What to expect on a Galapagos Cruise to the Eastern Islands

I stepped from the zodiac raft to the cement jetty on the small Island of Plaza Sur; I had finally made it to the Galapagos Islands. I stood there for a moment soaking it in, looking around at the sea lions and iguanas unphased by my presence. Birds circled us overhead. The sun was low in the sky and the barren island was glowing in a soft buttery yellow light. In the distance, I stared at the silhouettes of unusual-looking cacti. My first thought was, this is my kind of place; remote, natural, unique…so why did I wait so long to finally come on a Galapagos cruise?

But at the same time – I’m also sort of happy I went when I did – a time when Galapagos tourism is really needed.

Galapagos Tourism and Conservation – It Needs Us

Tourism in the Galapagos has taken a hit due to Covid. Unlike other destinations, tourism is really all this archipelago has; 85% of the local economy is dependent on tourism, not to mention that the conservation of this unique archipelago depends on tourism too.

Without tourism, conservation wouldn’t exist and conversely, without conservation, tourism wouldn’t exist. In the Galapagos, they are deeply knitted together like a family. Tourism dollars are needed and conservation dollars from the government are also needed; that’s the basics of sustainability.

With the pandemic’s airport closures and travel restrictions, tourism dropped by 75 percent compared to the 271,000 visitors in 2019. A four-month lockdown starting in February 2020 after Covid-19 was first detected in the region resulted in a total halt of tourism and a near-complete shutdown of scientific research.

This is the Time to Get Galapagos Cruise Deals

The good news for travelers is that as travel starts to ramp up again (YAY!), that means there are some great deals to be had on Galapagos cruises to the islands.

I went with Metropolitan Touring which has a very long history with the islands and is owned by a native Ecuadorian. They have so many options when it comes to a Galapagos Islands vacation starting with multiple ship options. The company operates three vessels in the islands: Santa Cruz II with 50 cabins and space for 90 guests; Yacht La Pinta with 24 cabins for 48 guests; and Yacht Isabela II with 20 cabins for 40 guests. The company also operates Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel on Santa Cruz Island if you want to do more land-based adventures.

Because Metropolitan Touring has all of these options, they can normally offer some pretty good deals that…