We took the 10 day cruise package from Celebrity which made planning much easier as they took care of everything once you land in Quito - the transfers, the hotel, the flight to the Galapagos, all documentation and passes, etc. Unlike other reviewers, we did not experience problems with AC on deck 3 or cold water while snorkeling. The guides were all very good, and our waiter (when we got him - Juan Cepeda) was excellent. The snorkeling was our favorite part - we were in warm/cool water seeing amazing wildlife. We swam with sea lions, marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, sea turtles, sting rays, sharks, and myriads of fish. We found the Friday tour to South Plaza island underwhelming and did not bother to go on the Friday afternoon tour. If they could have had a snorkeling activity on Friday, that would have made the cruise even better. We also did not bother to go to the Post Office walk and it didn't sound like we missed much based on those who did go. The other tours were excellent - walking among iguanas, sea lions, and birds. While many in our group opted for the short wet-suits provided by the ship, we were fine without them. Most of the time the water was quite pleasant. Even when we felt a cold current, it was short-lived and just felt refreshing. We never wanted to get out of the water - even after snorkeling for an hour or more. The food was very good and drinks were included. At least for us, the drinks, while free, were never very good. They all just seemed to miss the mark on being a tasty drink. While we tried several different drinks, we never found one where we wanted a second. The tours in Quito were well arranged. The tour to the equator was fun. Be warned, however, that they sell some chocolate at the equator store that cannot be taken to the Gapalagos. We were later told that bars with Chia seeds or other fruits were banned. The Celebrity guides do not tell you this until you are on the bus back to the hotel. They will hold the candy for you at the hotel for you to pick up when you get back. We just think they should have informed us before we purchased. And we are really not sure why they won't allow some of the "banned chocolate bars" such as a bar with passionfruit. We found the same bars from the same manufacturer in the Galapagos stores. The Xpedition is being replaced by a new ship with much larger cabins, the Flora in 2019. However, the price premium on this new ship is more than 50% the price for the same cruise on the Xpedition. I'd highly encourage you to take this trip on the Xpedition. While the ship is showing its age, the shore excursions will be the same on both ships. Not sure a bigger cabin on the Flora is worth the price difference. But the Galapagos is definitely a bucket list trip that everyone who is able should take.