The Montserrat
The 16 passenger Monserrat is locally owned and operated by and Ecuadorian family with strong Galapagos roots. and is the ship we use for our “natural history workshop” programs. We consider it as among the highest end “tourist superior” ships out there, for its relative spaciousness (designed for 20 guests, but carrying only 16) and comfortable cabins. This configuration provides added flexibility for families and solo travellers. One of the rooms is a triple (a bunk and an extra bed).
The Monserrat offers a smart dining area with individual tables seating four, a simple but well appointed “drinks station”, social area/lounge for evening presentations and informal gatherings, and several outdoor decks for ocean observation, sunbathing and al fresco dining.
Specifications
The Monserrat has 7 twin cabins and 3 double bed cabins located in the lower and upper decks of the yacht. All cabins have a private bathroom and air conditioning. The 6 upper deck cabins all have windows while our 4 lower deck cabins have portholes with great interior natural light. All our rooms include ensuite bathrooms with hairdryers and necessary toiletries.
Constructed in 2005 and extensively refurbished in 2023, the Monserrat is 91 foot (28 metre) and accommodates 16 guests in 10 cabins. On-board instrumentation includes satellite navigation, radar, sonar, single sideband radio, and cellular phone.
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The Guides
This is the best way to experience the flora, fauna, and sea life of the Galapagos! Small ship with world class chefs, exceptionally knowledgeable and patient guides, attentive, friendly, and helpful staff. All the way around, the Monserrat was excellent! We feel so fortunate to have had Javier Picaza as our guide for the entire cruise! We’re impressed with his knowledge, his ability to articulate what he knows about the flora, fauna, sea life, and geology of the Galapagos, his patience and sense of humor, his ability to find animals on land and in the sea and to explain their behaviors… Todos! He made this trip incredible. We’ll never forget it!
Onboard Services
The Monserrat provides full wetsuits free of charge – snorkel, mask and fins. Guests are encouraged to use them, not only for protection from waters considered cool by some, but also from UV rays, thus reducing the need to use sunblock in the sea. The ship has a laptop computer to transfer or backup your pictures. We recommend you bring memory sticks or blank CDs for this purpose. The Monserrat also carries 6 kayaks, along with 2 paddle boards for guests enjoyment. Internet service is available and of fairly good quality on the Monserrat. Another advantage of the Monserrat is its large zodiacs. They’re extra large – built to carry 12 passengers (10 guests, a guide and a zodiac driver), we’ll have a maximum 10 people on board – meaning a greater ease of moving about on the zodiac, swinging any camera gear around as you try to get that nice shot, and overall greater comfort. They are also more stable at beach landings.
The Crew
The Monserrat carries a crew of 9, including the captain, first mate, engineer, 2 sailors, 2 cooks, a waiter / cabin steward, and a university-level Naturalist Guide.
A once-in-a-lifetime experience with a great crew! “We had such an amazing experience on the cruise visiting each island with the naturalists. Getting information on all the plants and animals was amazing. The ship crew took such excellent care of us. Every meal was so wonderful and we were always greeted with fruit juice or cocoa after snorkeling. It was the small details that really made it feel so special and not just like a job to them.”
C.B