Princess Monterey Whale Watching Cruises

I've been on whale watching trips in Monterey Bay about half a dozen times, but this was the first time with this company. In most respects, I'd say the experience was just as good as with the other company I'd previously been with on all my other trips. The only difference was the length of the trip - ~3 hrs on the Pacific Explorer and 4-5 hrs with the other company. I really enjoy whale watching and would definitely recommend this trip. On the Pacific Explorer it took about 45 mins to reach a good viewing spot, which only left ~1.5 hrs to spot the whales. Even so, we managed to see about 10 hump backs, as well as several pods of dolphins and plenty of other sea life. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any blue whales which had been spotted every day of the week prior to our trip. I know it can be hit and miss, but I think if you have that extra 1-2 hrs to spot whales the more chance you have of seeing different species. So, personally I prefer the 4-5 hr trips but others (like the people I went with on the Pacific Explorer) may prefer the shorter trip for any number of reasons.

My family and I really enjoyed this part of our vacation. None of us expected to actually see a whale, but to our delight we saw several. The crew was very nice, helpful and informative. I highly recommend taking this trip.

On AUG 5, the traffic from Los Gatos was impossible, due to road maintenance. There, I dropped my grandson, and friends, off at the Boardwalk and left Santa Cruz by 10:25. The traffic was even worse. By the time I reached Moss Landing, it was 11:41. With no possibility of catching the boat, I retreated to Santa Cruz. There, I cooled my heels until 15:30 and the boys were ready to go home. Adding the cost of my non-refundable ticket to the tribulations above, It was a miserable day! James Henry

We enjoyed a great day,the weather was perfect and the crew was very helpful. We observed several Humpbacks (one with a calf),a Blue Whale that was enormous and a few dolphins.I recommend Princess Monterey Cruises to anyone who wants to enjoy a great time in the hands of an experienced,professional and courteous staff.

Felt like cattle being herded. Forgot my copy of email with the Zerve code. Had to call the Zerve phoneline. Not very organized for online reservations. The guy at the ticket counter was like a circus barker. The crew on the boat were nice, helpful, and friendly.

We got to see gray, blue, and sperm whales on one trip. Overall, a very fun and pleasant trip, and I plan to go on another when I am in the Monterey area again.

We saw several whales as promised. Nice trip. Would do it again!!

We saw 2 blue whales and tons of humpbacks. Several people were sick on the choppy water, so I suggest transderm scop (prescription). We did not get sick. I would advise eating before the trip, as there wasn't much room to eat.

We saw humpback and blue whales the day we went out so I really believe that "makes" the trip a success and enjoyable. It's similar to a football game (a few spurts of action with alot of idle time in between the big exciting plays) so keep your expectations reasonable. Without seeing the whales the activity probably would have sill been worthwhile. I'm a novice at this, but it appeared that the crew/guide/captain did a pretty good job (have no other trip to compare it to). We went out on the 10:00 trip with foggy/overcast skies. Dress in layers to include a hooded sweatshirt or jacket. For people from inland midwestern or northern tier areas, it's like fishing on a boat in late October. It's freaking cold out there! I read a few reviews prior to our trip about potential motion sickness and some unpleasentries. The ship was 100 feet I guess, so things were a little choppy as you leave the harbor (a mile out from shore or so) but not too bad once you are out in the open water. You get used to it and forget it entirely once you start seeing whales and focus on other stuff. I saw some kids that took dramamine before the trip and they ended up sleeping in the interiror of the boat during the whole trip (be careful and take the right non-drowsy stuff if you have a history of motion sickness). Bottom line- don't psych yourself into getting sick and you won't. If you indeed are prone to motion sickness you probably already know it and how to handle it accordingly...don't worry about it. Keep in mind this is an excursion to see whales, it's not a luxury cruiseliner...leave it in the right context and your expectations will be met or exceeded. Make sure you eat something a couple hours before you get on the boat. You'll most likely be somewhat hungry on the way back in, so bringing an easy to eat snack is not a bad idea (the snack bar is very limited with drinks and snacks but serves the purpose if you don't bring anything).

We saw a few hump back whales and two blue whales. What would have been nice is if the captain had been able to turn the boat so that the passengers on the other side could get a better look at them. For whatever reason the whales were always on the left hand side of the boat. It was difficult to get through the crowd to get a good look. I sent my daughter to the rail so that she could at least see them. Other than that, it was a very fun and worthwhile trip. Also, I brought ginger ale and crackers just in case and it came in handy because my daughter's tummy got a bit queezy from the waves.

Our whale watching trip was fun.......... My husband and I took our four year old daughter on the boat. It turned out to be the best adventure for her. She loved every minute of it and learned about whales and dolphins. She wanted to get back on the boat when we got off. This was her first trip ever on a boat. We had a great day seeing whales and dolphins. We can't wait to go again.

We got cancelled on a 4 PM trip due to rough water. They reset our time for 9 AM next morning & we had a complete sellout Long trip out (half hour) to find a pod of whales. We stayed about 100 yards from the pods (as law requires) but there were lots of sperm whales & lots of oohing & aahing as he whales surfaced - 100 yards proved no viewing problem. Several showed large tail flips & we saw 3 full breeches - very entertaining! We then traveled about 15 minutes where they had spotted a gray whale. It was enormous & worth the trip to see the largest live creature in the world. Only negative was the cold, of which we were warned. Well worth the $40 cost.

None

Windy and cold, but a great trip! Saw several whales and my husband got some great pictures. I just watched! The guide was knowledgeable, giving lots of interesting information about the sea creatures. Definitely recommend the trip.

This was our first whale watching cruise and we hope certainly not the last! We saw blue whales, humpbacks, and even dolphins -Yay! The crew was pleasant and informative. This cruise was reccommended to me by my sister, and I am highly reccommending it to others! Thanks for a whale of a time!