Galaxy Cruises Puts Two More Ships on the Galápagos Map
If you are planning a Galápagos trip, the Galaxy Stella suits groups of up to 12 who want a four-, five- or eight-day route, or who want to charter the whole yacht. If you are staying on land, the Galaxy Skape runs day trips to North Seymour, South Plaza or Bartolomé, one island per outing. Plan for a domestic flight of about two hours from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra or San Cristóbal. The article gives no prices or booking dates, so ask Galaxy or your advisor about those.
My read is that Galaxy is selling logistics rather than luxury. CEO Alexis Gordillo points out that Galápagos landing groups are capped at 16 people per guide, and both new ships carry no more than that: 12 on the Galaxy Stella and 16 on the Galaxy Skape. That means the whole boat lands together with one naturalist and no one waits a turn. The company is aiming this squarely at travel advisors, and I think that is smart, since a charter-ready yacht with six cabins, a hot tub and a fire pit is easy for an advisor to place with a family or private group. The Galaxy Skape widens the funnel to land-based visitors who do not want a multiday commitment, though it covers only one island per outing. The winners are small groups and advisors with flexible clients. The loser is anyone hoping for a big-ship price point, since the article gives no pricing at all. I would ask for rates and charter terms before getting attached to either boat.