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Our Ship, The MV Evolution |
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Galapagos Islands March 23rd To April 1, 2007 |
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Owned by the Ecuadorian company, Quasar Expeditions, the MV Evolution was an incredible home for our seven-night stay in the Gálapagos Islands. |
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The ship was fairly small as cruise ships go, with cabin space for thirty-two passengers (in our case, we had twenty-four passengers). With its exposed woodwork throughout much of the ship, it was as though you were sailing on a 1920’s vintage ship. This appearance of a by-gone era, though, is off-set by all of the modern conveniences on-board the Evolution. The ship is fully air conditioned with lavish areas or relaxation in the library/video room as well as the dining room (there is also an al fresco dining area for days when the weather permits). |
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Our favorite area was the deck rear top deck (where the bar is, of course!), where there were lots of comfortable chairs for relaxing or socializing. In fact, one of my favorite memories of the trip was sitting on this lounge on our first day as we cruised towards Kicker Rock - a beautiful day with a light breeze as we cruised towards the extinct vacation while we stretched out on the back deck (see below)! |
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Throughout the trip, the dining was absolutely incredible. The ship has three chefs on staff taking care of us, including one who’s expertise is more in the realm of desserts! There truly was not a meal that left us wanting. One of my favorite meals was when they prepared some traditional Ecuadorian cuisine, especially the ceviche (a form of citrus marinated seafood salad that is traditionally served with popcorn!!!). Mmmm! Every day, they had a special fruit tray set up, much of which the crew arranged for Victoria when they found she loved fruit! They also had a very impressive list of South American wines from Chile and Argentina that you could select from. |
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Probably the best part of the Evolution experience was the crew! We knew we were in for a treat when heard about the crew member to passenger ratio! But the service went much beyond the simple ratio. From the Captain all the way down to the panga drivers, the staff constantly went out of their way to make sure that we wanted for nothing. Probably the best example of this service was Sebastian, the hotel manager (see left). He was the one who made sure Victoria had lots of fruit each meal, who brought us fresh coffee and hot chocolate each morning when we were watching for whales, and made sure the meals ran smoothly with everybody having all he or she wanted. And through it all, he did it with a genuine smile that conveyed the fact that he genuinely wanted to help make sure our trip was special. |
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This attitude was everywhere in the boat’s crew. One of the guidebooks we read said to purchase the Gálapagos package that is as much as your budget permits. In this case, traveling on the Evolution may be one of the more pricey options in the islands, but is worth EVERY penny of it! |
