We did the Loreto to La Paz cruise aboard the Westward in December 2018 - January 2019, with a 2-day rock art trip before the cruise. It was an excellent trip, with a well-maintained, comfortable, beautiful ship and a wonderful crew. A local resident in Loreto recommended the ship. Everything was wonderful!
[I most enjoyed the] rock art: the great mural site is gorgeous, both the hike to it and the images. Swimming with whale sharks: we had an unusually good experience, the sharks are really impressive; snorkeling over schools of sardines and colorful fish; some gorgeous hikes. We did a number of hikes, three or four kayak trips, and three snorkel excursions (fish watching; swim with young sea lions; swim with whale sharks in the La Paz harbor). Hike lengths were up to about 2 miles, on good trails. An advantage of a small boat is that it can anchor quite close to shore, so kayak trips and skiff trips to the beach are shorter.
The boat has snorkel gear and shorty wet suits (with shoulders; if you buy your own, shoulders help keep you warm). You typically spend 2 to 4 hours off the ship during a day; the Westward has an excellent library of several hundred books (field guides, natural history, history, adventure, travel, fiction) covering Baja, Alaska, and the Pacific Northwest (if you like to read, you'll find lots to choose from).
Accommodations Review
Staterooms on the Westward are comfortable; choice does not matter much (we spent little time in them except for sleeping or resting). The enclosed fantail is a great place to watch the scenery. The mid-ship parlor is also very comfortable.
Meals Review
Tracie does an excellent job accommodating dietary needs (we had one pescatarian; most dinners had fish appetizer or soup and main course), but needs details in advance. Portions are moderate and satisfying (not huge). Excellent use of fresh produce and fish. We tend to eat much more simply; I enjoyed the fine cuisine, but my wife would have preferred a simpler cuisine.
Traveler Advice
There is no wi-fi availability for almost the entire trip, so be prepared to enjoy not being connected! We liked the north-to-south trip, as highlights of the trip (swim with sea lions and whale sharks) came at the end.
Crew & Guides Review
Captain Bill is warm, friendly, interesting, and does everything he can to ensure that passengers have a great experience. Chef Tracie is a talented cook, with many years of experience (some in outstanding restaurants), who prepares excellent food, including 3-course dinners, nicely presented, with wine pairings. Our naturalist guide Carlos was born and raised in La Paz, speaks excellent English, and knows the fauna and flora very well. He was exceptionally helpful to my wife, who is less mobile than were the other guests. He also prepared a video with highlights of still photos and videos, distributed to guests as we left. Carlos is exceptionally knowledgeable, good humored, helpful. The thumb drive he gave us has a really wonderful selection of photos and videos (he uses an underwater go-pro, so there are great videos of schools of fish, seal lions, whale sharks).
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