Fun, scenic 40-minute transit to and from Swans Island. HIGHLY recommend you pay the extra $8 and…read moremake reservations--especially during the summer tourist season. They pack the vehicles in like sardines. Don't know how they do it, but all you need to do is follow their instructions--even though it looks like you're going to hit the car in front of you. Cement trucks, lobster trucks, cars, people and pets ... they move it all. If you're really fortunate, you'll be able to see dolphins, seals and a few lobsterman working their craft.

We rode the ferry (without our car) just for the experience; it was a wonderful round trip …read more A great way to see the area, and experience some time on the ocean; at a very reasonable price ($25 for 2 round trips). The terminal staff were friendly and informative, and the male member of the team was a real hoot; both being great representatives for the system. The crew on the ferry were helpful, informative and friendly. A great experience, highly recommend.

You pay, you wait for the boat, you get on, you sleep on your way to the islands. Repeat as…read morenecessary.

The unexpected cancellation of the ferry from Bar Harbor to Nova Scotia has cost us over $1,000 in…read moreadditional expenses, as we had to hire a driver in the middle of the night to get to Saint John, New Brunswick. The company has offered no compensation or alternative solution to help us reach Nova Scotia, despite the fact that we have multiple Airbnbs booked, transportation arranged, and flights scheduled to depart from there. When I called to ask for assistance, the representative simply said, "Oh well, we run again on Thursday." Today is Monday--waiting three days is not an option for travelers on a tight schedule. If you're counting on this ferry for transportation, be warned: you could be left completely stranded without any support.

This is a very small boat, not what you would expect for a Ferry Ride. That being said, it is a…read morelovely ride over from Bar Harbor to Winter Harbor. You see a lot of islands and even a light house. The crew is amazing. For a small group, the boat is very well staffed! The crew is very knowledgeable and share history and stories. We had two family members with us that have some disabilities. The crew was so hopeful and in a very caring manner. The needed assistance getting on/off and even walking on the docks. The crew made sure they were safe! When you arrive at Winter Harbor, there is a bus waiting to take you on a tour. All included. We didn't take the tour as we were visiting family over in Scoodic. For the price - excellent VALUE! I would highly recommend fitting this into your schedule. Very happy we did take the trip. Convenient location - Bar Harbor Inn dock. Tips - Maine weather changes quickly so make sure you bring or pack layers especially if you plan to take a late boat back. There is no reservation, so you can take any boat over or back, first come, first serve. Very flexible if you find you want to spend more or less time over at Winter Harbor.

Definitely want to make reservations in advance if you are going on the Sunset Cruise, as it will…read morelikely sell out. The Margaret Todd is impressive: 151' long and weighs 150 tons. Its four red sails make it easily identifiable from Agamont Park/West Street, and also from the top of Cadillac Mountain in Bar Harbor. Depending on where you sit onboard, you may need to be mindful of the crew's hoisting and lowering of the sails. The many buoys and markers identify locations of the lobster traps. There were seals and a few porpoises on the water also. Bags are screened before boarding for alcoholic beverages, which are not allowed to be brought on, but soft drinks and beer & wine are available for purchase. There are many boat tours & excursions to do in Bar Harbor and this one is recommended. The ride was gentle and the views across Frenchman Bay were gorgeous.

Beautiful day for a trip around the harbor, no you don't stay out for the whole 2 hours, but it was…read moreenough for me. Great crew. I do wish they gave you more info about the other mega yachts anchored there, but you can google it and find out. It's a touristy thing, but really, how often do you get to go out on a 4 masted schooner?

Amazing service to the unbridged communities of northern Maine. The Cranberry Isles is so fortunate…read moreto enjoy the commitment of our island ferry services.

Loved the experience of riding the ferry! The workers were all fun & helpful with loading &…read moreunloading bags, bikes, and groceries.

Great day to travel to Seal Island to witness the repopulation of Puffins. While we were only able…read moreto see a few (late in season) the experience was well worth it. To think the population was all most eliminated a dedicated group brought new life to the island. The weather was perfect 2-3 foot seas out of south.... On board our guide provided many interesting facts about this area

Not only was the ferry late, but they skipped the landing that we were waiting at and when we…read morecalled they refused to return and made us drive to another landing. Very unprofessional.

Excellent way to see acadia, the harbor, and the islands. Ruth did a wonderful job educating us on…read morethe history of the islands lighthouses and wildlife. Definitely a not to miss event in the fall. I am glad that i had the chance to go out for a three hour trip before the incoming noreaster. Super professional staff and quite an array of different tours to suit everyone.

Seeing the coast, light houses and wildlife by sea is a great way to go, and Bar Harbor Whale Watch…read moreis a highly capable service for this. We took the Lighthouse, Wildlife & Acadia National Park Cruise on a somewhat stormy day that prevented us from going as far out as the tour typically goes, but we still saw a lot of wonderful things, including bald eagles, porpoises, lighthouses, coastlline and fall foliage . My issues with the cruise have to do with the design of the boat, the tour guide and the lack of some supporting materials that would have made it a much better experience. 1. Boat design. We sat on the top deck, where all the seats face forward and all you see is a wall with a flat screen TV. However, the view is to the rear! Why don't the seats face toward the sea? Everyone has to twist around and crane their necks if they want to sit down. A lot of people stood along the rails, but if you want or need to sit, it's just silly. The seats should face the beautiful scenery. The lower deck at the front of the boat may be the better seating. Also, I agree with another reviewer who pointed out that if the boat were full, it would be way too crowded to get up and move around. 2. Tour guide. The sound system was very good and you could hear her well. The tour guide moved around the boat, so that was a plus. There were interesting facts in the tour narrative, but, unfortunately, she was utterly unengaging. She never made eye contact, did not leave room for questions or seem to care about what her audience might want to know about, and she talked incessantly--she never stopped. When the boat slowed down to view a light house that also had a buoy with a ringing bell, she talked right over it then talked about it. I just thought, "Shut up already! I want to listen to the bell and the wind and the waves!" A passenger spotted a group of porpoises and she barely acknowledged it, then continued with her spiel. She started the tour saying she would use clock references for directions, but did not use those references as the tour went on. Worst of all, she referred to all animals' offspring as their "kids." Eagle's "kids." Whale's "kids." Porpoise's "kids." This talking down to the audience felt really demeaning and convinced me she was not an educated naturalist. 3. Supporting materials. It would have been great to have a simple map handout showing the general route, islands and landmarks on the tour so there would be some kind of reference to the places the guide was talking about. The screens in the boat did have a nautical map on view, but it looked technical and it was difficult to figure out what it meant. The screens are obviously not the focus of the cruise, but they could be used for general orientation along the way.

We took the Cat Ferry from Bar Harbor, Maine to Nova Scotia. We preordered tickets months in…read moreadvanced. This is a high-speed car ferry. We were greeted by a wonderful man who checked us in, scanned our passports into the system and helped us place our vehicle in the boarding line. Driving the car onto the ferry was a little scary because you are on an incline that causes your vehicle to roll backwards, plus you cannot see the vehicle in front of you. They loaded 2 floors of vehicles into the back of this ferry. I was amazed. We found a front row table in the Forchu Lounge where we each ordered an adult beverage and just enjoyed the3.5-hour ride to Canada. Walking around the ferry was difficult because we did not have our sea legs. We also got to sit outside at the back of the ferry and watch the waves and feel the wind.

4.5 here....the ferry was really great. From the reservation to getting on, to the actual ride…read more.. There was live entertainment in the Forchu Lounge! There were movies - both a kid friendly and an adult(ish) movie. You could sit out back and watch the massive wake, you could sit inside. Seats were comfortable. The upper vehicle deck attendant was especially nice because I was traveling with animals and she checked on them and found me to tell me they were ok! I've never left them in a car for 3 1/2 hours by themselves on a vessel before... it was a new thing. They did great! (well, apparently, one gets sea sick, I learned , not too bad, but was fine once we landed in Nova Scotia) There was food, although not great and also could not pay with an American Express card. A very common internationally used credit card, also an American ferry/ship, and can't use AMEX?? I booked my ticket with AMEX but couldn't buy food on board with it. That's kinda weird. So I'm knocking off the 1/2 star for that. Although I'm giving a full 5 for the review because this was a convenient and quicker way to get to Nova Scotia. And I'd totally do it again.

our family of four had a great sunset cruise with the heron. There was plenty of space to relax and…read morewhile the crew was there to help or answer questions, they also gave you space to enjoy the time with your group. I especially appreciated the blankets available for when it got chilly. Would definitely recommend!

Be prepared to have alternative plans…read more We had a night fireworks cruise cancelled for "weather" 36hrs in advance. No signs of inclement weather on any of the weather apps. As predicted, it turned out to be a Beautiful and calm night. We ended up watching the fireworks from shore. They contract out their crews so it may have been that something fell apart on that side for the night trip. Just be prepared that they may cancel for any reason. A local captain we met during the fireworks show in Camden surmised that there was likely something else besides the weather in their decision. Others in our party were committed to getting in a harbor tour so we ended up getting a day sail earlier in the day. It was a Beautiful day. Competent and friendly captain and crew. They did an excellent job of hosting the harbor tour. Absolutely Beautiful boat. Great way to spend some time on the water. Be prepared for alternative plans.