the people working on this ferry treated us like actual garbage when we were first getting on. get…read morehelp!

It's free. You get what you pay for! Long wait on a Wednesday in October. Arrive super early,…read morebefore the ferries start if you want to be on the first one. We arrived at 10:30AM and waited for 5 ferries until we got on. They don't hold a ton of cars and they carry commercial vehicles which ofter take up the space of 2-3 cars. They hold about 30 cars and it takes 55 minutes to cross. It use to be faster but they have to take a longer route now. This ferry is funded by the state of North Caroline and is part of the transportation budget. They use to allow the ferry to go over budget but now they cut back service after the season to make sure they stay under budget. Unless you really, really, really want to see Oacracoke, it's not really worth losing 7 hours of your day. There are a few nice places to eat, but not a ton of shopping.

FAVORITE PLACE HERE. We spent hours finding the most amazing shells. The water is crystal clear and…read morethe wanes aren't bad at all. I would come back in a heart beat.

We had so much fun on Shackleford Island. We saw so many horses, found a lot of cool shells, and…read morethe beach was beautiful. It's about a 30 minute ferry ride from Beaufort. There is a restroom but NO amenities or food available for purchase. Bring everything you need with you. Once we arrived, there was a tour guide but it wasn't much of a tour. She walked us to the other side of the island to show us two horses on the beach and then walked all the way back to where we started to show us where to find the best shells. Her "tour" lasted about 30 minutes. We did most of the exploring on our own and that's when we found the majority of the horses. As long as you aren't looking for a super guided tour, this is a great day trip!

What a wonderful experience! From booking our tickets with the kindest lady to going on our…read moreadventure with the kindest men/captains of the boat. I didn't catch his name but one man was kind enough to talk to us about the horses, the island, and answer all our questions. He gave clear directions about where to go to find shells and the best spot to see the horses. The boat ride over itself does get faster then I expected so plan ahead for that. We had two small children with us, one being a baby and they enjoyed the boat ride too. The staff was very helpful getting out stroller on and off board. everyone was so kind and helpful and we had a beautiful day!

Overall good experience wait times were a little bit longer than expected but peak season …read more Everyone was helpful

Nice relaxing tour of the bay. Didn't get to see any Carrot Island wild horses though, so I was a…read morelittle disappointed. Easy to make reservations, but its not guaranteed to go unless they have enough people. The boat is huge and accommodates a lot of people. Bathrooms were clean, snacks available, plenty of historic information. It's good for tourists, a nice relaxing ride.

Maybe we were lucky! We saw the wild horses plus a 6 month old foal with its mother and a junior…read morehorse about 2 years old. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and lead us to the wild horses. Well worth the trip! Jeannie, our guide was very helpful and the ferry captain shared a bit of the history of the port as we ferried out to Shackleford Bank.

The Cedar Island Ferry takes about two hours to journey to Ocracoke and unlike the Hatteras and…read moreMinnesott ferries, this one requires a reservation. You can still show up, as I did, and hope someone cancels but you could be waiting a while. While waiting, enjoy the comfortable and air-conditioned terminal that has snacks and a restroom but no wifi. There are also picnic tables all around and a beach. The ferry is an enjoyable ride and surprisingly only $15 each way. A large passenger area has seating including tables and power outlets. You can bring your own snacks or purchase from the on-board vending machines. There are also restrooms. [Review 772 of 2025 - 4204 in North Carolina - 24332 overall]

The Cedar Island Ferry is an economical, comfortable option when you're heading to and from the…read moreIsland. They are very punctual and reservations are recommended if you want to be sure to get a spot, so plan ahead to be sure you get to/from Cedar Island in a timely manner. It was a smooth, relaxing ride today with beautiful weather. The ferry itself is comfortable with plenty of passenger seating inside and outside. Clean bathrooms are a plus. Sit back and enjoy the beautiful views!

Sunset cruise--book ahead, bring a hat, and maybe a thermos…read more We grabbed the last two seats for a late-September weekend sunset cruise--as of noon the same day--so tip #1: book ahead, especially on weekends. Our boat had two larger groups (a bachelorette and a birthday), which made for a fun, jovial crowd. Seating & comfort: Plenty of places to sit and move around--shade, sun, or rail time by the water. Nice flexibility as the light changes. Drinks: They offer drinks on board; the selection was basic beer and some generic wine. I don't drink, so I can't rate them. Even if I did drink, I would still hesitate. I brought my own THC beverage, and no one blinked, but check their current policy and use common sense. A water bottle or a thermos/juice blend is a definite yes. Crew & service: Excellent across the board. Two bartenders--friendly, efficient--and the whole crew felt professional and upbeat. Bathroom note: There is a restroom onboard, which is clutch, but it's a bit awkward to access. Go before you board if stairs/steep steps are tricky. Overall: Great time: good music, easygoing crowd, smooth operation. I'd definitely recommend. Next time, we'll try a longer day cruise to the Outer Banks (with lunch)--it looked like a solid daytime option; we just didn't have the time this trip. Bottom line: Great crew, great sunset, zero fuss. Would do again.

Our last-minute date night with Lookout Cruises was absolutely incredible. The sunset was stunning…read moreand truly unforgettable, and the entire evening felt effortless from start to finish. Captain and crew--Mike and David--were professional, kind, and attentive. A special mention goes to the captain's mom, who has served as his assistant for the past 26 cruises--she is truly a treasure and adds such a warm, personal touch to the experience. All of the staff had genuinely jovial personalities, making the atmosphere even more enjoyable. One of the most thoughtful details was having crew members walk around and take photos of each couple throughout the evening, allowing everyone to simply be present while still capturing lasting memories. It was the perfect evening to take in the stunning coastal views, watch dolphins play, and see Fort Macon from the water. The boat was exceptionally clean, and safety was never a concern--it was clear we were in very capable hands. We were so impressed that we've already booked their 4th of July fireworks cruise and can't wait!

This was a great experience out to the lighthouse. We were able to catch the ferry and the driver…read morewas friendly, and gave a little informal lessons about the area. Overall it was great. Just make sure you don't miss the last ferry ride. 2025-07 #558

The official ferry of the National Park at Harkers Island provides access to the Lihjt-House and…read moreShankleford Island. Reasonable fare prices with ferries running throughout the day. You can reserve (suggest you do), and you pick your return time. You can return earlier if space is available, so pick the latest time if not sure. The ride was smooth, and Capt. Jordan & Crew made it fun and informative. We were lucky to see horses from the ferry while passing by, Capt Jordan slowed down so we could capture some photos. Our return trip was as smooth as our trip out and added to our amazing visit to this beautiful National Seashore.

My family and I signed up for a boat charter out to shark tooth island to find some shark teeth…read morethis summer. This was by-far our favorite activity that we did on our vacation. In the past, we have rented kayaks from Pogie's and have always loved renting through them. Pogie's was AMAZING to work with both during this trip and in the past. They were very kind and attentive to us during our time with them and gave us some local tips for our adventure. They were able to accommodate our larger group and went above and beyond to make it a fun and successful outing. I highly recommend this place!

You've driven by, wondered how to take that micro adventure. It's too expensive, I've never kayaked…read morebefore, it's too sunny... Well STOP it and stop on by. Book online it will shave off some precious sand dollars. No waves? That's great, too easy. You don't have to put a boat in the water, they have a cool slide to launch you so you don't look like a weirdo. Service was friendly, helpful and able to launch even the stockiest of gentlemen. (Also bring cash for tip)

10/10 would recommend. Perfect for kids 3-12 but legitimately funny and entertaining for adults…read moretoo. Pirate Fettuccini is incredible with the kids. She literally memorized and addressed every child by their name - and there were maybe eighteen kiddos on our voyage. Captain Spike is hilarious with jokes for the kids and adults throughout. This is not a historical tour. This is not a wine and cheese sunset cruise. (There are great options for those in Beaufort if it's what you're looking for). THIS IS FLAT OUT, LAUGH OUT LOUD FUN. Be a fun parent and book this for your kids' sake. They're gonna love it (and you will too).

The kids had a blast. This was really fun boot ride, and I would recommend. The Captain was…read morehilarious, and it was good times for all.

We took the ferry boat out to Sand Dollar Island. It was a neat experience. The ride out there was…read moreabout a half hour, we spent 2 hours on the island, then we spent an hour on the boat coming back. You could go out into the water as far as you liked to search for sand dollars. I only went about ankle deep. I found a couple broken pieces of sand dollars. I couldn't believe the size of the shells I found! I had quite a collection when we left. We also found some creatures there. The person driving the boat was fun and knowledgeable. We also saw some wild horses and dolphins on the way back. It was fun.

Save your money and do not book this tour if you do not want to waste your money…read more They literally leave loads of people who have already exploited the very small pile of dirt (sandbar) they leave you on to bring more and more people onto a tiny crowded space. All the private tours have already gotten all the sand dollars before their ferries hit the sand. We booked the Sand Dollar Island tour and went as far out in multiple directions and found nothing. There is also a very fierce current going out which could be extremely dangerous. We booked online less than 24 hrs in advance & during the night my military son's pregnant wife came down with Covid and had to be rushed to the ER. I explained how we could provide medical letter and proof and they refused to have extenuating circumstances policies. So basically keeping the money for themselves is more important than customer service. They were rude and care only about their profit, not people nor our service men and women.