hotel, meals & beverages at the hotel, pickup at Quito, Ecuador, transfers to Baltra, Galapagos and back to Quito. A typical 10 night cruisetour consists of 2 nights at hotel, 7 nights on the Xpedition, 1 night hotel.