Somewhere between spotting blue-footed boobies off the island of Santiago and kayaking with sea turtles through the mangroves of Floreana, travelers on the 100-passenger Silver Origin were telling me the things they’d asked their butlers to do. Among the requests: rearranging a suite for a private cocktail party, delivering ingredients for do-it-yourself Negronis, whisking away bathing suits to be washed and dried, and standing by the hot tub to fill Champagne flutes. It wasn’t the standard shipboard conversation in the rugged Galápagos Islands.
First-time cruiser Jen Wong, 60, a semiretired Oklahoma physician with a passion for birdwatching, found the whole butler thing embarrassing. But his wife, Danielle, 56, liked the pampering. “We’re always willing to sacrifice luxury or comfort to see the birds we want to see,” she says. “In this case it just felt nice to not have to.”
For decades, visitors to the remote volcanic archipelago, protected as the Galápagos National Park, have shown a willingness to book whatever ships and small boats were available, figuring the reason to come here was not modern-day amenities but stuck-in-time wildlife. Now that’s changing. Silver Origin, an all-inclusive and all-suite Silversea Cruises ship, is a significantly more lavish option—for some, dramatically changing the experience of this fragile, bucket-list destination.
This story is from the April 18 - 25, 2022 (Double Issue) edition of Bloomberg Businessweek.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 18 - 25, 2022 (Double Issue) edition of Bloomberg Businessweek.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts
Running in Circles
A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.
How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto
The best restaurant in the world just began its second pop-up in Japan. Here's what's cooking
The Last-Mover Problem
A startup called Sennder is trying to bring an extremely tech-resistant industry into the age of apps
Tick Tock, TikTok
The US thinks the Chinese-owned social media app is a major national security risk. TikTok is running out of ways to avoid a ban
Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria
A UK company produces colors with less water than conventional methods and no toxic chemicals
Pumping Heat in Hamburg
The German port city plans to store hot water underground and bring it up to heat homes in the winter
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment
New Money, New Problems
In Naples, an influx of wealthy is displacing out-of-towners lower-income workers