Our Experience with Quasar: A Luxury Galapagos Cruise

For our trip to the Galapagos, we wanted to see as many islands and as much wildlife as possible, which is why we opted for a cruise experience. You can read more about the different options for visiting the Galapagos here. And when it came to picking a company to partner with to visit the Galapagos, there was one company that floated to the top for us: Quasar Expeditions & their Galapagos Luxury Cruises. Quasar is 100% Ecuadorian owned and operated so they can best promote the country and the islands to their visitors. We like to support local companies because they have the best knowledge of the location and they are the best at giving back to the communities or countries that we are visiting.

Contents

The Quasar Expeditions Boat The Quasar Expeditions Itinerary The Quasar Expeditions Staff The Quasar Expeditions Expectations Quasar Expeditions: Beyond the Galapagos Cruise

Quasar only operates two boats so they have the utmost focus on the wellbeing of their guests on the boats. In addition, their two boats have a maximum capacity of 16 and 32 guests, so each experience is well tailored and personalized. We were also attracted to their safari-style approach to visiting the Galapagos. They are invested in seeing as much wildlife as possible and will try their hardest to make sure you experience it all in a way that is safe to both you and the animals.

If you want to stay in a piece of history, their smaller yacht, the Grace Yacht, holds 16 guests. It was formerly owned by Grace Kelly, gifted to her for her honeymoon, and purchased by Quasar to complete their fleet for touring the Galapagos. It was refitted and refurbished in 2007 to be the modern and luxurious yacht that it is today. We stayed in their other boat, the Expedition Yacht.

Are you unsure about how to best visit the Galapagos Islands?

Let’s Help You Decide How to Best Visit the Galapagos

Debating between a cruise or staying on the islands? How to best visit the Galapagos, ranging from most luxurious to most approachable, and the benefits and setbacks of each option.

The Quasar Expeditions Boat

We stayed on the Evolution Yacht (32 people) and found that it was the perfect size for us. There were enough people on the boat for a variety of conversations, but it was small enough that the experience felt truly personal. The cabins were modern and nicely maintained (they had been renovated in 2007) and the crew was impeccable with keeping them fresh, making us a new towel animal on our bed every day.

The rooms included a queen, king, or two twin beds, a desk, a wardrobe to organize our clothes, and a bathroom. It was nice to have access to a hot shower every day to wash off the salty water from our snorkeling adventures. And each room had temperature control, making sure that we were all comfortable in our individual cabins. We really were in the cabins only to get changed throughout the day and sleep in the evenings and they were the perfect size to accommodate us. (After putting our clothes in the wardrobe, we had the option to put our bags in the boat’s storage for the duration of the cruise to keep our room clutter-free.) We loved the location of our cabin towards the back of the ship on the C-Deck and away from the anchor located at the front of the ship.

Beyond the rooms, the boat includes an outdoor lounge on the top deck where the bar is located. It was a relaxing location to sit and read while the boat was moving from one destination to the next. Our bartender, Cesar, always had fresh squeezed juices ready for us and some snacks to hold us over between meals.

The B-Deck was where most of the public spaces were located. At the front of the boat, there was a jacuzzi (the perfect place to warm up after our snorkeling adventures) and lounge chairs where we could take in the amazing Galapagos sunshine. In front of this is where we could hang our wet clothes to dry against the Galapagos wind and store our snorkeling gear. At the back of the B-Deck was an outdoor dining area where we had many of our meals. And inside, was a lounge where we got our daily briefing about the next day’s activities, watched a few videos about the Galapagos, and got to watch the Ecuadorian win and subsequent loss in the Copa America tournament. Finally, there was the indoor dining room where we ate the meals we could not have outside.

Overall, the boat felt cozy and luxurious and was truly perfect for our eight-day journey through this archipelago.

The Quasar Expeditions Itinerary

Our cruise lasted eight days, starting in Baltra and ending in San Cristobal. We had the opportunity to visit Fernandina Island, Isabela Island, Bartholome, Santiago Island, Santa Cruz Island, Rabida Island, and Espanola Island. We saw giant Galapagos tortoises (in the wild and in the breeding center), crabs, iguanas, sea lions, penguins, albatrosses, finches, flamingos, blue-footed boobies, cormorants, sharks, octopuses, stingrays, manta rays, blue whales, dolphins, and so much more. Our itinerary was the 8-Day – In the Steps of Pirates & Darwin on the Evolution Yacht and we were incredibly happy with the experience. We were told that either itinerary provided would be equally amazing and would have access to a plethora of unique wildlife. We chose our itinerary based on the best week for us to visit the Galapagos because they are so balanced in what they see.

All itineraries visit the Charles Darwin Foundation on the island of Santa Cruz. Here, the giant Galapagos tortoises are bred and guarded until their shells become hard enough and they can be released in the wild on the appropriate island. Different islands have different breeds of tortoises and the center is trying to keep the genetics of the tortoises as pure as possible. It was amazing to see the work that this center is doing to protect the wildlife of the Galapagos islands. The tortoises of the islands are all protected and there are farms and reserves around Santa Cruz where large quantities of tortoises run (walk) wild. This is where we got the closest to these tortoises and got to experience their sheer size. If you want that classic Galapagos photo standing behind a tortoise, this is the place where you will get it.

Our Sample Itinerary

Day 1 (

PM

Land in Baltra

Bus to dock

Arrive on the boat

Unpack bags and settle into the cabin

Safety briefing

Day 2 briefing

Team introduction

Dinner

Day 2

AM

Breakfast

Panga ride to Isabela Island to see animals

Snorkeling safety briefing

Snorkeling gear distribution

Snorkeling

PM

Lunch

Dry landing on Fernandina Island + hike around the island

Day 3 briefing

Dinner

Day 3

AM

Wet landing on Isabella Island to see giant tortoises

Breakfast

UNPLANNED: see dolphins in the pangas

Movie about Charles Darwin

Learn to fold towels into animals

Snorkeling

Bus to airport

Flight out of San Cristobal

When Is the Best Time to Visit the Galapagos?

Because the Galapagos islands are on the equator, the weather is incredibly stable and temperate. Instead, the weather is defined by a wet season (December – June) and a dry season (July – November). During the wet season, the water is warmer, making it more pleasant to snorkel but there may be fewer marine animals and fish visible because they tend to prefer cold water rich in nutrients. The dry season is slightly colder than the wet season and the water drops in temperature. You will have to snorkel with a wetsuit (provided by Quasar) but you will have more of a chance to see some larger marine animals, like whales.

The Quasar Expeditions Staff

We can’t compare the staff of Quasar to any other agency because this is the only Galapagos tour that we have done. However, we can adamantly say that the Quasar staff was absolutely perfect. Everyone made sure that we had an incredible time on the boat, starting with our cruise director, Rubin, who always had snacks available at the front desk. He answered any and all of our questions and made sure that we had an incredible experience on the boat.

I’ve already mentioned Cesar, our bartender, but it doesn’t hurt to mention those fresh-squeezed juices that he made again. His attention to detail was impeccable and quickly learned that Kevin liked having a beer at dinner and would always have one ready for him.

The chefs provided delicious meals and made sure we were never hungry. Some meals were buffets and some were plated dinners. Either way, the food was fresh and delicious, focusing on local ingredients and Ecuadorian recipes. Local fishermen would sometimes trade the fish they caught with the produce on the boat, making some of the meals incredibly fresh. And if anyone had dietary restrictions or preferences, they would accommodate them.

Everyone else who worked behind the scenes to make sure the experience was seamless. The deckhands greeted us every time we returned to the boat. The cleaning staff kept our cabins fresh, tidy, and clean. And everyone was incredibly friendly and warm, making the boat feel like home for the week that we were there. Quasar also provides a doctor on board the ship, and while you may not think you will need a doctor on vacation, it is a nice luxury to have because you never know how your body will react to being in another country or on a boat.

The Quasar Expeditions Expectations

The expectations that we had for Quasar were high, and they met every expectation. They advertise themselves as a safari-style cruise and we absolutely understood what they meant by that through our experience on the Expedition Yacht. The dinghy drivers were experts at getting us close to animals and each dinghy of 10-11 guests had a naturalist on board to explain what we were seeing.

For the 32 guests on the yacht, we had three naturalists (Bolivar, Hernan, and Christina) who were each infectious with their love and passion for the wildlife and animals of the Galapagos. I will never forget Christina grinning with excitement as she spotted the Blue Whales and was guiding everyone to look along the horizon line where they were spouting. Or when Hernan gave us confidence to swim with sharks due to his true love and passion for the animals. (No people or sharks were injured or even at risk of injury. It was actually a super super cool experience.)

While the naturalists are hired by the National Park and contracted out to different tour companies, the guides at Quasar solely work with this boat, ensuring that Quasar has naturalists that meet their standards, both for their knowledge and for the way they take care of the guests. They were with us for every experience and expedition, explaining the wildlife and phenomena around us. Because our group was small, we each got to know the naturalists personally and create true connections. And it was obvious that the naturalists had a strong rapport with the other members of the team on the ship.

On another occasion, a naturalist had been informed of a pod of Blue Whales that had returned to the islands from their migration and was not too far from our boat’s location. The captain decided to cancel our afternoon activities and head to find the Blue Whales so everyone could experience these majestic creatures, even though it was a slight detour from where we were heading later in the day. We found the whales and got to watch six of them breach all around the boat. It was the first Blue Whale sighting of the year and the first time in two years that they had been spotted in the Galapagos. It is impossible to understand the sheer size of the largest mammal in the world but it is an experience that would not have been possible without the passion for and interest in the wildlife that the Quasar staff have.

Quasar Expeditions: Beyond the Galapagos Cruise

Quasar Expeditions can go beyond just providing an excellent Galapagos Islands cruise. Here are some of the other aspects that the organization can help you with when planning a trip to Ecuador and beyond within South America.

Planning Everything You Need in Ecuador

When reserving your cruise to the Galapagos, you will work with an agent to help manage the travel logistics, cruise requirements, etc. They will send you reminder emails with any forms that you need to fill out, payments that you need to complete, and travel information you may need before your adventure.

Beyond the nitty gritty of the cruise, these agents can also help you plan the rest of your time in Ecuador. This includes reserving the hotel and activities you may want to do in Quito before or after your cruise. They can also recommend and reserve lodging in other parts of Ecuador, including visiting the historical town of Cuenca or the amazing region of the Amazon. You can truly lean on the Quasar team as a holistic travel agent for your time in Ecuador. They know some different gems throughout the country and can help navigate your travels to best suit your interests.

While we did not depend on Quasar to reserve and plan all our time in Ecuador, we did follow many of their suggestions with regards to where we should explore in this country.

Planning a Trip Beyond Ecuador

Quasar Expeditions has recently expanded their services beyond the Galapagos islands. They use their knowledge of safari-like travel to provide wildlife-focused experiences in the Patagonia region of Chile and Argentina. These tours run year-round but the seasons will change the wildlife you will see and the weather you will experience. Because it is in the southern hemisphere, the summers are in December-March and the winters fall between June-September. Reach out to their agents to learn more about these trips and start setting up your adventure!

Do you have a question about visiting the Galapagos Islands?

Why Visit the Galapagos? And Other FAQs About the Galapagos Islands

All your questions answered about visiting the Galapagos Islands, the wildlife in the archipelago, and the best way to experience this bucket list destination.

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