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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pandachris" data-source="post: 1851128" data-attributes="member: 29914">August mini-cruises are finally on sale (I've been checking most weeks for months). We've booked for the sailing on 29th from Portsmouth, hoping to see a few more birds than last time.I haven't shelled out for the CoW escorted trip, but we've seen an adequate amount of stuff on both our excursions. As Farnboro John says, you won't miss much of consequence. Also there's a fair chance that there will be plenty of birders and whale watchers on the 'pleb' deck and some of them are pretty good at spotting stuff. Also, not everything appears in front of the boat. We saw some Minke's and Cuvier's that passed astern that would almost have been invisible to people in the observation "lounge".Costs are about £84 pp for the return crossing. On top of that you'll need some food. If you want to use the restaurants, then it was possible to buy vouchers in advance last year and in 2007 and get a 10% discount. Think they were £75 pp (before the discount) which entitled you two three breakfasts and three evening meals in the mid-range restaurant (there's a cheaper one and a Langham's).If you can travel mid-week they have themed trips that are cheaper - about £40 return for the Comedy Cruise. I imagine that there will be less birders/cetacean spotters on mid-week crossings, which might be a blessing or a curse dependent upon your PoV. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />BTW - I don't mind being described as a birder (albeit not a very good one) but presumably cetacean watchers are not to keen on being called whalers. Is there a suitable terminology?</blockquote>

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