MV Evolution

MV Evolution is a Galapagos-based yacht cruise ship and an expedition vessel built in Japan. The ship offers 7-night itineraries in the Galapagos Islands. The shipowner - Quasar Expeditions company - also owns the Galapagos yacht, MY Grace.

A lot of Galapagos cruises avoid long navigations to save costs, but the Evolution yacht visits even the most remote islands. Among these is Genovesa (aka "Tower Island"), situated far north on the archipelago. A visit to this beautiful “Island of Birds” allows enjoying the variety of bird life which inhabits the partially submerged volcano. MV Evolution cruises on 7-night / 8-day roundtrip itineraries leaving from San Cristobal Island and Baltra Island.

The boat meets all international safety standards for a Galapagos cruise ship. It is International Safety Management (ISM) certified and equipped with an emergency alarm system, three emergency life rafts for 26 passengers each, emergency life vests, PA system, fog horns, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and sprinkler system. All emergency equipment on mv Evolution is SOLAS certified. The yacht carries 2 zodiacs (dingies/pangas) for 16 passengers each and 1 zodiac for 12 passengers for day to day activities.

Cabins

The 655-ton, 32-passenger ship offers 4 suites, 8 premium staterooms and 6 deluxe staterooms, all of which with private en-suite bathrooms. With one cruise director, one doctor, two naturalist guides and 18 crew members, sailings are 54 people on board at maximum.

Shipboard facilities

MV Evolution passengers can benefit from a common lounge with bar and facilities for films, slideshows and lectures. The sky lounge located on the Albatross deck offers another bar as well as plenty of room for relaxation with a nice view. The ship has 4 decks - Albatross, main deck/Beagle, Cormorant and Dolphin. Passengers will find a Jacuzzi, lounge chairs for sunbathing and generous outside deck space at the bow of the Evolution yacht. Alfresco and inside dining areas are available on board. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are buffet style affairs.

For families, mv Evolution's Kids Club arranges activities like movie nights and star-gazing. Child-oriented guides keep kids' expedition journals and offer tailored learning activities. A PlayStation console is found in the library plus a wide range of movies and board games for children. Kids' menus are served during family-themed voyages.

Ship's "open bridge" policy allows passengers to visit the Wheelhouse and meet the Captain/crew on duty and learn about the vessel's operation and navigation equipment. Each day, naturalist guides give briefings and port talks on scheduled events and about the human and natural history of Galapagos Islands.