Ecuador’s Galaxy Cruises has added two ships to its fleet exploring the Galápagos Islands.

They are the Galaxy Stella, a luxury expedition yacht for 12 guests, and the 16-guest Galaxy Skape, which offers day trips for travelers staying on land.

“In the Galápagos, every group that goes ashore is limited to 16 people per guide. On our boats, everyone lands together with their naturalist, so no one waits for a turn and the day goes further. That is what we want travel advisors to be able to offer their clients,” said Alexis Gordillo, founder and CEO of Galaxy Cruises.

The Galaxy Stella is a Broward yacht built in the United States, with six cabins, including a master suite with a study and a hot tub, barbecue area and fire pit on deck.

It sails a four-day southern route, a five-day eastern route and an eight-day western route. The southern and eastern routes can be combined into an eight-day voyage.

The ship can also be chartered in full by families and private groups.

The Galaxy Skape is a Ferretti 731 built in Italy and the fastest vessel in the Galaxy fleet, offering day trips to North Seymour, South Plaza and Bartolomé, one island per outing.

On Galaxy’s multiday cruises, vessels move between islands at night, so daylight hours are spent ashore or in the water, and groups reach landing sites early, when temperatures are cooler and wildlife is easier to spot, the company said.

Travelers can reach the islands on a domestic flight of about two hours from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra or San Cristóbal, where the Galaxy team meets guests.

“We believe every journey to the Galápagos should be experienced through all five senses. Our two new vessels offer exclusive experiences for travelers while contributing to a tourism model that creates opportunities for local communities and supports Ecuador’s development,” added Angélica Ortiz, commerce and marketing analyst at Galaxy Cruises.