We have a few days in LA for some non-
Disneyland activities. I keep coming back to a whale watching trip, but I have some concerns.
First off, does anyone have any preferences ... both in companies and locations? I've found some that go from Dana Point and some from Newport Landing. Obviously drive times are different and prices vary, but is there any advantage of one location over another or is one company better than the other? I know sightings aren't guaranteed and they may not go out if weather is bad.
My other big concern is life jackets. I know all of the boats have to have them for emergency situations, but I was quite concerned that the one company I reached out to said that they aren't available under any other circumstance. So, basically the boat has to be going down for you to get a life jacket. I know these are not small boats, but we've been out on large party boats for fishing, glass bottom boats, and other types of large pleasure cruises/vessels in other states (even Mexico and Canada) and life jackets were always available to anyone who wanted to wear one. My coworkers think I'm overreacting, but we've done a lot of boating activities over the years and I've never been denied a life jacket...especially for a child.
Finally, aside from possible savings, can you think of any advantages to booking in advance? Just thinking we may want to play this by ear, but if sell outs are common, maybe it's worth it.
