Princess Monterey Whale Watching Cruises

If it wasn't for the choppy water that created roller-coaster effect; it would've been a waste of time.

Although the weather forecast was a little sketchy - it was not too bad. We were prepared with hats, gloves, ponchos/raincoats, warm shoes, and layered clothing. I had not expected to actually spot whales rather predicted we would see dolphins but ended up seeing grey whales and observing for ~45 minutes. It was amazing! The crew was great and provided excellent background information regarding the migration patterns and unique characteristics for each variety of whale. Definitey worth the trip if you enjoy being on the water.

It was a sham ... there were no whales at all. They should deliver if they are going to advertise.

The staff on this trip were amazing. They repeatedly made sure everyone was having a good time. The narrator gave detailed information about the whales and other marine life we saw. We plan to go again during high migrating season to see more of these majestic animals.

i was a little let down because we did not see any actual whales. I know wild animals follow a different path and all but still, you hope. We did have fun. The marine biologist was enthusiastic and fun to listen to and the water was just rough enough to be fun and show the power of the sea without being scary to even the most land locked individuals.

For Valentine's Day, my husband and I took this trip to see the whales. We went on the 1:30 trip (but were told there is more action during the morning trips). We saw two whales in the ocean and plenty of seals and sea lions. Looking for the whales does get exhausting, but just taking the trip and learning about the sea life was worth everything. I suggest dramamine before taking the trip, it was surprising how the boat ride was like riding a rollercoaster. I highly recommend the trip, we had a lot of fun and it was gorgeous out there!

Would recommend this trip to anyone. Unfortunately the day we went, there was a good sea swell so seeing animals was difficult at the best of times. Having said that we did see a couple of gray whales which was really exciting, but on that particular day that was all we saw. the dolphins etc did not put in an appearance. The sea life expert who was on board was very enthusiastic and very helpful. On the whole a very good trip. Unfortunately on that day we did not see to much, but that is the luck of the draw. Definitely worth the money.

I highly recommend the Princess Monterey for whale watching. The crew was extremely knowledgeble and friendly as well as enthusiastic. The boat was large and comfortable. Now, leading into the bad part of my review......the crew was very helpful with all of its sea sick passengers. Many folks were sea sick, including me and my 8-year-old son, and the crew helped by getting folks outside into the fresh air, giving them ginger candy and offering water. When I was at my lowest they even told me not to worry about my kids, they would be OK. Thankfully my four-year-old was not sick at all and my mom was along to watch after her. We did take Dramamine which I'm sure helped but its just tough to be on roller coaster waves for 2.5 hours and not feel ill. That is the only reason why I'll never go again. We saw whales and they were amazing! We saw sea lions and sea otters and they were fantastic! I'm so glad I went but I was really relieved to get off that boat! Thanks Princess Monterey for doing your best to give us a memorable experience!

My boyfriend and I picked out this whale watching expedition above all of the others, because it just looked promising. We weren't disappointed. We followed two single grey whales for quite a while as they casually made their way through our bay. We didn't see any orcas because they had been out of the area at the time, but we still learned plenty about them from our wonderful guide. I am absolutely in love with big marine mammals, especially the orcas and am going to school to work with them, but I STILL learned more about them and other marine life because our guide was a marine biologist herself! If you want to learn about these marine animals and more than likely see one, then this is the perfect adventure for you. The chance of seeing a whale is extremely good with this tour. They are constantly radioing back and forth with the other whale watching tours as well as the local fisherman to make sure that they don't miss a thing. This was the adventure of a lifetime!

We had a great trip even though the waves were pretty high that day. We got a little wet sitting in the front of the boat, but the views were spectacular. The captain took us right to a perfect spot to view whales, knew a lot about their habits, and positioned the boat for the best viewing. The only downside was that when we went inside to purchase a drink, there was no one there to help us. We were happy with the overall experience, and we would recommend it to others.

Overall the trip was good. The check in was easy. The wait time to board the boat wasn't long. The commentary was really informative. It was just a bummer that the swells were huge (they said 17-18 foot). It was really rocky. We had taken motion sickness pills so we were all fine. My 2 1/2 year old ended up sleeping the entire time. We didn't see many whales (actual body). Saw lots of blow-holes to let us know they were there though. We would like to try this trip again at a later time. The commentator told us better times to possibly see something the next time. A few months after this trip, we took another whale watching trip in San Diego, and it was just awful, so in comparison, this trip was very good!

Perfect beautiful day, the boat was very clean, the crew were friendly and nice. The marine biologist really made this trip fun and exciting. She involved everyone and gave us some great information and was just as excited to see the whales as we were. We saw around 15 - 18 whales, a couple of pelicans diving for food in the water and a lot of jelly fish. Awesome!!

despite the large swells, we had a great time

We really enjoyed the day. The captain did a great job of making the trip as comfortable as possible. The marine biologist was very knowledgeable and personable. She made the day fun!

The weather was special ordered, between rainy storm days, with sunshine, brisk breeze and the beautiful water. It was the perfect day to spend on the comfortable, clean, sturdy Monterey Princess out to the entrance of the bay. The personnel were all very friendly, helpful, attentive and informative. Even when two of our group were overcome with stomach problems, they were right there with suggestions and help. The waves were very impressive like the gentle motion of a kiddie roller coaster - what fun!!! The colors of the water and sky backed by the slim beachfront were definetely Kodak moments. Too bad we were so impressed with the moment, we only took time to catch a few shots - but next time we'll know. We were surprised at how many whales we did get a look at - quite close - mostly their air blows (what excitement ran through the onlookers), backs and tails, but so exciting - it really did move us all. Thanks for your kind help in answering all our questions regarding the purchasing of the tickets. The pre-boarding went so smooth and the ticket hut was adequately stocked (although next time we'll know to take dramamine or such, just in case). One of our group was blind and we would suggest a more sturdy stairwell and steps onto the boat - but other than that could not have asked for a more impressively satisfying day. We will remember this celebration of her 23rd birthday and are planning another trip in the Spring/Summer season. Thanks to Zerve and the crew of the Monterey Princess.