GALAPAGOS MASTER

(2 customer reviews)

32m / 106ft MAX 16 NITROX PADI

PRICE PER DAY FROM USD 714

LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEE SPECIAL OFFERS APPLY

At a glance:

Visits central Galapagos, Wolf & Darwin
Runs 7 and 10 night liveaboard trips
All cabins have private bathrooms
Dive The World Gold Range product
Local brands of alcohol free
Steel hulled boat

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You can step on board the 105ft (32m) steel hull Galapagos Master for a dream 7 or 10 night liveaboard cruise in the fabulous islands of the Galapagos, Ecuador. This is one of the limited number of boats that operates diving safaris to both the dive sites of central Galapagos and also north, to the world-famous islands of Wolf and Darwin. Having been fully refurbished and refitted in 2015, the Galapagos Master promises a high standard of comfort to those seeking an unforgettable liveaboard experience.

MV Galapagos Master can steam at 12.5 knots from one site to the next and each diving safari will include island visits at North Seymour, Santa Cruz or Isabela Island. There is a crew of 12 on hand to cater to all the needs of the maximum 18 scuba divers, so you can expect plenty of personal service. Your accommodation will be in one of the 8 twin/double bed cabins (4 lower deck cabins, 4 upper deck cabin), all ensuite, or the Middle deck cabin with queen-size bed.

Guests hang out mostly in the air-conditioned saloon on the main deck of the liveaboard. Here you will find a full entertainment system, board games, a library of books and magazines and, of course, the bar. There is also a bar on the sun deck and plenty of relaxation space in the open air, both shaded and beneath the sun.

On the diving side, nitrox is available as well as Nautilus Lifelines, plus the dive deck is well-equipped, featuring a toilet and 2 hot water showers for rinsing off the excitement. There is also ample camera space and camera rinse tanks.

MV Galapagos Master has 1 middle deck cabin which features a queen-size bed and has 2 large picture windows. There are also 4 upper deck cabins with large windows and twin beds that can be combined to double beds. The 4 lower deck Classic cabins have portholes and twin beds side by side. The middle deck cabins and upper deck cabins are the same Premium price. Any of the 9 cabins could be used for guests.

All the cabins have:

Air-conditioning
Large windows on upper and middle decks, portholes on lower deck
En-suite bathroom with toilet and hot water shower
Hand basin, toiletries, towels and hairdryer
Reading lights

Bedside cabinet and mirror
2 and 3-flat pin 110-220V electricity, European and USA adapters available
Bedding and luggage space
Life jackets
Fire warning system

No. of bathrooms / showers - 9 / 9 - hot water

Central Galapagos, Wolf & Darwin

Trip highlights: whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, seals/sea lions, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities

Diving environment: advanced divers, drift diving, off the beaten track

Dive sites and activities: Isla Lobos, Punta Carrion, Baltra North, Wolf Island, Darwin Island, Cabo Douglas, Punta Vincente Roca, Cousins Rock, plus 3 land visits at North Seymour, San Cristobal and Santa Cruz.

Day 1
Board the Galapagos Master in Baquerizo Moreno harbour and dive straight into your adventure. You’ll start with a concise boat briefing and crew introduction to get you up to speed on safety and layout. Share a freshly prepared lunch with your new dive buddies, then slip into the water for an afternoon check dive to sharpen your skills. Back on deck, enjoy dinner as the Galapagos Master raises anchor and heads out to the archipelago’s premier dive sites.

Core Days
Expect to do 4 dives on most days of the liveaboard tour, except on days that require a long journey between islands, when you can expect 2 or 3 dives. From the moment you cut through the surface at Wolf Island, scalloped hammerheads spiral along the walls, Galapagos and silky sharks patrol the blue, and marble rays and green turtles slip between cleaning stations.
At Darwin Island, enormous whale sharks - some over 12 m - glide past at arm’s length from June to November, while silver cyclones of bigeye trevally swirl with playful sea lions and Galapagos sharks, and hammerheads silhouette your slow ascent.
Cabo Marshall’s volcanic walls draped in black coral become a theatre for oceanic mantas performing graceful somersaults in the current, their shadows dancing over anemone gardens as long-nosed hawkfish peer from gorgonians and barracuda hover in tight spirals.
At Cabo Douglas, marine iguanas graze algae off rocky ledges, reef sharks nap in sunlit shallows, and Galapagos penguins torpedo through sardine schools in a ballet of predator and prey.
Punta Vicente Roca blends macro and mega - red-lipped batfish hop across sandy slopes, bottlenose dolphins race alongside divers, and the Cave of Sleeping Sharks reveals white-tip reef sharks lying motionless in crevices, their gills pulsing like hypnotic metronomes. Dive after dive, the archipelago’s pelagic giants leave you breathless long after you’ve resurfaced.
During your trip you will also take part in a land tour of North Seymour island and a visit to Santa Cruz island to see the giant tortoises.

Final Day
Start the day with a continental breakfast and then it is time for goodbyes to the fantastic Galapagos Master, its skilful crew and your new scuba diving friends. Upon disembarkation, there will be a visit to the Interpretation Center in San Cristobal before you will be transferred back to the airport.

[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].

Guests dine exceptionally well on board Galapagos Master in the air-conditioned dining area with buffet meals and waitress service. Each day begins with pre-breakfast treats, followed by a cooked breakfast that energises your morning dive. As midday arrives, the buffet is ready with ocean-fresh seafood, meat dishes, vegetable platters and your choice of rice, potatoes or pasta. Afternoon snacks keep you fuelled between adventures. When evening falls, dinner will be presented with seasonal seafood highlights and accompaniments, while complimentary bites are available around the clock to satisfy every craving.

A full diving day starts with an early morning 1st dive at 6:30 am followed by breakfast (eggs, ham, cereals, toast and fresh fruits). The 2nd dive of the morning is at around 9:30 am.
Lunch at 12:00 pm will include different choices of salads and vegetables followed by a main dish of fresh fish or meat cooked in Chinese, Italian or international cuisine style.
Get ready for the 3rd dive at 1:30 pm and the 4th dive at 4 pm. The excitement of diving in the Galapagos will be the main topic during dinner at 7 pm.
Snacks throughout the day include candy bars, ice cream, cookies, fruit, bread and toast.
Coffee, tea, drinking water and soft drinks, are all provided free of charge.
Beer, spirits and wine are available for purchase on board.
All dietary requirements can be catered for - please send advanced notice.

Cuisine specialties: Ceviche; Carne Asada with chimichurri sauce.

"Crew and guides were terrific, but the rental gear was at BEST, marginally average and not at all tailored to the sizes, preferences and needs that were communicated by Dive The World to the boat. Nearly all passengers were renting all or some gear and NONE of us had anything arranged prior to our arrival. It was chaotic and took the guides 2 trips back to storage to get more gear for sizes and operable gear. I was given 2 BCDs with holes in them and a high pressure hose with a "bubble". The wetsuit and booties I was ultimately stuck with were both too small. All of the gear was heavily used. The first dive was MISSED on day 1 because no one had gear ready, so that really sucked to be penalized a dive because the boat/crew communication was terrible.
The boat was NOT a 5-star luxury vessel as it is reported to be. The cabins are not soundproofed at all or balanced for vibrations, hand soap was available in the cabins. The food however, was terrific and plentiful but none of our preferences or food needs were effectively communicated at all. Overall the trip was overpriced for the quality of gear and moderate austerity of the boat. The dives themselves were terrific and unique in the world." - Amber Riley, United States, 6 January 2025 ...

"I spent a week on the Galapagos Master, and the experience was fantastic. The crew was very helpful and enjoyable. The equipment on the boat was very well kept." - Sadie Redinger, USA, 18 October 2021 ...

DEPARTURE SCHEDULE & PRICES

MORE TRIP DETAILS

Notes: Galapagos is a popular cruise destination with limited liveaboard spaces. We recommend you book well in advance to avoid disappointment.

Dive experience: A minimum of 50 logged dives is recommended with previous experience of strong currents and a dive certification beyond entry level. A diver with less experience will be able to join a trip but may have to sit out some dives if the divemasters consider sites to be beyond the ability of the diver.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, soft drinks, hot drinks, local brands of alcohol, land tours, transfers to the boat from local airport/hotels on days of arrival and departure, dives (as detailed in the trips above), experienced English-speaking divemaster(s) (4-5 divers per DM), Nautilus Lifelines, tanks, weights and weightbelts, all taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (USD 225 per week), dive computer (USD 60 per week), dive insurance, Galapagos entrance fee USD 200 payable in cash at San Cristobal Airport. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash only).

Optional extras: Alcoholic drinks, nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers - 7 nights - USD 150, torch (USD 12 per day),15 liter tank (USD 12 per day). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival. Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.

How to get there: The Galapagos Master liveaboard departs from San Cristobal. Embarkation is ideally at 1 pm. Airport and local hotel transfers are provided. Guests fly into Ecuador and take a connecting flight, through Guayaquil or Quito, to San Cristobal in the Galapagos islands. Both Guayaquil and Quito have daily flights, although Guayaquil is recommended with cheaper prices and better-timed connections. You will need to overnight in Guayaquil or Quito before flying on to the Galapagos. To ensure easy flight connections to the islands, a 2 night stop-over is recommended.
The last dive of the trip will be at around 11.00 am the day before disembarkation. Check out is at 8:30 am. There will be an opportunity to visit the Interpretation Center in San Cristobal before being transferred to the airport. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving. You will probably need to overnight in Guayaquil or Quito since most international flights depart too early to make the connection possible. The flight from Galapagos arrives in Guayaquil (and then Quito) in the afternoon.
We will place your domestic flight requirements with the liveaboard operator who are responsible for booking the flights. We request your patience with this process since there are often waiting lists and slow confirmations of availability. You must inform us whether you are flying into Guayaquil or Quito before domestic flights can be considered. If you wish to extend your stay in Galapagos to enjoy land tours please decide that early in the booking process to ensure flight availability.
For more details, including airlines, see our Galapagos travel information section.

Non-diver rate: 10% discount.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travelers may choose to share a cabin or pay a supplement of 80% of the published price for their own cabin.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 7 guests and 1 extra person can join the cruise free of charge in the lowest priced cabin (8+ guests).

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 14 guests and 2 extra persons can join free of charge in the lowest priced cabin. With a full charter you may also make use of a Middle deck double bed cabin.

Add-on package: Galapagos is a once-in-a-lifetime destination and the above water creatures and environments are just as impressive as below. You can extend your time in this nature-lovers paradise by adding a 3, 4 or 7 night non-diving liveaboard. Ecoventura conducts nature tours around some of the finest locations in the Galapagos with naturalist guides, literature and presentations. Don't just leave after a week of diving! Get the full picture of the incredible Galapagos islands.

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