Q – Now don’t make fun of us – but my wife and I are birders and our dream has always been to do a Galapagos cruise. We are thinking we can budget about $15,000 per person and given our proclivities toward luxury, we were thinking we would bring our Audemars Piguet on the trip, and do it right on Silverseas. We are looking to book next fall. Can you give us an idea of price?
A – We think your budget is fairly accurate. A Veranda Suite on the 100-Guest Silver Galapagos will cost about $10,000 per person for a nice balcony accommodation. That price will include the air between mainland Ecuador and the islands. As long as you are there, we would suggest you consider adding a few pre-cruise days exploring the Andean region with time in Quite and Cotopaxi National Park and the exciting train ride through “Devil’s Nose” (not a reference to Howard Stern) in the Andes. A six-day add-on with a good tour operator will cost you just under $3,000 per person – well worth it.
Of course all the luxury you experience on Silversea will not measure up to the feeling of exhilaration as you observe the mating rituals of the blue-footed boobies ashore. It will remind you of some specific segment of the “Housewives of New York” reality series.
