| Rating |
Date Attended [v] |
Reviewer |
Gender |
Age |
Where From? |
Group Type? |
|
We had a gorgeous day and a great time.
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| Fri, May 16, 08 1:30 PM |
beckyjacobs |
Female |
60-69 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family Without Children |
| We saw two dolphins on our way out of the harbor and then later several whales at a distance. One humpback whale was backstroking for quite awhile within our viewing distance. Another one kept showing us his tail. We had a fun time. A wind breaker was important for the outer part of the trip. Those who didn't have them stayed inside and missed some good viewing. |
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Lucked out on terrific weather conditions
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| Fri, May 16, 08 10:00 AM |
IanKnowles |
Male |
60-69 |
Local |
Family With Children |
| Our trip was on a hot day on land with little wind so the waves were relatively calm. Conditions like this make the travelling over the water a breeze. Choose carefully when to go if you can. The 10 AM sailing is most likely to be the best conditions of the day. The whales were plentiful but i was hoping for a bit closer approach. Photo opportunities are brief and a good telephoto lens is very necessary so I recommend just scanning the water surface and be ready to find where the next water spout happens and take in the sight. The 2 1/2 trip is plenty of time to get your fill of observing these awesome creatures in their natural setting. |
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Exciting!
|
| Wed, May 14, 08 1:30 PM |
Otilia |
Female |
70+ |
Unspecified |
Unspecified |
| My husband and I enjoyed the whale watching cruise very much. We were lucky to have beautiful weather and we got to see a number of whales - water spraying from their blow-hole and then their huge fins coming up out of the water as they dove down - just like we have seen on television! |
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Monterey Bay Whale Watching
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| Wed, May 14, 08 1:30 PM |
kingknox |
Male |
20-29 |
Local |
Other |
| Great tour, saw so many whales that by the end we were almost jaded!
Make sure to bring a jacket, it can get cold even on 'warm' days in Monterey. |
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|
Wonderful Trip
|
| Wed, May 14, 08 10:00 AM |
jackson69 |
Female |
40-49 |
Local |
Group of Friends |
| My husband and I brought our Uncle from England on this cruise. We all had a wonderful time. We saw humpback whales and also killer Orka whales. The captain and marine biologist were so helpful explaining the behavior of the whales. The deck hand made sure we were comfortable and if we needed anything he was real helpful. I would highly recommend The Princess Monterey Whale Watching Cruise. |
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Great naturalist, rough seas
|
| Mon, May 12, 08 10:00 AM |
zeboshoes |
Female |
40-49 |
Local |
Family With Children |
| This trip to watch humpback whales was mildly successful. Weather seemed very good. There was no wind in the harbor but out in the observation area, swells were to 10 feet. The captain did a great job negotiating the swells, but once we got to where the 2 whales were, we were all very cold and many were sick. The whales we saw had just recently fed, and so were not very active. I just saw bits of backs (and I am a seasoned whale watcher).
I have been out with Princess Monterey before when it has been calmer on the water and the trip was much better. Their naturalist is very knowledgeable as well as enthusiastic and funny.
I would recommend that you check the weather forecast in the morning and find out the sea conditions before deciding on a trip. For me this trip was a waste of money because I was too sick to enjoy the whales the few whales I saw and the seas were too rough to find more. |
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|
Whale watching - provide vomit supression pills on
|
| Sun, May 11, 08 1:30 PM |
ktpadma |
Female |
20-29 |
Local |
Family Without Children |
| Hi,
I saw lot of people were struck with motion sickness.It will be great if you provide any other alternates like vomit supression pills and lemons on board rather than just giving paper napkins.Becoz if motion sickness strucks the passengers then they really lose the enjoyment in watching the whales |
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|
Special Experience
|
| Sun, May 11, 08 10:00 AM |
BirdGoddess |
Female |
40-49 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Group of Friends |
| Our guide, Katherine, was enthusiastic, funny and very knowledgeable.
We caught regular glimpses of a mother humpback whale and her calf. We also saw a seal deliberately showing off and annoying the mother humpback.
I'm glad I booked the 2.5 hour trip, as the ocean was very rough and it was very cold. (Even with a fleece hoodie, 2 layers of shirts, a bandana and a cap, I still could have used additional ear protection and lightweight gloves.) Also, our legs became very fatigued from all the standing and absorbing the shock of the waves. A four hour trip would have been too much. |
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Personal Preference
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| Sun, May 11, 08 10:00 AM |
SMAnsari |
Male |
40-49 |
Local |
Family Without Children |
| Been on 3 different whale watching excursions in Monterey and this one is our favorite.
Personal touch, very friendly and warm...More than anything else, however, very professional from the captain down to the galley worker.
The volunteer guide they had on board was very knowledgeable and friendly.
Captain even made it a point to pick up debris from the water so as to preserve the ecosystem...Always nice to see a business caring about the environment, particularly one that actually caters to it.
And the sea life, of course....I can't imagine the excursions on the different boats are all that much different in that we all end up near one another when we're at sea anyway...I believe we saw more humpback whales on this 4 1/2 hour trip than I did the entire time in Kauai last year...Very impressive.
I think the experience then ends up distinguishing one from the other...Personally, I found the Princess Co. was quite professional, informative and warm.
Only suggestion would be that 'sea legs' are important to consider otherwise it can be a miserable experience...I guesstimated before our departure that no less than 6 people would lose it before the trip was over (Hate being right, 6 'lost it')...Makes the rest of the trip pretty painful, I'd imagine...And remember, this isn't going out on the lake with the family boat, this is the ocean...Waves are a part of it and it'll rock pretty good for a lonnnng time....Plus, prepare for the elements...Dress warmly even on a day that you believe will be warm enough...The wind alone will make it colder and if you aren't properly dressed, you'll spend most of your time in the interior of the boat and miss out on everything...Bring some snacks with you or water as it's only minimal concessions on board. |
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Really fun trip. Great humpback sightings!
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| Sat, May 10, 08 1:30 PM |
Kelley62 |
Female |
40-49 |
Local |
Family Without Children |
| Recommend sea sick pills- I didn't think it would be too rough being inside the bay.....was a calm day, but still had swells and got somewhat sick ( my own fault for not taking medicine). Otherwise, a great trip and wonderful biologist narrator. |
