MV Theory 7B

an extremely high specification small cruise boat

MV Theory is a relatively small but very upmarket boat, which offers two different seven night explorations of the islands of the Galápagos.

Please note that MV Origin, MV Theory and MV Letty are three sister ships that are virtually the same in terms of construction, are under the same ownership and operate almost identical routes on the same days of the week. In other words, they are completely interchangeable.

The boat is unusually comfortable, verging on luxurious, surprisingly so for a vessel of this size.

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, paddle-boarding and kayaking.

The boat has four decks. The upper level is an outside sundeck area, much of which is covered and which includes an eight-seater jacuzzi. The main deck contains the lounge and dining areas, as well as a small fitness centre. The next deck down contains all of the guest cabins. The fourth deck is for staff quarters and back-of-house.

The food service is excellent, being mainly focused on local cuisine from Ecuador. There is an open bar, where guests can simply help themselves at any time.

Every member of the 14 member crew is superb and the naturalist guides are particularly knowledgeable. This is a genuinely slick operation. Notably the guest-to-guide ratio is unusually low and (we think) represents a significant advantage, since it means that you will mostly be heading out in a group of just eight guests.

The fact that the operator often has three boats at the same landing sites encourages elegant traffic management, providing a much more wild and authentic experience.

Cabins

Guest accommodation is in 10 cabins of 145 sq ft, each on the same deck level, with picture windows, private bathroom with shower and individually controlled air-conditioning.

The cabins can be made up with one large bed or two small beds, plus a further elevated child bed. Some pairs of cabins can be interconnected for families.

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 7B

This San Cristóbal to San Cristóbal 7 night itinerary explores the more southerly islands in the group …

Sunday : Isla de San Cristóbal
Monday : Isla Genovesa
Tuesday : Isla Santa Cruz
Wednesday : Isla Isabela
Thursday : Isla Fernandina : Isla Isabela
Friday : Isla Rábida : Isla Santa Cruz
Saturday : Isla Santa Cruz
Sunday : Isla de San Cristóbal

The same boat also offers an exploration of the islands to the south and east, usually on alternate weeks.

It’s also possible to combine these two seven night cruises into an epic 14 night trip.

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.

an interesting blend of diverse islands