After a trip to the Galapagos, many people ask me for a review of the ship and if it was a good choice,

The tour company made the choice, but many may decide on the tour based on the ship quality. La Pinta is a medium sized ship and holds about 45 people.

Logistically, it does take some patience to take the bus from the airport to the docks and then get a ferry or zodiac scheduled to take you to the boat and back. If you have carry on bags, be ready to carry them on and off the zodiacs. They do not help you with these very much.

Overall, I found the quality and amenities quite comparable to most cruises. The dining room holds everyone at once – where most lunches and dinners are pre-ordered choices of your meals that are served at your table and most breakfast days are buffet only. No complaints. Nice blend of standard western fare and local cuisine.

There is a tiny gym on board, but your days are so active and busy, there really is not a need or desire for gym time.

It has both an open deck lounge as well as an internally seated lounge of almost equal sizes. You can see there is an outdoor hot tub off to the side which can be reserved by guests with a signup sheet. It holds only 4 or 5 people max.

The internal lounge is where the main bar exists and is where most briefing, lectures or talks are held. Comfortable and not cramped.

The wine list is OK. It is not horrible, but not great either. Mainly Chilean and Argentinian wines.

One nice hidden room is the library which has some books, games and cards which many like to use the evenings when they do not want to just sit around in the cramped cabins which do not have televisions, etc.

One complaint is the complimentary dryers, They are horrible and barely work to dry your bathing suits, etc. You have to run them like 10 times to get the water out.

Overall, the crew is quite good, very helpful and always looking to assist customers with their needs. Their English is not perfect, but it is quite reasonable and never a blocker for getting help or solving a need that you might have. The Zodiac drivers and guides are very professional and top notch. They are never too strict or controlling — they just want to ensure everyone has a safe and fun time,