Machu Picchu & Galapagos Islands Tour- 10 Days

Review: Celebrity Flora Galapagos with Machu Picchu (Peru) Extension
October 6-22, 2023

This review covers both the Celebrity Flora Galapagos and the Mac Picchu (Peru) Extension. We did both and recommend both.

Galapagos (Outer Loop) on Celebrity Flora

Fabulous trip. The Galapagos Islands is unlike any place else on Earth and well worth the effort (and money) to get there. The Galapagos sits on the Equator but, because of wind and ocean currents, the temperature never got above the mid 80s. That said, sunscreen and insect repellant are an absolute must.

We flew into Quito, Ecuador, and spent two nights at the JW Marriott hotel, which is very good. On your first night, you are on your own for dinner. We highly recommend “Raices," the Ecuadorian restaurant in the hotel. This was the only meal not included in our full trip package.

A few notes about Quito. Like many Central and South American cities, the infrastructure is depressing, and there is, unfortunately, significant crime. It was recommended that we don’t venture out on your own. In fact, on our day tour of Quito, which was very nice (including the thrill of straddling the Equator), we had what the tour guide referred to as “bodyguards.” A poor choice of words, but these people were definitely looking out for us, making sure we were with the group and got where we were going. We felt very safe. Be sure to ask for where to buy Ecuadorian chocolate while you are there. Excellent.

Quito is about 6,000 feet high, similar to being in Denver. If you have trouble with altitude, you can bring altitude meds, or simply take your time. The guides understand this and were always watching out for us and encouraging us to slow down and drink plenty of wanter.

After two nights in Quito, we flew 600 miles, via charter, to Baltra in the Galapagos. The charter was very personalized and nice. The Galapagos is one of the few places we have ever been where you have to show your passport even though you haven’t entered a new country. They are very strict about contamination out there and you will understand why after you’ve been there. From Baltra, it was a short bus ride and then tender ride to the Flora.

A note about the tender rides. They are all on inflatable Zodiacs. The Flora never docks. You will travel on these Zodiacs every day. The staff was very, very good about our comfort and safety; we were never worried.

The Celebrity Flora is beautiful. It is also very, very small for an ocean-going cruise ship. We had 84 passengers (we met many nice people) and 87 crew, almost all Ecuadorian and all very, very friendly and accommodating. Because of the ship’s small size, you will feel the ocean when you are underway. Free internet is included. It was Starlink so the service was quite good. The ship has a very small gym, spa and gift shop. The ship can be cold (also the evenings are cool) so bring a sweatshirt or other warmer item. Although we were lucky enough to have no rain, brining rain gear is essential (especially in the rainy season).

Our cabin was wonderful. Huge bathroom, with an interesting semi-opaque glass window between the bath and the rest of the cabin. We had an “infinite veranda” cabin, where the balcony was located inside the cabin and the floor to ceiling window would open from the top, a little bit less than half way. If you like a big cabin, this is for you. If you want a more traditional (small) cabin with a traditional balcony, they have them too. For us, we liked the larger cabin, although we felt that the window could have opened a little more (also, the AC goes off when the window opens). Cabin service was excellent.

The food was good, especially the breakfast and lunch buffets. At dinner, we did have some problems with some items needing to be sent back (undercooked or overcooked). Also, sometimes, the service was very slow, and other times it was too fast. That said, we never had the same problem twice. They were quick and happy to correct anything we didn’t like. Because the food is locally sourced, you may find some of it different from what you might expect. This is especially true of the beef. The closer the menu was to South American cuisine, the better it was. A Japanese and Italian night was not as good. Overall, we give breakfast and lunch an A and dinner a B-.

There is no real entertainment on the ship, except for a piano player. Not an issue as you will be very busy with excursions, interesting lectures and films, and hanging out at the bar (excellent, try the “Blue Footed Boobie”). The dress code is very casual. We wore shorts and jeans all the time, even at dinner. The ship will do your laundry, also included. Unfortunately, except for CNN, we couldn’t find other English-speaking TV channels, although there were a number of movies available.

As nice as the ship was, the excursions to the various islands were off the charts. Simply breathtaking. Each island was different. Some are a little harder to traverse (walking sticks provided) and the naturalists (all excellent and incredibly helpful and knowledgeable) are always there to assist. We saw animals and plants that don’t exist anywhere else on Earth. We hiked (never too far), kayaked, snorkeled, and had several Zodiac tours of the many islands. We won’t spoil it by describing each one, or what we saw. Suffice to say, we were amazed.

A typical day on the Flora begins with an early breakfast and an excursion to an island. You return for lunch and some down time before venturing out again in the afternoon. Each trip is two hours or less; there are no facilities on the islands. Before dinner, there is a happy hour and a briefing on the next day’s activities. Everything was very well run.

Fun fact: Because Ecuador and the Galapagos lie on the Equator, the sun rises and sets at the same time all year. Essentially, aside from a rainy season, the weather never changes.

Bottom line, our trip to the Galapagos on the Celebrity Flora was unlike any of our previous 30+ cruises, both river and ocean. The ship is great, the staff is wonderful and the animals we saw, most of which were not afraid of us, were the true stars. Everything… binoculars, snorkeling gear, wetsuits (except water shoes, a must), was included. You also get a nice backpack, poncho and water bottle (no plastic allowed) to take home. A trip of a lifetime.

Now, on Peru and Machu Picchu.

Peru and Machu Picchu

Of the 84 passengers on the Flora, 22 went on to Peru and Machu Picchu. We were told this is about typical. Altitudes on this leg of the trip reached almost 11,000 feet, so talking it easy was essential. The transfer from the Flora to Lima, where our Peru adventure began, took a while but it was pretty seamless. For the coming week, we found ourselves on two trains and many busses. Getting to a place like Machu Picchu is not easy or close; that’s why it’s so amazing. We learned that Peru’s roads leave a lot to be desired. Rain gear, sunscreen and insect spay are essential. Again, if you feel you need it, consider altitude medications. It can also be cool in the mornings and evenings.

We started with a day in Lima and then a flight to Cusco in the Andes. From there, we spent two days traveling in the beautiful Sacred Valley before finally reaching Machu Picchu, deep in the mountains. Along the way, we had delicious local food and stayed in exquisite luxury hotels, which, in a way, seemed out of place when compared with the condition of the local residents.

Our travel to Machu Picchu was by bus, train and another bus. Use this opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way. When you return that evening it will be dark.

Machu Picchu itself was nothing short of extraordinary. The travel to get there was worth it. Breathtaking views and an incredible story of how the Inca people built the place (and a depressing story of how the Spaniards killed most of them). Once you get to the Machu Picchu National Park (where again, you must show your passport), it’s all on foot the rest of the way. Fortunately, people selling walking sticks were everywhere and we were very glad we bought them. To get to the top, you have to climb a several hundred uneven steps, and you do this very, very slowly. It’s all worth it; the view from the top is unforgettable. Our guides were excellent, as good as the ones on the Flora (everything is coordinated by Celebrity). We learned about the history and geology of the area, as well as the lifestyle of the Inca people. It was a thrilling day.

Returning to Cusco, we traveled on the luxury Hiram Bingham train (named after the man who discovered Machu Picchu). It was an elegant white tablecloth dinner train with an open bar and entertainment. It looked great, but the trip did not live up to expectations (and yes, we understand that it’s a train, so there are limitations). Because of the design of the train, the trip was rocky. Kudos to the staff, who were excellent, for not spilling anything. The open bar car was packed and we quickly learned to order drinks from our table. The food was so-so. We found out that every night, since the first day of service and likely for the foreseeable future, the menu is exactly the same: fish or rabbit. We went for the fish. We give the train an A for effort and a B- for execution.

Another fun fact: Peru grows over 3,000 varieties of potatoes, and they are served at every meal. They also offer local favorites like roasted guinea pig, alpaca meat and rabbit, which we didn’t try.

Our final two days, one in Cusco and one in Lima were fine. We especially liked the mixology class in Lima, where we learned to make Pisco Sours and other drinks. However, over the week, we went to a lot churches. Now this might be a matter of personal taste, but we would have liked to have a choice between religious sights and some museums (the group could have easily split). This problem is not unique to this trip, as we have found this a challenge throughout our years of travel.

Overall, the trip to Peru and Machu Picchu was certainly a wonderful addition to our week in the Galapagos. And even though we did have to move around a lot, from hotel to hotel, our luggage was expertly handled for us, always in our new hotel room when we arrived. Celebrity and its partners, especially our guides on the ground, did everything they could possibly do to make our trip seamless and enjoyable. We highly recommend it.

A final note. We booked this trip through Costco Travel, which services Celebrity Cruises. Service was very good and we received a substantial Costco Shop Card as a rebate on our trip (not to mention using the Costco Visa card for an additional discount).