Princess Monterey Whale Watching Cruises

The cabin people were the worst i have ever seen on any cruise, they allow to eat food inside the warm room smelling and stinking..... and even cabin crew was sharing with the tourists

We had made the long trip out and thought it was going to be a no show event when there they were. A large group of Killer whales. They surfaced often and a few of the younger ones breached out of the water. There was one large male with the group. It was terrific! Dress warmly it's cold out on the water. Experience of a lifetime.

Hi my wife and I booked this trip to get away from the kids, and celebrate her birthday. We were a little concerned about the possible bad weather. However, once we got there, the hospitality and friendliness quickly erased any worry. We saw greys and killer whales. Even with a little rain, the trip went way too quick. We are already planning another trip! Thanks to the crew and Captain. Dan and Kimberly Hayes

It was so exciting seeing a group of killer whales, with a mother and baby coming up to our boat. Our captain worked with other captains to locate the whale and give us all an experience that we'll long remember.

We each took a Dramamine and none of us had problems. We saw a bunch of Orcas, a Grey whale and a Hump back!!! We arrived 1/2 hour early - the cruise beforehand provides complimentary coffee, muffin and binocular rental for $5. The cruise took a little over 2 1/2 hours - Afterward we walked hurriedly back to our car just as the gal was putting a $30 parking ticket on our car. The meter would only go up to 4 hours. We parked near the wharf where the map said to park however the meter lady said that "the next parking lot over offers 'pay as you leave' which would have been better for us". There were no signs advertising that - so we thought the parking lots were all metered; we thought 4 hours on the meter would be enough time but it wasn't. So we are going to contest the ticket. We wished we'd known.

The Crew of the Princess Monterey were excellent. From the minute you arrive everyone is very friendly and polite. The whale watch tours on the Monterey bay are very well organized and many different crews and boats work together to give there passengers the best chance to see whales so you will be along side many other vessels. We saw a gray whale right out of the inlet . Soon after we followed an large pod of Orca (killer whales) for most of the journey some of the time within a few feet of the whales allowing great photo opportunities! on the way back even caught a Humpback whale where even though we were over the 3 hour max for the tour the captain still stopped and allowed us to view the humpback and take a few more photo's! Overall a great experience I would recommend anyone take advantage of!

The staff was very professional and gave some interesting facts about the specific whale that we observed. I particularly liked the safety concerns of the staff when on the ship and moving about. It was a enjoyable time.

If you get seasick, you gotta be really prepare yourself for this activity. Don't eat before boarding. Even when you get seasick, if your stomach is empty, it's less painful. Take motion sickness pill beforehand. Someone recommended ginger candies are better but they didn't work for me. If you get sick, go to the back of the boat. You will feel much better. Also, it gets really cold on the boat so don't forget to bring extra warm cloth. Overall, it was an amazing trip! I went with my girlfriend and we got to see orcas (or killer whales)!! We weren't able to see whales but it's rare to see orcas so that was fine.

My husband and I had never been whale watching and decided this would be the year to do it. Kathleen had explained what we might be seeing and we were treated to a Hump Back Whale that gave us a real show for over an hour. She was very informative and used her wonderful personality to entertertain as well as teach those on board the beauties of the Sea. We would recomend this tour to any of our friends and family. P.S. Kathleen was also very sympathetic about my husband's Giants baseball cap being blown offf his head and ending up in the water. He really appreciated that.....it was his favorite. Thanks again, Bill and Renee Cutter

We were nervous about going because we live locally and my husband is skeptical and does not like big crowds. We were pleasantly surprised. The staff was very knowledgeable, professional and kept things interesting even when there was no whale to be seen. I know the whale watching companies compete but I think they also talk to each other as well as fisherman and other boaters because they knew exactly where the humpback was. It was a thrilling site - we saw him or her jump out of the water for over an hour. They respected the whales space and really tried not to interfere with it. I would highly recommend them - they were great!

I Live in Monterey, and wanted to take a 12th grade class out on this boat, this was miss repersented, this was an old fishing boat with it's history on a plaque on its bou. There was NO person giving any history or facts. This was however a Whale watching boat, If i did not know the skipper it would have been a miserable for this group. I was told by the owners to call them direct next time I want to go out. This is Great for me; but you should know not so GREAT for YOU!! Tina Silvestri

The Princess Monterey is a beautiful ship. Clean and the Captain and crew were great! We managed to see several pods of Killer Whales, it was very exciting. The journey out to the viewing area was pleasant and great views of the shoreline. The ship departed on time and returned when promised. The ocean was relatively calm, so it made for a smooth comfortable ride. You will find all the amenities on the ship from a cabin inside, if it is too breezy, to a canteen as well as men's and ladies washrooms. Overall is was a top notch experience and we would definitely do it again!

Great if you have young children

We had a warm day with calm seas, and the fantastic experience of seeing 10-20 orcas in a couple pods about 14 miles from the dock. The boat was comfortable, the naturalist knowledgeable and informative, and the scenery beautiful. This is a great, unique Monterey experience and 3 hours is the perfect amount of time.

We took the afternoon cruise - most disappointing. One whale was allegedly spotted by the biologist - we never saw it. The biologist was very unprofessional - off color humor which was out of line in light of the number of younger children on board and silly comments - nothing scientific or informative. To add insult to injury - she thanked us all for helping her spot the whales - this had no truth to it at all. The deck hands were very courteous -but overall - we could not have been more dissatisfied.