Sea Bird to Baja Whale Watch

[Tyler919]

We are doing this adventure in Feb. '11, and would love any inputs on either the trip or the ship. We have sailed on Endeavor in Galapagos and found it to be a great experience. I know this ship is smaller, and would love to hear comments.

[rafinmd]

I'm not sure how much help I can be, but I'll give it a try. I sailed the Sea Bird in 2001 on the Columbia River. The ship is based on the design of American Canadian Caribbean Lines 2nd generation ships, and I have sailed with ACCL (now Blount Small Ship Adventures) many times. My first ACCL cruise was through the Erie Canal on the Caribbean Prince, the ship most like the Sea Bird. The base layout was created for the Canal and it's 20-foot bridge clearance but the implications have been somewhat mitigated in the Sea Bird.

Be prepared for the cabins to be TINY. My cabin (which is no longer offered for sale) was about 8x9 feet, but it is very well laid out. From what I see of the deck plan, most of the cabins are about this size, with the category 3 cabins perhaps 50% larger.

The dining room should be quite spacious. It was originally designed for about 90 passengers and the ship now seems to be configred for about 2/3 of that. Seating was (and still appears to be) open each meal which I found ideal, with that few there is a chance to share a meal or more with most every one on board.

Ceilings will be low (remember the 20-food bridges) which could be awkward if you're really tall. I would not expect elevators. New ACCL ships have stair chairs, they may or may not have been added to Sea Bird.

We had a chance for some whale watching from the Caribbean Prince at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Saguenay rivers. It was some of the best whale watching I've ever done. The open decks, low to water are a perfect vantage point for great whale watching. I'm sorry I can't be more current but hope this helps some.

Roy

[hrprof]

We have been on the Sea Bird/Lion on a number of itineraries, including the "Whales". The accomodations are a tad spartan, including the Bathroom/shower adventure (labelled by some as "camping at sea"). But, the experience is memorable - being able to reach out and touch these magnificent creatures is something you won't forget. As always, the staff and the Lindblad approach (go where the action is) is what matters. There are no elevators, but the stairs are not a challenge to mobility. Dining choices and format are similar to Endeavour - lounge and bar arrangement are quite comfortable. You can expect a beach BBQ during the trip.

Ted

[Tyler919]

What fabulous replys! Thank you for taking the time, both of you. We have a Category 3 cabin (217) so at least will be as large as can be for us. We sail Feb 26th and are quite excited to be back with Lindblad/NG.

[hrprof]

Originally Posted by Tyler919

What fabulous replys! Thank you for taking the time, both of you. We have a Category 3 cabin (217) so at least will be as large as can be for us. We sail Feb 26th and are quite excited to be back with Lindblad/NG.

While Regent it is not, 217 will provide a bit more maneuvering room in the cabin. We have always stayed in 105. Will be taking 2 Grandsons to Alaska next year and have switched to 104 and 106. We envy your 2/26 trip - we did it in February of 2002, while the 9/11 turmoil was still lashing around.

[cruiserjohntoo]

Originally Posted by Tyler919

We are doing this adventure in Feb. '11, and would love any inputs on either the trip or the ship. We have sailed on Endeavor in Galapagos and found it to be a great experience. I know this ship is smaller, and would love to hear comments.

We have been whale watching with Lindblad five times either on the Sea Lion or the Sea Bird. They are identical ships. The cabins are small, the bathrooms/shower even smaller. Not withstanding the cabins being small they are well designed and adequate. Four of the trips were fantastic. On two of the trips we got to pet the baby Gray Whale. On these trips we have seen a number of species of whales, Gray, Humpback, Fin, Sperm, Blue and Pilot whales. On one trip we saw a large school of manta rays. You usually go swimming with the sea lions at one location in the gulf of Mexico. They also have hikes on the various island. On one hike we discovered nesting Hummingbirds.

John

[cruisindoggie]

Awsome