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Information before your cruise

Dress code, recommendations for your island visits
We suggest wearing informal clothes during the day, however in order to maintain a spirit of casual elegance, during dinner we recommend a more formal dress code. Shorts, baseball caps, or sandals are not allowed during dinner. Bathing suites are only allowed in the hot tub area, a sarong or shorts are preferred in the ship’s public areas.
We recommend wearing light clothes when you visit the islands. Comfortable walking shoes appropriate for lengthy treks, a pair of sandals / TEVAS (with Velcro for wet landings) cotton shorts or pants or any other light fabric. Cotton shirts with long or short sleeves. Hats or baseball caps due to the intense sun on the islands, bathing suits, windbreaker jackets and sweaters during the cold and dry (drizzly) season from July to December.
Galapagos National Park Regulations
You are about to visit a Natural Heritage Site, therefore you must follow the rules imposed by the controlling authorities such as the Galapagos National Park. During your visits the naturalist guides will emphasize these regulations:

• Do not remove animals, plants, rocks or their remains (including shells, bones, and pieces of wood) from the islands. • Be careful not to transport any live animals to the islands, or from island to island.
• Do not take any food to the uninhabited islands.
• Do not touch or handle the animals.
• Do not feed the animals. It can be dangerous, and it can destroy the animals' social structure and breeding habits.
• Do not disturb or chase any animal from its resting or nesting place.
• Stay within the designated visiting areas.
• Do not litter while on land or sea.
• Do not deface the rocks.
• Do not buy souvenirs or objects made of plants or animals from the islands.
• Do not visit the islands unless accompanied by a licensed National Park Guide.
• Restrict your visits to officially permitted areas.
• Conservation is everyone’s business. Please do not hesitate to show your conservationist attitude.

The Ecuadorian government declared the islands a National Park on July 4th, 1959; at the same time the Charles Darwin Foundation was created in Belgium. The Charles Darwin Station was created in Santa Cruz island to aid scientific research. It was inaugurated on January 20th 1964. Then in 1968 the Galapagos National Park began offering its services. Nowadays groups of no more than 20 visitors are led by certified guides. This regulation helps reduce the impact on this fragile eco-system and gives the islands a sense of seclusion and privacy.
How to find a delegate in the airport?
In the eagerness to offer a personalized service of the best quality our personnel assigned for the airport assistance will be with you at the checking and registering time in the Guayaquil or Quito airports.

This is the best way for us to clear all the doubts you may have and once you finished the checking process you can continue with your programmed trip to the archipelago in the luxurious M/V Galapagos Explorer II.

It is required to follow this guidelines:

• Upon your arrival in Guayaquil (counter No. 52) or Quito (counter No. 9) your guide or our airport representative will assist you through the luggage check-in at the SICGAL (Inspection system for prohibited items), it is important to be there because this unit sometimes opens luggage for inspection.
• Continue to the INGALA counter in order to receive your TCT( Transit Control Card) to enter the islands.
• Our airport representative will take you to TAME airlines where an agent will receive and check your luggage, you will then receive:

PASSENGERS DEPARTING FROM GUAYAQUIL AIRPORT
- Voucher of the cruise, and cruise contract, we need every passenger signs the portion that says Ticket to accounting.
- Registration card if you have not register your information online
- Ingala Transit Control Card (if paid in advance $ 10.00 through Canodros)
- Galapagos National Park form (if pax prepaid the Ingala card through Canodros)
- A Galapagos Explorer II ID
- A booklet about the islands
- Boarding pass TAME airlines, next to the ID tag for the luggage.

The airport assistance delegate will explain you everything regarding the cruise documents and will give you the instructions for the procedure at your arrival to the island.

PASSENGERS DEPARTING FROM QUITO
If you contracted the transfer service to the airport, your guide must deliver the following documents in advance:

• Voucher of the cruise, and cruise contract, we need every passenger signs the portion that says Ticket to accounting
• Registration form, filled with all the passenger data for those who have entered the information on the Internet, otherwise we will deliver the form to complete it.
• 1 luggage label (if more are required will be delivered the day of the cruise)
• Explorer II Guide

If you have not contracted a transfer service, be sure to notify your agency the hotel which will be staying and register your information online, in order to receive the cruise documents the night before your cruise departure.
At the airport our delegate will deliver:
• A Galapagos Explorer II ID
• Ingala Transit Control Card (if paid in advance $ 10.00 through Canodros)
• Galapagos National Park Forms (if pax prepaid the Ingala card through Canodros)
• Boarding pass for Galapagos flight next to the ID tag for the luggage.
• Receive the portion of the cruise voucher duly signed and registration form completed, our recommendation is to fill this form through the internet.

Our crew will assist you when you need it, be it answering questions or helping you solve unexpected situations when boarding your flight. We will keep you informed of delays or flight inconveniences and give you the best support possible.
What to bring and luggage restrictions (SICGAL)
What to bring:
Clothing
Casual outfits for Dinner (shorts and sneakers are not allowed)
Long-sleeved cotton shirts and T-shirts
Light trousers (made of cotton or any other light fabric)
Shorts
Windbreaker jacket
Hat or baseball cap
Bathing suits
Shoes
A pair of comfortable shoes for hiking
A pair of sandals (with Velcro for wet landings)

Equipment
Sunglasses with strap
An extra pair of contact lenses (in case of using them)
Sunblock (minimum15 spf )
Insect repellent (mosquitoes are not carriers of malaria but could pose a problem specially on Bartolome island from December to July)
Wetsuits (for expert snorkelers. They are unnecessary from December to July)
Personal grooming toiletries
Personal medicine
Plastic bags for personal electronic equipment
Reading material (available on board)
A small notebook and pencil
Personal sewing kit
Camera and camera equipment
Photo film (available on board)
Binoculars

RESTRICTED PRODUCTS BY THE SICGAL: SESA-SICGAL applies the quarantine system in the Galapagos in order to avoid the arrival of foreign species to the islands. All the cargo and luggage that arrive at, depart from or are transferred from one island to another are inspected in Ecuador and in Galapagos. There is a list of products that are not allowed in the islands.

PROHIBITED PRODUCTS: To preserve human health and the native species of the Galapagos Islands, these products are not permitted in the Galapagos, fresh vegetables and fruits, animal products, animal by-products or dairy products. Live animals, pathological samples, dry coffee beans, genetically modified organisms, forest species or their disseminative parts, grass and its disseminative parts , fresh flowers, medicinal plants and their disseminative parts, banana leaves, microorganisms (fungus, bacteria, etc) earth and sand or animal vaccines.
Payment of onboard expenses and gratuities
Expenses onboard the Galapagos Explorer II can be paid in United States dollars. American Express, Visa and Master Card are also accepted.
Tips are personal; however a gratuity is expected for crew members that assisted you during your stay. We’ll provide a gratuity recommendation guide on the last day of your trip.
Special diets
The Galapagos Explorer II offers the finest food and superb service.

In our effort to cater to every passenger’s need we can arrange for special diets. If you are vegetarian or allergic to certain foods; feel free to notify your requirements to your travel agent at least 30 days prior to your cruise.
Health Condition Information

Elderly people and people with physical conditions could experience problems when participating in some excursions. We recommend our guests be in reasonably good physical condition because some of the hikes include some climbing in hot weather.
However most of the hikes require moderate physical exertion at a moderate pace, during this time our guides will give talks about the islands.
Canodros S.A reserves the right to refuse admission to those passengers who fail to notify any physical impediments or passengers that, to the company’s criteria, represent harm to themselves, other passengers, crew members, or cruise operations.
How to stay in touch with your family from the Galapagos Explorer II
We are committed to giving our passengers a pleasant stay without worries. On board you’ll find the following services: international calls, Internet, and fax so you can stay in touch with your family 24 hours a day. This is a detailed list of our services:
International calls: Can be made directly from your suite using satellite service. The cost per minute is US $6.00 (including the first minute) Cruise Telephone: 874—762014651, Fax number: 874-762014652, Cell phone number: 593-99484443.

Internet: Unlimited wireless internet service is available throughout the ship including your cabin. The cost of the service is $60 for the 4 night cruise, $75 for the 6 night cruise and $90 for the 8 night cruise.

Fax service: same rate as telephone calls. It is important to consider that a written letter without graphics or drawings takes approximately three minutes, as the document is sent via satellite.
Time and Basic Schedule
Mainland Ecuador time [Eastern Standard Time, GMT (-5)] is one hour ahead the Galapagos Islands time [Central Standard Time, GMT (-6)].
On board we operate with the Eastern Standard Time to take advantage of daylight.

Basic Schedule
06:30 Wake up call.
07:00 Breakfast Buffet.
08:00 Disembarkation, morning excursion.

Return to ship
11:30 Optional conference or video presentation.
12:30 Lunch Buffet.
15:00 Disembarkation, afternoon excursion.

Return to ship
19:45: Briefing regarding next day’s visit, lectures and social activities.
20:00 pm Dinner.
21:30 pm Lectures and social activities.
* (This information is subject to change).
Reading recommendations

 

 • “A Traveler's Guide to the Galapagos Islands (Non-Series Guidebooks)” 4th Edition (Galapagos Traveler's Guide) by Barry Boyce (Paperback - April 1, 2004)

• “Adventure Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands”. Peter D. Krahenbuhl, Hunter. Published in 2003.

• "A Field Guide to the Birds of the Galapagos”, Harris, M.P., Collins, 1974.
• “Birds, Mammals, and Reptiles of the Galapagos Islands”: An Identification Guide, 2nd Edition by Andy Swash and Rob Still (Turtleback - Feb 28, 2006)

• "Flora of the Galapagos Islands”, Duncan, M., Wiggins, I Editorial Standford University 1971.

• “Galapagos-World’s End”, Beebe, W., C.P. Putnam, 1924. fascinating and easy to read book about the most famous expeditions, sponsored by the Zoological Society of New York in 1923.

• “Reef Fish Identification: Galapagos”, Humann, P., New word publications/Libri Mundi, 1993. A prestigious guide for those who love snorkeling and diving.

• “The Origin of Species”, Darwin, C., John Murray, 1859. Although it is not very easy to read, this book introduces you to the concept of Darwin’s theory of evolution.

• “The Voyage of the Beagle”, Darwin, C., John Murray, 1845. The story of the journey that changed the mind of young Darwin includes a section of the Galapagos.

• “Galapagos: A Natural History” by Michael H. Jackson (Paperback - May 1994)

• “Galapagos: The Islands That Changed the World” by Paul D. Stewart (Paperback - Feb 28, 2007)

• "Galapagos, A Natural History Guide”, Jackson, M.H., Calgary University Article 1990. Definitely the best introductory book on the Galapagos.

• “The Galapagos Islands: The Essential Handbook for Exploring, Enjoying and Understanding Darwin's Enchanted Islands” by Marylee Stephenson (Paperback)

• “Travellers' Wildlife Guides: Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands” (Travellers' Wildlife Guides) by David L. Pearson, Les Beletsky, and Priscilla Barrett (Paperback - Oct 30, 2004).