G Adventures has added a fifth yacht to its fleet of chartered vessels for the Galapagos Islands, and has also announced the elimination of single use plastics.
Beginning in January 2019, the 16-passenger Eden yacht will join G Adventures’ four other touring vessels in hosting small group, sea-based trips around the 20 major and smaller Galapagos islands.
With six different itineraries around the North, Central, West, East, and Southern islands, ranging from seven to 17 days in length, the Eden will enable G Adventures to meet the increasing traveler demand it’s seeing for Galapagos adventure: between 2016 and 2017, there was a 22 percent increase in global bookings of the company’s tours, it said.
One hundred percent of its yacht departures were fully sold between August 2017 through July 2018, G Adventures said, in a press release.
The competitively-priced Eden offers three upper deck, twin-share cabins with bunk beds, one main deck double bed cabin, and four lower deck twin-share cabins, as well as a scenic, two-level, wrap around deck with outdoor lounge area and sundeck for sunning or wildlife spotting.
Built in 1996 and refurbished in 2012, G Adventures plans to move the Eden into drydock this fall for further upgrades and “G” branding. It is available for booking now by travel agents and travelers alike.
U.S. Marine Specialist Dennis Dziedzic, who serves as G Adventures’ U.S. sales lead for marine-based tours, said: “What better way to spot flying Albatross or Darwin finches than by comfortably laying out on a chaise lounge right outside your room? On board the Eden, there won’t be a minute for travelers to miss out on witnessing the wondrous wildlife of the Galapagos. This ship is ideal for exploration.”
Also new, G Adventures announced it will be offering all its travelers to the archipelago a complimentary, reusable, stainless steel water bottle for both sea- and land-based trips that depart from January 1, 2019, onward.
As of February 26, 2019, non-returnable bottles of any description will no longer be allowed on the Galapagos islands. This follows a ban on plastic straws which came into effect on May 26, 2018, and plastic bags, which were also banned last July.
“The issue of plastics pollution is a massive challenge that is wreaking havoc on our seas and shores. Whether the crisis shows up in waves of trash on beaches such as in the Dominican Republic this past week, or in the remains of deceased marine animals like whales, as tour operators, we have more responsibility than ever to reduce any negative impact. I’m proud that our teams in Ecuador have stepped up to manage the logistics of reusable bottle storage and distribution to our customers visiting the Galapagos,” added G Adventures’ North American Managing Director Ben Perlo.
In Quito, regional operations manager Gabriela Gomez Coello said: “All our boats in the Galapagos are fitted with filtered water in refillable tanks for travelers’ access. The hotels we use here also supply our land-based travelers with this service. Together with these ground partners and the Ministry of Galapagos Government Council, it’s our goal to ensure that the Galapagos Islands remain one of the most ecologically healthy and inspiring destinations our guests can possibly visit.”
