Island Boat Lines and Indian River Queen – River Boat

A nice leisurely boat ride… Made reservations through «zerve» no problems at all. Really like that we could bring snacks and drinks on our own… Even alcohol in moderation. Our guides were very friendly and interesting. We saw a few manatees, several dolphins, and lots of birds. (Usually not a fan of birds, but loved the pelicans). I would recommend.

We had a very pleasant experience on a very cool Monday morning. We saw three manatees, learned how to «track» them, saw a bunch of dolphins, in one case a pod of seven, and lots of birds. It was a nice laid back tour. We had Captain Mike and Bob the tour guide. Both of them were humorous and very informative, but not overly talkative. The boat was not very crowded so we were quite free to move to any side, front or back, to get the best view of the participating wildlife.
The docking point and where you embark doesn’t look like much, but it is just enough.
Good value for your money.

I’m not in the habit of leaving one star reviews, but given that my family (and our valid reservations) watched the boat leave the dock after being told to leave, I am hopeful my review will save someone else from wasting a day on this fly by night operation.
I purchased this trip through Groupon and had to call for reservations instead of using their online service as we wanted to add another person to our party. We called their main number three days prior to the trip and were «confirmed». She even went so far as to take my cell number and explain what I would need to do at the dock to buy another ticket onsite.
My group of five were the first to arrive at the dock and the staff member indicated to me that we were not on her list. They were booked up full that day and she suggested we hang tight for a half hour and see what happens. As we did we watched three other groups try to check in only to see their reservations were messed up and listened to the staff person explain that, «she does not answer the phones and the person who does really doesn’t listen anymore.»
Long story short, the coast guard capacity of the boat was met without my group and we were asked to leave the boat so «those with reservations» could get under way.
Honestly, there are times that working with a small company can offer so many benefits. Great service, neat people, etc. But, as in cases like this, some times working with a mom and pop like Island Boat Lines was a HUGE mistake! They made a mistake, hung that mistake on me and my family, and just shrugged their shoulders.
Do yoursefl a favor and save yourself a wasted day — find someone (ANYONE!!) else to patronize. The Cocoa area offers so much that rolling the dice with people who do not understand the concept of a reservation OR customer service and recovery is not worth the time and effort.

We enjoyed the trip, the first mate/​narrator was very good, giving us information about the nature, the history and natural history of the area, the lives of the manatees and dolphins, pointed out and identified lots of birds for us, explained about the navigation of the Banana River. It wasn’t just showing us dolphins and manatees, though we did spend time on that, and saw a wonderful pod of dolphins hunting and playing. He explained how to spot manatees, which is a trick, they don’t spend time on the surface. We did see a couple of those once we knew how to spot them.
The trip is mostly going out, wending through some island channels and past some very nice neighborhoods, then buzzing back up the river for the last 15 – 20 minutes to get back to the dock. We got coupons to eat at the restaurant right next to the dock, which was very good.

I am sure the people who operate this cruise are plenty nice and care about their business. But, I just didn’t care for this experience. To each his own.
Each day, each cruise, is probably different. It’s not like you can control what wildlife you will get to see. I get that. But our cruise was kind of boring. A lot of canal homes, a few manatees, a few birds I can see in my yard in Orlando, and one dolphin. But I guess that’s the luck of the draw. The duration should have been about half as long, though .
Also, I am a Floridian, so I know hot. But this was REALLY hot. Bring plenty of water and snacks if you go on this ride.