We've been taking Harbor Breeze Cruises for many years and have probably been on the Long Beach Harbor Tour more than a dozen times. Whenever we have family or friends visiting from out of state or overseas, it's one of our favorite activities because it's a relaxing way to see the Port of Long Beach, the Queen Mary, and, if you're lucky, the sea lions. We brought another group yesterday, and everyone enjoyed the tour. The only downside, in my opinion, is the boats used for the harbor tour. Yesterday we were on the Kristina, and in the past we've also been on the Caroline, which we chartered for my mother's ash-scattering ceremony about 14 years ago. Both vessels are showing their age. I also think the marketing could be clearer. The photos on the website and many travel sites prominently feature the newer catamarans, which gives the impression that those are the boats used for the harbor tour. I actually called ahead to ask and learned that the harbor tours use different vessels. While I appreciated getting the correct information, many first-time visitors probably wouldn't think to ask and may expect the newer boats shown in the advertising. The harbor tour itself is still worthwhile, and we'll likely continue bringing our guests because we genuinely enjoy the experience. I just hope Harbor Breeze considers updating or refurbishing the harbor tour vessels and making the marketing a little clearer so guests know exactly what to expect. read more

I took the 2 1/2 hour Whale Watching & Dolphin Tour. I've always wanted to see a whale. When you check in you get a paper ticket and they tell you which dock you go to then you line up. There was a lot of people in line. I was in the middle and thought I wouldn't get good seats, but I ended up sitting outside in the front. The boat is really nice and big. The front is the best place to sit with a good view of the whales and dolphins. The inside was packed and you don't really see a lot and sitting outside in the back you could smell the fumes from the engine. I did see dolphins and whales - the mom and the calf. They had a couple of experts talk about the whales and dolphins. We were past Newport Beach when we finally saw the whales. We spent a good amount of time seeing them. Then we went back. It's gets windy. It was a fun experience. read more

When you say the trip is at 3:15...and you don't start loading UNTIL 3:15. It is currently 3:30 and we are still just BAKING IN THE HEAT!!!!! LAME I realize there is a downstairs that I could sit in-WHY WOULD I DO THAT??? 3:32 Finally started the engine. read more

So, I will start by how clean the boat was. When boarding, not all the crew was there to greet. That's ok, but seemed unusual for a 2 1/2 boat cruise. Was extremely disappointed with the first hour of going into the ocean. Not one of the crew spoke to anyone. Usually, the captain or mates would be on the radio and letting you know of the area, or landmarks, or anything... but "crickets" literally for the first hour. We did spot an incredible pod of dolphins and some fin whales. Was pretty incredible. We were all in Awh of how many dolphins there were and saw 2 different species of dolphins and whales. After that we had to head back and wasn't until we got into the harbor that one of the crew was talking. Suggestion: if you want to earn tips, then talk to the people on your boat. Engage. I have been on whale tours that were so incredibly interesting. I take these to see animals but also to learn. Learn the area the species etc. of the area.! Would I go again? Yes, but I would Highly... recommend the crew engage with the paying people that want to be on your boat... read more

Overall a Good trip to randomly get on, $15 per person and 45 mins total. Tour guide explained the basics of Long Beach and was overall a good time. Zero stars for the seagulls that stalked us LOL read more

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Loved this boat tour! It was definitely a hot summer day, but our tour guide was great and made the experience so enjoyable. The views were absolutely beautiful, and it was such a fun way to spend the day. I would definitely come back and do it again! read more

Harbor Breeze - Views - Boat Charters Near Me - Long Beach, California

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This was my very first whale watching experience and it was nothing short of amazing! The crew was amazing and very informative about the wildlife in and around the area. We got to see humpback whales, dolphins, sea lions, and different species of birds. We took the 3pm excursion and it was well worth it, I would definitely recommend and will be back thank you Harbor Breeze for this amazing first for me! read more

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I took a Whale Watching Tour with Harbor Breeze in February for my birthday celebrations. They operate out of San Pedro as well, but Long Beach is more convenient to us. They are located near the Aquarium, easy to spot. Parking near by and light rail in downtown Long Beach! I booked the 12:30 PM on line and it was a fast process (tried Groupon and Living Social and had issues, didn't work w. my CC which works everywhere and had no problem on Harbor Breeze's site, trying to save a buck, but didn't happen!). $55 per person, no extra fees! You can book at their ticket booth if it's not sold out. Didn't want to chance it! What I liked about Harbor Breeze is that they pick up the phone and you can talk to a human. They have nice staff working for them and they answer all your questions. Super cool people! If you get tickets online, get there ahead the cruise, go to the booth to get paper tickets! Easy process! Harbor Breeze sends emails and texts with updates and remainders! The boarding starts 30 minutes before the cruise leaves! Tip: get in line 1 hour ahead to get a good seat on the upper level of the boat for the sightseeing! We got there 20 minutes before Noon (boarding time) and it was a long line and barely snagged 2 decent seats on the upper deck! Bring sun tan lotion, water, take motion sickness pills ahead! Wear layers and comfy shoes! They sell everything at the booth if you forgot your chopstick for example or lotion. Drinks and snacks on the boat! The boat is big and clean, they clean right before you get on! They have restrooms! Didn't use it, so can't speak. Every boat is different. This one doesn't have enough seating on top, enough benches. This was a con for me. The layout! They have tables with seating facing backwards (away) - we have motion sickness so we weren't gonna be stuck with those because that could create issues. Staff is nice, you get a docent from the Aquarium. It's nice to get some info, but I thought it was too much talking. We got to see a few pods of dolphins which was great, a few seals, a deceased whale while leaving the harbor and a shy grey whale. I thought we lingered too much around the grey whale which stayed in the water a lot instead of going and looking for others. But I am not an expert. I thought we'd see more whales since it was the season. Not to be ungrateful, but each time I go on a cruise like this I barely see a whale. I know some people see none, some see more. It's nature, you never know! I surely never saw one jumping out of the water like in the ads! Maybe some day! But it's a pleasant, fun, informative, instructive adventure. You learn about marine life and the views of Long Beach and its harbor are beautiful! It's a tad cheaper if you go during week time. They have them going out at different times: 9 am and 3 pm as well. They also have cheaper, 1 hr. Harbor cruises -that could be nice. Check their site! It's got all the info, also don't hesitate to call them! Overall, a decent experience! I would do it again. We were lucky with nice weather, so it made it super enjoyable. read more

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Had a great experience. Staff was friendly and seemed knowledge. Smooth ride and bathrooms were clean. read more

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Our whale watching cruise with Harbor Breeze was amazing! Crew was fun and professional & Matthew (on loan from the Aquarium of the Pacific) was a wealth of knowledge on sea life and the California coast. We traveled from Long Beach to Newport and were lucky enough to see a pod of dolphins, a shark, and a minke whale jump out of the water multiple times! Highly recommend. read more

The best way to enjoy the breeze in the sea and staff are friendly, the boat are clean. We will coming back next time read more

Harbor Breeze - My family enjoying the sunset - Boat Charters Near Me - Long Beach, California

Folks! Get out to Long Beach and get tickets for whale watching. Brought my daughter her for her birthday in July of 2021 and have been returning every year since then. We have seen dolphins, sun fish, Mako shark, whales, and more . Very educational as you'll have the the LBC Aquarium Marine biologists on board narrating and educating and the boat crew making it fun, interactive, and safe. There's dates, families, tourists and elderly on board all excited to go so. The snack bar down below is decent. Wonderful experience as we come back every year. One year we did not see a whale but we will always come back knowing there's a home for us! Thank you again, see you next year! read more

Harbor Breeze - Taking kiddos on our annual Harbor Breeze Whale Watching Tour! 5 years going strong ! - Boat Charters Near Me - Long Beach, California

My partner and I took the July 4th Fireworks Harbor boat cruise and having been a LB native and growing up seeing the fireworks from shoreline village or Los Alamitos beach or Belmont Pier this was definitely one of the best non-stressful and great peaceful views of the fireworks! Highly recommend! read more

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Had an amazing time! Our daughters first whale watching trip and we saw 2 pods of dolphins and a juvenile humpback. The captain took the time to stay with the whale so everyone was able to catch a glimpse of it. The second pod of dolphins was huge and he drove by them multiple times so the dolphins could play in the wake and with the boat! Easy to get to. Will definitely come again! read more

Such a great trip! And because the boat is a catamaran, it was super smooth compared to other trips we've been on. This was very special because I brought 3 of my grandchildren with me Ages 12, 10 and 4. They were thrilled. Both by the wildlife and the ship. They couldn't even believe they could get drinks and snacks! Quite an adventure for all of us. We saw so many dolphins. 2 whales were giving us a show, one even showed off his beautiful fluke. Couldn't have been better. read more

It was really beautiful and peaceful ! Really nice ride . Would definitely go again !

I was staying at a nearby hotel for work and decided to try out their 45 min cruise for $20. They had tickets available at a little booth before I got on the dock. The employee let me know when boarding starred and how to get to the boat. Since I went in the afternoon on a Thursday, my cruise was not crowded. I had the bottle back part of the boat to myself which was nice however I could barely hear the announcement and the info the guide was telling about the things we were passing along the water. Boarding started at 1:45 for my cruise and it ran roughly 45 min or so. I was glad that it wasn't crowded; it made for a very relaxing ride. They also have bathrooms and food available for purchase on the boat if you need a snack. I was in town for work a week later and went again and the experience was totally opposite. 3 families with small children were on the boat and as many times as I moved to the opposite end of the boat, they followed soon after so I'm not sure what that was all about. read more

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The Harbor Cruise was fun and informative for my daughter and myself. It was a very nice afternoon. Boarding was simple and there was plenty of seating for everyone read more

The Harbor Breeze Cruises' Whale Watching & Dolphin Tour was one of my favorite activities ever. Even though I live in Los Angeles, doing this tour made me feel like I was on vacation. It's really amazing how much marine life you can see right off the coast through one of these cruises. We saw so many dolphins, likely hundreds, all swimming in a pack and surrounding our boat. We also saw a few minke whales throughout our trip! It's best to get a seat on the outside of the boat--just make sure that if you're wearing a hat that it has a strap since the wind can get very strong! You can also get some snacks/drinks inside as well. I highly recommend stocking up early--not to be gross, and maybe this was just my particular trip, but there were many people who became seasick who stayed inside and the inner cabin definitely smelled like vomit towards the end of the trip. Lastly, the tour guide was very nice, engaging, and informative. Definitely check out one of these tours when you can, whether you are a local or visiting! read more

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Epic boat trip! We saw two humpback whales and they were so active! One breached over and over! The crew was wonderful! read more

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Thoroughly enjoyed - great friendly knowledgeable staff, and well maintained boat! We've gone several times and usually there is a Groupon available, if you have the patience for getting the voucher number and inputting it in the Harbor Breeze site. Good idea to line up at least 30 minutes early if you want to ensure a seat, but standing offers a better view for the most part. Nature does the rest; yesterday it was quiet for quite a while and then suddenly we were amidst a humongous pod of hundreds of frolicking dolphins; unforgettable! read more

We had a very nice Fourth of July. Sailing on the harbor, enjoying the sunset, having a meal, then watching several different firework shows. We enjoyed that it was family, friendly, and safe. read more

Harbor Breeze - Fourth of July firework Harbor cruise. This was a really nice safe way to spend the Fourth of July watching fireworks. Family friendly. - Boat Charters Near Me - Long Beach, California

Having gone whale watching in Boston and in Alaska, we decided to buy tickets to Harbor Breeze. I give this place 3 stars for the very educational speaker on board, and also for the fact that the ship has seats in the front, on the side, behind, and also an enclosed area. The enclosed area smells very damp and musty, so we stayed outside. Unfortunately there were no whales to be seen on our trip, but I did appreciate the boat ride. They also showed up 30 minutes late and still had us docked on time. The presenter also said that viewing whales in a gamble, like a lottery ticket to where you sometimes lose, and sometimes you get a free scratcher ticket. We were then not offered anything. They could've at least given us one of their overpriced snacks (chips, canned soda, etc. ). Or they could've refunded us a small fraction for being late (even $5 would be a good gesture). This cruise was much more than the one from Newport beach too, so I'd consider that one in the future. On the bright side, Harbor Breeze did a phenomenal job with communication, and also comped out parking, so I'm sticking to 3/5 instead of going lower. read more

Harbor Breeze - Boat Charters Near Me - Long Beach, California

Pleasantly surprised by the harbor boat tour I took with Harbor Breeze Cruises! It was spontaneous but I'm so glad I did it, and it was only $15! You get close up views of the Queen Mary, the Port, and the Oil Islands. I recommend going during sunset for the amazing views. The boat ride was smooth and didn't feel seasick at all. Staff was really friendly too and the guided tour from the captain was informative. Great group activity for tourists and locals alike! read more

Harbor Breeze - Boat Charters Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Very experienced and courteous staff. The boat was beautifully maintained. The trip was excellent. Very inexpensive for such a wonderful experience. read more

I took some out‑of‑town visitors on the 45‑minute boat tour, and it ended up being such a relaxing experience. We got beautiful views of the Queen Mary and other local sights while the captain shared interesting bits of history. It's not a whale‑watching tour, but we did see a few cute seals. read more

Harbor Breeze - Queen Mary - Boat Charters Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Lovely day to take a boat ride along the harbor. Not much to see but just being on a boat is nice. We did get lucky and saw some sea lions, diving birds, and many dolphins. We came in March. It was 90° outside but the wind cooled us down. The seats had left over water on them that we didn't see roll down to our end so my mom and me got our bums soaked. The trip was quick. I think an hour would be better than 45 minutes. The driver was good and no one felt sea sick. The narration was good although not a whole lot to show us or talk about in Long Beach harbor. They validate parking to $8 instead of $15/day. It's right next to the aquarium of the pacific so you can do both things in one day. They have restrooms on the boat. They have little snacks and beverages for sale. Staff were nice. read more

Harbor Breeze - Harbor breeze boat view of the lighthouse in Long Beach - Boat Charters Near Me - Long Beach, California

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The besties had fun and so did I. It was a good relaxing Saturday mornin with an awesome view of the harbor.

Beautiful day! Beautiful boat. We saw hundreds of dolphins. I was not expecting to see whales this time of year -- we lucked out! We saw two Grey whales up close!! Even if we did not see the whales, this would have been a great excursion at sea. The volunteers are super knowledgeable and friendly. I loved seeing the dolphins! Super organized. read more

Harbor Breeze - Whale tail! - Boat Charters Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Awesome value for the money ! We parked at Aquarium parking.....Dock 2 very close by... Easy to find.....Enjoyed all the information shared about the Long Beach Harbor ! read more

Harbor Breeze - Carnival Panorama and Queen Mary - Boat Charters Near Me - Long Beach, California

Such an incredible experience for my family! We saw three different dolphin pods! We spent the entire time at the front of the ship enjoying the waves and views! read more

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The trip was a success. The captain provided excellent information about the wildlife we saw and about the surrounding area. Anywhere you sit is a great seat. It was easy to move around the boat and very clean. We were able to see minke whales, common dolphins and Finn whales. read more

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Had an amazing experience on the harbor breeze whale watching tour! I have been whale watching in Ventura, Oxnard and Santa Barbara! This one was definitely on par with the quality of the rest! We saw many dolphins and humpback whales! The seats were very comfy and the inside was so big! The boat felt safe and very clean! The guide was super informative! Highly recommend! read more

Harbor Breeze - Humpback whale - Boat Charters Near Me - Long Beach, California

I had a good tine with my kids. He went on a boat ride and had some snacks and some drinks. We got to see the Queen Mary. Great and affordable prices. read more

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Even as a local, this experience makes me feel like a tourist in my own hometown in the best way possible. I've been coming here for years--first with my nephew and cousins, and now with my son--and it never fails to create lasting memories. While I haven't tried the whale watching yet, the shorter harbor cruise is stunning. Seeing the Queen Mary and the shoreline from the water is absolutely breathtaking. They have a great selection of snacks, beverages, and cold beer to enjoy while you take in the views. I can't wait to be back! read more

Harbor Breeze - Is that a statue? - Boat Charters Near Me - Long Beach, California

It was a nice boat ride out on the ocean that we made the best of. Our boat departed later than expected, but we weren't too worried about it since when we asked about it they said we'd be back within plenty of time to still make our dinner reservation. We started heading out and it was beautiful. The boat did hit some rough waters, as we were on the later afternoon tour, but we didn't mind since we're used to being on boats and had come prepared with patches and Dramamine, if needed. At first, everyone seemed to be having a good time, but once we got about an hour or so out, people started getting sea sick. It was really bad for a handful of them. Also, there were restrooms on board, but they were pretty gross. Other than that, there was lots of boat splash fun and nice ocean breezes and views. We didn't end up seeing any whales, buts tons of dolphins (which we learned are also considered whales), and a lot with babies next to them. The kids were so excited and all loved it, which made the trip worth it. It turned out, we got back a lot later than expected and missed our dinner reservation. Luckily, we were able to call the restaurant and they were understanding, but something to think about if you're wanting to plan that. Overall, we probably wouldn't do it again, but it was fun a one time thing. read more

Harbor Breeze - Boat Charters Near Me - Long Beach, California

Never have we ever until yesterday! What a great time we had and I'm thankful for the memories. Erick and the crew were great and I enjoyed the humor mixed in while educating us on marine life. The boat was clean and we felt safe the whole time. Thank you so much for a great experience and I will definitely recommend to friends and family! read more

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SoCal Road Trip 2025 Day 1 First stop - Harbor Breeze Cruises in Long Beach. Departing Vessel - Kristine My buddy and I boarded at 11:30 for a quick tour around Long Beach Harbor. We quickly made out way to the open air top deck. There was a lower level fully enclosed with tables and seating for snacks and drinks. The top side also had a small snack bar plus bench seating. No tables. As soon as all passengers had boarded, we were off for a 45ish minute jaunt around the harbor where we would have views of the world famous Queen Mary, the THUM oil islands, down town Long Beach and whatever wild life would show up. It was mostly smooth sailing with the exception of some wakes and rollers at the furthest point. I took some dramamine before in preparation for that so I did alright. I'm not a boat/water person so that was a serious concern. It helped having the cool sea breeze blowing on me. The scenery was also helpful. Though not especially scenic. The Queen Mary is a stunner. The Long Beach skyline is nice too. The oil islands, some named after the Apollo 1 astronauts who perished, are reasonably beautified. You can tell they are manmade but at least the oil equipment on them is camoflauged by trees. I had hoped to see more wildlife than I did. Mostly it was seagulls and pelicans. There was on sea lion swimming about. No dolphins and no whales. Perhaps on the longer cruise that Harbor Breeze. So what was a point of concern for me turned out to be a good first stop. The staff was friendly and professional. The boat was clean and well maintained. The facts given throughout the tour were interesting and informative. The experience from start to finish was comfortable and relaxing. read more

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Absolutely amazing! Crew was very friendly and knowledgeable. We got lucky and got to see whales and dolphins! This was my nieces first time out on a cruise and she loved it! Thank you Harbor Breeze we will be returning with guest read more

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Such an amazing experience! The crew is super knowledgeable and do really well at pointing out what you may see and where we are heading. We saw a whale and two pods of dolphins on our trip! read more