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Costa Rica Cruise Reviews: Pacific Explorer

June 2005

This past summer, I had the amazing opportunity to sail with Cruise West on the Pacific Explorer to Costa Rica. My family and I experienced the tropical beauty of this fascinating country, ranging from rugged mountains and beautiful beaches to spectacular rainforests and remote villages. Our onboard naturalists shared their vast knowledge of the region and led guests on daily walks, ranging in length and activity level to accommodate everyone. My children were thrilled with sightings of exotic birds and wildlife such as scarlet macaws, howler monkeys, and sloths while learning to better understand the importance of preserving our environment. Costa Rica’s enlightened approach to conservation ensures that their jungles, coastlines, and cloud forests are preserved to protect the exotic birds, animals and marine life that live there - this matches perfectly with Cruise West’s commitment to providing an eco-friendly style of cruising.

While enjoying the intimate yet casual setting of our small ship, we made many new friends with similar interests and tastes. As we sailed from place to place, we felt as if we had a front-row seat for experiencing this enchanting country, and were free from crowds and other tourists. We had the opportunity to truly experience Costa Rica – in an up close, casual, and personal way.

• Up Close experiences in out of the ordinary ports of call – including Caletas Beach, Tortuga Island, Curu Wildlife Reguge, Drake Bay, Cano Island, and Manual Antonio National Park
• Eco-friendly emphasis - special stops like Cana Blanca, where Cruise West is the only ship welcomed.
• Exotic birds and wildlife – Howler monkeys were just one of three different species we photographed, along with crocodiles, iguanas, cayman, sloths, kiramondi, and pilot whales. We also saw many different species of birds including Scarlet Macaws.
• Rainforest exploration – hike and explore the rainforests or take a treetop canopy tour.
• Fabulous food – from informal dinners and superb beach barbeques to Latin fiestas. The food is fantastic, and there is something for everyone’s taste. For those who want to try something new or prefer to go with dishes that they know and love – you won’t be disappointed. And don’t forget to enjoy the ice cream, some of the best I’ve ever tasted!

Regards,
Hope