Due to the increasing volcanic activity that the Cotopaxi Volcano had in August 2015, the Cotopaxi National Park was closed to any touristic activity. But, on August 5th 2016,  the Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Tourism announced the reopening of the National Park. They also informed that the accessing routes and touristic attractions in the park are safe for the incoming tourists. 90% of the areas that had been restricted to the public are now open, along with improved monitoring and safety measures that have been implemented.

What is the best Galapagos cruise or tour? Well that's a very subjective topic. For instance if you look at hotel ratings on Tripadvisor, sometimes 3* hotels are rated higher than 5* hotels. But people who normally stay in 3* hotels because of price couldn't compare it to a 5* hotel. So maybe the 3* they stayed in was excellent, compared to other 3* hotels they've stayed in, but if someone who normally stays in 5* hotels went there, they might not rate it as high. I would think that the same would apply to the 69 boats that are authorized to operate there.

But there are other things to consider besides looks.....