During our lost day when we were given nothing to do, we found an internet cafe and e-mailed the agency who sold us the trip, letting them know that between the non-disclosure about the tubs and the lack of hot water that we expected some sort of refund. Amazingly, the next day (day 5 of our trip) the hot water jumped to the 110sF. We later learned that the captain had never been made aware of our initial complaint, and that our e-mail to the agency prompted a call to the ship operator and subsequent radio to the ship. Should something be amiss, make sure the captain is made aware of it, even if it seems like the person with whom you are speaking (like the chief engineer) has the authority to attend to the problem. Apparently the captain is the guy who can actually get things done and he was clearly very upset that he had not been informed of the issue at first and that we had suffered discomfort as a result. Our trip would have been tremendously more enjoyable if this had been taken care of on day 1 rather than day 5 of our 7 day trip.
As small ships go, this catamaran was quite stable and the waters of the central Galapagos it travels were very benign. Even so, almost all the passengers seemed to need sea-sickness medications, so don't leave home without them and don't forget to start taking them before the ship pulls anchor. Such medications are nowhere near as effective after motion illness has set in. Another item to be sure to bring are good shoes for wet landings. You have to jump out of the zodiacs into up to knee deep water then walk over lava trails. I highly recommend closed-toed Teva's (they protect your toes from the sharp lava on the trails, are comfortable, and have no problem getting wet). Excellent sun protection is a must. The Galapagos straddle the equator (although with the Millennium's itinerary you don't cross the equator, some other ships do), so the sun is very intense and there is essentially no shade. Lightweight, but long sleeve clothing, is excellent to prevent overheating and sun burn.
The advertisements for the cruise talk about on-board wetsuit rental. We brought our own wet suits and snorkel gear. No one got a wetsuit from the ship while we were there; I don't know that anyone asked, but they were never offered and were not apparent. Both for sun protection and to extend your snorkeling time by preventing getting too cold, wetsuits are highly recommended. You can rent wetsuits in shops before leaving port. The on board snorkel gear garnered all sorts of complaints. Again, this is something you can rent before leaving port for a few dollars and make sure it fits, is comfortable, and works. Once you are onboard away from port, there aren't other options than what the ship provides. The underwater world of the Galapagos is really incredible and shouldn't be missed for discomfort that could be solved with more or better gear.
I think due to some sort of miscommunication with the office, they did not expect us and therefore did not change the sheets and towels in our room prior to our arrival (all sorts of stains, pilling, and hair on the sheets, plus gum embedded in the bath towels and no quilt). It seems they can only pick up fresh ones in San Cristobal, and once we left there, we had nice new-ish sheets rather than the uncomfortably rough and somewhat disgustingly fouled ones we endured the prior nights.
This cruise is not for people with severe mobility issues. All transfers to and from the ship (including in port) are done by zodiac to a swim step on the rear of the ship. Rough lava and lava boulder terrain make up most the trails and footing definitely can present a challenge. Dining on this ship would be very difficult if one were not comfortable scooting all the way around a narrow, round table at every meal (or sitting in a chair on a very tilted floor).
The ship operator let us know that they do not view the absence of hot water, lack of touring for a day, unchanged linens, overworked guide, or other issues described here as being problematic enough to warrant any sort of refund. That they do not see a problem is, in my mind, the biggest red flag against recommending taking a cruise with them. The poor itinerary is a very, very close second. Hopefully the issues we had with the guide were limited to our one week on board (guides are supposed to be two weeks on, two weeks off, certainly not 6 weeks straight. Apparently illness of the other guide prompted our guide's extended duty). Hopefully the hot water issues are now resolved and behind them.
The Millennium is a spacious ship with a very kind attentive crew. However, there are no working tubs nor internet, no matter what advertisements may say. The itinerary problems are built in, and the operator even insists that it is simply expected to lose a day of one's week in the Galapagos to airport transfers for other people midway through a stay. So, if I had this to do again, I would certainly look for a different ship, and would even consider a shore based visit. For some people, I could imagine these shortcomings are not so problematic, and, the Millenium's space and excellent attentiveness of the crew might make it a good fit. It was definitely not for us.
