La pinta yacht galapagos9/11/2023 Compliance is a cornerstone of our business, and we have a long history of working side-by-side with regulatory agencies in the Galapagos. In this sense, we did not go “beyond capacity”. However, to ensure greater social distancing on board and keep everyone as safe as possible, we are currently operating with a temporary maximum capacity of 36 guests, which is the number of passengers that were aboard our departure on April 26th. In response to your observations, we would like to note, firstly, that Yacht La Pinta’s total capacity is 48 guests. We thank you for taking the time to write your review. Unacceptable/unconscionable management to dispatch a cruise like this without sufficient staff. Guides were overwhelmed and minimal-to-zero English language guidance was provided. So instead of seeing wildlife, everyone moved at the glacial pace dictated by small children being tired, crying, needing to be carried, stopping every 20 feet. According to statements made to me by La Pinta crew members, Metropolitan decided to fill my cruise to beyond capacity by deep discounting to the domestic family market so the boat was absolutely packed with screaming young children the real problem was shore excursions and wildlife viewing (the entire point of going to the Galapagos) as Metropolitan didn’t staff the boat with sufficient naturalists/guides so that every excursion was dominated by the needs of 4-8 year old children in every single group. I travelled on a 5 day Galapagos cruise on Yacht La Pinta which is owned/operated by these people and it was an expensive and terrible experience leaving me feeling like I was robbed. My only regret is that Melissa cannot plan trips for us to Asia and beyond, because I know that any trip Melissa planned would be perfect for us. We will recommend this hidden gem of a country to all our friends and tell them to contact Melissa to plan their trip. Ecuador is a beautiful country, which diverse ecosystems and I am so glad our family was able to enjoy it to the fullest with Metropolitan Touring. We toured for four days with Monica and our driver Eduardo and they quickly became friends ( we even played "cuarenta" with them). Every detail was taken care of and our drivers and tour guides always showed up early. In Ecuador, we toured Quito, wove in Otavalo, biked, hiked, enjoyed cooking classes, and stayed in the most amazing hotels and haciendas. Melissa was able to turn our wishes into reality. What started out as planning a day trip, resulted in Melissa planning a month-long vacation for us in Ecuador, one of the best vacations of our lives. I called and was so lucky to have Melissa answer the phone. I was searching for adventures in Cotopaxi for our family of 5 when I stumbled upon Metropolitan Touring. The Galapagos Islands was always on our bucket list, and Metropolitan Touring took care of every detail to make sure it was the trip of a lifetime. Metropolitan Touring even arranged for our required COVID test to be administered at our hotel the day before we returned to the US. Throughout the trip, the guides took photos, even underwater, and they gave us all their amazing digital photos at the end of the trip. When a snorkeling trip turned out to have bad visibility, they took us to another location where the water was clear and we swam with sea lions, marine iguanas, and sea turtles! The food was excellent with options for everyone and the cabins were comfortable. The friendly staff on the Isabella II went above and beyond to make sure everyone was happy. Because of all the activities, I would not recommend this trip for small children. Instead of hiking, you could hang out on the beach. Instead of snorkeling, you could go on a glass bottom boat. The itinerary was packed with activities, but there were always options. For us, it was worth it to have less than 10 guests per guide on every outing. If you are prone to motion sickness, you may want to choose a bigger ship. The first night we definitely felt the waves, but we soon got used to it. The Isabella II is one of the smaller ships with a maximum of 40 guests. From the moment we set foot in Ecuador, we had support from Metropolitan Touring either in person or by text. During months of planning, Melissa Altamirano answered every question about safety precautions, entry requirements, packing lists, etc. Our family of 4 (parents and 2 teenagers) booked the 5 day western tour of the Galapagos Islands aboard the Isabella II. Metropolitan Touring took great care of us from start to finish for our first post-COVID overseas vacation.
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