Binoculars

[chuckc54]

Somewhere in cruise critic I read something about binoculars, what should I look for and is there somewhere I can buy them without someone taking an arm and a leg? Just looking for something simple.

[Host Joe]

I would definitely recommend buying a pair and taking them. We just bought a pair for under $30 from one of our local stores, and they worked great for spotting whales, dolphins and eagles!

[irisheileen]

Following the advice previously posted, I purchased a 10x50 wide angle lens binocular from Walmart. ( I forget price, but it was between 35-50, I believe.) Apparently, we'll need that to best spot distant wildlife.

good luck!

Eileen

[Flowershopgirl1]

Not sure how good they are, but just bought some binoculars at Walgreens -- on sale for 9.99 -- are Vivitar -- worth a try. I didn;t want to spend alot.

 

You might want to check 'em out.

[Flowershopgirl1]

Not sure how good they are, but just bought some binoculars at Walgreens -- on sale for 9.99 -- are Vivitar -- worth a try. I didn;t want to spend alot.

 

You might want to check 'em out.

[CStorm]

I just ordered a pair from Walmart.com for less than $30 for 10x50's. They are Bushnell's.

[Imagineer]

...hate to bring this up, but being a photographer, and also having experience in retail camera and optic sales, that old adage truly holds up that says "...you always get what you pay for..." By all means, go ahead and get a pair of binoculars for less that 10 bucks, the ones that cost 30 will be a bit better quality, but I have to ask if you are only concerned with having something just for the trip? They'll probably last that long, but the optics are plastic, as is the entire assembliage, they' will not be very bright or sharp, and make sure you don't try to use them if its remotely damp or cold - its Alaska, check out what they say about the weather up there, its unpredictable at the best of times...

...I just finished researching a pair of binoculars to take when we go at the end of August on the Norwegian Wind, I wanted a lightweight compact pair that I can put in my jacket pocket, and I wanted them to be waterproof and have good optical qualities. It ended up being a toss-up between a pair of Nikon Travelite 9x25's ($105) and a pair of Olympus Magellan 10x25's ($150), with Olympus winning out because they felt better in my hands - something you realy need to try out, its also very important to take them outside and see how they work, don't just take a look at them in a box store where they're stacked next to other cheap crap sold by people who have virtually no knowledge of what they sell, spend a bit of time and a little more money and get a real pair of binoculars with actual optical glass in them...

...if you take my advice you'll end up with a pair of binoculars that will last you several decades instead of a few weeks...I KNOW BECAUSE I USED TO HAVE TO TAKE MANY OF THE CHEAP ONES BACK ON RETURN FROM DISSATISFIED CUSTOMERS!!!

...have a good time shopping and have a great trip,

 

cheers,

 

the Imagineers

upcoming NCL cruise on the Wind - Aug 27/06

upcoming Oceania cruise on the Insignia - Apr 28/07

[mimi6]

Following advice from this board, I bought the 10X50 wide angle binoculars to take on our cruise. I bought mine at Academy for about $25. DH had a similar pair and we were very glad we each had a pair to view the beautiful scenery, glaciers, birds, animals.