What does a Galapagos diving liveaboard cost?
Galapagos Sky publishes 2027 shared-cabin rates of US$7,495 per person for seven nights in Deluxe and US$8,890 for ten nights. For a foreign adult paying the standard US$200 park entry, add the operator-listed US$20 transit card and US$35 chamber fee: US$7,750 or US$9,145 before flights, insurance, equipment rental and discretionary tips. These are one named vessel’s published rates, not a claimed cheapest fare or a market-wide average.
The longer Deluxe trip costs US$1,395 more in cruise fare for three extra nights. It is cheaper per night, but requires a larger total budget and more time away. Compare the actual northern-island diving days as well as the cabin price.
2027 shared-cabin rates, normalised by nights
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| Your decision | Seven nights / eight days | Ten nights / eleven days |
|---|---|---|
| Deluxe, per person | US$7,495 | US$8,890 |
| Deluxe, cruise fare per night | US$1,070.71 | US$889.00 |
| Master, per person | US$7,795 | US$9,290 |
| Master, cruise fare per night | US$1,113.57 | US$929.00 |
| Deluxe plus US$255 listed extras | US$7,750 | US$9,145 |
| Master plus US$255 listed extras | US$8,050 | US$9,545 |
How to read those figures
The rate table covers departures from 1 January to 31 December 2027, per person in shared accommodation. Cost per night is cruise fare divided by seven or ten nights, rounded to cents; it is not a cost per dive. The US$255 addition uses the standard foreign-adult park category, not discounted resident or CAN/Mercosur categories. Rates were checked on 25 October 2026 and are not a live cabin quote.
The operator lists the same base cruise fares for 2026, but higher rates for 2028 and 2029. Do not apply the 2027 calculation to a later departure. A Master cabin adds US$300 on the seven-night trip or US$400 on the ten-night trip; that cabin upgrade does not buy a different route.
Park entry, transit card and chamber fee are different charges
The Galapagos governing council lists US$200 entry for international visitors over 12 in the standard category, with lower rates for specified other categories. Galapagos Sky separately lists the US$20 Transit Control Card (TCT) and a mandatory US$35 hyperbaric chamber contribution. That contribution supports the chamber; it does not pay for treatment or replace dive-accident insurance. The operator says it collects the chamber fee in advance, not onboard.
The cruise subtotal already includes Nitrox, meals and snacks, standard beverages, a 12-litre tank, weights and belt, dive-guide services and island airport-to-dock transfers on cruise departure dates. Do not add a second Nitrox package or assume these transfers include mainland Ecuador hotels or international airport journeys.
Worked seven-night Deluxe budget for one sharing adult
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| Your decision | Amount in US dollars | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise fare | 7,495.00 | 2027 Deluxe shared rate |
| Park entry | 200.00 | Standard international adult category |
| Transit card | 20.00 | Operator-listed TCT |
| Chamber contribution | 35.00 | Mandatory operator-listed contribution |
| Cruise and listed extras subtotal | 7,750.00 | Still excludes travel and insurance |
| Optional full gear rental | 250.00 | Seven nights; computer excluded |
| Optional computer rental | 75.00 | Seven-night separate rental |
| Subtotal with those rentals | 8,075.00 | Not a complete door-to-door price |
| Illustrative discretionary tip | 749.50 | Operator suggestion of 10% of cruise fare |
| Subtotal including suggested tip | 8,824.50 | Flights, hotels and insurance still additional |
What equipment and guiding add
Galapagos Sky lists US$250 for seven-night full gear rental, excluding a computer; a computer is US$75 separately. For ten nights, the corresponding amounts are US$360 and US$110. Bring your own hood, gloves and thermal layers: these are not items the operator promises to rent. Reserve sizes before travel rather than treating a published price as proof of stock.
A private dive guide is listed at US$1,950 for seven nights or US$2,800 for ten, subject to availability and advance arrangement. The FAQ says a diver without Nitrox certification will be required to hire a private guide; Nitrox certification is therefore a budget issue as well as a programme requirement. Paying for a guide does not establish that a diver is accepted or medically fit. The operator must assess an underqualified diver before a non-refundable booking.
Solo occupancy can cost more than extending the trip
A shared Deluxe berth is different from buying a private cabin. Galapagos Sky lists an 85% single supplement from December to May and 100% from June to November; group bookings and full charters use 100% regardless of cabin type. Applying those individual-booking supplements to the 2027 seven-night Deluxe base gives US$13,865.75 or US$14,990 for cruise accommodation alone. Personal fees and other travel costs remain additional.
Solo guests may share Deluxe with another guest of the same gender. The operator restricts shared Master bookings while Deluxe cabins remain available and describes a possible last-minute upgrade, not a guaranteed Master shared berth. Choose privacy deliberately: its extra cost can exceed the US$1,395 base-fare difference between the seven- and ten-night Deluxe trips.
Add flights and insurance without inventing an all-in fare
The advertised cruise does not include international flights to Quito or Guayaquil, the domestic flight to the islands, dive-accident insurance or cancellation cover. Price the actual arrival and departure airports for your programme: the seven- and ten-night routes do not necessarily use the same island airport pair. Add mainland nights, airport transfers and baggage charges from your own flight quote. The airline’s baggage allowance must cover the equipment you actually carry.
Do not treat the FAQ’s undated example airfares as a guaranteed 2027 ticket. Use a dated ticket quote, and keep its validity separate from the cruise rate. Dive-accident insurance is required by Galapagos Sky; a chamber contribution or generic travel policy is not evidence that evacuation and diving treatment are covered.
For direct individual bookings, the operator lists a US$1,000 seven-night or US$1,200 ten-night deposit, with final payment 120 days before departure. The deposit forms part of the fare, not an extra fee. Its published cancellation terms are restrictive and differ from group or agent bookings. Read the applicable contract before paying; a discounted fare is not a saving if it is the wrong airport, cabin occupancy or cancellation basis.