TL;DRThe National Geographic Gemini is a 48-guest expedition ship operated by Lindblad Expeditions in the Galapagos, relaunched in March 2025 after a multi-million-dollar refit. It sits firmly in the luxury tier, with prices starting around $13,000 per person for a…
TL;DR The National Geographic Islander II is Lindblad Expeditions’ first all-suite ship and the premium Galapagos vessel in their fleet, carrying 48 guests in 26 suites with a 1:1 guest-to-crew ratio. Built in 1991 as a Crystal Cruises luxury yacht…
TL;DR The National Geographic Endeavour II is a 96-guest expedition ship operated by Lindblad Expeditions in partnership with the National Geographic Society, carrying 63 crew across 5 decks on two 8-day itineraries year-round. Built in 2005 and refitted for $10…
TL;DR Origin (2016), Theory (2019), and Evolve (2023) are three identical 20-guest luxury expedition yachts operated by Ecoventura, the only Relais and Chateaux members in the Galapagos. All three carry 13 crew plus 2 naturalist guides for 20 guests, maintain…
TL;DR The Silver Origin is Silversea’s purpose-built, 100-guest, all-suite Galapagos expedition ship – the first vessel Silversea designed for a single destination. Launched June 2021. Every suite has a private Horizon Balcony and butler service. Eight suite categories from 325…
Quick Summary The Monserrat is a 91-foot First Class motor yacht built in 2005 and fully refurbished in 2025, carrying just 16 guests in 10 cabins across two decks. Its single most important differentiator in the entire Galapagos fleet: two…
TL;DR The Tip Top V is the flagship of the Wittmer fleet – a 112-foot first-class catamaran built in 2019 carrying 16 guests across two 7-night itineraries. It’s the newest and highest-spec vessel in the fleet, with private balconies on…
TL;DR The Tip Top IV is a 125-foot first-class monohull motor yacht carrying 16 guests, built in 2006 and operated by the Wittmer family – the same family whose patriarch was the first person born on Floreana Island. It offers…
TL;DR The Tip Top II is a first-class motor catamaran carrying 16 guests, built in 2008 and fully refurbished in 2016. It belongs to the Rolf Wittmer family, one of the original Galapagos settler families, and that history shows in…
TL;DR The Solaris (officially the M/Y San Jacinto, built 2019) is a well-run first-class yacht carrying up to 16 guests across three combinable Galapagos itineraries. It stands out for its five solo-traveler cabins with no single supplement – genuinely rare…