Princess Monterey Whale Watching

We went on a trip today. We saw a lot of whales. That is the good part. The negative part of the trip was the staff that was not helpful. My girl friend was motion sick and using one of the un-​labeled buckets on the deck. A staff member barked at her that it wasn’t for that. He also through in feed the fishes. The bathrooms were really bad and there was not any attempt to clean them during the trip. It could have been a really good trip if the staff had been more helpful.

They saved us when another company leftA handful of us stranded at the docks. Nice boat, great staff. When they heard what had happened to us by the other company, they went way out of their way to make sure we had a great trip! Highly recommended

Ok, I’ll preface this with saying that even the biologist on our boat said she’d never seen anything like the trip we had in terms of what we were able to see and I know that’s not really under their control, but the tour was INCREDIBLE! We lucked up and were able to see multiple pods of orcas as well as humpbacks and sea lions. It was a delightful trip! We did the 2.5 hour boat tour, which is plenty of time. The crew was friendly and helpful, everything was straight-​forward to get signed up and enter/​exit the boat. If you are motion-​sickness prone like myself, make sure to take dramamine before and during the trip. They do also have meds, as well as sodas and snacks on the boat. Our boat was a little bigger than another tour we saw next door and was less crowded, which was really nice and everyone was able to see well and get any pictures they wanted. Happy camper!

Great trip! So glad this place sends boats out on holidays! My friend and I went for Thanksgiving 2015, because really, what better way to celebrate being grateful? It was a gorgeous day, sunny (but windy!) and the whales and dolphins weren’t shy. We saw a number of gray whales and what seemed to be a superpod of common dolphins. Never saw so many dolphins… it was truly magical. Make sure you bring a hat & gloves if it’s not high summer (and even maybe then) because the wind can getcha. I’ll be back.

I absolutely had a Fantastic Time, we arrived late in the day and I had thought we missed the whale tours, but we lucked out and were able to purchase tickets for the last tour of the day 3:30 Saturday 04÷09÷16 — I keep thinking it was going to be a waste of time we probably would only see dolphins and sea otters, BUT boy was I wrong — we ran into a few dolphins watched them for a bit and moved on. We sailed out and it didn’t look promising but at last we found some Humpback Whales, at first we saw 1 here and 1 there not really much to see just their backs. But then they decided to give us a show like you have never seen before. It was absolutely amazing, the Humpback Whales were splashing their tails in pairs all around the water it was so beautiful to watch, we saw so many whales it was amazing. They would latterly just showed up out of no where, I keep thinking is this real? I kept thinking is this a fake whale like in Universal Studios where they have the fake Jaws shark pop out at you, but NO they were REAL Whales they literally put on a great show for us for at least an hour, they were popping in and out of the water, splashing their tails and spouting their water all over the place it was the best experience of my life.
This was my 3^rd Whale Trip — First time with Princess Monterey Whale Watching and I know it’s a hit or miss when you are whale watching you never know what to expect but I never expected to see what I saw on this trip. When we were in San Diego Whale Watching all we saw were dolphins, and on my Whale Watching tour in British Columbia we saw so many Orca Whales which was amazing, but I will say This Tour Here with Princess Monterey was the best.
I choose this tour over the tour that is next to them because of the boats that you go on, I am afraid of the water and usually panic when I am anywhere near it, but I was perfectly fine on this boat the captain other employees were absolutely amazing, very professional and knowledgeable right from the start — from the moment we walked up to the building the gentlemen out in front of the ticket box was very professional, friendly and provided all the information that we needed, the ticket cashiers were so pleasant and helpful and EVERYONE working on the boat were absolutely fabulous and very knowledgeable and answered all of my questions and believe me I had questions.
I will definitely be coming back very soon and plan on taking this tour several times a year just to see the different whales that pass through Monterey — Yes I know you are not always going to see a whale but when you do it is completely worth the trip. The other company next to Princess had a tour right before our boat went out and they did not see any whales, they went in a different direction, it is a hit or miss with mammals so you never quite know if you will see one or not.
We were very lucky and saw at least 20 Humpback whales if not more, they were absolutely amazing and so beautiful. Remember you are in their world so respect them and just let them do what they do naturally and you will have a great time.
Definitely wear layers it does get cold out there, the upper deck is absolutely amazing but it does get windy up there, the inside cabin is heated but we never enjoyed it, we paid for the upper deck and I wanted the entire experience of being up there for the entire journey and it was worth it. You can always grab some hot chocolate to take with you or when you get back to land enjoy one at one of the shops near by.
have fun and enjoy, just keep in mind Mammals are unpredictable you never know if you will find them or not it’s a journey and if you go with this while you are on the tour you will be more excited when you do find the whales. Keep your eyes open and look everywhere in the water you need to find them, I happened to find the first whale on this tour before the crew since I was eye balling the water looking for the spouts of water and that was the first thing that I saw, the whale spouting water and then we found the whales.
So sit back and enjoy the tour, the scenery is absolutely amazing and we were lucky enough to see the sun slowly going down and reflecting off the water it was absolutely amazing.
Thank you Princess Monterey Whale Watching for a priceless memory.

This is a weird one to write, simply because I believe we had a below average experience as far as the whales are concerned.
Our 10:00 booking went flawlessly, we got on the boat on time, left on time, were provided blankets since we were cold, and were well taken care of by all of the staff. As far as Princess Whale Watching is concerned, everything went very well.
Unfortunately we got completely skunked on the quantity of whales that we saw. Throughout the two and a half hour trip, we encountered a total of six gray whales, all of which we were only able to look at from a distance. The first time it was sort of cool to see them, but then they resurfaced… again, and again, and again. It felt like we were constantly looking at these gray blobs in the water from 200 feet away, and nothing else.
If you plan on doing one of these trips, be sure you realize that regardless of how well the trip is executed by the whale watching company, there is a chance you wont see anything exciting. If this is the case it will be a pretty boring trip, but the crew will take very good care of you.
Also, the boat is pretty big and the ocean was quite calm. As someone who gets frequent motion sickness, I was able to make it through the entire journey without feeling nauseous. Hopefully I can go back another time and see something other than the odd gray whale.

After having been on a whale watching tour in Long Beach and seeing nothing I didn’t have high hopes for this little excursion.
We had a lot better luck on this trip. We saw a Humpback Whale, several Gray Whales, some otters and birds.
The staff was friendly and the boat ride was fun.
In hind sight I would have brought some sun screen.

We went on this tour yesterday, not expecting much more than a sighting of the grey whale since it’s not the right season for any other kind of whale. But we were lucky to see 4 orcas, a grey whale (or two) and a humpback whale. Plus sea lions and a baby sea otter that was finding it’s fins.
Excellent narration by the biologist and the sea wasn’t too rough.
Dress warm though –hands get particularly cold. Also, carry a bit of water to drink and some light food to munch on, on the way back. It was smooth and slow on the way back so we had no trouble eating.
There was more than enough space for a good view on the lower deck at this time of the year so you needn’t about spending the extra $ 20 for the upper deck.

An AMAZING experience!
A few months ago, I saw Princess featured on a show on ABC 7 here in the Bay Area and figured it would be a cool thing to do. So we ventured down to Monterey and we got there on time for the 1:30pm departure. I thought the boat would be big like a ferry but it was like half the size of a ferry. No worries though as there were only 30 people or so on the boat. You can sit on the top deck for an extra $ 20, I believe but, we got a good vantage point on the main deck.
It was super cold so we stayed inside on the way there but once there were whale sightings, we braved the cold weather and it was no longer an issue once we saw what we saw. We figured we would see one or two whales, but no, we saw swarms of 12 – 15 whales at a time! It was seriously a magical experience to see the whales outside of an aquarium. The tour guide tells you where to look but seriously, you have to keep out a look yourself for any lone whales, which you will see.
It took about a good 45-​minutes to get to the ocean and we spend about 90+ minutes out there searching for whales. Total time on the water was about 3-​hours. The water is a little rough getting there and even when the boat stops but just as long as you’re holding on to something, you’re good.
Overall, we had a great time and will definitely remember our trip. I’d totally recommend it to anyone!
#WhaleofaTime

Breathtaking!
We went on Friday (11÷13÷15).
I was a bit nervous we were not going to make it in time for our 10a departure time, (as the website said recommended check in was 30 min before), but we got there about 9:50, and had plenty of time to spare.
I recommend getting the Anchor bars they sell for sea sickness, I assume they helped because neither of us got sick.
The ride out to the whales was long and wonderful.
Actually, Many reviews I read complain about how long it takes to get there… My thoughts to those people are; How about you just enjoy the gift you have been given… But anyway…
It is a gorgeous ride out, and it is a beautiful sight for your eyes.
When the boat stopped, thats where the real excitement started … Spouts, and fins, and flukes galore.
I cant even describe in words how exhilarating it was to see these magnificent creatures in the water.
In total we saw about 10 – 12 whales and 3 breaches… Again… Just absolutely Breathtaking.
The company stays within the Federal guidelines to watch them. So as a nature lover, I love that… But of course it would have been cool to get even closer.
All in all, this was an amazing experience.
From start to finish.
Bonus: Snacks on board, and clean bathrooms.
Walking up to the Wharf, other companies were a bit cheaper. But the reviews for the Princess whale watching tours won us over in the end.

Very impressive experience. It was about 3 hour trip and $ 45 each person. We saw so many dolphins so close! And whales as well!

Fun fun and fun tour!
Finally we pay for a tour that promise is whales and we see lots of them.
We both pre purchased the tickets the night before and had to go with the 12:30 departure since the morning ones were already booked. They told us to arrive 45 min earlier the next day which seemed a little early but I guess they were right whe the said people line up to snatch the best seats. Good thing we made it early with the hubs as we grabbed some good towards the front seats on the left side of the boat.
As for seeing the whales not to worry you see them all around the ship. Would probably not pick the back do to the smell of the engine plus is the designated are for sick passengers. Let’s just say I almost made it there and after taking two Dramamine.
Is one hour until you get to the whales and we saw lots of them! Whales, dolphins, otters, seals, jellyfishes.
FYI: it gets really cold so take lots of warm clothes, also have those cameras ready because you might miss the show. The announcer was very knowledgable and kept telling us where to look.
Awesome experience just wish the boat would have stayed there a little longer

The boat company was great. Friendly staff. Helpful descriptions about what we were seeing while on the boat. The boat had lots of shade, which was good as it was an unusually warm day. Also lots of space if it had been cold. They left on time, got back on time. Turned the boat around so that we could see what was going on, on all sides. Great trip.
If you want to be able to get to both sides of the boat quickly and not have to worry as much about people in your way for taking photos, pay the extra for the top deck if $ 20 is OK for you.
We were able to park in the lot at Fisherman’s Wharf on the Monday of Labor Day. We probably wouldn’t have been able to if it was Saturday or Sunday of the Holiday weekend.
Plan plenty of extra time to drive into town. That last 5 miles had very slow traffic. The boat will leave without you.

Great tour! We saw 20 – 30 humpback whales, common Dolphins, various seabirds, sea lions, a sunfish and a pair of otters. What’s not to love?
Very knowledgeable staff (they have a marine biologist narrating the tour and answering questions).
Do yourself a favor and check out this tour. Hopefully you’ll be as lucky as we were and see all kinds of cool animals.

This would get 5 stars if only I could here the narrater from the back of the boat. I never give 5 stars
Truely AMAZING trip! We saw 30 – 40 humpback whales, killer whales chasing our boat, literally 100s of dolphins, sea lions & a few blue whales. The boat wasnt too crowded. It was clean & I felt safe the whole time.
I would & plan to book another trip very soon.
WHALE WATCHING IS A MUST DO NOW

Last minute trip we said why not. Whale watching was a great experience. Went on a Wednesday and it wasn’t packed. Just enough people. The boat ride was 3 hours long. We saw plenty of whales, dolphins, and seals. It was just amazing to see the whales so close in person. I highly recommend this place. Note to carry cash on board and a sweater.

#Felt Like a Princess, Friendly Staff, Extremely respectful to the ocean and educational. Captain was experienced and everyone felt safe and the trip was «smooth sailing», I felt safe on top deck.
I went on the 5:00pm tour and I wasn’t expecting to see the amount of whales and dolphins that we did. It was exhilarating, fun, and adventurous. The whales were playful and feeding and everyone on the boat was filled with joy
I would highly recommend taking one of the whale watching tours with Princess Monterey Whale watching.
Looking forward to going again very soon.

What can I say this trip was AWSOOOOOOOME!!! We had a 1:30 reservations and they took us at 10:00 a.m.
Great boat, great captain and a GREAT WAY to see whales!!! I recommend paying the $ 20 extra a piece to sit upstairs it’s worth it!!! I will sooooo go again!!!

Service: 0 star.
It started all wrong. I showed up at 10:15am to get tickets for the 12:30pm ride.
After queuing 15 minutes, the clerk told me that he couldn’t sale me tickets for 12:30 that I had to purchase online first (this is *stupid*).
So I went out, got a booking on my mobile phone (I hate doing this, especially on a bench outside), queued again 15 minutes to get my tickets for the 12:30 ride (I wanted to make sure the transaction went fine). The clerk then said that he couldn’t give me tickets before noon :). Ridiculous.
The ride: 3 stars.
You will need 1 hour to go to the whales watching site (so 1 hour back). You’ll stay about 20 to 30 minutes at the observation site.
Make sure the sea is calm, the ride back was very very shaky. many people got sick. Captain did however a great job at the observation site to maintain the boat in place without pitching much.
Observation: not bad. but I won’t give stars for the whales nor dolphins, I heard they got bad reception and can’t review Unilocal very often.
We saw lot of dolphins, 5 humpback whales, lot of sea lions. was fun.
We couldn’t hear the biologist comments on the boat, one speaker was broken on my side.

We saw whales! A lot of them.
Very orginized and friendly.
A great value. Do it!