Princess Monterey Whale Watching Cruises

Our departure was a little late, around 10:15. The company was selling tickets up until that time. We had an enthusiastic naturalist who narrated the trip and pointed out where we could see the sealife. The crew was attentive to individual needs and safety. We were able to see evidence of two humpback whales, a sunfish, two sharks, various dolphins, and a few jellyfish. The trip may be too long for small children. There was ample seating inside for those who didn't feel up to hanging on to the outer deck. At times, the bobbing of the boat was rough, depending on the speed and wave action.

good view of the whales...didnt go fast enough though..

I would like to begin with the boat; a 100' foot princess was very nice. The leaders were very entertaining and yet very professional as well. Even though the seas were a little rough, it was quite the expierence. The one thing I do warn others is that if you have never been on a boat, be prepared that you may get sea sickness.

I went with my boyfriend and parents because we had heard that there had been a lot of whales in the area. We were not disappointed! We saw otters, seals, sea lions, a minke whale, dolphins, humpback whales, and a blue whale! It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen up close. At one point the boat was about 15 yard away from a pod of humpbacks. If the conditions are good, I wholeheartedly recommend going. The crew was great and got us right alongside the whales and was very informative.

It was such a wonderful experience to be out there in the middle of the ocean. My boyfriend and I were dozing off because it was so relaxing. We saw PLENTY of dolphins and about 3-4 humpback whales. The weather was against us because it was a little more windy than a regular day and we were lucky to be on the 10 AM trip because they decided to cancel the rest of the trips due to weather conditions -- which reminds me, the staff was super nice! We were running late and they were nice enough to wait for us. The boat was clean and the ride was nice. Make sure to LAYER (the trip back was freezing!!) and take Dramamime for motion sickness just to be sure. Definitely going back here!

Biggest complaint was tardiness. As we checked in, we were told that we would be boarding @ 9:45AM. The narrator/guide did not show up until 10AM and then went into a little overly dramatic welcome and little too lengthy orientation about the event. This would have not been so bad if she had been on-time! No staff came out to apologize or to tell everyone that you were running behind. I heard two other parties, standing near us, comment on the tardiness of your staff also. The other thing was that other whale-watching boats that were out there got much closer to the whales than we did, which was a little disheartening. No explanation was given (that I recall) why we could not get a bit closer as there were several whale sightings! These are my only complaints. Other than these, I enjoyed the event.

The whale watching cruise was great. We spent 2 hours chasing blue whales around the bay in Monterey. We were able to see the cresting of the whales' backs as they surfaced. Humpback whales were apparently seen later in the bay. On the return back we were able to see a female otter and her pup. The boat was fantastic and the naturalist guide was very entertaining and informative.

My family and I had an excellent time on the whale watching cruise! The crew was very enthusiastic about reporting each whale siting, and positioned the boat for the best viewing of each siting. The baptain slowed down when there was other sea life sited to view, such as sea lions, on the way back to the dock. My family had a terrfic time! Thank you!

Staff was friendly and knowledgeable Highly recommend

The staff members were helpful, cheerful, and made sure everyone had a great time. We headed out on a sunny morning, seeing seals, jelly fish, and lots of birds. When the first whale spout was spotted the boat headed in that direction, being sure not to be a bother to those wonderful animals. The engines were turned off, and before long, beautiful Humpbacks were coming alongside our boat to "people watch". We were treated to a great experience, and lots of information about the whales and their habitat. Great Time- Do it!

would recommend this activity. Staff are effeicient and very freindly. And for the money, really great value.

It was the best whale trip I ever had. I have traveled to many places to see whales but Princess Whale Watching topped them all. The staff added to the experience. I would encourage everyone to go with this company. You will not be sorry!

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!

We have always talked about going, so glad we did. 8 of us, 3 kids under 7. Everyone loved it, 2 of the kids got a little seasick, but still really enjoyed the trip. Saw humpback and blue whales. Staff was great, walked around checking on everyone.

We had a wonderful time and saw lots of whales. I enjoyed the narration by a naturalist who told us where to look. The boat was very large and clean, and had an indoor heated cabin. They claim they have the only boats with heated cabins in Monterey. One of their two boats is 75 feet and one is 100 feet, which looked larger than any other I saw out on the water. If you are prone to seasickness, it might be nice to be on this larger boat. The only reason I gave this trip four stars instead of five was that the boat was packed with people. Visibility was good when the whales were on our side of the boat but we couldn't see a thing except for the heads of the other passengers when the whales were on the other side, the front or the back. Also, I don't understand why their aren't more outdoor seats on the back of the boat. People were jockeying for seats on the trip out and back and it looked like there was plenty of deck room to add more so there didn't seem to be the need for this tension and competition among the passengers. We did go at a peak time (middle of the day, weekend, summer) so this would be a wonderful choice if it was a time when the boat was less crowded.