With my retirement about a year away...
I'm starting to think about cruises I'd like to do once I am finally retired.
One of the cruises I'm thinking about, from my bucket list, is a cruise to the Galapagos Islands.
But one of the things that has made me a little hesitant every time I've looked in to Galapagos cruises...
Is that a lot of the ships that do cruises around the Galapagos islands...
Are quite old and basic.
Here's one I've watched some videos about. It's the Silver Explorer...
And it was built all the way back in 1990.
I just really don't like the idea of roughing it, when it comes to cruising!
I like to be comfortable!
So, when I heard about a new ship that Celebrity cruises just finished...
Which is designed specifically for the Galapagos islands...
It really got my attention.
It's called the Celebrity Flora.
In a choice between sailing on a brand new ship and some 30 year old ship, I would tend to go with the new ship.
If you think about it in terms of Caribbean cruises...
Think about the difference between Carnival's Fantasy-class ships from the 1990s...
And Carnival's Vista-class ships from the last few years.
Huge difference!
So let's take a look at the Celebrity Flora...
And see what the state of the art in Galapagos cruise ships is.
The first thing that really caught my eye was this nice setup that they have for docking their Zodiacs.
That's a smart design that will really make it easier to get on and off those Zodiacs!
Another thing that jumped out at me was the nice layout of this deck area...
And especially the wide open spaces.
They're not trying to cram a bunch of people in to a small space.
There's some room to breathe there, without feeling like other people are intruding on your space.
I like it.
I also really like the way that they've put these daybeds out there on the deck...
With an appropriate amount of space between them.
And a nice, large Jacuzzi.
You would totally find me there, enjoying the scenery.
And how's THIS for a place to hang out and enjoy the views?!?
Wow! I would love relaxing there.
And remember, this is Celebrity cruise line.
Where most expedition cruise ships go with rugged, Celebrity goes for classy.
The outdoor dining area totally looks like my style.
You would definitely find me here.
It reminds me a little bit of the classy casual vibe on Viking Ocean cruises.
The indoor restaurant is more elegant, but it doesn't come off as stuffy to me.
And look at all the space between the tables!
I hate the way most cruise ships cram the tables so close to each other.
This is NICE!
Here's a nice little observation area at the front of the ship, but wind protected.
It reminds me of a mini version of the observation area on my favorite cruise ship of all, Norwegian Bliss.
And this looks like a great spot for folks trying to avoid getting burned by the intense sun in the Galapagos.
What a nice place to relax and socialize.
Again, with plenty of space between all the furniture sets.
There's another nice big Jacuzzi in this area, too.
After a day onshore, observing the wildlife in the Galapagos islands...
Yes, this would be a great place to relax and watch the sunset!
This lounge is where the crew gives you briefings on everything you need to know about excursions and activities.
And I'm going to guess it doubles as an entertainment venue at night, too.
Now look at this! They call it The Lab.
Want to see all the things in the ocean water that are so small you can only see them with a microscope?
Well, there you go.
They've also got a gym, if you want to get a workout...
And a small spa, if you'd like to get a massage.
But be advised that this is not an inexpensive cruise!
If you are extremely well-off financially, check out this amazing suite on the Celebrity Flora.
It's the penthouse suite, and it goes for over $3000 a night!
And even if you forget all the super-fancy suites, and just book the most basic suite on this ship...
Which is this right here... they call it a Sky Suite with Veranda.
Looks nice to me, but...
Even this will set you back about $1700 a night.
Ouch!
So I guess I do see, after all, why some people cruise on 30 year old cruise ships in the Galapagos!
This brand new state-of-the art luxury expedition ship, the Celebrity Flora, looks pretty good to me, but...
It's out of my price range.
Well, let's see how my investments do in retirement.
Maybe I'll get lucky!
I'm Jim Zim. Very fortunate to have done 48 cruises, so far.
And I've got numbers 49 through 53 already booked.
Subscribe to my channel if you want to keep an eye on all of my adventures in the months and years ahead.
If you'd like to book a cruise, on any cruise line...
Feel free to use my travel agent, Caitlin Gallagher.
Her fees are fully paid for by the cruise lines...
So, her service costs you nothing at all.
She'll make it easy for you by taking care of all the details...
And she might just keep you from making one of those rookie cruiser mistakes.
Ask Caitlin about our upcoming group cruises to Alaska and the Caribbean
Where you can get a bonus onboard credit just for sailing with our group.
And we'll have some fun together... sailing with a friendly group of people.