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    San Juan Cruises

    4.5 (69 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 6:30 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Meghan W.

    I had the best time on the whale-watching tour! During the approximately 4-hour experience, guests were treated to a relaxing boat ride where we saw humpback whales and pods of orcas. It was really moving to see these animals in their natural habitat. The Captain and staff offered a wealth of knowledge about the gorgeous islands we passed and the wildlife we observed. Lunch is included with the cruise and it was delicious. Vegetarian options are available, and there is more than enough food for everyone onboard, so no one should leave hungry. I highly recommend San Juan Cruises if you're in the Bellingham area and want to experience a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience!

    Our whale cruise was AMAZING!!!!! We saw Orcas and eagle and seals and sea lions, honestly it's been really hard coming back to normal life in Ohio because of how phenomenal this experience was. HIGHLY recommend!

    Cracked crab, herbed chicken, rice, broccoli salad and a dinner roll with drinks! Loved every bite!
    Autumn K.

    Crab dinner on the water this evening was just perfect in all the ways! Excellent weather excellent service and food! We could not be happier! Drinks were also great! Perfectly cooked crab and herbed chicken, rice with veggies and a broccoli salad excellent portions of each! Great service all the staff were wonderful set sail exactly at 6 and returned exactly on time! Could not be happier! Recommend this for couples or families!

    Sealife...
    Stacy S.

    We took a whale watching cruise in July. The staff were great and the food was really good as the other reviews stated. There was plenty to eat as a vegetarian... limited options if you're gluten free or maybe have other allergies, but perhaps they make arrangements for those guests. We saw plenty of birds, seals and yes - some orcas. We didn't as close as we would have liked, but it was still lovely to see them swim from a distance.

    Crab lunch was delicious!
    Sean C.

    Did the crab lunch cruise to Deception Pass bridge during the Tulip Festival. It was the perfect amount of time to spend out of the water and the views were amazing from start to finish. Captain Michael made it a point to look for wildlife and to make sure we all knew where to look. Also would some "fun facts" along the way. The Dungeness crab lunch was super delicious...cooked right on the boat so everything was freshly prepared. The bar also had a good selection from beet to wine and mixed drinks. Lunch was concluded with a homemade warm blueberry crisp. The boat was comfortable with windows all around so there wasn't a bad view no matter where you chose to sit. Besides Captain Michael the rest of the crew was amazing and couldn't have been friendlier or more helpful throughout. Highly recommend!

    This had to be the best weather and wine selection!
    Kurt V.

    I was given this as a birthday present for my 63rd birthday. To tell you the truth my expectations were not very high, considering the cost is so low. But we were totally amazed. It was such a great time that we told over 20 other couples about this great event.

    On the fore deck
    William G.

    Soooo, we had been quite excited to try the unWined on the Bay wine cruise in Bellingham. Sadly, it fell far short of our expectations. There are seating areas inside on two decks, with people closely crammed, and no ventilation. There are 2-3 tables at the aft of the ship, but you'd have to be in line, waiting, a couple of hours early to snag them, and they are really close. There was (at least to start) social distance standing room only at the bow, but it just kept getting more and more crowded. There is no exterior walkway all around the outside. There were three wine tasting stations, and the wines were okay. Problem was, two of them were on the upper deck, reachable only by a very steep, ladder-like staircase that remarkably no one fell from. Food was offered, as long as you were willing to have 30 people crowded around you in a 8'x8' space. The food disappeared in a few minutes. They DID come around with some tiny quiches an hour later. In short, not a pleasant experience. We have been on other whale-watching ships, and while the Victoria Star may have been state-of-the-art in the 50's, it leaves much to be desired now.

    Orcas in the Sound

    A small group of us took the day cruise to Friday Harbor and had a great trip. We came upon a pod of Orcas and it seemed like they were following us right into the harbor. The crew were very respectful of the whales and careful not to disturb them. We also enjoyed the hearing history of the area and all about the islands we passed. Two members of our party were in wheelchairs (not large motorized chairs though) and we were apprehensive about how they would manage the ramps and inside the ship. The crew was extremely patient and helpful loading and unloading the wheelchairs. They didn't hesitate to offer us assistance. Even though they were very limited in where they could "park" their chair during the cruise (the aisle is narrow between the long booth seating) most guests onboard squeezed by them and everyone made the best of the situation. One of the restrooms aboard was large enough to accommodate their chairs with easy entrance/exit. I'm glad we were able to enjoy the cruise without and major problems since accessibility can vary so much everywhere.

    Karyn S.

    We celebrated our company Annual Employee Appreciation event aboard the Salish Express and had an incredible time! The staff was amazing, took care of all the details, easy to work with, and were attentive and friendly. Captain Jeff was so great to go out of his way to help us spot a whale and stay to get some whale watching in during our cruise. The food was great, the sunset was amazing, and our team had such a great time and will be booking again next year! Thank you for helping us have such s great event!

    This is what the food looks like if you are at one of the first 50 people on board.

    My husband and I went on their "Un-Wined on the Bay" wine cruise with some friends last night (6/30/22). We were scoping it out to see if it would be a good thing to do with a wine social group our friends lead. Our unanimous opinion was an emphatic "nope!" But I will lead with the positives. It was a beautiful night, and the views from out in the bay were spectacular. There were representatives from four wineries there sharing their wines, which were decent, and guests could have all the wine they wanted. Now for the downsides. Honestly we were filled with kind of a sense of dread standing in the extremely long line looking at the boat. We couldn't imagine how it was going to be comfortable or Covid-safe, as the outside areas were small. They packed 149 people in to that rather worn out old boat. We hung out on the stern, which initially felt pretty open, but when people realized how claustrophobic it was inside, many joined us and it became quite crowded. There were three wine stations - one downstairs and two upstairs. These areas were extremely crowded, as you might imagine, as 149 people lined up for wine refills. They only would give you about a 2 ounce pour, so people were coming back repeatedly. I think the worst thing about this cruise, however, it was the food situation. The offerings were crackers, hummus, cheese, veggies and dip, pita, and some sort of bay shrimp dip. At least that's what we think it was, because by the time we got to the food, about 10 minutes into the two-hour cruise, it was pretty much gone. The people who got on first cleared it out, and they never did replenish it. The photos tell the story pretty clearly. The deckhands were relatively friendly, but there was no service that we could see. We were stuck juggling multiple glasses, and no one ever came by to take them from us. The boat definitely showed its age and didn't really seem up to par with virtually every other boat tour we have experienced. Someone else here compared it to an old city bus, and I would concur, as the inside was extremely unpleasant and claustrophobic. All in all, I just can't recommend this. I know we will definitely never do it again. I don't feel good about posting such a negative review, but the reason Yelp is helpful is because hopefully, the majority of reviews are honest.

    Humpback whale
    Holly O.

    I went on two cruises recently, the Deluxe Whale Watching Cruise to Friday Harbor on September 10 and the Cracked Crab Dinner Cruise on September 20. I had a wonderful time on both. We saw humpback whales both times. The captain and crew were warm and friendly and went out of their way to make sure we had a great time. Beer, wine, and snacks were available for a reasonable price. Both meals were great. The cracked crab on the latter cruise was excellent and tasted very good! The captain shared the interesting history of the San Juan Islands and the Salish Sea. He also had a good knowledge of the resident orcas, humpbacks, other whales and sea life. I can't wait to go on another cruise!

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    Ask the Community - San Juan Cruises

    Does the dinner cruise have options for those with a gluten allergy?

    Yes.

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    Review Highlights - San Juan Cruises

    Our captain, Jeff, took us on an interesting adventure along the coastline as far as Larrabee State Park.

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    Goodtime Girls Tours

    Goodtime Girls Tours

    (11 reviews)

    We joined Kolby, one of the Good Time Girls, for the Sin and Gin tour in downtown Bellingham. It…read morewas a beautiful sunny day, and Kolby found all the shady spots for us to stand in while she shared her obviously well-researched stories about the fun local people have been getting up to since Whatcom was first founded. Kolby is an articulate, engaging weaver of tales, and her vintage costume added to the ambiance. She was armed with old photos of the buildings we discussed in our 1.5, one-ish mile tour. The photos were fascinating, because many of the buildings no longer exist, and the rest of them have been altered in the meantime. This was my second tour with Kolby, the first being a virtual tour of the Bayview Cemetery during Covid. My goal is to join all the tours at some point. The cost is well worth the value given, and it's a great thing to do when guests visit. Birthday present, anyone?

    Cursing? Check. Cleavage? Check…read more Most people might expect a non-G-rated version of "Bellinghistory" from the Good Time Girls' Sin and Gin tours, especially when the tour description includes "explore the history of vice." But still, co-owner and guide Wren Urbigkit felt compelled to tell us that cursing and cleavage are key components of the tours. Because some people have missed that memo. Those who see Bellingham as a politically-correct college town may experience strong reactions when they hear how the town came to be. Without sharing too many of the tour's secrets, here are a few insights: Working girls were seen as a necessary evil by some wives, to keep bearded, flannel-sporting young men away from their daughters. And their bosses, madams, were seen by colleagues of many male entrepreneurs. And for those who think Bellingham is experiencing crazy growth now, wait until you hear about the late 1800s! The tour wraps up with adult beverages at Stones Throw Brewery, which has a parking spot dedicated to one of the afore-mentioned madams, Miss Annie.

    Sail the San Juans - Morning Coffee Spot

    Sail the San Juans

    (18 reviews)

    How do we keep adding stars! From the time we met Jette and Jon, we felt right at home and spoiled…read more Sailing the San Juans was a dream come true, but little did we know how wonderful every single day would be. Attention to every detail from warm coffee mugs to fill our fresh coffee at 7am to gourmet lunches and dinners, and of course desserts. We had a wonderful time. Jon and Jette are the most gracious hosts, who now we consider friends. Jon keeping us safe and informed of the wildlife and sealife, but also taking us on hikes on islands only accessible by boat. Jette with her great sense of humor surprising us at every turn with a new talent from gourmet cooking, writing songs, playing her guitar and sharing her doodles are a few of the many talents she revealed to us. And then there is Geni, sweet Geni, their portugese water "boat" dog. We instantly fell in love and could not get enough of her. I don't now the last time I felt so relaxed and pampered. Thank you Jette and Jon for the wonderul memories! We are looking forward to returning next year! To anyone considering Sailing the San Juans - this is your charter! You will have the time of your life!

    From the moment you step onto the Northwind, take in every single second you can!! Every…read moresecond--every peaceful moment, every sweet and savory bite Captain Jette serves, every bit of island trivia Captain Jon offers--as you sail calmly past thick green forests dotted with specks of white the resident bald eagles offer in the form of head and tail. This is truly an adventure awaiting! If you have ever wanted to sail but don't know how, just leave the sailing, cooking, and swabbing of the decks to Jette and Jon. They love to help make wonderful memories for all of us, and do so graciously and kindly. So stop wondering and take the leap (sail). You will have a blast

    San Juan Cruises - boating - Updated May 2026

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