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Free whale watching vs. Ritz-Carlton whale watching

I’ve always thought that the best whale watching came from taking a boat out and getting up close and personal with the sea giants. But the memories that surface are the sounds of friends getting seasick and trying to contain my own fragile stomach.

I’ll admit that was a long time ago and I’d definitely try it again, but I was thrilled to read Los Angeles Times staff writer Hugo Martín’s article about California whale watching spots for landlubbers. [Click the thumbnail above for a full photo gallery.]
Deal or no deal? Martín’s Top 10 sites are mostly free, with a few exceptions. The most expensive location charged $8 per car to enter a state park in Monterey County. On the other side of the spectrum is a totally luxe whale-watching experience with the Ritz-Carlton.

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel offers a whale-watching package through the migration season with ocean-view rooms starting at $759/per night (including taxes). This includes accommodations, continental breakfast for two in the oceanfront Restaurant 162, resort fee, parking and, of course, a 2½-hour Whale and Dolphin Safari for two.

Tip: Try going during the Dana Point Festival of Whales on March 1, 2, 8 and 9, 2008. When I called the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, there were ocean-view whale-watching packages available for all of the festival dates.

When: Through April 30, 2008

Contact: The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, (800) 241-3333

— Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel Deal Blogger

[Photo: Alan Solomon / Chicago Tribune]

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 20, 2008 at 8:48 am by Jen Leo and is filed under California, Family & Kids, Islands & Beaches, Luxury Travel, Outdoors & Adventure, Spring, Weekend Getaways. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.