The answers to your frequently asked questions (FAQ):
What can Galapagos Lastminutes do for me?
How can I be sure that a boat still has spaces available?
Can you help me with the flight tickets to Galapagos?
I travel alone, what are my options to go to the Galapagos Islands?
When and how can I receive my documents needed for my Galapagos cruise or Island Hopping Tour?
Difference Island Hopping Tour versus Cruise?
How can I make a reservation?
How can I make the payment?
It seems that I have to pay directly, is this true?
I prefer not to send my details through the internet, are there other options?
How can I contact Galapagos Lastminutes?
What do I need to pack for my trip to the Galapagos?
Can I dive on the Galapagos Islands?
Are there any extra costs besides the Galapagos cruise?
How much is the tip I have to give the guide and the crew?
Are meals and beverages included during the Galapagos cruise?
Do I have access to internet during the Galapagos cruise?
Frequently asked question: what can Galapagos Lastminutes do for me?
Galapagos Lastminutes can help you book your Galapagos cruise or your island hopping tour in the Galapagos Islands. We can also help you make reservations for flight tickets to and from Galapagos. We are also happy to give advice and tips for your unforgettable trip to the Galapagos Islands.
Galapagos Lastminutes can book your transfers, tours, hotels, activities, excursions on the Mainland and organize an unforgettable jungle tour in the Amazone Area in Ecuador.
FAQ: how can I be sure a boat still has spaces available?
Galapagos Lastminutes updates the availability of the Lastminute Galapagos cruises daily. If you are interested in a (Last Minute) Galapagos cruise on a particular Galapagos boat, you can fill in the form on the website and we will check the availability of the Galapagos boat for you. We will send you the availability of the Galapagos boat by email, with the price for the Galapagos cruise and the link of the Galapagos boat with the information.
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FAQ: can Galapagos Lastminutes help me with the flight tickets to and from Galapagos?
Flights to and from Galapagos depart from Quito or Guayaquil in Ecuador. The flight time from Quito to the Galapagos is approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes. Along the way, a stop is made in Guayaquil to allow passengers to board there as well. There are also direct flights available from Quito to the Galapagos. There are two airports on the Galapagos; the airport on the island of Baltra (close to the island of Santa Cruz) and the airport on San Cristóbal. Galapagos Lastminutes can help you with flight tickets to and from the Galapagos Islands.
Below are the possible flight schedules from which you can choose to fly to the Galapagos:
Quito – Galapagos – Quito
Quito – Galapagos – Guayaquil
Guayaquil – Galapagos – Quito
Guayaquil – Galapagos – Guayaquil
Some boat companies require passengers to book tickets through them so that all passengers arrive at the airport on the Galapagos at the same time and all passengers can be taken to the boat together. If you do not book the tickets through the boat company, a fee will be charged. This fee differs per boat company. If you have any questions about this, please contact us.
FAQ: I travel alone, what are my options to go to the Galapagos Islands?
It is quite possible to go to the Galapagos as a single traveler. If you are interested in a Galapagos Cruise, you can reserve one seat on a Galapagos boat. You share the cabin with another traveler, on most boats, with a traveler of the same sex. The Galapagos boats in the Tourist Superior Class cann´t guarantee 100% that you will share the cabin with a traveler of the same sex. If you want to book a cabin (which is normally for two people) for yourself for the trip, you have to pay a single supplement. This surcharge differs per boat. If you, as a single traveler, are interested in an island tour, you can book a single room for during the tour. For a single room you pay a single surcharge.
FAQ: where and how can I receive my documents needed for my Galapagos cruise or Island Hopping Tour?
If you are interested in a particular Galapagos cruise, after we have sent you the options by email, you can take an option on a cabin (or cabins if you are traveling with several people) on a Galapagos boat. This option is for a few days. During these days you can send us the requested information for making the reservation (a copy of the passport, your eating restrictions, etc.). We would also like to receive the (down) payment. When we have received the money in our account, we make the final reservation with the Galapagos boat. We make the (down) payment to the Galapagos boat and receive the voucher for the cruise from the Galapagos boat. With a general information letter and any flight tickets (if they have been booked through us), we will send you the voucher by email.
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FAQ: difference Island Hopping Tour versus Cruise?
The difference between an island tour and a Galapagos cruise: during an island tour you will visit the inhabited islands, Santa Cruz, Isabela and or San Cristóbal (depending on the number of days of your tour). During the island tour you will visit one uninhabited island. On the day, the excursions and activities take place. While you´re doing the Galapagos island tour you can also snorkel at various places. The overnight stays are in hotels; you can choose from different class of hotels. In the evening there is an opportunity to visit a restaurant or bar on the inhabited islands.
During a Galapagos cruise you sail on a boat to different islands. Usually there is night sailing. During the day you take walks across the islands with the guide and the other passengers to view the flora and fauna. During a Galapagos cruise there are several options for snorkeling. The nights are on the boat.
FAQ: how can I make a reservation?
If you want to make the reservation for a Galapagos cruise or an island hopping tour, you can send us a message that you want to make a reservation. We would like to receive the following information from you to make the reservations:
- a copy of the passport;
- the name and telephone number of a person in your home country, which we can reach in case of an emergency;
- the eat restrictions for during the cruise;
- the flight details to and from Galapagos, if you like to book the flight tickets yourself (the Airline, the flight numbers, the departure and arrival times);
- the name and telephone number of the hotel where you will be staying the night before the cruise / tour starts (in case of emergency);
- the International Flight details (Airline company, the flight numbers and the arrival and departure dates).
We will use this information to make the reservations for you. As soon as we receive the confirmation for the Galapagos cruise or island tour, we will send you a message. Your tour/Cruise is confirmed. We will make the payment to the Galapagos boat company. Then we will receive the voucher. We will send this one to you by email, with a general information letter and any flight tickets booked with us.
FAQ: how can I make the payment?
If you have confirmed with us that you want to reserve the spots on the Galapagos boat or hotel for the Galapagos Islands tour, we will send you an invoice. Our payment details are stated on this invoice. You can pay with us in the following ways:
- A bank transfer into our Ecuadorian bank account. We charge a $40 fee to cover expenses that the banks charges us for receiving your money.
- By credit card. This is a quick and easy secure online payment method for visa and mastercard cardholders. Credit card processing fees are 4%.
- Cash. If you are already in Ecuador, you can pay the tour in cash (US Dollars) in our office or deposit the money directly into our Ecuadorian bank account. This is the best option in order to avoid both banking charges and exchange rate costs if you are already in the country.
Our accounts are 100% SECURE and in the name of Elwotravel Cia Ltda. We will never ask you to risk paying into any account registered under a personal name.
FAQ: it seems that I have to pay directly, is this true?
If it concerns a last minute cruise or island tour, payment is required immediately. Vouchers and tickets will never be issued unless full payment is received. Other parties involved with the bookings, can also use these terms of payment.
If you book a cruise or tour for the future, we would like to receive an initial deposit of 30%. We pay the deposit directly to the boat company or to the hotel, so that the Galapagos Cruise or the tour is confirmed. Two months before departure of the Galapagos cruise or island tour, we would like to receive the remaining outstanding amount. If we have also transferred this amount to the boat company or the hotel, we will receive the voucher for the tour / cruise. This will be sent to you directly by email.
Frequently asked questions: I prefer not to send my details through the internet, are there other options?
You can also send your personal details to us by e-mail: info@galapagoslastminutes.com. Of course we will always treat your details as confidential.
how can I contact Galapagos Last Minutes?
You can contact Galapagos Lastminutes by:
- E-mail: info@galapagoslastminutes.com;
- Skype: Galapagos.Last.Minutes;
- Phone or Whatsapp: (+593) 98 8935082
Frequently aksed questions: What do I need to pack for my trip to the Galapagos?
Galapagos Lastminutes advises you next packing list for your visit to the Galapagos islands:
- One or two towels extra; the boat company will provide one towel for one week;
- Flip flops;
- Hiking shoes;
- Socks; for each day you can take a pair of light socks with you
- Shorts;
- Light trousers or pants;
- Two swim suites; one wearing while the other one is drying;
- A waterproof jacket;
- Fleece jacker or light jumper (for at night);
- A cap or hat;
- Sun screen;
- Sun glasses;
- Insect repellant;
- Binoculars;
- Camera and or an underwater camera, memory cards, batteries, battery charger;
- Small. lightweight daypack to visit the islands;
- Seasickness medication or alternatives;
- Passport (valid for at least 6 months after departure from Ecuador);
- Cash Money
- A credit Card
- Personal toiletries.
Most airlines limit checked luggage to one piece, with a maximum weight of 23 kilogram and one hand luggage with a maximum weight of 10 kilogram.
We recommend not to bring any food. After arrival on the Galapagos Islands, your hand luggage will be checked for anything edible by the customer service.
Frequently asked questions: can I dive on the Galapagos Islands?
The Galapagos Islands are one of the best places in the world to do SCUBA diving and provides diving encounters for live-aboard divers. The archipelago consists of a highly-protected marine reserve. Live aboard dive cruises are the ideal way to discover the Galapagos Islands in a different way. During an 8-day live aboard cruise you will get to know the underwater world at the islands of Wolf and Darwin. On our dive cruise website you will find the information of the live aboard dive boats we offer for specialized dive cruises in the Galapagos Islands.
There are also opportunities to take dive day tours from Santa Cruz Island or from San Cristóbal Island to various dive sites on the islands. During the dive day tours, two dives per day are included.
Frequently asked questions: are there any extra costs besides the Galapagos cruise?
In addition to the cost for the Galapagos cruise, there are the costs for the flight tickets to and from the Galapagos (the price depends on the schedule you like to fly, see above), the costs for the Migration Card, á $ 20 pp and the costs for the entrance fee to the Galapagos National Park á $ 100 pp.
Not all Galapagos boats offer the snorkel equipment and the wet suites included. If these costs are not included in the price, you must pay these costs to the crew at the end of the cruise.
You should also take into account the tip for the employees on the boat; the crew and the guide.
Frequently asked questions: how much is the tip I have to give the guide and the crew?
The most important thing to remember is to never feel pressured to give any particular amount – tips are after all not an obligation but a reward to staff for good service.
Tips are usually split between the guide and the crew. Galapagos Lastminutes considers $ 10 per person (per passenger) per day as well for the guide as for the whole crew.
Frequently asked questions: are meals and beverages included during the Galapagos Cruise?
During the Galapagos cruise all your meals are included, from the lunch on the first day till breakfast on the last day. Also included are coffee, tea and water. Not included are sodas and alcoholic beverages. If you do have some food restrictions for during the cruise, you can let us know that. By making the reservations, we will send this information to the boat company.
Frequently asked questions: Do I have access to internet during the Galapagos Cruise?
During the Galapagos Cruise, when you are on the high seas, you don´t have access to internet. On the islands of Baltra, Santa Cruz, Isabela and San Cristóbal you do have internet options.
