Ocean Spray
Fifteen knots and a draft of just over a metre: she crosses faster than anything in her class and anchors closer in. Nine cabins for sixteen guests, one of them a real single.
Fifteen knots
Three knots faster than most of her class. Night crossings end sooner and the mornings start at the site.
Shallow draft
Just over a metre. She anchors where deeper hulls have to stand off and send the pangas further.
A single cabin
One of the nine is a proper single, not a double sold with a supplement.
Faster where it counts
Ocean Spray is thirty-four metres of catamaran with thirteen of beam, which is the usual shape for this class. The numbers that are not usual are the other two: fifteen knots of speed and a draft of one metre twenty. Galapagos itineraries are built around night crossings, and a boat that covers the same distance in less time gives those hours back to the islands.
Sixteen guests in nine cabins, eight doubles and a single. Eleven crew, including a cruise manager, a bilingual National Park guide and a quality control manager whose job is noticing what nobody complained about. Kayaks, paddleboards, wetsuits and snorkel gear are included rather than rented, and there is a jacuzzi for the end of a day spent on lava.
At a glance
The western route, day by day
Arrival and Chinese Hat
Met at Baltra and taken to the boat, then straight out to Chinese Hat: lava formations, penguins on the channel, and some of the better snorkeling in the central islands.
Vicente Roca and Espinosa Point
Snorkeling in the cold upwelling at Vicente Roca, where turtles and mola mola gather, then across to Fernandina for the largest marine iguana colonies on earth.
Tagus Cove and Urbina Bay
The walk to Darwin Lake past the names whalers carved into the cliffs, then Urbina Bay: uplifted coral you can walk across, land iguanas and flightless cormorants.
Elizabeth Bay and Moreno Point
A dinghy ride through the mangrove channels at Elizabeth Bay, where turtles and penguins shelter, then the lava fields and brackish lagoons of Moreno Point.
The breeding centre and the highlands
The Fausto Llerena centre in the morning, then up into the highlands to find giant tortoises in the wild rather than behind a fence.
South Plaza and Santa Fe
Sea lion colonies and the red Sesuvium ground cover on South Plaza, then Santa Fe to snorkel with sea lions and walk through the giant cactus forest.
Suarez Point and Gardner Bay
The trail past blue-footed and Nazca boobies, the blowhole, and the waved albatross, which nests here and nowhere else on earth. Gardner Bay and Osborn Islet in the afternoon for the best snorkeling of the week.
Interpretation Center and farewell
A last morning at the Gianni Arismendy Interpretation Center — geology, ecology and the human history of the islands — then the transfer to San Cristobal airport.
Landing sites are set by the National Park and can shift with conditions or park scheduling. The guide adjusts the day; the islands do not take requests.
Six ways to sail her
- A — 8 days, Saturday to Saturday. The western route above: Isabela, Fernandina, Santa Cruz, the Plazas, Santa Fe and Espanola. Starts at Baltra, ends at San Cristobal.
- B — 8 days, Saturday to Saturday. The southern and northern islands: San Cristobal, Floreana, Bartholomew, Genovesa, Santiago and North Seymour. Starts at San Cristobal, ends at Baltra.
- C — 6 days, Saturday to Thursday. The volcanic west: Chinese Hat, Vicente Roca, Fernandina, Tagus Cove, Elizabeth Bay and the Santa Cruz highlands.
- D — 6 days, Thursday to Tuesday. Santa Fe, Espanola, San Cristobal and Floreana, finishing at Black Turtle Cove.
- E — 5 days, Tuesday to Saturday. Bartholomew, both Genovesa sites, Santiago, North Seymour and the highlands.
- F — 4 days, Saturday to Tuesday. San Cristobal and Floreana in a short window.
A and B share almost nothing, so the two together cover the archipelago properly. If you only get one, B carries Genovesa and its red-footed boobies; A carries Espanola, where the waved albatross nests between April and December. Both eight-day routes start on one island and end on another — check which before you book the flights.
What she carries
- Jacuzzi on deck
- Transparent sea kayaks and stand-up paddleboards
- Snorkel gear and wetsuits for every guest
- Library, TV and DVD
- Wi-Fi on board
- Cruise manager and cruise service officer
- Quality control manager
- Navigation and safety equipment meeting or exceeding SOLAS standards
What the price covers
Included
- Single or double accommodation, twin beds or a king
- All meals and snacks
- Soft drinks and juices
- The captain’s welcome and farewell cocktail
- Every guided expedition on the itinerary
- A top bilingual National Park guide and daily briefings
- Cruise service officer
- Expedition gear: wetsuits, fins, snorkel kit, water container
- Transparent kayaks and paddleboards
- Airport reception, assistance and Wi-Fi
Not included
- National Park entrance fee and transit control card
- Flights to and from the Galapagos
- Alcoholic drinks
- Travel and health insurance
- Gratuities for the guide and crew
A surcharge applies if the airfare is not booked together with the cruise, so ask us before you buy the flights — and remember that most routes here land you on a different island from the one you started on.
Where you sleep
Nine cabins for sixteen guests: eight doubles, each with twin beds or a king, and one single. Between excursions there is a bar, a lounge, a jacuzzi and the wide deck space that comes with two hulls.
Meals on board
All meals and snacks are covered, along with soft drinks and juices, with buffet and served courses depending on the day. The captain’s cocktail opens and closes the week; other alcohol is charged separately. Tell us about dietary needs before you sail rather than on the first evening.
Is this your boat?
Book it if
- You would rather spend the night crossing asleep than under way
- You are travelling alone and want a cabin priced for one
- Stability at anchor matters — this is a wide, shallow catamaran
- Four to eight days lets you build the trip around the holiday
Choose another cruise if
- You came to dive — this is a naturalist cruise, not a dive boat
- You need a published price before you enquire
- You want alcohol included in the fare
- You want the newest hull in the fleet — this one dates to 2011
Comparing catamarans? Look at the Elite, the Endemic or the Monique. Came for the sharks instead? See our Galapagos diving cruises.
Ask us for a quote
Six routes run on the Ocean Spray, from four to eight days, and the rate moves with the season and the cabin. Send us your dates and we come back with what is sailing, what is open, and the full cost with park fees included.