Five-Star Service: Celebrity Flora’s Galapagos Cruise

The Rooms

The Celebrity Flora offers one of the most luxurious accommodations in the Galapagos Islands as each room on board is a suite. Full room automation allows you to change the temperature, room lighting and other controls with the touch of a button. Each room offers floor-to-ceiling windows, some with balconies and others with an infinite veranda, allowing you to transform the room into an open-air suite in a single click.

Amenities include but are not limited to:

• Private Veranda

• In-Room Drinking Water Filtration System

• Complimentary Laundry Twice per Cruise

• Complimentary Rain Ponchos

• Complimentary Backpack

• Complimentary Water Bottle

• Sunscreen and Lip Balm

• In-suite Room Service

• Stocked Mini Bar

• Locally Sourced Products

• Personal Suite Attendant

Service

What really stood out to me during my adventure aboard the Celebrity Flora was their five-star service. The moment we made it on board, we were greeted by the ship's captain, cruise director and other crew members. Someone from guest relations handed us some champagne and escorted us to our suite, where they walked us through all of the room controls and amenities. As a member of Celebrity’s rewards program, we were welcomed with a board of chocolate truffle options. A bottle of champagne awaited us in our suite, as well as complimentary backpacks, water bottles, sunscreen and other essentials vital for our Galapagos adventure. Binoculars were also available to borrow.

Throughout the week, the matri de greets you at the main dining room and offers the chef’s recommendations for the night. Celebrity tries to seat you in the same area every night to ensure a more personalized service experience. Our server throughout the week would always greet us with our first name as well as remember our drink preferences. During breakfast, lunch and the nightly excursion presentation, our server would find us and make sure we had the drink of our choice.

For each excursion, passengers were broken up into groups of around 8 to 12 people and led by a naturalist guide. These smaller groups allow for a more private feel as guides help provide information about the islands and its wide range of species, as well as answer any questions you may have. Some even offered tips to take better photos of the wildlife throughout our trip.

Even upon leaving for excursions, Celebrity’s service was outstanding, any clothes or items left out in the room were neatly folded or organized for you. After dinner, we were welcomed back to our room with turndown service and a pillow chocolate.

Dining

All ingredients used in meals are sourced locally from the islands.

Seaside Restaurant:

The main dining room - serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Floor-to-ceiling windows fill the space, offering a gorgeous view of the sunset at dinner time.

Breakfast is a buffet offering some slight variations throughout the week in addition to breakfast classics, such as scrambled eggs and bacon, a made to order omelet station and various fruit selections. Service goes above and beyond as omelets and eggs are brought directly to your table when ready. A server is present at the buffet at all times to answer any questions regarding allergens.

Lunch is also served as a buffet with an alternating cuisine every day including Spanish, Asian, Mexican and Italian offerings. Some personal favorites throughout the week were the Spanish paella, the ceviche station, fresh salmon sushi and the grilled shrimp.

The three-course dinner menu offers Celebrity Signature Dishes that are consistent throughout the week as well as Ecuadorian specialties that change each night.

Ocean Grill:

For those wanting some classics, visit the ocean grill during lunch for a buffet with hamburgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, guacamole and other favorites.

At night, the grill offers a unique opportunity for stargazing. Reservations must be made in advance, and the dinner menu stays consistent throughout the cruise.

Room Service:

For those wanting to relax in their suite, classic options are offered during each of the meal service times. Additional snacks, such as hummus can be ordered for those needing a midday treat.

Excursions

All excursions require boarding a tender boat to reach your destination. Landings on islands vary between both dry and wet landings. Daily options typically include 2–3 options based on activity level and location. The high-intensity option typically includes a long walk or fast-paced hike. The medium intensity includes a shorter walk. The low-intensity could be a beach day or a tender boat ride for wildlife spotting. Kayaking was also available on some days.

Celebrity’s Flora makes two stops daily. The first one in the morning around 8 or 9 AM returning around noon at the latest. There is then a break for lunch and an optional presentation regarding the wildlife, geology and other features of the island designed to enhance the depth of your experience, while the cruise travels to its next stop. Then around 3 PM, passengers board a tender boat to their second excursion.

On some days, an additional snorkeling excursion was offered between lunch and the afternoon excursions. This is one experience I would not miss as each snorkeling adventure offered an opportunity to see fascinating wildlife up close, such as sea turtles, penguins, sea lions and white-tipped sharks.

Each night before dinner, guests gather in the Discovery Lounge, where they are greeted by their servers and offered a drink of their choice. A cocktail of the day is offered inspired by the island's unique species, such as the blue-footed booby and yellow warbler. The lead naturalist presents the activity options for the next day and includes the skill level and equipment required. At the end of the presentation, guests sign up for their desired activity with one of the naturalist guides onboard.

Sample Itinerary Options as Follows:

Day 1:

• Arrival

• Free time on board

Day 2:

• Morning at Puerto Egas, Santiago Island

• Walking, Swim/Snorkel

• Opportunities to see sea lions, land and marine iguanas, lava lizards, various bird species

• Afternoon at Rábida

• Kayaking, Walking, Swim/Snorkel, Tender Ride

• Opportunity to see flamingos

Day 3:

• Morning at Elizabeth Bay

• Tender Ride

• Opportunity to see sea lions, penguins, blue-footed boobies, frigate birds

• Afternoon at Tangus Cove

• Snorkeling, Kayaking, Walking, Tender Ride

• Opportunity to see sea lions, penguins, sea turtles, various bird species

Day 4:

• Morning at Sullivan Bay, Santiago

• Lava Walk, Tender Ride

• Afternoon at Bartolomé Island

• Snorkeling, Hike, Tender Ride

Day 5:

• Morning at Las Bachas Beach

• Walk, Swim/Snorkel

• Opportunity to see sea turtles, flamingos or birds feeding

• Afternoon at North Seymour

• Snorkeling, Rocky Walk, Tender Ride

• Opportunity to see a variety of birds

Day 6:

• Morning at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristobal

• Visit San Cristobal Breeding Center to see tortoises

• Free time in town

• Afternoon at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristobal

• Walk, Interpretation Center to learn about the islands’ history

• Views of the Darwin Bay

Day 7:

• Day in Santa Cruz

• Giant Tortoise Breeding Center

• Free time in town

• Bus ride to Highlands to Plant Scalesia Trees

• Lunch at a local ranch with traditional dances

• Walk to see wild tortoises

Amanda Tsai

Day 8:

• Departure

Additional Information

The Celebrity Flora also offers additional services, such as a jacuzzi, mini pool, fitness center and cabanas for relaxation.

Spa services as well as a glamping experience with a private dinner and breakfast, complete with sleeping under the stars are offered for an additional fee.

One of my favorite onboard experiences was nightly stargazing, as the Galapagos Islands straddle the equator, allowing one to view constellations and stars from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Additionally, the area is vastly untouched by the human population, allowing for clearer viewing conditions.

Packing Tips

• Bring sunglasses and a hat to protect against the sun.

• Bring more clothes than you would expect as you are going to want to change between the morning and afternoon activities.

• Bring shorts or light hiking pants as it can get hot during the day.

• Bring a pair of water shoes as well as hiking shoes.

• Stick to neutrals as black will absorb the sun faster and bright colors can attract unwanted attention from wasps and other species.

If you are someone who wants to experience the Galapagos in luxury, the Celebrity Flora is the way to go, with its five-star service and amenities that anticipate your every need. While the Galapagos is a destination for adventure travelers, the Flora offers multiple excursion options to accommodate varying activity levels for passengers. The staff goes above and beyond to meet your requests by offering separate excursions for those who are less mobile and accommodating common dietary restrictions, such as celiac, vegetarian, and dairy-free. This experience aboard the Flora is a life-changing one, you will not forget.

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to Galapagos Islands. In need of further inspiration? Check out Juli Hall’s guide, Adventure Vacation to the Galapagos Islands.