Enjoy a Samba Cruise in the Galápagos from San Cristóbal Island - Book Your Experience

Summary: Had a trip of a lifetime on the samba with Juan, captain Jose, and crew.  Managed to see a massive amount of wildlife up close, from lizards, fish, birds, to sharks, manta and stingrays, orcas, turtles, lobsters and dolphins, and swimming with playful sea lions. The crew went above and beyond in all aspects, chasing orcas and dolphins on the boat, answering all questions our group could throw at them, and delivering impeccable service helping people on and off the boat, offering food and drink at any time of the day, getting a full tour of everything on the boat including how it navigates and the engine room, pointing out bits of flora and fauna that we missed including diving down when snorkelling to point out crustations, octopus hidden fish, and tayloring excursions to try see what guests requested. The service was always very professional but with a very friendly and inviting atmosphere that made the stay so enjoyable. The boat itself is beautiful, with plenty of hangout spaces for the small groups of up to 14 people that it can accomodate with the crew, and with a cosy dining space that brought the group together to discuss all the things we had seen over the day while eating. The food delivered was all delicious and plentiful, we never went hungry with the various snacks and juices provided after each activity and the spreads of salad, fruit, meats and veg provided. The activities them were a mix of land walks, looking for birds, lizards, sea lions etc., and snorkeling, with some boat travel in between where we looked out for rays, dolphins and birds following the boat. Each day we were first out of the cruises to be hunting for wildlife (we were literally returning from trips before other boats had even woken up), and last back making use of all day light possible to see what we could find. The route was very well designed to give a mix of landscapes and wildlife, mixing volcanic scenery with various coloured beaches, trekking up some elevations or staying around the coast, but it was also flexible to what the group were hoping to see e.g. able to target some snorkeling areas to try find manta rays and hammerheads at request.  Our naturalist Juan was incredibly knowledgeable answering all questions on habits, nesting, breeding and features of all the species we saw and also on things we didn't see (discussing visits that he and other guests had been on to antatica, Africa etc.), and very keen to discuss the conservation efforts that have occured and that he is involved with on the islands, as well as giving some small lectures on the nature, geology, and history of the islands in the evenings. I fully recommend the samba for those looking for a very inclusive, active, and educational trip to the Galapagos.

Summary: The trip of a lifetime, and the crew of the Samba made it amazing. We booked our trip through CNH Tours, they took care of everything, and arranged for all transportation and accommodations. The Samba is a very unique vessel among all the ships at the Galapagos, and we are so glad we chose to sail aboard her.

Summary: We had a very memorable time on the Samba and got a really in-depth experience of the Galapagos islands. The crew of six were extremely friendly and helpful and our guide Harry was excellent: friendly, attentive, knowledgeable and patient. The food was plentiful and good, especially breakfasts and lunches. We averaged three activities/day, mainly hiking, snorkeling and kayaking, and saw a ton of wildlife on land and in the water. The highlights were snorkeling with hammerheads and seeing a school of feeding whale sharks at sunset. The Samba's small size allows it to go places and respond to opportunities that bigger boats can't; some days, we didn't see another human being. Having only fourteen passengers also allowed for very fast transitions. My only reservations relate to the physical size of the boat. I'm 6'4" and could not stand upright anywhere in our cabin, and my bunk had less than 24" of head space. By the end of the cruise, I was really looking forward to headroom; for claustrophobes, it might be a dealbreaker (to be fair, our cabin had the lowest ceiling). Also, the Samba is a relatively small boat so we could feel the motion - we were very glad we brought seasick meds. Finally, there's a shortage of comfortable, shady seating on deck and the booths in the dining/common space require a lot of sliding in and out. Overall, if you're looking for an active eight-day itinerary, the Samba delivers for a very competitive price. It feels like a "real" boat and the whole experience has a genuine air of adventure. However, if you're looking for a comfortable cruise then there might be better alternatives.

Summary: Crew were really welcoming and helpful. Food was excellent. Guide was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

Summary: After countless hours of research I can say that the Samba is the absolute best way of doing the Galapagos if you want an active trip. After copious research and pouring through every ship in the area, we decided on the Samba due to its unique NW ternary which included Marchena island. The NW circuit covers a greater number of islands (more diversity of landings) than any other ship in the galapos in 8D. I appreciated the advice of other posters and agree that 8D7N is the perfect length, allowing you to go to the further islands (4D too short) but seeing just enough that you are never bored (I think 15D would have been much too long). I was on the fence between which side of the islands to do but I could not have been happier with our 8D on the NW circuit. No tour of the Galapagos is cheap, but the Samba was by far the best value of any ship. This is due to the unique itinerary and just how packed full of activity each and every day is. We snorkeled and hiked multiple times a day. Often two hikes and two snorkels on any given day. Days started at 6am and ended at 6pm. We saw everything: countless turtles, mola mola, manta rays, sharks, sea lions, orcas and blue whales. The crew went above and beyond to ensure we had the best possible experience even if it was out of their way. Sometimes this meant hopping in the zodiacs or turning the ship around for whales that were off route, or adding snorkel sites so we could get in the water with mola mola or manta rays. Marchena which is very out of the way is only included in this internally and was one of our favorite spots as you have a basically private lagoon of sea lions. The snorkeling on the NW side was top notch, I was on the fence about doing a diving live aboard but this was probably the next best thing and the closest experience to a diving live aboard but a better option for people who do not dive or do not want to only dive for 8D. The crew were so friendly and never cut corners even during a storm or down a staff member. The captain was extremely experienced, I do NOT like staying on a boat generally but his 30+ years experience put me at ease even during the crossings. The ship is older but beautiful. The single only knock on any part of it is if you are 6 ft+ the cabins may be little tight. I was comfortable but I can see if you are very very tall it would be a bit tight. The food was amazing and plentiful, every meal had multiple parts and we never went hungry. Every step was amazing, our guide Harry was fantastic, and every member of the crew was fantastic. We loved our time with the Samba and if we ever come back to the Galapagos we will use the same boat without a doubt. We booked through CNH (they were lovely) through the cruise only option b/c they were running a promotion but you could also book with the Samba directly through Facebook. If you want a relaxed vacation this may not be the ship for you, however if you want to see the most wildlife possible this ship is the best bang for your buck and an amazing experience. The Samba was the adventure of a lifetime and I could not recommend it more throughouhly. 10/10.

Summary: This was one the most amazing experiences we have ever had! Every single person working on that boat was great. They all went out of their way to make sure we all had a fantastic time. The food was great and the cabins comfortable. Our guide Jimmy went out of his way to make sure we saw the amazing wildlife The Galapagos Islands have to offer, both on land and in the water. Everything was superb, and I highly recommend the Samba to anyone wondering about what cruise to go on! It is a smaller ship (14 passengers), which makes the whole experience more personally, which we really loved. Our only complaint is that the AC in the dining room area needs to be updated (it got extremely hot and uncomfortable in the dining room area at mealtime), putting in a fan would also help a lot.