21/01/2022
Happy clients, Happy life!
Top 5 things I've done with my family EVER.
Review of Rock Star Sailor Private Charters & Sailing School
Reviewed 5 days ago
SHAME ON ME! We have been "home" for nearly a month, and not only do I still not have pictures set up to share, I haven't reviewed our experience with Rick and Javier.
First, in case you're one of these "tweeters" that can't read past 4 sentences... BOOK IT AND GO. You won't regret it. I don't care if you go single and pay for the 6 passenger minimum, you won't regret it.
Now, real review:
My oldest daughter's first trip was to Hawaii when she was an infant, 16 years ago. We travel. We decided a number of years ago to forgo gifts and "stuff" on holidays and instead spend those dollars on life changing memories and time together seeing and experiencing things as a family. Now, with two teen girls...my kids have seen at least six countries, a huge part of the US, and we still have big plans.
My kids have spent WEEKS in Ecuador (real Ecuador, not some silly Galapagos tour or hanging out in coffee shops in Cuenca) We've been (thanks Avianca!) stranded in many new and different South American countries overnight or longer, and seen things we never thought we'd see.
So we're not travel rookies, but excitement sometimes means risk and last minute changes...and this was the best last minute change EVER!
We had a "whale tour" set up through a third party. 2 days before our fun, we were notified by the tour operator that they were out of business. We looked into another local option, where it looked like us and 50 of our closest friends could climb on a giant boat and maybe go harass the whales...not my jam. I just wanted to be out there and be peaceful with my family.
Enter Rock Star and Rick and Javier. Somehow, by the grace of God, probably, I did a last minute booking to charter his boat and crew for just my family of four. My wife and I talked about it, and even though (I get it...these things don't run for free) we had to pay for 6 people minimum, we decided we wanted a private time, and this sounded perfect.
Perfect it was. Javi found whales almost instantly, and we spent a great deal of time just cruising along letting the whales be whales. My wife and kids were mesmerized. The only negative was the "group" tours and a couple idiots in fishing boats chasing and harassing the whales, so they'd go underwater and disappear for a while.
Rick and Javi were like the whale whisperers though...they'd head in a direction opposite the other boats, and moments later, "our" whales would be back.
In short, honestly, Rick completely F'd up my life experience of wanting to see whales, because he made it perfect our first time out.
THEN we sailed into the cove and swam. THEN we had some of the best food we had the entire time in La Cruz. We aren't big consumers of alcohol, but Rick's signature sangria was great, and definitely worth at least a small imbibe as you watch the sun set.
I'd give the trip about a 14/10, and despite being one of the most expensive things I've ever done with my family, it was also one of the most memorable. Next time I hope to take some family with us, and with the cost spread out, it would be so reasonable it would be stupid not to do it again. And again. And again.
