Celebrity Xpedition Food

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Food onboard Celebrity Xpedition was as plentiful and as good as on the large ships within the Celebrity fleet. When we'd return from our activities, there would be fresh juices or soda and snacks waiting for us.

Our initial afternoon onboard Xpedition was similar to any other cruise ship. A welcome aboard lunch was served in Darwin Restaurant on deck 3. There are no pre-assigned seating arrangements throughout the cruise. This is a great way to meet new people and make new friends.

Breakfast and lunch were served buffet style in Darwin Restaurant. In the morning, coffee and light breakfast was also available out on deck at Beagle Grill. There you could sit on the aft enjoying your food and drink while taking in the scenery of the Galapagos.

Lunch was usually served in Darwin's Restaurant and Beagle Grill (weather permitting). The lunch buffets included Oriental, Italian, Around the World, Mexican and Galapagos cuisines.

Dinner was served in Darwin's Restaurant. These were sit-down meals where you ordered from the menu just like you would on any traditional dining room onboard a ship.

The menus consisted of appetizers, soup, salad, main entree, desserts, ice cream, and cheese selections. Click on the pictures for sample menus from two evenings.

One evening we had a barbecue out on deck at Beagle Grill. The chefs were cooking steaks, shrimp, ribs, and other items. We had a fabulous meal under the stars complete with your choice of red and white wine or beverages of you choice. All liquor is included as I've mentioned before, so don't be afraid to ask for what you like.

We enjoyed the majority of the meals. There was only one evening where the chicken in wine wasn't to our liking. Just like on other cruise ships in the fleet, you can order whatever you want and have as much as you want with your meals. If you don't like something ask for a replacement; the crew went out of their way to make sure you enjoyed your meals. They are very hard working and pleasant. One of our waiters had just started that week. He was one of the best waiters we've had on a cruise ship. We even complimented him telling him we wouldn't have known this was his first time onboard.

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Galapagos - Day 3 - Welcome Aboard

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Passengers gathered in Discovery Lounge for a welcome aboard drink and check in. The Guest Relations staff made their way through the passengers to complete the embarkation process. the process went rather smoothly and soon we were off to our cabin and then on to a lunch buffet in Darwin's Restaurant.

We had time to settle in before returning to Discovery Lounge for a briefing about the afternoon activities.

At 3 PM, Jorge Parrales, our Cruise Director, made a short presentation, explaining the shore excursion we'd be doing later in the afternoon. As was the case most of the time, there were two choices - High Intensity Activity - Dry Landing at North Seymour Island or Low/Medium Intensity Activity - Zodiac Ride & Dry Landing at North Seymour Island. The presentation showed the terrain and the wildlife we were expecting to see. The major difference between the two excursions was the length of the hiking.

I'll detail the shore excursion in a separate post. Following the excursion, we returned to the ship, freshened up, and once again met in Discovery Lounge for drinks before dinner. Every evening, around 7 PM, the Cruise Director gives a briefing concerning the following day's activities. At the conclusion of the briefing you then sign up for the activities that interest you. This helps the crew plan for Naturalists and Zodiac crew needed.

Dinner was served at the conclusion of the presentation. Other than the extra briefing when we got onboard, this is a typical day aboard the Celebrity Xpedition in Galapagos. For some more pictures, see our Celebrity Xpedition - Welcome Aboard Album.

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Celebrity Xpedition - Day 3 - Flight to Baltra

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Sunday, August 31st we bid farewell to JW Marriott Hotel Quito for our new home for the next seven days: Celebrity Xpedition. Our luggage was taken to the Quito Airport via truck and we followed by motor coaches.

Upon arriving at the airport, we went through security and were shown to VIP lounge where we waited for our flight to Baltra. Our flight was a charter on TAME Airline. We flew from Quito to Guayaquil where we made a short stopover to refuel. On the flight from Quito, we had breakfast which consisted of yogurt topped with cereal. The flight to Guayaquil was about an hour.

We landed in Guayaquil and were instructed to remain seated with our seat belts open. This was a security measure incase anything were to go wrong during refueling. It didn't take long for the refueling. Additional passengers boarded our flight. We learned later that they were the naturalists and some crew members.

On the flight from Guayaquil to Baltra we were served lunch which consisted of a ham and cheese sandwich. Drinks were available, including wine which was the same wine we'd be served throughout the cruise.

Once again, the flight was about an hour. We deplaned and walked to the airport lounge. We checked in with Celebrity and received our Galapagos National Park paperwork and cards. After completing our check in process, we boarded a bus for a short ride to the site where we'd meet the Zodiacs which brought us to the ship.

The first thing we learned was the Galapagos handshake. Every time we entered or exited the Zodiac, we'd use this handshake to assure our safety. As you can see from the picture, the handshake involves clasping right hands of a naturalist or crew member and yourself. Even if the Zodiac were to move due to a wave, you have a firm grip and can safely exit the craft.

Once onboard we were greeted by the staff, shown to Discovery Lounge, and offered a glass of champagne. Embarkation was completed in the lounge and we headed to our cabin to drop off our carry-on bags. Lunch was being served in Darwin's Restaurant on Deck 3.

In my next post, I'll continue with the activities for the remainder of our first day onboard Celebrity Xpedition.

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