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How long in advance you should book your Galapagos Cruise Tour
Galapagos Islands in November
August 3, 2021
The Galapagos Islands in May
August 14, 2021Booking a Galapagos cruise tour is an exciting proposition. There is nowhere in the world quite like it and a visit to the archipelago is the adventure of a lifetime. People often worry about how far in advance they should book a Galapagos cruise tour. We can book tours at the time you come to us, however far in advance that may be, and we’d be delighted to help. However, when thinking about how far in advance you should book your Galapagos cruise tour, here is some information we think you should know.
Booking a Galapagos Cruise Tour in Advance
Booking in advance is highly recommended for trips to the Galapagos Islands. Some of the most sought-after cruises are fully booked up for many months in advance. If you want to travel at peak times, cruises may be booked up even further in advance. For example, we find that people make bookings for the Christmas and New Year period a year in advance in some cases. Even for less busy periods, booking between six months to a year in advance is recommendable, especially if you are set on visiting certain islands or if you want to travel on a specific boat.
Things have changed a little bit due to the pandemic, but one fact remains the same, the holiday season in the Galapagos is still the busiest time of the year.
To give you an idea of how the Galapagos Islands get booked up, we have been taking bookings for 2022 for quite some time, and we are also already helping customers with bookings for 2023. This is not unusual – in fact, it is quite common. We are happy to help customers that want to book in advance.
Picking up a Cruise at Short Notice
One option for those that find themselves available, and who can be flexible on dates, is to book a cruise at short notice. When we say “at short notice” we mean between around one to three months in advance of the cruise starting. At this stage there will still be tours available and you might find a good deal – especially now that some countries still have travel restrictions in place, if you have the chance to travel, you might find fantastic deals in all types of cruises. That said, it is certainly possible to book within these sorts of timeframes, and operators will endeavor to find you a trip that will best suit your needs. You may have to compromise on some of your preferences if you decide to book this way, but if there is a time to book a cruise at short notice, is this one!
As Galapagos Islands experts, if you decide to book a cruise at short notice, we will be delighted to help. We have the inside knowledge of available spots and are in constant contact with cruise operators. We can find you the best fit cruise available for you at the time of booking.
Picking up a Last-Minute Cruise in the Galapagos Islands
One strategy that some visitors to the Galapagos think may work well is picking up a last-minute cruise in the Galapagos Islands in the hopes of getting a “great deal”. They purchase a flight and think they will sort out a cruise when they arrive in the archipelago. This can sometimes work, but it is risky. Sometimes there will be a spot available but there are unlikely to be a choice of different options. One very important thing to keep in mind is that cruise tours have set travel dates and set itineraries, so if you book your flight in advance and you are looking for a last-minute cruise that matches your travel dates, there is a change you have to change your flight route or dates to accommodate the cruise tour of your preference.
Galapagos Islands cruises are extremely popular and book up fast, and well ahead of time. Even now with the pandemic, several of the most popular cruises get sold out for dates around Easter and Summer. If you are planning to travel between the end of August and the first week of December, you might still find some great last-minute deals, but if you are looking for something after the second week of December, you might not find anything at a last-minute notice.
We can help you pick up a last-minute Galapagos cruise tour, and our insider knowledge enables us to pinpoint options that might be opening up by keeping our ear to the ground. Just be aware that you may need to compromise a bit!
Insider Recommendations for booking your Galapagos Cruise Tour
The long and short of it is that it is hard to get exactly what you want from a Galapagos cruise tour if you’re a person who doesn’t like planning and who is spontaneous. You’ll probably find something at the last minute but if you have very specific preferences you might not be able to find what you want. We will help you to find a cruise that works for you, pursuing all possible options until we pin down the best fit. Our strong recommendation then is that you book in advance if at all possible, and ideally six months to one year in advance, particularly if you want to travel over Christmas or at other busy times.
In whatever time frame you decide to book your Galapagos cruise tour we can help. Why not get in touch to find out how we can help you. Get booking your amazing Galapagos experience today.
