Celebrity Xpedition Reviews

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We took our two oldest grandsons ages 9 and 10 with us on a one week cruise of the Galapagos on the Celebrity Xpedition. The trip couldn't have been better! The Celebrity Xpedition was the best ship we have ever been on. Not because it is big and beautiful, though it was a very nice ship, but because the staff was outstanding, the food very good, and the expeditions on the Galapagos Islands like none I had ever experienced. We were welcomed from day one, and by the third day, everyone seemed to not only know our names, but also what we liked to eat and drink. We were offered two levels of expeditions every morning and every afternoon, and for the most part we chose the more challenging one which turned out to be fine. We were never disappointed, seeing so much wildlife from marine iguanas,Blue Footed Boopies, sea lions, Sally Lightfood crabs, sea turtles, land tortoises, land iguanas, Penguins,countless birds and fish. It was just amazing. We had near perfect weather, thankfully with some cloud cover almost every day. We were given wet suits for snorkeling, but the water was so warm, we didn't need them. Our grandsons had the time of their life. There were only two other children on the ship, but that turned out to not be a problem. We were so proud of them and the way they behaved. They made so many friends among the staff and loved being treated to chocolate milkshakes every day. Even thought the Celebrity Xpedition is not a typical cruise ship with shows etc, we were fortunate to have live piano music in the evenings during cocktail hour, and considering where we were, the food was excellent. Wonderful fresh fish every night if you wanted it. There were always at least 6 entrees to choose from. Breakfast and Lunch were always buffet, with the lunches being a different country theme. Truly a trip of a lifetime, and one I would recommend to anyone who likes a bit of adventure. I can't imagine going any other way except on Celebrity Xpedition.

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We agree with most of the information provided in reviews contained in this forum but with less enthusiasm. I will add some personal thoughts. The itinerary was fine but after seeing bluefooted boobies, sally lightfoot crabs, sealions, marine iguanas, frigate birds, lava lizards, little birds, for two days they all became somewhat old after that. The contracted guides were excellent but Carlos and Marvin really stood out. The zodiac drivers had good skills. The cruise director did little more than present a briefing on the following days activities and checked people off the boat on each zodiac event. He made no attempt to get to know any of the passengers. Viewed two BC documentaries on the Galapagos during the afternoons and they were good. would have enjoyed more enrichment activities. The food was OK and well presented but nothing really exceptional. The wines were very nice. Stuck with fish dishes most nights and it was tasty most evenings. Breakfasts and lunches were average. Sitting in the aftmost section of the vessel resulted in delays in eating dinner. Dinner should have commenced an hour earlier. I got really sick on the morning we disembarked, was it the lobster the previous dinner? Ran into some other passengers in Cusco post-cruise and they mentioned the same GI tract illness and they had eaten the lobster too. Maitre'd Fernando was extraordinary, likely the best I've seen in over 35 cruises, he couldn't do enough for us, very friendly. He did a nice job of organizing my wife's birthday celebration. He was the hardest working person in the crew. Saw the Captain twice at the Welcome Aboard and Farewell meetings. He didn't mingle at all. Was not on the bridge when we toured it. So glad we opted to do Cusco and Machu Picchu on our own post-cruise as we saved thousands over what Celebrity was charging even with staying at the obscenely expensive Sanctuary Hotel for one night. It was easy for me to put together a nice 5 day post-cruise land excursion package. The snorkeling was poor (limited visibility) at best (was this bad luck or was it normal?), the Xpedition provided equipment was adequate. Opted not to try snorkeling the final opportunity because I had been so disappointd earlier and I understand I missed the best day of snorkeling. Perhaps I've been spoiled by really great snorkeling in the Tahiti area. The cabin was fine and the attendant was wonderful. The beds were comfortable and the linens were fine but the bathroom was a bit on the tiny side. Compared to our Silversea experience in the Antarctic on Prince Albert II (now Silver Explorer), Celebrity Xpedition comes in a distant second in nearly every category. All in all, we had a good Galapagos cruise but I think 5 nights vs. 7 nights would have been ideal.

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The cruise around the Islands of the Galapagos was great. It far exceeded expectations and we were very happy. It seems that all the cruise lines are under the fist of the Galapagos Islands and have some very stringent rules they must follow. Like, food from approved sources, staff must all be locals, Islands must be visited by select timetables, the Guides must be employed by the Galapagos Islands government. So bearing these contrictions in mind, only a few things can be improved on. The food was adequate and not up to normal cruise ship standards. The guides, although knowledgeable, if you get a not so good one, your stuck. On the Xpedition there were at least 6 guides and I would say that 2 were outstanding, 2 were good and 2 were not so good. The cruise director is a complete waste of time and I would bet that he did not know the names of as little as 2 passengers by the end of the voyage. More interested in surfing the web and checking people off the ship and back on. The tours were great and it is all you expect and more. The staff on board were fantastic, so attentive and helpful, the Maitre D, Fernando was the best I have ever seen. I would recommend this cruise to friends and would advise people to go now. The staterooms were roomy and good.

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We have just returned from the Galapagos Cruise with Celebrity Xpedition Cruise A departing 26FEB12 Although we had originally booked and planed on travelling on what is now Cruise B over a year ago we tried to make the best of the experience given that we had 3 days advance notice from Celebrity that our trip of a life time that we had planned on is now all rearranged My wife and I had this trip planned specifically for our wedding anniversary on 29FEB this is our once in every four years chance to do a great celebration. After contacting Celebrity we were told that they had been aware of the change since January 2012. We were also aware that the new regulations were to be in effect as of 2012 per the Galapagos national park system. I understand that itineries can change without notice, but what we were upset about was the lack of notice or caring from Celebrity. We went ahead and continued with our 10day package that included a two night pre departure stay in Quito at the JW Marriott hotel. We had decided to do an additional night on our own at the Marriott hotel so that we would be rested before the actual tour started. When we enquired at the front desk as to what time the representatives would arrive at the hotel we were advised that they would be there at 1830hrs so we decided to delay dinner so we would be sure to meet with Celebrity and get all of the correct information for the remainder of the tour. Well the Celebrity representatives did not show up until after 1930 HRS so this resulted in our cancellations of our dinner and folklorico show. You would have thought that as long as this program has been operating that they would have at least this part down. The next morning for the full day City tour and Equator monument and dinner was great, that evening we took our luggage to the holding area that Celebrity arranged and transferred the checked bags directly to the airport we did not have to do a thing. Sunday morning we all met in the lobby Celebrity issued our boarding passes and off to the airport we went to catch our chartered flight on Aero Gal to Baltra, very smooth, very nice. From the Airport we transferred to the Zodiac, sea lions there to greet us and then off we go to the Xpedition. The ship's crew was very welcoming and assisted us with our carryon baggage to our rooms. In the afternoon we all regrouped with a welcoming cocktail and then proceeded to start our adventure by circumnavigating Daphne Major and Daphne minor. We noticed at this point that Cabin temperature was as we got ready for dinner. As we continued with dinner we noticed that the dining room was also very warm and we dismissed this as they were adjusting the temperature to the outside but that evening our cabin never cooled down. The next morning we discussed this problem with other passengers and they advised they were having the same issue in their cabins but only on deck 3, decks 4 and 5 were very cold they said. Of course Deck 3 is also where the Darwin restaurant was located so needless to say the Dining room was also very hot with the kitchen close by. We complained to the purser and several officers all week about the heat and no one cared not until one passenger almost fainted due to the heat and then they tried to resolve the issue by only giving her a small fan in the cabin

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The first thing I have to say is that for anyone considering going on this cruise, I HIGHLY recommend it. Definitely the trip of a lifetime, and the most fun and stress free vacation i have ever had. I'm going to break my review down into sub headings, so that if you are wondering about a specific topic you can scroll ahead without having to sift through my entire review. Arrival in Quito - Flawless experience. Was met by a celebrity representative at the airport in quito upon arrival, and was immediately escorted onto a bus along with other celebrity guests and brought to the five star j.w. marriot hotel. J.W. Marriot Hotel - The hotel is nice, has a lovely outdoor pool and hot tub, and the rooms are spacious with a shower and a bath, and roses on the beds. Celebrity has a special hospitality desk set up in the lobby, so check in was quick and painless. Tour of Quito - The tour of Quito done by Celebrity is very well planned and allows everyone to see the main parts of the city effectively without being too tiring. My only advice for Quito is to definitely go and see the equator; they give you an opportunity to go back to the hotel after lunch if you are tired, but you can nap on the bus on the way up to the equator park and it is something you definitely don't want to miss out on! The tour in Quito is also a good opportunity to by paintings and bags and scarves from the native people, as here you will have the most time. Dinner was at Carmines Restaurant, and everything was lovely. The owner was extremely friendly, making sure everyone liked their food, and he even brought a woman at my table an extra dessert after he overhead her talking about wanting to try another one on the menu. My only other comment about Quito is due to the timing of my celebrity cruise, i got to be in quito for New Years, which was an amazing experience. The locals have so many fun traditions and it was really neat to be able to experience ecuadorian culture in such a big way. Charter Flight from Quito to the Galapagos - lovely flight on new-looking charter AeroGal plane. The plane was comfortable, and breakfast was served with real cloth placemats and napkins and metal silverware. Baltra Airport - It took only about ten minutes to get through the galapagos customs and bag check (they open your carry ons to make sure you don't have anything that could harm wildlife or carry diseases). Past the security check everyone was met by two of the Xpedition Naturalists who told us we had 20 minutes until we would be taken by bus to board the ship. There are quite a few little shops outside the airport selling t-shirts, hats and other souvenirs, so i was glad for the 20 minutes to look around and buy a few things. The prices were very reasonable. After that everyone boarded a few buses which took us to the dock. Boarding the Xpedition - At the dock you can see the Xpedition anchored offshore in the bay, and everyone is given lifejackets to board the zodiacs. The zodiacs take groups of about sixteen people, and the celebrity crew are wonderful about helping you to get your carry on onto the zodiac. Boarding the zodiac is a simple step from the dock onto the front of the boat where there is a few steps with a handrail to help you into the boat. In addition, the Naturalist on the zodiac teaches you the "galapagos handshake" (like shaking hands but grabbing each other's forearms instead) which they do every time to steady everyone when getting on or off the zodiacs. Stateroom- I was in an oceanview stateroom. I found that the bed was comfortable, and the room didn't feel cramped like i thought it might. The bathroom has a fairly roomy shower with a glass door and even a small cabinet for placing toothbrushes hairbrushes etc. There are also two large closets in the stateroom ( one for each person) and these provide lots of room to put away all of your clothes. Stateroom Attendants - My stateroom attendant was Salome, who was wonderful. I swear every single time i left my stateroom and returned, she had been in there and re-made my bed, re-stocked the mini fridge (full of sprite, water, and coca-cola) and left ecuadorian chocolate on my pillow. She even folded my pyjamas every morning and tucked them under my pillow, and then while i was at dinner, would come back in and lay my pyjamas out on the bed and turn down the corner of the covers! Food - It is definitely impossible to go hungry on this cruise. BREAKFAST was always a buffet served in the Darwin Restaurant that included bacon, eggs, french toast, pancakes, an omelette station, many fruit options, some yogurt, granola, cereal, and a couple other things. LUNCH was usually a themed buffet in Darwin's Restaurant (mexican, ecuadorian, etc.) with the alternate option of a hot dog, hamburger, chicken, or fish at the Beagle Grill. THe only exception was one day where darwins was closed because there was instead a delicious bbq out by the beagle grill. They had grilled steak, lobster, hamburgers, sausages, hot dogs, corn, a salad bar, and many more things i was too full to try. DINNER is always held in Darwin's Restaurant and is served to your table. There is a standard menu of appetizers and entrees that you can always order (like ceasar salad, steak, chicken, fish, and a few others) and then there is also a daily menu of 5 different entree options and some different appetizers and desserts. All of the food is good, it's not gourmet or extravagant, but i didn't experience anything that i disliked. Waiters - the waiters and bus boys were all very friendly and provided excellent service. The always came around promptly to refill water and wine glasses and ask if you needed anything. Some of them did not speak very much english, but smiled a lot and always got someone else to help you if they didn't understand your request. Juan was my waiter for the majority of the nights and was amazing, greeting me by name and asking about my day. Maitre D - the maitre D while i was on board was Mauricio. I have only the most excellent things to say about him. He asked me my name once on the very first day and remembered it the entire cruise. He also was very charming greeted everyone with a smile whenever they came into the dining room. He was constantly making sure everyone's meals were going well, and i even saw him carry an older lady's plate and take her arm to escort her up the stairs when she wished to eat her lunch up on the patio. Everyone on the cruise loved Mauricio, his english is very, very good,and he was good natured enough to jump in and help people out during karaoke and talent show nights. Cruise Director - the cruise director while i was on board was Bitinia. She did a spectacular job every night at the briefings outlining the excursions for the next day and answering questions. Also, there was a crossword puzzle challenge on the second last day, and my group finished first. That night at the briefing she called my crossword puzzle group up and gave us all celebrity Xpedition t-shirts. It was a lovely gesture and a great souvenir to have! Naturalists - The six naturalists on board during my cruise were Veronica, David, Manuel, Carlos, Freddy, and Fabricio. All were knowledgable and friendly, and must be saints to put up with dumb questions, and people asking the same questions over and over again because they were not listening the naturalists the first three times. Veronica - very cheerful, and enthusiastic, and remembered my name David - told neat little stories Manuel - hardly ever wore shoes, even on sharp rocks! apparently he grew up not wearing them He was also extremely kowledgable. Carlos - high fived me every time he saw me, and did hilarious impressions of all the galapagos animals Freddy - sung in the talent show (he was very good) and showed me pictures of his two little girls: so adorable! Fabricio - great sense of humour, and is a very thorough guide. He is always being told to hurry up over the xpedition radios that the guides carry because we are only supposed to be on the islands for 2.5 hours at a time, but he was so busy pointing out interesting things that his group was always pushing the time limit. Learned a lot from him. Panga/ Zodiac Drivers - they were all very skilled at manoeuvring the boats to make it easy for everyone to get on/off and to make sure everyone could see the wildlife that was around the zodiacs. There were four of them, but the only one i talked to was Freddie, who did not speak much english, but he was very nice. He smiled a lot and made sure to point out wildlife to me when i was sitting near him. Discovery Lounge and Bar- lovely gathering space for all of the guests. The nigtly briefings were held in here, and then after dinner the evening entertainment was also held in this place.I personally spent a lot of time in here when on the ship instead of spending it in my cabin, because it was fun to sit with new people and play cards, or chat, or read a book. It was also good because you could always go get some juice or coffee or water from the bar whenever you wanted. Bridge Visit - there is an option to visit the bridge of the ship while onboard and i highly recommend it. You just have to sign up in the guest services area after you are onboard. The navigator shows you all of the equipment in the bridge, and talks about how the boat works, and has very interesting stories that he tells. I forget his name but the navigator taught me a lot on the bridge tour and it is definitely worth checking out! Snorkelling - the snorkelling was tons of fun. The boat provides wetsuits, masks, snorkels, and fins, so you don't need to bring any of your own gear. All of the equipment is in good shape and they had adequate wetsuit sizes for everyone. The Advanced Deepwater snorkel was by far the best, and if you have no difficulty swimming, i highly recommend choosing to do it. Even if you do not have any snorkelling experience, you will be able to do the advanced snorkel as long as you feel comfortable not being able to touch the bottom. Well that is everything that i could think of to mention specifically in this review. All of the wildlife was incredible and all of the excursions were definitely worth going on. The difficulty of the walks is not extreme, but for older cruisers who would have trouble on uneven, rocky terrain, i recommend taking the easier excursion options as opposed to the difficult ones. You will see practically all of the same wildlife and will not be at risk of falling or feeling unsteady on your feet. That is all, hopefully you already have, or are planning to go on this wonderful cruise!

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