Travel guide · Cruises & Tours
How to book a Galápagos cruise
How booking a Galápagos cruise works, step by step: the free hold, the deposit, the balance, cancellation charges, traveller details and paying safely.
Photo: David BritoBooking a Galápagos cruise is not like booking a hotel. Cabins are few, fares are paid well before you sail, and each operator has its own payment and cancellation rules. This page walks through every step with us, from the free hold to the day you fly to the islands, and sets out exactly what our Terms and Conditions say about deposits, balances and cancellations, so you know what you are signing before you pay anything.
The booking, step by step
| Step | What happens | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Choose a departure | You pick a yacht, a route and a date in our cruise finder, or ask us for options | Send a request: it reserves nothing and commits you to nothing |
| 2. Free hold | We ask the operator to hold the cabin, usually for 5 to 7 days, and send you the deadline in writing | Decide before the deadline |
| 3. Deposit | Your deposit confirms the booking, and we send you the written confirmation | Pay the deposit by its due date |
| 4. Balance | The rest of the fare falls due before departure | Pay the balance by its due date |
| 5. Traveller details | The operator, the airline and the transit card need each traveller’s details | Send them no later than 30 days before departure |
| 6. Transit card and park fee | The TCT is bought before the flight to the islands, and the park fee is paid on arrival | Carry your passport and the payment for both |
| 7. Flights | Galápagos flights are usually booked by us with the cruise | Book your international flights to arrive a day or two early |
1. Choose a departure
Start in our cruise finder, which shows live dates, fares and cabins from the operators. Those figures are a guide until we confirm them to you in writing, because cabins sell out and fares change every day. If you are unsure about the yacht or the route, how to choose a Galápagos cruise comes first.
2. Hold the cabin for free
Once you choose, we ask the operator to hold the cabin. The hold costs nothing and usually lasts 5 to 7 days; we send you the exact deadline in writing. With it you get the cabin, the price and the payment conditions for that booking, in writing, before you pay anything. If you let the hold expire, the cabin goes back on sale and you owe nothing.
3. Pay the deposit
The deposit confirms the booking. Under our Terms it is 40% of the total price, or the operator’s deposit if that is higher. Paying it means you accept the Terms, so read them first.
4. Pay the balance
The remaining 60% falls due 91 days before departure. If you book 91 days or less before departure, you pay the full price to confirm.
5. Send the traveller details
The operators, the airlines and the transit card pre-registration need the details of every traveller: a copy of each passport, names exactly as spelled in it, date of birth, nationality, dietary needs, medical conditions, your international flights, your hotel the night before and an emergency contact, among others. The full list is in section 10 of our Terms. Sending them is a condition of your booking: we need them no later than 30 days before departure, or earlier if the operator or the airline asks. Without them we cannot guarantee your cabin, your flights or your transit card.
6. Transit card and park entrance fee
Two government charges are not part of the cruise fare unless your offer says so: the Transit Control Card (TCT), paid at Quito or Guayaquil airport before your flight to the islands after an online pre-registration, and the Galápagos National Park entrance fee, paid on arrival. Both are set by the Ecuadorian authorities and are not refundable once paid. What they cost and how to pay them is in our entry fee and TCT guide.
7. Flights
We usually book your Galápagos flights from Quito or Guayaquil together with the cruise, often on the flights the operator chooses. Once issued, airline tickets are non-refundable, changes carry the airline’s charges, and names must match each passport exactly. Your international flights are yours to book: arrive in Quito or Guayaquil one or two days before your Galápagos flight, and do not fly home on the day you come back from the islands. Routes and airports are in how to get to Galápagos.
Deposit, balance and cancellation: what our Terms say
These are our general Terms, which apply unless your booking confirmation says otherwise.
| When | What you pay |
|---|---|
| To confirm your booking | A deposit of 40% of the total price, or the operator’s deposit if it is higher |
| 91 days before departure | The remaining balance (60%) |
| Booking 91 days or less before departure | The full price |
| Promotional, last-minute and other special fares | The full price when you book, non-refundable from that moment |
| Groups of 5 or more travellers, or 3 or more cabins | The balance 120 days before departure |
If you cancel, write to us by email. The cancellation takes effect on the day we receive it.
| Days before departure | Cancellation charge |
|---|---|
| 91 days or more | The deposit (40% of the total price, or the operator’s deposit if it is higher) |
| 90 days or less | 100% of the total price |
| Groups: 120 days or less | 100% of the total price |
| Special fares: any time | 100% of the total price |
Departures between 20 December and 6 January have their own rules: a non-refundable deposit of 50%, the balance 120 days before departure, and 100% charged for cancellations 120 days or less before departure.
Each yacht’s own conditions
Every operator has its own payment and cancellation conditions, and they are often more flexible than ours. Whenever possible we apply the operator’s conditions, openly, and they come in writing with every offer and again in your booking confirmation or invoice. Those written terms are the ones that apply to your booking. The reverse also holds: if an operator charges more than our table when you cancel, the operator’s charge applies, and we show it in your offer before you pay.
A change of dates, yacht or route depends on availability and on the operator; if the operator treats it as a cancellation and a new booking, the cancellation charges apply.
If the Park or the operator changes your cruise
The Galápagos National Park sets each yacht’s itinerary and visitor sites, and it can change them. The captain or the operator can also change the order of the visits for safety, weather, sea conditions or Park rules. If necessary, an operator may substitute a similar yacht or cabin. Under our Terms, itinerary changes, mechanical problems and the substitution of a similar yacht or cabin do not give a right to a refund; if the operator gives a refund or a credit, we pass it on to you in full.
If the operator cancels your trip, you receive what the operator refunds, or an alternative of similar value if you accept it. When events outside anyone’s control, such as storms, strikes or Park decisions, force a change or a cancellation, we pass on any refund or credit the operator gives, but extra costs such as hotels or new flights are not covered. That gap is exactly what travel insurance is for.
Travel insurance
Medical and emergency evacuation insurance is a condition of travel under our Terms: every traveller needs a policy that covers medical care and evacuation from the Galápagos for the whole trip, and we recommend at least US$50,000 of evacuation cover. We also strongly recommend cancellation and interruption cover, ideally “cancel for any reason”, because the deposit and the balance are paid long before you sail. What a Galápagos policy needs is in our travel insurance guide.
How to pay safely
- Pay only to accounts in the company’s name. We take bank transfers to our business accounts, or cards. Never pay a personal account, whoever asks.
- Get a receipt for every payment, deposit and balance alike.
- Have the booking in writing before you pay: the yacht, the dates, the cabin (with its number when the operator gives one), the price and the payment and cancellation conditions.
- Know the fees. A card payment carries a processing fee, which is shown on your invoice before you pay. Bank charges on a transfer are paid by you.
- Watch the due dates. If a payment does not arrive in time, the booking may be treated as cancelled by you, with the cancellation charges.
How to check an agency
Before you send money to anyone, check:
- The licence. Travel agencies in Ecuador are licensed by the Ministry of Tourism. Ask for it.
- The company. A registered company name, the one that appears on your invoice and on the account you pay.
- Years in business. How long the agency has been selling Galápagos cruises.
- Reviews with dates. Many recent reviews say more than a few old ones.
- Everything in writing. The cabin, the price and the conditions before you pay, not after.
Our own details, including our Ministry of Tourism licence and our company, Dana Tours LLC, are on our about us page.
When to book, season by season
Early booking buys choice: the yacht, the cabin and the route you want. Waiting buys price, on whatever still has space. Our schedule (data from October 2026) shows how many departures sail in the busiest and the quietest months:
| Month | Departures in our schedule | Yachts | When to book |
|---|---|---|---|
| December | 577 | 42 | Christmas and New Year: the previous season, six to twelve months ahead |
| January | 418 | 41 | Months ahead for New Year; more room from mid-January |
| July | 485 | 40 | Three to six months ahead: peak season |
| August | 430 | 37 | Three to six months ahead: peak season |
| September | 389 | 33 | The quiet season: last-minute fares are more likely |
| October | 463 | 38 | The quiet season: last-minute fares are more likely |
The holiday weeks have their own Christmas and New Year departures page. If your dates are flexible, last-minute cruises explains how the reduced fares work: they are paid in full when you book and are non-refundable. Which months are busiest on the islands themselves is in crowds by month.
Your complimentary nights in Mindo
Every cruise booked with us includes complimentary nights at Las Terrazas de Dana Boutique Lodge & Spa in Mindo Cloud Forest, usually 2–3, more on request, with meals and private transfers from Quito. Your offer confirms the details; the stay is a gift, so it is not refunded if unused and is cancelled with the cruise. Everything else is in the complimentary nights guide.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I book a Galápagos cruise?
For high season, three to six months ahead; for the Christmas and New Year weeks, the previous season. In the quieter months, from September to November, last-minute fares are a real option if your dates are flexible.
How much is the deposit for a Galápagos cruise?
Under our Terms, 40% of the total price, or the operator’s deposit if it is higher, with the balance 91 days before departure. Many operators ask for less, and when we can apply their conditions we do, in writing with your offer.
Can I hold a cabin before paying?
Yes. We place a free hold with the operator, usually for 5 to 7 days, and send you the deadline in writing. If you do not confirm, the cabin is released and you owe nothing.
What is the cancellation policy for a Galápagos cruise?
Under our Terms, if you cancel 91 days or more before departure you lose the deposit; at 90 days or less, 100% of the price. Special fares are non-refundable from the moment you book. Each yacht’s own conditions, often more flexible, come in writing with your offer, and the operator’s charge applies when it is higher.
What happens if my Galápagos cruise is cancelled?
If the operator cancels, you receive what the operator refunds, or an alternative of similar value if you accept it. Itinerary changes by the Park, mechanical problems and the substitution of a similar yacht do not give a right to a refund under our Terms, so travel insurance with cancellation and interruption cover is worth having.
Is there a fuel surcharge on Galápagos cruises?
Some operators include fuel in the fare; others can add a surcharge if fuel prices rise, in some cases even after the booking is paid. Your offer tells you what applies to your yacht. Where it sits among the other costs is in cruise costs explained.
When do I need to send passport details?
No later than 30 days before departure, or earlier if the operator or the airline asks. It is a condition of the booking: the cabin, the flights and the transit card all depend on it.
How do I pay for a Galápagos cruise?
By bank transfer to our business accounts or by card. Card payments carry a processing fee shown on the invoice before you pay, and bank charges are paid by you. You get a receipt for each payment.
Related reading
Picking the yacht and the route comes first, in how to choose a Galápagos cruise; what the whole trip costs is in cruise costs explained; and if you are travelling alone, Galápagos cruises for solo travellers covers single cabins and sharing. When you are ready, search the cruise finder for your dates and ask us for a hold.
Sources
- Galápagos Dana Tours, Terms and Conditions (booking and payment, cancellations, Christmas and New Year, flights and fees, changes by operators or the Park, traveller details, insurance)
- TCT questions and answers, Galápagos Government Council
Last verified: October 2026
After the islands, the cloud forest: Las Terrazas de Dana Boutique Lodge & Spa, Mindo Cloud Forest, included with every cruise we book.