RKBA

@iamtrustworthy If I'm interpreting your answer right, that means @luv4cruises would be covered IF the U.S. State Dept. issues a Level 4 travel advisory and they wanted to cancel?

Two weeks ago I went to the Dallas Safari Club annual expo just to do binocular research. I visited several manufacturers' booths and spoke with several safari guides to get their recommendations. Every one of them said that if money was no object, Swarovski made the best binoculars. Most recommended Vortex as their second choice, with a couple of Leica and one Leupold Gold Ring (which from rifle scopes I know to ignore anything not in their Gold Ring line, and even then you can typically get better glass for the price).

I tried out various Leica, Vortex, and Swarovski models. I went back and forth multiple times to get repeatedly comparisons, so I wouldn't be biased by whichever one I had last looked through. This was inside a well-lit exhibition hall, so I was not able to compare low light performance. The dealers were all offering 10% below their minimum advertised price, so basically 10% below the cheapest online price I could find. Any prices I mention below include this discount.

The Swarovski NL Pure line was absolutely the best, and priced accordingly. $3099 (no show discount on these) for the 10x42, but also the easiest to hold. The sales rep had said they improved the ergonomics, and it showed. Something about the way the thumb rests forced me to hold them made them completely stable. There was no fatigue or shaking from holding them for a couple minutes. I could not tell a difference in image quality when comparing them to their next model down (the EL line) but the sales rep mentioned I would only see the improvement during the 15-20 minute window at dusk and dawn. But $3k+ was hard to swallow vs just over $2k (show price) for the EL line. So I couldn't justify spending an extra $1k for ergonomics improvements, and ruled out the Pure based on cost alone.

The Leica's I tried were 8x32 and very lightweight. Excellent image quality, but also $2k show price. Being 8x32 they had less magnification and a slightly smaller field of view, but for viewing from a moving platform that might be enough. And they were light enough that carrying them all day would be simple. They were definitely in the running with the heavier Swarovski's, although if I decided to spend $2k I think I would have opted for the Swarovski's for the slightly better image quality and the better warranty (see below).

As for Vortex, I tried the Diamondback ($200-ish show price), the Viper HD ($450), Razor HD ($900), and the Razor UHD ($1350).  There was a noticeable improvement from the Diamondback to the Viper, and from the Viper to the Razor HD. From the Razor HD to the UHD, I couldn't see any  real difference. This rep also said that the difference would only be noticeable in very low light. I considered paying the extra $450 for the UHD, but ultimately decided against it as the weight of the UHD was 33% greater than that of the HD model (32.2 vs 24.2 ounces). I also compared the 8x42 and 10x42 models in the two Razor lines. It was $20 less to go with the 8x model so no big savings there. I decided I would rather have the extra magnification and don't see the shaking being much of a problem on a large cruise ship. I've used cheap 10x binoculars from the ship's balcony before without any real problems.

Warranty comparison:

Swarovski said they would warranty them for any reason, for life, and specifically mentioned free replacements for the part near the eyes if they were dropped and broke.

Leica had the worst warranty, although it was still pretty good. 10 years for any reason, 30 years on the optics for defects.

Vortex warranty was for any reason, for life, end of story. Send it in and they'll repair or replace it. "Drop them out of a helicopter, we'll fix it. They get bent in a car crash, send 'em in, we'll fix it."

I can recommend eurooptic.com as a retailer. They had manufacturer representatives from each one at the show, and that was who I talked to (as well as visiting each individual manufacturer's booths and talking to those reps, trying models, etc.) They let me try anything I was interested in and didn't push me at all. By the time I had made a decision, they were all sold out of what I wanted but they took an order and shipped me a pair the next day. I chose the Vortex Razor HD 10x42 for $900 plus tax. I do not regret it, and feel like I saved $1k-2k on what I had originally considered.

I booked as a solo for now, but would love to bring my kids (15 and 17 during this cruise) and they both definitely want to come. My concerns are that I would not be a good homeschool teacher and I don't see spending 9 months with my ex as going well. But it is the chance of a lifetime for all of us, so I'm trying to decide if I can make it all work.