Additional information & services Method of payment: We accept only agency check or personal check. Late bookings or late payments (25 days or less prior to departure) require payment by cashier’s check or wire transfer only and may be subject to additional fees.
Documentation: Documents include your boarding pass for the Galapagos cruise and vouchers for additional services (if applicable) including hotel, transfers and tours. Airline tickets for the flight to Galapagos will be provided in Ecuador. Documents are mailed upon receipt of final payment. Mailing instructions and cruise date and passenger names must accompany your payment. Late final payment will delay the receipt of documents. The agency or passengers will be charged any fees for overnight or courier expenses. A service charge of $50 will be applicable for any change or reissue of documents for any reason within 30 days of departure.
Passenger information form: Galapagos Network requires all passenger details be sent 60 days prior to departure when final payment is due. If all the information is not available at 60 days, please send complete information together at the same time no later than 30 days prior to departure. Required information includes: 1) Full names of all passengers as they appear on the passport, passport number, expiration, nationality and date of birth. 2) Hotel contact in Ecuador prior to the cruise, name of ground operator in Ecuador providing any tours prior to the cruise or itinerary, international arrival and departure flight schedule to Ecuador. 3) Any special dietary requests, allergies or medical conditions need to be included. If you wish to celebrate a birthday or anniversary, or reserve a wet suit, please let us know on this form.
Click here to download the passenger information form
Transportation Contract: All passengers will be given a cruise ticket that contain the terms and conditions of our transportation agreement at the airport in Guayaquil or Quito. In order to review the terms before you leave home, a copy of the transportation agreement can be requested any time from your travel agent or with Galapagos Network or you can download the form from our web site here:
Click here to download the transportation contract
Yacht & Itinerary stipulations: Passengers will be assigned by Ecoventura to any of the three identical sister yachts Eric, Flamingo or Letty at the company’s discretion. On a 7-night / 8-day itinerary, passengers will visit twelve visitor sites. The first and last day of the cruise are transportation days and no island visits are guaranteed. Ecoventura reserves the right at its sole discretion and that of the Captain of the vessel without liability for damages or refund of any kind to deviate from the vessel’s advertised or ordinary itinerary. Ecoventura will not be held liable for any refund whatsoever due to changes to the printed or scheduled itinerary when substitutions are provided.
Prevention of misconnecting flights: We recommend that all passengers traveling to Galapagos allow two nights in mainland Ecuador prior to their cruise to allow for potential flight delays and misconnection. This is particularly important for passengers traveling over holidays when flights tend to be overbooked and delayed caused by bad weather conditions.
Travel Insurance: We highly recommend that passengers purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy to protect themselves from any potential loss before and during your trip. Insurance is optional and highly recommended to protect against losses due to trip cancellation and interruption, travel and baggage delay, emergency assistance, medical expenses and evacuation. For those passengers who choose not to purchase an insurance policy to protect them from potential losses to their travel investment, Ecoventura will not be responsible for any financial disappointment caused by reasons beyond our control and no refunds or partial refunds will be given for late cancellations or no shows due to any reason.
Holiday weeks: No discounts of any kind are available including child discounts. We cannot accept any share requests on cruises that fall over the holidays. The terms for deposits and cancellation during peak weeks differ from the rest of the year so please inquire.
Child discounts: Children age 11 years and younger at the time of sailing are entitled to a 30% discount off the cruise rate. Children 11 years and younger are entitled to 50% discount off the airfare and park tax with photocopy of the child’s passport showing date of birth. Children ages 12-14 years are entitled to a 20% discount off the cruise rate only. Children age 5-6 are permitted only on a designated family departure. Children under the age or five are permitted on exclusive charter basis only and parents must sign a hold harmless waiver in addition to the transportation contract.
Restrictions on child discounts: We allow only one child discount to be given per every adult fare paid with a limit of two per family. Ecoventura may limit the total number of child discounts permitted on any one departure or per family. Children under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult. Child discounts are applied to cabins on the iguana deck unless not available. When children are in a triple cabin, the discount is calculated from the double iguana deck rate. No child discounts are permitted on cruises that fall over the Christmas, New Year and Easter holidays.
Dedicated Family Departures: Ecoventura welcomes families with children ages seven and up on all expedition vessels throughout the year. Our designated family departures are scheduled during school breaks in the U.S. and are geared towards families who prefer to travel with other families. These family departures feature age-appropriate activities (depending on the ages and number of children on board) from supervised water games and instruction in snorkeling and sea kayaking for teens to briefings geared toward the younger set and kid-friendly meals. Kids can visit the bridge and learn about astronomy, navigational charts and tie nautical knots with our Captain. Special parties include movies and popcorn, games with prizes, drawing contests, ice cream sundae socials, King Neptune costume party and talent show.
Galapagos Park Tax: The entrance fee to the National Park is $100 for adults and $50 for children 11 and younger and is not included in the cruise rate. This fee will be added to your invoice and prepaid by Ecoventura for your convenience and is subject to change at any time.
Gratuities to guides and crew: Aboard our vessels, gratuities are not included. We prefer that our guests reward our crew based on their performance. Tipping is a personal matter and passengers are encouraged to tip an amount they find appropriate. For those passengers who inquire, we do suggest they follow international guidelines of $175 for a 7-night cruise. Gratuities are divided among all crew members including the Captain and two naturalist guides.
Reserve a wet suit: Wet suits are available for passengers to use during the cruise at no additional charge. Wet suits are most popular from July to October when water temperatures are between 65 and 72 degrees F. Passengers who would like to reserve a wet suite in their size prior to the cruise may do so for a charge of $25 for 7 nights. The fee is charged to the on board account and paid at the end of the cruise. Reserved wet suits will be removed from the inventory and set aside for the passenger’s exclusive use. Passengers are entitled to use the remaining wet suits on board at no charge. However, they are available on a first come first serve basis. In order to reserve your wet suit, we need to know your approximate size: Mens: XS, S, M, ML, L, XL, XXL, XXXL, Womens (US dress size): 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14,16, Children: 10 (S), 12 (M), 14 (L).
Snorkeling equipment: Masks, fins and snorkels in average sizes are available on board free of charge for use during the cruise. There is no guarantee there will be all equipment available in your size and therefore passengers may bring their own equipment.
Clear bottom kayaks: There are two tandem kayaks on each yacht available at designated sites on a first come first serve basis at no additional charge. The clear bottom model is half canoe and half sit-on-top kayak with a modular transparent hull providing a window to the underwater world.
Scuba diving: Passengers who are certified scuba divers can choose to purchase a dive package for $350 additional per person (min 2/ max 8). Package includes two days of diving (on Tuesday and Friday) with four dives/ tanks total provided by a local dive shop. The dive fee includes filled tanks, weight belt, weights, BCD, regulator, wet suit, boots, hood and gloves. Although not required, we recommend all divers have sufficient experience with at least 20 logged dives or advanced dive certification due to strong currents, cold water, thermo-clines and large marine life.
Laundry service: Laundry service is provided by a local company in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz on Friday morning. Ecoventura can arrange to have dirty clothes sent to be laundered in the morning and delivered later that afternoon. All laundry bills must be paid directly to the company at a rate of $2 per kilo (subject to change).
Special occasions: To celebrate special occasions, you may request a bottle of Chilean wine ($20), a birthday cake with balloons ($10) or a fruit basket ($5). It is prohibited to bring flowers to Galapagos. Please advise us at least 30 days prior to arrival and also include these details in your passenger information form.
Purchases on board: Every passenger has an open tab at the bar and boutique, which are paid the last day of the cruise. We accept cash (US Dollars), Travelers checks, Master Card, VISA, American Express and Diners.
Time zones: Ecuador is in the Eastern time zone (GMT-5 in the mainland). Daylight savings time is not observed. Galapagos is one hour behind mainland Ecuador. On board, we observe mainland Ecuador time.
Local currency: Ecuador adopted the US Dollar as their monetary unit. Languages: English and Spanish are spoken aboard the vessels by the naturalists and Captains.
Electric current: 110/AC 60 CYCLE. Satellite telephone communication: Ecoventura has an IRIDIUM satelite phone with service available for passengers for an additional charge of $20 for a 5-minute virtual card. In an emergency, you can be reached on board your vessel by calling Ecoventura at 011-5934-2-207-177 Monday through Friday 9am to 6pm only. The yachts also have VHFand HF-SSB radios.
Navigational equipment: Highly sophisticated navigational and mechanical equipment meet the highest safety standards found in Galapagos including: 24 mile Furuno radar, Furuno Satellite Navigator, Electric compass, magnetic compass, clock and barometer.
Safety equipment: All equipment meets SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) and ISM standards including VIKING 25-person inflatable capsule lifeboat, 40 life vests with whistles and fluorescent markers, 10 circular buoys, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, automatic radio buoy via satellite, EPIRB (emergency position indicator radio beacon). All crewmembers are experienced and trained by ISM and in the regulations that local, Navy and National Park authorities require.
Classification of vessels: ABS (American Bureau of Shipping).Registry: Ecuador.
Medical attention: The yachts carry first aid kits and the guides are trained in first aid procedures. All vessels have radio contact with the mainland for any medical emergencies.
Smoking policy: Smoking is prohibited in enclosed areas aboard the vessels and on the Islands. Smoking is only allowed on the outer deck in a designated smoking area.
Security for valuables: We recommend that you leave all valuables at home as they are not appropriate for an adventure cruise. The cabins lock from the inside only and there are no safety boxes in the cabins.
Drinking water: Bottled water is provided in your cabin and at the bar at all times free of charge.
Entry requirements: Only a valid passport is required to enter Ecuador. However, passports must be valid for six months after you intend to leave Ecuador. No Visas are required for U.S., Canadian and most European citizens. Visas are required for some Asian, Central American and Eastern European countries. It is the passenger’s responsibility to check with local immigration offices or the Ecuadorian consulate prior to sailing to determine if a visa is necessary.
**Visas
Immunizations: At the time of printing, no immunizations were required for visitors to mainland Ecuador and Galapagos (excluding jungle areas). Please check with your local health office at least two weeks prior to your departure.
International Airfare to Ecuador: Flights to Ecuador are currently serviced by American Airlines (from Miami), Continental Airlines (from Newark and Houston), Delta Airlines (from Atlanta), LAN Airlines (from Miami and JFK), LACSA (from San Jose), COPA (from Panama City), TACA (from Lima), IBERIA Airlines (from Madrid) and KLM (from Amsterdam). Local customs authorities allow two suitcases with a total combined weight of 60 kilos per person. A fee of $200 is charged for a third suitcase and $400 for a fourth suitcase. This does not apply to carry-on bags.
Departure tax: On International flights there is an airport departure tax of $27.15 from Guayaquil and $40.80 from Quito per person payable in US Dollars and is subject to change at any time.