Galapagos cruise report – Angelique

BOAT: ANGELIQUE
CLASS: Tourist Superior

Details: https://www.sangay.com/galapagos_boat_ANGELIQUE.html

Last minute spaces: http://www.sangay.com/last_minute_offers/category/b-tourist-superior-boats/angelique/

CRUISE DATE: May 18th to 25th, 2009
PASSENGERS: Bram & Grabriela

We (young couple, aged 28-29) very much enjoyed our stay on the Angelique. It is a boat that offers basic comfort and cleanliness, and quite good meals. It is not luxurious but for us it was absolutely fine. The 7/8 day tour we took was amazing, and although i have of course not been on other tours, it seems that we visited all the important and most beautiful spots on the eastern islands.

Cabins

The boat has eight cabins. They are a bit small, but big enough to stay in, and anyway on the Galapagos who wants to stay in a cabin. We stayed in one next to the engine (cabin 8). It has advantages and disadvantages. The smell of diesel oil is quite overwhelming and the noise of the engine is loud (although you get used to both nuisances fairly quickly). On the other hand, as you are near the back of the boat, the cabins are the most stable at night when the boat travels, and that helps you getting a good night rest. In the front of the boat your bed moves with the waves enthusiastically! As the nights are relatively short anyway, we were (in the end) happy to be where we were. I suppose the cabins one step closer to the front would be the most comfortable ones (I think that would be cabins 5 & 6).

Food

The food provided on the boat was basically what you would expect from a simple buffet in a normal, 2 or 3 star european hotel. Breakfast was a cold continental buffet breakfast (the English people will perhaps be slightly disappointed), and lunch and dinner were warm buffet. Of course, there was no great variation in the food on offer, but honestly what can you expect them to provide you with on a bunch of small islands?

Other observations are:

- the boat was in good shape (we felt safe all the time);
- the rooms had good airco and electricity;
- the roof terrace on the boat is amazing to relax on after a long day, and though the other boats may be more modern, the top deck of the Angelique is nicer than any of their afterdecks;
- it was kept quite clean by very friendly and helpful staff.

I suppose the Angelique ranks in between the budget boats and the fancy boats (the reference to a simple 2/3 star hotel is accurate, I think). All in all, if you are looking for a boat with basic amenities, the Angelique is an excellent choice. If you are looking for luxury, this is not the boat for you, but if you just want a nice, safe boat and an enjoyable trip, it is perfect.

~ by sangay on October 7, 2009.