Princess Monterey Whale Watching Cruises

it was greatclean boat and nice crewjust get the sea,sick braclets before you goit helped

Our Lifelong Learners group took the whale-watching cruise on Friday January 30. The weather was lovely, warm when in the sunshine, and we had a great day out. We saw lots of dolphins and several whales. The only disappointment was that as Monterey Bay is a wildlife conservation area the boats don't go close to the whales. (This was not pointed out to us.) Getting good photos with a regular camera is not possible. I have been whale-watching in South Africa where we got much closer so viewing was more exciting.

Our family embarked upon the whale watch with no great expectations. We were pleasently surprised by how much we enjoyed the trip. Not only do you get fantastic views of the Monterey Bay but the whales only add to the unique experience! We saw a nice variety of sealife including sea otters, sea lions and whales on our trip. The staff are friendly and more than welcoming to any questions you might have about your trip and things you see. Would definitely recommend the company to any friends and family.

Great experience.

i was hoping to see a lot more than we did. we really didn't get a good look at the whales. we only saw the top of the backs of them and a couple tail shots. it was better then not seeing them at all but we wanted to see more. i know there is no way to predict what they are going to do but as far out as we went (10 miles) we were hoping to see more of them. i would recommend it just for an experience but that is it. i wouldn't go again.

We saw many blue and humpback whales. The crew was helpful.

Great trip! Saw a lot of whales, both blue and humpbacks. Captain did a good job keeping the boat at an angle where everyone could see the whales. Although it probably helped that the whales were all around us. One of the best whale watching trips I've been on, and I've been on many :)

Were able to watch several whales, friendly staff

We were unable to make use of the two tickets (total cost $83) that we bought for the whale watching tour because the web site did not make it clear that the tour leaves from Monterey and not San Francisco even though the branding and advertising on the site AND the tickets seems to suggest that the tour departs from San Francisco (or at least does NOT suggest that the tour departs from Monterey). Since the travel time between Pier 1 in San Francisco and Pier 1 in Monterey is approximately two hours and thirty minutes, the site not being clear as to the departure location for the tour is a very serious problem. Due to this glaring oversight (which borders on false advertising, in my opinion), we must rate this tour as 1 star. Also, since everything in the Bay Area has the word "Monterey" in it, we do not consider the word "Monterey" in the title of the tour to count as a clear indication as to the departure location of the tour. We were very disappointed that we were basically swindled out of our $83 since both the tour company and Zerve have a strict no reschedule, no refund policy. Again, due to the issues noted above, we enthusiastically recommend against this activity. Sincerely, Allen and Amanda

very recommendable: easy, friendly, competent, funny, great views

We did the tour 6/12/2012. The marine biologist on board was very informative. Our only issue (which was not the tours fault) was I and one of my children were seasick (even after Dramamine). And they said it was a fairly smooth day!

We had a great time cruising the bay looking for whales. While we didn't see any whales, the cruise itself was very enjoyable...the boat had nice accomodations and the crew was great. The naturalist was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable.

I was skeptical about actually seeing whales on a whalewatching tour as I have been on one before (in southern california) and saw none. I know that there are supposed to be a lot of humpback and blue whales migrating through right now, but still wasn't really expecting much. Although the boat was a little crowded and the ride a little rough I got a great view of a blue whale and a pod of orcas so it was well worth the trip!

I took my mom to Monterey for Mother's Day. We went on the morning tour and were SO happy to see 2 beautiful Humpback whales. However, please read my word of warning! I have never gotten sea sick in my life!! I took two Dramamine before we left, about 45 minutes before we got on the boat. After an hour or so, I was really sick. I was able to make the entire trip with vomitting; however, a number of children were not so lucky. The crew was AWESOME! They were understanding, helpful, and very kind to all who got ill. The natrualist on the trip was very knowledgeable. If you are dead-set on going whale watching, I highly reccommed The Princess Monterey, but please be aware that the trip is a harsh one.

It was once in a lifetime to see both the Blue Whales and Humpbacks together. They usually DON'T show along the coast very close in. The boat and the business turned out to be the largest boat and the best organized. Other boats were much smaller. Everything went very smoothly. Go during the week not on weekends as these whales won't be there very long. Orcas were to be seen in a large group inbound, an added treat. Oh, the $2 fee was very reasonable for the tickets. Thanks!