Cruising Ecuador's Galápagos Islands with Kids and National Geographic

Written by Jennifer Milano, September 2016, traveled August 2016

Ever since my mother took my fourteen-year-old brother to Ecuador's Galápagos Islands and left sixteen-year-old me home to study and do my father's laundry, the islands have been on my bucket list. Now that I am a parent, I am glad I waited until I had children of my own to bring to the islands. The chance for up-close wildlife encounters with unique species that exist nowhere else on earth is reason alone to bring your kids to the Galápagos.  Combine that with the chance for adventurous snorkeling excursions and beach time, and you have a near-perfect family destination.  

I immediately decided that our trip would be ship-based.  While it is possible to stay at a hotel on one of the inhabited islands, excursions are limited to those islands within a short boat ride of the hotel.  All but four of the thirteen major Galápagos Islands belong solely to the animals, and no one is permitted on those islands without a licensed naturalist who has a permit for those visitors at that time.  No food is permitted on those islands, meaning that the excursion is time-limited.  

In researching cruise options, at first I was drawn to the smaller ships.  Most of the boats cruising the islands have sixteen to twenty passengers, meaning no waits to get on the Zodiac tenders to whisk us ashore, and more chance for camaraderie among the passengers and crew.  But, my daughter doesn't love boats.  And I get seasick on occasion. Also, while a small group has a lot of potential upside, there are also significant potential downsides.  If your fellow passengers are awesome, great.  If they are annoying, you have to use your energy not letting them bug you and ruin your once-in-a-lifetime vacation instead of enjoying yourself and your surroundings.  So we turned to the National Geographic Endeavour, which, at 96 passengers, is one of the larger ships to cruise the Galápagos.  Our friends had joined one of National Geographic's "family weeks" on the Endeavour a few years back, and loved it. We chose a "family week" in August 2016, and signed up.  

Remember I said that the Galápagos is a "near-perfect" family destination?  The major con is the cost.  For four of us it cost nearly $32,000 for our week on the Endeavour!  It was by far the most expensive trip we have ever taken (but likely will not remain so - if we want to see Antarctica or the Arctic with National Geographic, it costs even more).  Unlike most of our other travels, this trip to the unique Galapagos was truly "once in a lifetime", so we justified the cost.  It turns out that many of the (lucky) families on the ship our week had grandparents as patrons, so the next time your parents mention a multi-generational family vacation, your response is, "how about the Galápagos?"

Over the months that preceded our adventure, we purchased wetsuits and an underwater camera.  We took a "practice" snorkeling trip to Belize.  We borrowed books from the library and watched videos about the species of animals we would see.  We constantly reminded the kids how lucky they are to get to go to this part of the world.  We tried to get the most out of our $32,000.  Oh, and we used miles to book our flights to Ecuador, feeling slightly better that at least that part was "free".

After months of anticipation, it was time to go!  Zika virus was all over the news, so being Type A I purchased some Insect Shield clothing and treated a few shirts and pairs of paints with Permethrin to repel mosquitoes.  I bought Lemon Eucalyptus spray and 25% DEET repellant.  I stopped short of buying mosquito nets - the Type A tendencies need a line drawn someplace.  I transferred my Type A concerns to arriving in Ecuador on time to make the ship - it was our first cruise, and I worried we would miss our flight to Ecuador, and the transfer to the Galápagos to board the ship.  We flew from New York to Miami without incident, then boarded our plane to the Guayaquil, Ecuador.  After taxi-ing out to the runway and back twice, and waiting on the tarmac for two maintenance repairs, the pilot announced the flight was canceled.  My mother always says if you worry about something it won't happen.  Well I say, whoever said "your mother is always right" was wrong, just like my mother (in this one instance, anyway).  The later flight to Guayaquil that night was also canceled. Luckily, we had booked the flight due to arrive 36 hours before we had to meet the National Geographic group for our departure, rather than 12 hours before. We got in line in the Miami airport with 200 other people, waiting for hotel and food vouchers, and most importantly, for information. Finally, at 10:30 pm, we were on the last shuttle to our "airport" hotel, located 30 minutes away!  Thanks, American Airlines.

American Airlines had told us to return to the airport by 6:00 am, to board another plane at 8:00 am for Ecuador.  Luckily, the plane took off only 30 minutes late, and we arrived at our hotel in Guayaquil a good 18 hours before needing to leave for the Galapagos.  National Geographic's trip includes a night at the Hilton Colon Guayaquil before the Galapagos trip, and a second night at the end.  The hotel is really nice, with several restaurants, an outdoor pool, and indoor hot tub, and spacious rooms.  Exhausted from only a few hours' sleep in Miami, we ordered room service and watched the Olympic Opening Ceremonies from the comfort of our beds.

The next morning National Geographic took our bags and we had an early breakfast in the hotel, which was decent although not great.  Then we boarded buses to the airport to take a flight to one of two airstrips on the Galápagos Islands.  After so many months of anticipation, we were so excited to start our adventure! 

After landing at the airport and promising authorities that we were not bringing food, plants or insects onto the pristine islands, we boarded buses for a five-minute ride to the port.  Waiting for us on the dock was a sleepy sea lion, our first of many, but the first animal sighting always feels the best, right?  Our delighted kids took a bunch of photos as we started two more "firsts" - we put on the life jackets that were to become part of our daily outfit for the next week, and climbed aboard our first of many Zodiac boats to transfer out to the ship.  My daughter immediately made friends with the twelve-year-old girl sitting beside her who was traveling with her grandmother, the child clearly grateful for kid company.  As our ship came into view, everyone on the Zodiac smiled.  Our home for the next week looked solid, like a real expedition ship, and although thousands had passed through the islands between Charles Darwin and us, we felt like explorers nonetheless.

The crew welcomed us aboard the ship and showed us to our cabins, where our bags (which we hadn't seen since leaving them outside the hotel room door in Guayaquil at 6:00 am) were waiting for us, helping make our cabins feel like home already.  None of the ship's twin-bedded cabins are adjoining, and our kids decided they would rather sleep with a parent each than each other, so we split up by gender.  My daughter and I unpacked, pleased to find two large closets with drawers, shelves and hanging space for our clothes, and plenty of hooks and places for jackets and gear.  The cabins aren't luxurious, but are spacious and extremely comfortable.  The shower is a little tight, but the immediate hot water we received in every shower quelled any brewing complaints.  We chose cabins that were on the uppermost cabin deck, on the advice of our friends, which we felt was worth the minor surcharge.  I also picked cabins that had no neighbors, to ensure a quiet night's sleep.  Little did I know that the engine would rattle the door incessantly, keeping us awake for part of most nights.  We were so tired that we learned to sleep through the noise, and the ship was often at anchor meaning the rattling mercifully stopped at some point each night.

After we unpacked, we heard our expedition leader Carlos's voice over the cabin's loudspeaker, inviting us to the dining room for lunch.  The meals, often buffet, always had a variety of options to suit everyone's taste and dietary needs.  We found the food to be good to very good, not excellent, but never bad.  The Ecuadorian lunch we had one day was the best meal, and the soups were always delicious.  Most of all, we loved the dining room staff - my son and our waiter, Walter, became fast friends and we looked forward to seeing Walter and the other waiters each meal.

After lunch, it was time for what were all waiting for - our first excursion to one of the islands!  We returned to our cabins to put on our life jackets and get our cameras, then disembarked on a Zodiac for a quick ride to the beach of the closest island, Santa Cruz. After climbing out of the Zodiac into the soft sand and cool water, our Naturalist led us up onto the beach to explain how the islands formed.  A volcanic hot spot under the earth created activity, and spewing lava formed an island.  Over time, the island moved across the tectonic plates and a new island formed over the hot spot, and so on.  Over millions of years, the older islands sink and newer islands replace them.  In ten million years from now, all of the Galápagos Islands we see today will be gone, replaced by new islands.  Over the course of the week we would visit the newest island, mostly black lava rock and very little vegetation, and the oldest island, covered in shrubs, trees and flowers.  Pretty amazing!

On that first afternoon, we saw our first marine iguana.  Two days later, we walked lava flows on Isla Fernandina, covered with thousands of marine iguanas.  They are the only iguanas in the world who have evolved into marine creatures - they swim to eat algae under the sea.  One lucky woman in our group saw a marine iguana underwater while snorkeling one day, watching the creature grab bright green algae with its hands and stuffing it into its mouth! How cool is that?

What makes the wildlife encounters so unique on the Galápagos Islands is that no animal fears humans. Blue-footed booby birds sat on their eggs in nests literally inches from our hiking trail.  We could see their eggs and chicks up close, the babies asking for food from their mothers and moms feeding their young.  Baby sea lions seek out human children to swim with them and play, which was my daughter's dream come true.  Iguanas laze around in the sun, and we humans needed to tread carefully so we wouldn't step on a tail. Giant tortoises peacefully munch on grass while people photograph them from the required six feet away, undisturbed.  The Galápagos is an amazing chance for you and your children to observe wildlife - to watch courtship rituals and parents feeding babies and youngsters playing - all just a few feet away.  It is truly incredible.

Everyday we snorkeled, hiked and/or kayaked.  One day we swam with about 30 or 40 sea turtles.  Dolphins swam with our ship.  We spotted whales in the distance.  We even snorkeled with penguins.  Penguins!  I think the Galápagos is the only spot in the world where people can snorkel with penguins due to the tolerable water temperatures.  We swam off of red sand beaches.  Black sand beaches.  White coral sand beaches.  The water is aqua and clean.  I saw no trash, not once.  And no people other than those from our ship.

And even though we took two or three excursions everyday from the ship, there was plenty of down time to read and relax on board in between outings.  There was a kid activity everyday after lunch, and the staff incentivized the children to keep journals about their trip through a point system.  I was amazed to see my kids rushing to the library with other children each day to research and write about their chosen topics.  (The expedition wasn't all so wholesome - the kids also had unfettered access to a soda fountain.)  The most fun kid activity was the Zodiac driving lessons, complete with drivers' licenses!  We also visited a school on the island of Santa Cruz, which gave our children some insight into local kids' lives on the island, and had the chance to bring books to donate to the school's "library" (a series of closets located outdoors).  The librarian told us that the look on a child's face when she tells him or her that the wish list book has arrived is pure excitement and joy.  Can you imagine if your child wanted to read a book and had to wait months for it to arrive, not knowing if it would ever arrive?  There is no inter-library loan system by which you can order your child a free book by a few clicks of the mouse.  We were told that there is not a culture of reading in Ecuador, and the librarian is working to cultivate a love of books among the younger population.  It felt good to contribute to that effort, even if in a small way.

So other than the cost, were there any downsides?  Yes.  We wish the Naturalists had engaged the children more at their level while we were on the islands, instead of talking virtually exclusively to the adults.  The kids were still mostly engaged because of the wildlife everywhere we looked, but I expected the Naturalists to talk to them more at their level in a back-and-forth format.  Some of the staff, like the dining room servers, Zodiac drivers and Captain and crew on the bridge, were warm and friendly (one of the crew even laminated a map for my son, drawing out our route for the week), but many of the staff members (especially the Naturalists) were not so warm and friendly - they were polite, they did their jobs well, but it was clear that they do this every week with different people and they were not interested in becoming our friends.  Also, it did all feel a little too much like a group tour, which is not my thing.  There was a schedule and all excursions are done in a group of about fifteen people with a Naturalist. And although there were many nice people aboard, there were multi-generational families who stuck to themselves and whose kids were often misbehaving, and some cranky folks here and there.  If you are prone to seasickness, be aware that the boat is rocking all of the time.  I wore a prescribed patch behind my ear and felt no nausea at all, and my family was fine without any medication, but if you are sensitive to motion plan accordingly.

Taking all of the pros and cons into consideration, though, I would not have done the Galápagos any other way.  A small ship was too risky, both from a comfort and camaraderie point of view.  A land-based trip would have been too limiting for what we wanted to do, which was see as much of the islands and their diversity as possible.  We accomplished our exploration and wildlife encounter goals, and we did so comfortably and contentedly.  We had so many of those "moments" we had hoped to have.  Moments like the ones National Geographic includes in the photographic brochures that entice travelers to sign up for the excursions.  Sea li0ns chewing on our flippers and swimming around us in the sea, while our children delighted.  Marine iguanas and penguins leaping into the water to look for food, just a few feet from us.  Holding hands with my kids while we snorkeled next to sea turtles.  Hurrying up to the ship's bow when the crew alerted us that dolphins were swimming with the ship.  And so many more moments that we didn't even know to hope for.

On our last morning, we took an excursion to a beach on San Cristóbal, which I think I can say with reasonable confidence is the most beautiful beach I have ever been on anywhere in the world.  Take a look:

We walked the white sand beach.  We watched a sea lion pup nurse from his or her mother. We swam with baby sea lions and our own baby human children.  We watched all of the 39 kids from the ship jump repeatedly off of a Zodiac into the clear, clean ocean.  We took a thousand photographs.  We sat on the pristine sand, looking out onto this view, knowing we would remember this experience forever.

When to Visit the Galápagos:

Located on the equator, the Galápagos Islands can be visited year-round.  However, there are pros and cons to each season.  During the warmer, wetter months of January through June, water temperatures make for more comfortable snorkeling.  But, the air temperatures are hotter and more humid, there could be more rain and also more mosquitoes.  During the dry season, July through December, water temperatures are colder meaning you may still be a little chilly even in a wet suit, but colder water temperatures mean more food for sea creatures and therefore, more sea creature sightings.  The air temperature is also more comfortable in the dry season, normally in the mid-70's or low-80's.  But, no matter when you visit, there will be an abundance of wildlife.

National Geographic's two ships, the Islander (48 passengers) and the Endeavour (96 passengers), travel nearly every week of the year.  Note that the Endeavour will be replaced by the Endeavour II in 2017.

How to Get to the Galápagos:

Politically part of the country of Ecuador, the Galápagos Islands are located approximately 600 miles off Ecuador's coast.  Flights from mainland Ecuador to the islands leave from the country's largest city, Guayaquil, and if you travel with an expedition company your flight to the islands likely will be arranged for you. To get to Guayaquil, American Airlines operates regular flights from Miami, and United Airlines, with its partner Copa Airlines, flies between Panama City and Guayaquil.  There is also a nonstop from New York to Guayaquil on TAME Linea Aerea.  Time changes from the U.S. are minimal, so there is no jet leg.  If you want to visit Quito or other parts of mainland Ecuador, it is easy to arrange through National Geographic/Lindblad Expeditions, or you can travel on your own and then plan to get to Guayaquil before meeting up with your expedition company.

Connecting a Galápagos Expedition with Travel in Mainland Ecuador:

Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city and the gateway to the Galápagos, is not a major attraction in Ecuador.  If you want to see the city, the Hilton Colon Guayaquil recommends (and TripAdvisor reviews confirm) that you use Eduardo Meneses (www.guayaquilguidedvisit.com) as a guide.  National Geographic also offers a bus tour of the city on the afternoon the group returns to Guayaquil from the Galápagos, but the people we spoke to who opted for the tour regretted it, citing heat and boredom.  My Guayaquil recommendations?  Chill out at the hotel. Eat in the little cafe attached to the hotel where locals frequent.  Swim in the pool and check out the indoor hot and cold tubs.  It's not very cultural or educational, but the Galápagos week is a lot of activity and you won't be missing much if you don't tour Guayaquil.  Our friends Elizabeth and J.P. spent a few days in Quito before their Galápagos cruise and liked the city a lot.  When I return to Ecuador, I would like to see Cuenca, as well, and visit some smaller villages in the mountains. 

Seeing the Galápagos:

First decision:  land-based or ship-based?  If you are land-based, you will still have a fantastic time, but you will not be able to see as many of the islands as you will be restricted to visiting those within a short boat ride of your accommodation.  Three of the islands have hotels, Isabela, Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal.  I suppose it is possible to stay on all three islands, expanding your options for day trips to the uninhabited islands.  I did not research this option when planning my trip, so do not know the logistics involved.  I will say that I didn't love the vibe on Santa Cruz, but thought the Isabela and San Cristóbal were great.

Second decision:  which ship?  I briefly researched a small ship option, and read good things about Ecoventura.  Note that small ships will cost less - even half of what we paid - so if you do not get seasick it may be worth the savings.  My mother and brother were on a smaller ship, as was my friend, Susan, and all had positive experiences.  I ultimately chose a larger ship (still small in our world of mega cruise ships at only 96 passengers), because my daughter does not feel comfortable on small boats and I sometimes get seasick.  Plus, our good friends J.P. and Elizabeth had taken their girls on one of Lindblad/National Geographic's "family" weeks aboard the Endeavour four years ago, and had an amazing time.  We chose a "family" week in August and signed up.  It was a quick and painless process, except for the part when I had to give my credit card number.  

I used miles to book flights, although airfare costs are not expensive to Ecuador, running between $400-$600 round trip. Lindblad/National Geographic's recommended flight was due to arrive the night before an early morning flight to the Galápagos, which does not suit my Type A tendencies.  I booked our flight to arrive the day before the National Geographic recommended flight and an extra night at the Hilton Colon Guayaquil.  We ended up not needing that extra night as our flight was canceled, and the hotel kindly did not charge us.  There were about a dozen other people headed for our expedition on our flight, and we were all glad for the extra time at the hotel.  Those on the recommended flight had a long delay and only a few hours' sleep in Guayaquil before departing for the Galápagos.  On the other hand, there is not much to see in Guayaquil and if you do take the recommended flight and it doesn't make it on time, it seems as though National Geographic would need to get all of those people to the ship.  Since they run this trip virtually every week of the year, they must have it figured out.  If you are on the fence, talk to them.  Or, see Quito for a few days before heading to Guayaquil.  

Safety Note:  There are serious safety concerns in both Guayaquil and Quito, cited by the U.S. Department of State, National Geographic and Hilton.  Do your homework, and at a minimum, avoid taxis that are not arranged by the hotel.

Company Information Note: If you are confused, Lindblad and National Geographic are two separate companies who team up to run ship-based expeditions, including the one we took to the Galápagos.  Click here for the companies' information on the family expedition: http://www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com/expeditions/galapagos-family-cruise/detail.

Tips on the National Geographic Excursion:

     Before you go: 

• Check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Department of State websites for current information on Ecuador, including vaccines, disease outbreaks, crime and other information.  If you are Type A like I am, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has more detailed, current information on disease outbreaks, such as the number of Zika cases reported each week and in what region. Click here for the PAHO home page.
• Make sure your passport is good for at least six months after your travel to Ecuador, a requirement to enter the country.
• If you are booking air on Copa and thinking of a stopover in Panama on the way home, be aware that Panama will not permit you to enter the country arriving from Ecuador without proof of a yellow fever vaccination.  However, as of the date of this article, yellow fever is not a risk in the Galápagos, Quito or Guayaquil.  Yellow fever is also not a risk in Panama City. Both countries have zones in which yellow fever is a risk, but if you are confining your visit to non-yellow fever zones you would still be required to have the vaccination to enter Panama.  So if you do not want to get a yellow fever vaccine, do not plan to stop in Panama on your way home (or vice versa, as Ecuador will require proof of yellow fever vaccination if you are arriving from Panama).
• Book early so you can choose your cabins, and pay the minor surcharge to be on the top deck.  Cabins 105 and 107 on the Endeavour do not share walls with any other cabins, but the doors rattled when the ship was underway.
• Look out for incentives offered by the company.  For the past few years, I have noticed that at a certain point in the year, the company offers free airfare from Miami to Guayaquil for future cruise dates.  However, airfare is not expensive so given how much money you are spending for this trip, I wouldn't lament if you do not get this airfare deal.
• Alert the company regarding food allergies/aversions in advance.
• Note that National Geographic runs two, alternating itineraries, a fact that is not advertised.  To me, it did not matter which itinerary we took, but if you want to see specific islands, discuss with the booking staff.
• Choose a "family week" if you have children.  If you don't have kids, avoid the "family weeks" (although the only childless young couple on our ship insisted it was fun to be around so many kids, and were good sports!).  If a "family week" is not convenient for your schedule and you want your children to have the company of other kids, just ask National Geographic how many kids are signed up for your chosen week and their ages.  The company will give you the numbers.  If you have very young children or kids who are not comfortable in the water, wait until they are older and can snorkel on their own.  You only want to spend this much money seeing the Galápagos once!
• Bring a book or something to do during downtime, of which there is plenty.
• If you get cold easily and are traveling during the dry season, bring your own full-length wetsuit, as the ship provides only shorty wetsuits.  The company had told us they do not carry children's wetsuits, but they actually did have those on board (shorty ones).  We brought our own wetsuits and snorkeling gear, borrowing only flippers.  But you certainly do not need to do that - there is plenty of gear, and plenty of wetsuits.
• Bring an underwater camera, without question.
• If photography is an interest of yours, look for webinars offered by National Geographic before your trip.
• Pack light!  Dress is casual.  You will spend a lot of time in a bathing suit, so I recommend bringing two bathing suits so you always have a dry one to wear.  The company provides a suggested packing list as far as what type of clothing to bring. There are two clothes dryers on board the ship, but if you want full laundry service it costs extra. We did what we do when we travel - we pack a few outfits and wear them over and over during the week.  When we get home, we appreciate the luxury of putting on a fresh, clean shirt everyday :) 

On the ship:

• Do not feel you need to rush when you hear the announcements for disembarkation for excursions.  Lining up early for the Zodiacs probably costs you time rather than saving it.  Disembarkation is efficient and "last call" announcements are made. Generally, there is no need to rush at any point during the trip, except perhaps in the morning between the wake-up call and breakfast!
• Some excursions feature photography lessons, and although our week was not designated for photography, one of the Naturalists gave complimentary lessons and tips for photography enthusiasts.  We were one of the only families taking photos with our iPhones, as even ten-year-olds were on the ground with fancy cameras sporting telephoto lenses.
• In the afternoons, the Naturalists give lectures in the lounge on particular topics. They are worth attending.  The fact that you and your neighbor will find yourselves nodding off is no reflection on the quality of the lectures, but rather due to the fact that you are sitting listening to a soothing voice after hours of activity!
• Every evening before dinner, the expedition leader will host guests in the lounge to review the day's activities and discuss the plan for the following day.  Usually, there are not options - everyone who disembarks does the same activity.  But in the instances where there are choices, I suggest that after the program and before dinner, you head down to the disembarkation deck and sign up your family for your chosen activities.  That way, you will get the activities you want at the times you want them.  Note that the crew bends over backwards to ensure that no one is denied an activity, adding extra glass-bottom boat excursions or kayaking opportunities. They will alert you if it is the only opportunity to see a particular species or engage in a certain activity.  The advantage to signing up early is really to have choice of times, which can open the door to multiple activities in a morning, for instance.
• Filtered, safe drinking water is provided throughout the ship, and there will be stainless steel Klean Kanteen water bottles waiting in your cabin to refill throughout the trip.
• Cabins lock only from the interior.  While we never felt at risk for any type of theft on board, leave valuables at home or lock them in the drawer provided in your cabin.
• There is a deck with a drying rack for wetsuits and gear, so you need not keep them in your cabin.
• Children are ALWAYS with parents for excursions, except for the Zodiac driving lessons.  There is no "kids club" or child-centered excursions other than the driving lessons.  On board the ship, there are supervised kid activities after lunch for a short time.
• Visit the bridge at least once.  The captain and crew will welcome you and show you how the ship runs and navigates.  The second mate offered to make my son a map of our travels, signed it and had it laminated for him!
• Spend some quiet hours in the ship's library, the coziest spot on the ship.
• The t-shirts in the ship's gift shop are adorable and high-quality!