Ocean and whales what more can you ask forIt was one of the most amazing things ever, the cruise takes off from Harbor Drive, next to the USS Midway.The cruise is few hours long, so when you first get into the ship, make sure to get familiar with it, visit each floor, check out the indoor and outdoor areas, find the toilet, this will help you move quickly when required, for example, if you want to find the best spot to see the dolphin that is passing by the sip.In the beginning, you will cruise smoothly out of the bay, passing by a few points of interest that the guide will talk about, including the military airport, some submarines, Point Loma …etc. from there you are in the open ocean, and that is an experience on its own, there is nothing like the open ocean, I have been in rivers, seas…etc. nothing compares to the ocean.You will cruise in the ocean for an hour or so, trying to find a whale (to watch), the ship is in communication with all other ships in the area, so if any ship finds a whale, they will report it to all cruises and they will all gather around it, if you are unable to see any whale during the cruise you will be given a ticket to redo the cruise another time to watch a whale which is unbelievable, they make sure to deliver what they promised you which is whale watching.You will most definitely see some sea lions during the cruise, possibly multiple times, if you are lucky you will see some dolphins swimming next to the ship.

Amazing experience. Well guided tour. Food is available. It’s reasonable price and in the top level of the cruise there are round tables where you can freely move around but there are some cruises which have fixed benches too. So you have to check before booking that. Over al it’s worth it

Great spot to take visitors for a cruise around all the cool stuff going on in San Diego from military to filming to sunshine and sunsets. Any ship from this fleet will ensure you have a great time! Excellent service at affordable pricing for all.

We took the ferry from the Broadway pier to Coronado Ferry Landing with our bikes. That had bike racks on board. Views of the San Diego skyline were awesome.

Its was super fun, and the speed of the boat was awesome,the crew members are very friendly, i will do it again, the view was great you can see basically everything far away in the water

If your are struggling for plans for your birthday or in general to celebrate, this is the move to make! 100% recommend. Please make sure to look at the directions carefully because there’s two different docks at opposite ends! So recently me and my group of friends booked the brunch cruise for my birthday weekend and it was the best decision I made! I absolutely loved it! We thought of many things to do, but none were available or were versatile like the Hornblower brunch cruise. 4 course meal was delicious, unlimited champagne (they provide OG so you can have a mimosa as well!) service and staffing was phenomenal, and you get top tier views of San Diego bay and skyline. Special thank you to Captain Eric because you made all this possible! Also many thanks to DJ and Bryan B for great customer service because they made it such an enjoyable experience! I’m excited to come back again!

Very friendly very affordable very well narrated and explaining certain sites of the tour and our service want to say her name was Mary very so nice in serving us this was so relaxing calm we have done hornblower before cant wait til next time

First time referred by a co worker didnt know what to expect.turn out really nice and romantic thanks to Jeremy by singing for my gurl friends b-day I would recommend this place for a nice romantic date to end the night

Fun cruise easy to do with kids(they really enjoyed it) was not bumpy and. No seasickness because its a larger size boat. Hold on to your food and drinks if up in topGreat narration and sights

What a fun time. It was beautiful, the crew was super friendly, the ship was clean, and the drinks were delicious. We will for sure do it again.

So much fun! I love the history of San Diego that they explain throughout the excursion.

The ferry is nice whether for commuting or just a round-trip ride as something to do. The city skyline makes it a nice sight regardless of the time of day. The seats got a little damp on the way back to Seaport Village.

My son & I took a sight & sip tour which was so nice. The staff were very friendly, helpful, and service was great. Only thing was suppose to have music in place of live band.... Which could not be due to compliance. Even though they had music playing could not here it at all. Would have loved & more enjoyable to heard music. But sights & appetizers were magnificent. Couldnt have had a better time. My son had a great time even wants do more tours of all kinds. He said he like to go on the night tour to see the lights. Thank you HornBlowers

Got an excellent view of a grey whale as we were nearing the end of our (4hr) tour which rounded it off nicely. Even without that we saw plenty of wildlife and some great views of the skyline, naval base and USS Midway.Found that enough info/facts were given but not so much that you felt inundated or couldnt chat. Crew were friendly, loved that some volunteers came down from nat history museum who had a fair chunk of knowledge too.Overall great value just being out on the water for so long!

I loved it. It was so much fun the stuff was amazing I got there a little late but they still held the boat so we could get on.. so amazing they didnt have to do that..nice way to see the boats .

Dont buy a Groupon with Hornblower!!! They are not honorable, even during a pandemic. I tried to use my groupon in early June but they were not running due to the virus. I had to buy another groupon with Flagship Cruises since they were running at that time. I asked hornblower to extend my groupon which expired August 27th and they wouldnt. I dont live in San Diego. I finally got help from Groupon. Hornblower should have extended my groupon because of the pandemic and the fact that they were closed. I will not use Hornblower in the future and I WILL use their competition. I shouldnt have had to go through all this trouble. Be more professional, Hornblower.

Offers a great view of the harbor. Take the 2 hour one to see both north and south areas of the bay. Going to groupon saves you about 50% off. Bathroom stalls were a minor problem compared to the overall experience. Guides were knowledgeable. Stay on the upper deck. Right side of the boat has better views, except when youre looking at ships (which will be on the left side). Food is quite pricey on board, bring snacks.

Went for 2 hrs North Shore Bay around noon. It was not foggy and seems like occupancy should be little bit more limited. It looked like ppl on the upper deck were very close.

Took to Coronado and back. Great service. Great crew.

It was a very pleasant boat ride around beautiful San Diego. The guides narrative was difficult to understand due to sound issues but we (my lovely wife and I) loved the ride!!

I purchased a groupon ticket for myself and bought children’s tickets online through the Hornblower website for my two kids for the two hour cruise. The first part of the tour takes you around the harbor then returns to dock before continuing on with the second hour of the tour. Both one hour tours can be purchased individually if one hour is enough.We decided to get off after the first hour, but that’s no reflection on the tour of the Hornblower itself. The crew is great as well.

Did the full San Diego bay tour. Good guide narrator and smooth trip. Sat on outer lower deck with less ocean breeze. Take a light jacket. Great drinks and super-friendly staff. Got fantastic sunset bay and dusk city pics. Highly recommended. Great for kids too!!

As a San Diego native, it was something we had always heard about but never tried. We went on the 2 hr harbor cruise at 3p & it was a wonderful experience. My toddler loved every minute of it. The beautiful skyline, views & information was spot on. We ended our cruise experience with an incredible San Diego sunset. Would reccomend to anyone wanting a little R&R enjoying San Diego harbor.

We done this as a way of seeing the city from a different perspective as well as having a few drinks to enjoy the view with. The boat was great, and the views were brilliant. We went for the fully overboard package and have advised my parents and friends who are going soon to look into it. We really enjoyed it and it set us up nicely for the NY comedy club afterwards. The drinks on offer were great and for NY prices you pretty much get your monies worth once youve fed yourself (food was really nice with a decent choice) and had a number of drinks you definitely get your moneys worth to enjoy the views. You get close enough to the statue of liberty for some great pictures also - more so that the staten island ferry.

My husband and I were supposed to board Monday, we got there super early and was told the ship cancelled and that they could get us on the same cruise but on Friday (today), we are from Phoenix so we had to extend our stay because we didnt want to miss it. All was well on the cruise today, we saw dolphins and sea lions, no whales and for two hours of the sailing, it was very mind numbing and people were falling asleep, literally. Also, very bumpy ride and the boat kept doing a jumping motion, almost like when a vehicle back starts, needless to say my husband dropped his phone into the ocean due to it. So thats a set back, otherwise we did have a great time, hope to experience again when the Covid-19 regulations go away and we can experience the cruise for what it actually is.

My Father, my, husband, Sister and her honey all took the Hornblower 2 hour cruise. As you can see it was awesome!! Great memories were made. Thank you #Hornblower Crew!

We took the two hour cruise of the bay on October 8, 2019. We booked our cruise and paid for a picture online about a month ago. Our boarding passes and picture coupon were waiting for us at the ticket booth when we arrived. The whole cruise is narrated by the crew who have a great understanding of the harbor. We spent the first hour in the north harbor and passed the North Island Naval Air Station, the 2nd largest naval air station in the country, and had a perfect view of the San Diego skyline. We returned to the dock for about 15 minutes to allow the people with the one hour tour to get off. This was the perfect time to grab a drink from the snack bar. We spent the second hour in the south harbor passing Coronado Island and going right under the Coronado Bridge. I was impressed by the crews knowledge of ships docked at the navy base. He described the type and use of each ship including its name. This cruise is an easy and relaxing way to see the San Diego harbor and well worth the $32 cost. We really enjoy ourselves.

It was wonderful. Saw and learned a lot around the area. They have food and drinks you can purchase. Good for families and dates.

I have been the DJ/MC for many great events on Hornblower Cruises. This picture was from tonights cruise. Great views & excellent food.

Tried this via Groupon. Bar and snacks on the boat. There was so much information about local military, and other local attractions. Clean bathrooms. Parking wasnt too bad. Close to food and other things to see. 4yo and 8yo had a great time.

Very relaxing and lovely views. We did the two hour tour. First hour goes south and the second goes North so you get a great view of the area.

Had an awesome 2 hour tour and with Groupon it was only $14 a person!!

Nice tour with good tour guide providing information. Only did the south harbor tour because of time. Otherwise would do the two hour cruise.

We took this cruise and loved seeing finback whales, sea lions and sailboats offshore. Dont forget to bring your coat, though! It gets chilly quickly out on the water.

Relaxing day on the water, awesome views of San Diegos downtown from an Ocean view.

Cruise was nice and crew was greatWe did not see any whales but hundreds of dolphins. They issued us voucher for another try. Hopefully we come back soon and try again.

Staff were wonderful. Comfortable seating on top deck. Nice views of city.

Ive been so many times Ive lost count. Comfortable ride. Good food. Great price on Groupon! Very informative and chill.

Fun and informative! I recommend it for a great relaxing afternoon or evening!

It’s nice Cruise trip. I suggest you to buy the tickets from Groupon much cheaper.

Hornblower Cruise was fun and exciting to be there. Captain talks on the speaker that as if he is the tour guide. Captain was fun to listen to. He is also funny, made a few jokes. I didnt like the bathroom. Mostly junk food. Wish had some other healthy food. Still have good services.

Lots of fun. Informative. People really enjoy this when they visit from out of town.

Took a 2 hour Harbor Cruise and it was great. The first hour, the captain was very informative about the landmarks and the huge homes, the restaurants, the old cemetery on the hill, Shelter Island etcWe then docked to let the 1 hour people to get off, others to get on and our new captain. Who use to be in the service, so this hour we learned a lot of history about those Navy ships. I have been on this cruise before, but it never gets oldWe went the 25 of last month and it was a beautiful day. A must go see and do!

I guessed it was too early. I went towards the end of August. We didnt get to see any whales. We saw sea lions and a school of dolphins followed us for a while. We were offered free tickets to return. Best time they say is in November. Make sure to take a jacket any time you go because it is nippy out there and windy. What ever happens just keep an open mind and enjoy yourself .

Awesome place my first time on ship amazing views 5 star all around

Was great if you dont see a whale you will get a rain check

Great experience.. Got a bit chilly..but my drink warmed me up... Food is tasty and the tour was fun. Thanks for sharing my birthday celebration with me

I had a great time! We saw lots of wildlife, 2 different types of whales and 2 different types of dolphins. Lots of sightings. Its hard to get good pictures, so put the camera down and just enjoy. Dolphins swam right next to the boat! Bring a jacket or blanket, it gets cold on open water. Food is tasty but overpriced. Kids got bored after the first hour, but they do have a naturalist discussion but we didnt see it.

The tour was very nice! Had a beer and some nachos during the tour. The bathrooms are very clean and staff is excellent.

Loved the whale watching tour!!!! We were lucky to see several Humpbacks and schools of Dolphins. The Captain did a great job navigating the ship to try and get the best view. It was nice to have the option to go inside if you got cold, or needed to use the rest room.

We had high hopes of observing whales blowing their heart shaped spouts. We eventually started seeing them outside Point Loma... at just about the best moment another Whale Watching ship crossed over, in front of the whale! Obviously the whale(s) dove downward to miss the huge ship. We’ve never expected to see such a tacky, inconsiderate maneuver.... I quietly thought of the poor whale as it could have easily been hit by the ship’s propeller . That whole incident is burned into my memory!

Fantastic, We saw three whales, they were migrating north-bound, swimming very slow

In all honesty... BEST TIME! Staff was great, DJ rocked, beautiful view. Had the time of our lives.

We went on the 1330 sailing for 3.5 hours to see the whales. The captain was super friendly and great. We were so close to the humpbacks. I wish we could of seen the Gray whales too but that’s just how it goes with nature!

Staff is always courteous & knowledgeable. 1st Officer Kyle is funny and adds to the trip. Food in snack bar is fresh, good & unexpected. Great views of the San Diego bay, and our awesome Navy ships.

Everyone should do this once, the captain have a thorough overview of the bay and all the navy ships. Im glad i went on this tour and it was cheap as chips.

The crew are very hospitable, interactive, and funny. My wife and I had a great time and got to see some Whales.

Great tour of the bay. Good narration and an enjoyable, safe experience.

If you are into whale watching this is a must do. This company is great. They do suggest you maybe a reservation to be sure you get on. They do have a snack bar and restrooms on board. There is indoor and outdoor seating.

Plenty of informations through the 2 tours, thank You so much, especially for the nice views we had the possibility to enjoy.

I booked this cruise because I was celebrating my birthday and I came from TX to San Diego. There are 2 addresses located on the sight and I confirmed with one of the individuals that picked up the phone to confirm the address that I thought that I was suppose to catch the cruise at however once we arrived at the address there wasnt anyone there and I tried to call the 800 number and of course no one picks up by the time that someone did pick up the ship had taken off. I spoke with Jason inference to getting my money back and I was told that I could get a gift card which would work in my state, which turned out to be a lie because they arent affiliated with anyone here in TX. After going back and forth with the port manager he offered me a gift card that I can not use because I can only use it in TX. For future they should have someone available to answer calls and post the correct address for the correct events. Horrible experience after paying $350 for a dinner cruise I had to pay to go out to dinner, wasting money.

Did the one-hour harbor cruise to celebrate a birthday. The captain was pleasant and greeted everyone aboard. The ticket attendant wasnt nearly as cheery.The front of the vessel has the best views and gets crowded quickly.Remember to bring a jacket, even on a hot day.No outside drinks or food are permitted.Sunscreen is good to have if you plan to stay on the deck for the whole time. There is an inside sitting area to escape the sun.Depending on time of day, on street parking might be hard to find. Give yourself some buffer time.You can find deals on Groupon, Goldstar, and even on the companys website.The cruise was a great way to experience the city, even if youre a local.

Wonderful trip around the Bay. Friendly and informative

Definitely had a fun time. It was relaxing and informative. Being from San Diego I didnt think I would learn anything new. But it was fun to be on the water.

Had a great experience whale watching with Hornblower. All the staff were excellent. Boat was large and comfortable on the water. Saw a good number of whales. They kept their timetable well.

We were there 40 minutes before boarding and was told in a rude manor that we were way too early and we have to wait to check in. Then 5 minutes before boarding we were told that the cruise was cancelled. We traveled from far away and waited patiently and was treated rudely. Will not ever come back!

Amazing experience for my husband’s birthday, it was a wonderful idea for a romantic dinner during the sunset. AMAZING customer service, AMAZING food, AMAZING view, AMAZING pictures. I am definitely thinking to do it again!. (My experience was the last year but I forgot to leave my review).

Terrible customer service, made to sit on a open deck in wind and cold. You cannot speak to a real person if you tried to call customer service. Very unprofessional

Whale watching was really great and we saw a couple of humpback whales. The annoying thing is that even if you buy tickets ahead of time, you still have to wait in the ticket line...just for someone to scan your ticket with their cellphone. If it’s as easy as scanning a QR code, why can’t that happen at the entrance? So be aware: even if you buy online and print tickets ahead of time, you have to get there earlier than the 8:45 time they suggest because you have to stand in the ticket booth line there (BEFORE lining up to board the ship).

Such a wonderful experience !! I had never gone whale-watching before, but I have been in Hornblower a handful of times for their tours. Ive even booked an event here for a dinner cruise for my mom her classmates for a reunion. There are so many promotions for the events offered by hornblower, that you are bound to find an amazing deal. My latest experience with hornblower was the whale watching trip which I absolutely enjoyed as it felt like we saw EVERYTHING including several whale spottings. Food offered on the boat is expectedly mediocre and high priced, but they do allow you to bring on small packaged snacks and things . Lots of seating available both out on the deck or inside. Water does tend to get choppy so please be prepared and take that Dramamine, or even go the extra mile like the random nice lady we met on board and bring lots to share with seasick neighbors lol! Only thing that turned me off was at the end when captain announced they would be accepting gratuities. I find that to be a little tacky and uncomfortable for this type of experience (I firmly believe it should just be built into the ticket prices ) but we enjoyed nonetheless.

Went on a 3-hour Dinner Cruise to celebrate a birthday. Our waitress was nice but could have been more attentive. After dinner they announced the names of guests celebrating special occasions, except they forgot us. Also the birthday dessert & candle was never brought to our table, it sat at the bar until I got up and asked why, our waitress said she wanted to bring it when all of us were at the table; all three of us spent plenty of time at our table.The Food was good(salmon & roast). The view & boat ride were very enjoyable. But the overall experience fell short of expectations when paying $110 per person.

Great day on the water. We saw wales and dolphins. Really enjoyed the harbor with all the military ships. Great staff!

Super fun worth the money. Just make sure to eat before getting on the boat . The music was good and the view was beautiful.

I did a whale watching cruise in August 2019 and had a blast! We saw dolphins and sea lions which was great and got vouchers since we didn’t see whales. It was still great to be on the water and see some wildlife. Thank you for a fun experience!

Nice tour. Informations during the tour by speakers.

Beautiful views and informative naration. We took the last tour of the evening and saw the sunset. It was a nice relaxing end to a busy day of walking around.

The tour itself was very fun. First Officer Kyle and First Officer Randy were very nice and knowledgeable. The ship was clean and well cared for. The snack bar ran out of items before we even set off. The staff in the ticket booth was very rude.

The time was wonderful, I tasted delicious food. Th service was very special.

Great spot for day cruises, The Patriot speed boat ride was a blast

Went on a cruise several months ago, great food and good value.

We got the tickets through the Hopper. Hopper Plus deal includes the double decker bus tour and tickets. We took the Hopper bus from Old Town to the pier and then took the harbor cruise. We decided to go south. Saw military ships and got to see downtown from the water. It is a very nice experience. Definitely a must do in San Diego.

Love the view of San Diego skyline and is a great way to see and hear of history of all along the bay.

Beautiful. A great way to spend an afternnon.

Very disappointed with this cruise. I couldnt hear well from the speakers. Whomever was speaking was just going through the motions and I thought more interesting things could have been shared. I booked a two hour tour and got off after an hour.

Awesome cruise, just wish they had more bartenders.

I liked it a lot. It is expensive, but completely worth it. I loved having the naturalists on board! In my opinion two things could be improved to make a better experience. 1. Either include the price of the photograph into the ticket price or get rid of the photograph. 2. Pay the captain and first mate enough so tips are not suggested. The cruise itself is expensive. I felt nickled and dimed.

I’ve gone on three different cruises and each time I’ve had a wonderful time. This is a great service for both locals and tourists as well. It’s effortless to navigate and it’s worth every penny!

Didnt see any whales. Still way awesome. Saw dolphins and sea lions!

Cruise is good. 3.5 hours is slightly longer. Also, this cruise is 0.8 miles away from closest 4 hour parking.

Vey good tour. The 2 hours tours actually two one hour tour because you go to the South come back to the pier and the departure to the second part. Só there is a 15min lost in this stop over but you can use to have bite and be ready for the second part.

My cousins from Michigan and I Went on the Hornblower Whale Watch tour. We had the VERY best time! We didnt get out of the Bay before we saw a juvenile Gray whale playing with the seals and came up right under our boat!!! It was great. Capt. Rick made all the difference, his enthusiasm and excitement as if he was seeing these magnificent creatures for the first time, made ALL the difference. I have been on 3 Whale Watch tours put of Newport Beach, this one was by far THE best tour.Make sure to dress in layers, wear a hat and bring sun block! Even with a hat, and sunglasses my nose and chin got very sunburned. I forgot the rays that reflect back up from the water.

Good experience. We were lucky to see whales.

Excellent staff on board, fantastic whale naturalists on board who really know about whales & marine life, food is awesome, just love the whale watching experience!! We really enjoyed the variety of seating options & sighting areas aboard the ship. Bottom level is great for small children as it gives them closer to the water surface to see dolphins close up. Mid level offers indoor seating & 2 outdoor seating areas. Top deck all open areas for people to see from all sides of boat. The captains are really great about making sure all guests on board get to see the whales & dolphins as they move the boat around the whale. Fabulous experience!

Beautiful day for a cruise around the bay! Wonderful history shared by the ships commentator. This is something everyone should do if they have the time.

Nice cruise, you see the whole port

We took the bay cruise. It was a nice relaxing couple of hours. I have lived here a really long time and learned a lot. I will be talking this cruise when family visits again.

Celebrated my nieces birthday with my family and loved the whole experience! I had a blast! The food was good, beautiful scenery, and the dance floor was lit!

Saw a humpback and minke whale as well as lots and lots of dolphins! First time going on this type of tour as well as my 90 yr old mother and well never forget it. Amazing, just amazing! The crew were really great. Loved talking to Pam!

Very awesome... But rough seas make for a tough ride. Be prepared.

Had great time with Sisters of the Valley on Hornblower cruise ship and Capt. Ernesto Coleman