Product Tested By Claire Louise
Pilkington – Callum & Lauren 12 & 10 years
Claire Awarded The National Sea Life
Centre Birmingham Octonauts training academy 4.5/5
Set
in the heart of the city alongside the Barclaycard Arena and the canals
area. It is situated in a prominent
location in the city. We chose to drive into the city and use the NCP car park
at the back of Symphony Hall. We paid approx.
£4.50 for four hours car parking which was sufficient. As there are no specific
car park facilities attached to the Sea Life centre, there are plenty of NCP
car parks close-by. The reception area is bright and airy and the staff were
welcoming to the attractions. There were
barriers set up for the different ticket options. The sea life centre is a
walkway which is a simulated dive where you can view the habitats of the
different sea creatures. There were various talks too. I think their favourite part was the 4D
cinema. There was also the octonauts
trail which they were able to follow throughout the day. We enjoy days out
together and this is a great attraction when the weather is cooler or if it is
raining outside. I can’t comment as none of us used the toilet facilities and I
don’t think there is any eating and drinking inside the sea life centre. The sea life centre is however, situated in a
part of Birmingham in which there are numerous great eating and drinking
establishments. Overall the sea life
centre was very clean. This is a very safe venue for all the family. We spent approximately 3 hours in there, so
we thought it was great value. We would
consider going again and we would recommend.
For me favourite part of the day was the touching of the starfish. The children both enjoyed the 4D cinema and
the tunnel in which you can see the sharks and the rays. Favourite creature the Sea Horses they are so
beautiful. Really enjoyed our day
out. There is something for
everyone. The only reason that one mark
has been lost was because on the day some of the tanks were being cleaned so
not everything was on show. Overall the
sea life centre was very clean and tidy and the staff were friendly and
knowledgeable. A great day out for both adults and children alike. You can’t
really spend the entire day in there, as I don’t think there is that much to
see, but if you have bought tickets and want to return later the same day you
are able to do so with a hand stamp. All
the areas were clean and tidy and the staff were very welcoming and friendly. There
were plenty of things for younger children to do in addition to seeing the
marine life (craft area). 4D cinema was brilliant fun for us, although lots of
parents with very young children had to exit out of the cinema whilst we were
there due to them being afraid. Will definitely visit again soon! Claire Louise Pilkington – Callum & Lauren 12 & 10
years
Product Tested By Antoinette Murray –
Taro, Nevaeh, Nalah-Ama – 14, 4 & 9 Months
Antoinette Awarded The National Sea Life
Centre Birmingham Octonauts training academy 4.5/5
My family all love all types of wildlife and were keen
to visit the Sea life Centre. We have been to Birmingham’s National Sea life
Centre twice before now. The first time was ok and not too expensive as it was
my son and 1. The second time was a couple of years ago and was not so
pleasant, it was not value for money for 2 adults and two children even with a
discount voucher. Many of the stated sealife were not there and the Centre was
being renovated so closed off to the public. Apologies were given and a free
ticket for a future visit were given to us. It was such a disappointing day out
we have not used the return tickets. As we live in Birmingham it was very easy
to get to by car. We checked the directions and travelling time on Google Maps
d it was very accurate. The Sea life Centre is in a visually pleasing part of
town with its canal and fancy bars and eateries. Parking on sight is Brinkley
place car park; this is far too expensive for our family costing £5.70 for 3
hours. Instead we parked at a pay and display 5 minutes away for a much cheaper
price for £2.50 for 3 hours. As it was Saturday and early morning parking spaces
were a plenty. Getting to the entrance could have been made easier by sight
posting and the path leading to the entrance was hidden by large delivery vans.
There was good access for pushchairs and wheelchairs which was pleasing. We
were greeted at the reception desk with big smiles and friendly faces. My
daughter Nevaeh commented how lovely the staff are. The environment looked
clean and eye catching, we were excited to have a look around. We were very
impressed with the activities available, Octonauts training academy exploration
trail was fun for all the family to take part in, with animals to find and
talks to attend with the opportunity to touch a starfish! Nevaeh was especially
pleased to shake hands with a life-size Octonaut and to receive a medal and
certificate for completing her Octonauts challenge. The 4D cinema was a nice touch and there were
4 opportunities’ to have photos taken and to cost and range if photo formats
were reasonable. Information about the sealife was interactive and eye
catching, making learning easy and fun. Nevaeh came away with lots of
interesting facts. All my children of varying ages enjoyed the Sea life Centre.
Nalah-Ama was mesmerised by all the different sealife, especially the jelly
fish. My son Taro at 14 yrs. old enjoyed learning about the different sea life
and loved the sharks overhead and the giant turtles. While Nevaeh lived every
aspect of the day and could not pick out a favourite thing. This is definitely
the kind of family day outing we enjoyed fun and interesting for all ages,
especially as my children are 14, 4 and 9 months. It can be difficult and
usually pricey to go out as a family. Toilets and baby changing room were easy
to find and of decent size. The children snacked on food as we walked around
and there were benches, seats where ladies were discreetly breastfeeding and
snacks and drinks machines. The gift shop was reasonably priced and had lovely
things to choose from such as good quality animal shaped mugs, key rings,
fluffy toys and clothing. There was plenty of room for the pushchair and for
our family walk together without getting separated, it wasn’t over crowded
either. Big improvement from our previous visit. The venue was clear of workmen
and friendly staff were on hand for assistance throughout the centre. The
building looked new and structurally sound and the tanks looked sturdy so we
didn’t give safety a second thought. Although the venue was very enjoyable it
was a little too pricey £15 per adult and £10 per child total £50 would have
been more reasonable. There are often discount offers available, two for one etc.
which helps with the cost. We are definitely going to visit the sea life centre
again as it was so much fun and a rare family treat. We would recommend
visiting sealife centre to all our friends and family, even those not
particularly interested in sea life would enjoy it. Favourite part of the day learning
about all the different species of sealife on the Octonauts trail and seeing
the penguins. The family favourite animal was the Penguins as none of us have
seen one before now. If it was a little less expensive and had a restaurant or
café I would have given it top marks. This was a very enjoyable interactive day
out for all ages, with lots to do and see whilst learning about sea life and
their habitat. Antoinette Murray – Taro, Nevaeh,
Nalah-Ama – 14, 4 & 9 Months
Product Tested By Jenny Rockell –
Reuben & Isaac – 2 years 3 Months & 6 Months
Jenny Awarded The National Sea Life
Centre Birmingham Octonauts training academy 4.1/5
We
drove to the venue and had no issues with finding it or parking
nearby.The Sea life centre itself doesn’t have parking. This isn’t a
huge problem, as it is in the city centre there are plenty of alternative car
parks. Although parking nearby can be quite expensive. Also we were in the
closest car park to the venue and did not see any parent and child spaces,
which can make it quite tricky to get young children and pushchairs out of
cars.Entrance was tidy, easy to access and well signposted. There is a
ramp into venue, making it easy access for pushchair/wheelchairs. Prices were
clearly advertised. Staff at paying gate were very friendly and informative
(explaining schedule and special event to children). The only issue I could see
arising would be at peak time’s entrance may get very busy as isn’t a huge
space. We all found it to be a very relaxed and happy environment/atmosphere.
We didn’t feel rushed from one activity to another and every staff member we
met were very friendly and approachable. The layout of the venues activities
and attractions means it is very easy to get around and flows nicely from one
area to the next. We were apprehensive before we got there that the
activities would be a bit too advanced for our 2year old, but this wasn’t the
case at all. They were simple to understand and were fun for all ages. Reuben
loved the interactive side to the activities which helped keep his attention
all the way around. Without these he would probably have got bored of just
looking at things before the end. Having a sticker chart for completing each
activity is a really good idea to keep children motivated and receiving a medal
at the end was brilliant. Each activity had a wide age range of children
participating, learning and having fun, and each task/activity was completely
different to the last.Reuben especially was very excited all of the way
around the venue. Isaac (when awake) seemed to enjoy the experience also. It’s
a brilliant day out where all of us can learn new things and have fun together
as a family. Its great as parents to see our children enjoying themselves but
at the same time learning. The positives were there were quite a few
places you could sit down if needed and plenty of toilets around. There was
also a couple of places you could get a drink and it was very good to have a
soft play area at the end. Negatives were the only hand drier in the first set
of men’s toilets was not working. The baby change at the end of the venue was
out of order, I’m sure there must have been another one but that would mean
walking back through the attractions to get to it. There was nowhere to get any
food/snacks, I would assume this means nowhere to warm a baby’s bottle etc.
(although as I didn’t look out for this so can’t be 100% sure). There was no
occasion when any of us felt unsafe at this venue. I think if we were to pay full price for a
family of 4, plus parking it would be quite dear. Especially as this is a venue
where you most likely be there for no longer than 2 hours. If it was somewhere
you would spend all day could get lunch and could park for free then I would be
more than happy to pay full price for it.Yes we would definitely visit
again. Probably when we could get 2 for1 tickets that usually come out in the
summer.I would recommend especially those with children, although it is a
nice morning out for adults too. Reuben loved the colouring activity, starfish
area (walk through tunnel and magnifying bubbles) and penguins. Isaac: lights,
colours and fish in the different tanks/tubes. Daddy: 4d cinema and
feeling the starfish. Mummy: the underwater shark/stingray/turtle tunnel and 4d
cinema. Favourite creature – Reuben-penguins, Isaac-any big fish, Daddy-Turtle,
Mummy-Seahorse (because it’s the male Seahorse that have to give birth ha-ha). The
majority of things were excellent; we all had a really brilliant day. It loses
a point because some of the facilities could be improved slightly and price
could be a bit lower.The Sea life centre is a great place for families of
any age. It has lots of activities and different areas to suit all
tastes. A perfect place to have a relaxing walk around on a rainy day or
as a treat to spend on a special occasion. Jenny
Rockell – Reuben & Isaac – 2 years 3 Months & 6 Months
