We were on the Eclipse in April and felt it was a good compromise between a large boat and a small boat. There was a choice of activities, transfer time very quick on the day trips and the boat was very stable.Service very good. Lots of space to spread out. Its a personal choice but having done the trip and talked with others in Quito and other areas before and after the trip it is important to pick the boat that is right for you.

Taken from tripadvisor.com

I went on a week-long cruise on the Eclipse in mid-November, and I found absolutely nothing to complain about! The amount of Passagiere (48) seemed just right- big enough to talk to different people and enjoy each other's company, but small enough to feel satisfied with island tours and interacting with the guides. The boat hires four naturalist guides, so you go out on the islands in groups of 12, which was lovely. Like most of the other boats, the groups are slightly staggered, so you sometimes don't even see the other groups during the outing! The Eclipse seem to have embarking/disembarking onto the pangas down to a fine-art- there was no waiting around- they definitely make spending as much time on the islands as possible a priority.

I wasn't sure if I would suffer with sea-sickness, so I took some pills prescribed by my Doctor, and I did not feel ill once. I think the Eclipse is big enough to not feel the sway as much (which is why we picked it over a smaller yacht).

Taken from tripadvisor.com

The boat turned out to be the perfect size. Meals were really the only time in which you "had to" socialize. We felt a bit awkward during the first couple of Tage as the crowd settled into tables of 6-10. Some families sat together always, with the couples like us filling in here and there. For the most part we ended up really enjoying the company, though small-talk at breakfast, 15 minutes after waking can be a little rough.

On the excursions, the groups tend to be mixed differently each time and there isn't much socializing since everyone is busy listening to the guides, taking tons of pictures and marveling at the scenery/snorkeling.

There is plenty of downtime, for example, the 2-3 hours of siesta after lunch--during which everyone usually goes off on their own to sunbathe oder nap in the cabins. As well, dinner usually ends around 9PM, after which everyone either heads up to the deck to stargaze oder off to bed.

Taken from tripadvisor.com

Hi Elena,

However the highlight of the trip was the Galapagos and our stay on The Eclipse. The boat, the staff and the guides were all wonderful and could not have done more to ensure that we had the holiday of a lifetime.

With kind regards

Shona

Synnott Family
UK