Galapagos cruise - Cost & booking - Page two

Galapagos
cost & booking tips

page 2

Tipping

Unless tipping is included in your fare, tipping is expected.

The all-boat average is $25 to $30 per day per passenger. Give $10 of that figure to your naturalist, $5 to your maid, $5 to the dining room staff, and the remaining $10 to crew members collectively.

The higher your fare and the greater your satisfaction, the more generous your tips should be.

If tipping is included in your fare, it's customary to give thank-you money to the individual employees who went out of their way to make your vacation memorable.

Galapagos
package bookings

They are offered by travel agents, tour operators, and cruise lines - and are usually lower than what you would pay by booking the individual travel components yourself.

What's included

Galapagos package rates normally include the full cruise fare plus international air, domestic flights to and from the Galapagos Islands, and hotel layover costs. In a few cases, they also cover extras like beverages, tips, and park fees.

Another advantage
of packages

You avoid the complications and sometimes futility of trying to book a confirmed reservation on flights from the Ecuador mainland to the Galapagos Islands that coincides with your ship's embarkation and debarkation time.

Reason: Tour operators and cruise lines sometimes book seats in bulk ahead of time, leaving few if any for the independent traveler. If they find out they don't need those reservations, they normally don't release them back to the airlines to sell until the day before (or sometimes the day of) the flight.

Booking
a charter

If you're coming with a large family or a group of friends, consider chartering a yacht. It's a fine bonding opportunity - and you won't have to worry about strangers ruining the vacation.

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