Seaman Journey Galápagos Cruise with Flights from London

Seaman Journey carries just 16 guests, so the indoor lounge and dining room never feel crowded, and there’s always a spot free on the shaded sun deck or the outdoor cocktail area at the stern. Sea kayaks and snorkel gear live on board for whenever the water looks too good to pass up, and organic toiletries from the Chankuap Foundation are in every cabin. The crew run an interactive cooking class most cruises, and the kitchen caters for vegetarian, vegan, kosher and gluten-free diets without fuss. It’s the kind of boat where families spread out across the lounge with binoculars and a wildlife guidebook, and couples find their own corner of the deck at sunset.

Your naturalist guide holds the highest Galápagos National Park qualification, Level III, and leads every excursion in English. Groups stay small enough that you’re never queuing for a panga or crowding a trail. Much of what lands on your plate comes from Seaman Journey’s own hydroponic orchard on San Cristóbal, grown to cut down on food shipped in from the mainland. The yacht also runs within the lowest one percent of fuel consumption of any boat in the islands, dims its deck lighting at anchor to protect nocturnal wildlife, and filters its waste water to a potable standard before it goes back into the sea, so the islands you’re there to see stay the way you found them.