MV Seaman Journey 11EW

one of the best quality and best value boats

MV Seaman Journey is a small but relatively upmarket boat, which offers 3 to 14 night explorations of the islands of the Galápagos.

The boat is unusually comfortable, surprisingly so for a vessel of this size, although the shared spaces are relatively limited compared with boats such as the MV Origin.

The itineraries are designed to provide a good range of experiences, visiting a mix of remote uninhabited islands and larger more populated islands.

In terms of difficulty, most of the activities involve taking Zodiac rides to access various islands, with many of the landings involving awkward steps onto a jetty or shallow wading onto a beach. In almost all locations guests can either take it easy or choose to be more active. As well as longer hikes, the boat provides equipment for snorkelling and kayaking.

The boat has four decks. The top level is a simple outside sundeck area. The Upper Deck contains the two larger cabins. The Main Deck includes the six other cabins, with lounge, dining and outside seating areas to the rear. The Lower Deck (within the catamaran hulls) is mainly for staff and back-of-house.

The food service is usually very good, being mainly focused on local cuisine from Ecuador. Much of the produce comes from the boat owner’s own organic farm.

The boat has a very experienced and competent crew, including a very knowledgeable naturalist guide. In most landing locations it should be possible to divide the guests into two groups, meaning that you will mostly be heading out in a group of just eight guests.

Cabins

Guest accommodation is in 8 cabins, each of which has picture windows, standard twin beds, private bathroom with shower and individually controlled air-conditioning. The two cabins on the Upper Deck are both slightly larger and have a queen bed, with an optional sofa bed.

The Galapagos islands can be visited in isolation, you do not necessarily need to combine with mainland South America, although you will need to fly in via Ecuador.

The islands are most commonly combined with the Yasuni Amazon in Ecuador, with a night or two in Quito in between.

It is also possible to combine with the Inca Highlands and Iquitos Amazon in Peru, although the flight connections can be a little more arduous.

Itinerary 11EW

This San Cristóbal to Baltra 11 night itinerary explores the more southerly and westerly islands in the group …

Monday : Isla de San Cristóbal
Tuesday : Isla de San Cristóbal
Wednesday : Isla Española
Thursday : Isla Floreana
Friday : Isla Santa Cruz
Saturday : Isla Fernandina : Isla Isabela
Sunday : Isla Isabela
Monday : Isla Fernandina : Isla Isabela
Tuesday : Isla Santiago
Wednesday : Isla Rábida : Isla Santiago
Thursday : Isla Santiago : Isla Bartolomé
Friday : Isla Santa Cruz

The same boat also offers three, four and seven night explorations of these islands (this eleven night itinerary being a combination of the 4B and the 7C versions).

It’s also possible to combine all three of these cruises into a very comprehensive fourteen night version.

Please note that the itinerary is very much dependent on weather conditions, park authorities, mechanical failure and other factors, so may vary considerably. The descriptions are provided simply to provide you with a taste of the kinds of experiences that the trip will include.

a comprehensive mix of diverse islands