ENDEMIC

The Santa Cruz II Luxury Cruise Ship, a 90-passenger, 5-deck expedition vessel has a lot to offer, including spacious social areas with chic interior design, indoor and al fresco dining, a lounge bar, a complete library, a gym and two sumptuous hot tubs overlooking the ocean. The ship itself is environmentally conscious, with fuel efficient technology, modern waste treatment facilities, and even a gift of reusable water bottles for each guest, in order to ensure that your vacation leaves a minimal impact on the delicate island ecosystem. It’s also more stable than smaller ships, and highly safety conscious, with a doctor on board 24/7 for free-of-charge treatment except for medicines and supplies.

But what really makes the Santa Cruz II Galapagos yacht special is the experience! Guests rave about the great staff and guides. There are 7 naturalist guides aboard the ship, which means that more options and activities are available at the same time. This allows the expedition leader to coordinate small groups based on language preferences, interests and activity levels while making sure that everyone gets to see as many Galapagos BIG 15 as possible on any given itinerary. Some will prefer to enjoy fantastic snorkeling while others choose the glass-bottom boat, kayaks or paddleboards. Having more guides makes this possible. It also means that at the end of your trip, you will receive a DVD with great photographs from your visit.

 And while on board, your hotel manager will do everything possible to make sure you feel truly well cared for. Special dietary requests can be handled. And the food served up by the kitchen staff, under the direction of a Le Cordon Bleu-trained gastronomy director, will satisfy even the most discerning palates. Finally, if you’ve decided to take the kids along for a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience, rest easy knowing that they will have lots of age-appropriate activities to keep them entertained, include the Pirates Aboard program, special meals, snorkeling classes and even a visit to the bridge.

The Santa Cruz II has 50 single, double and family cabins distributed over three decks. All of them have private bathrooms, air conditioning, picture windows, comfortable beds, in-room safes and hair dryers and they all feature modern Swedish design. Ninety percent of all cabins have convertible beds, and 36 of the 50 cabins can be interconnected, making the ship optimal for single travelers, couples and families alike. For those looking for added luxury, 3 exclusive Darwin suites provide additional space and carefully chosen amenities, such as a take-home Galapagos coffee table book, a tablet loan, and free internet and wetsuit usage, amongst others.