Troy was super duper kind to let us and our dog in last min. Basically we booked thru Chase Travel -- I called a number after to confirm we had a dog with us but that request didn't go through though I thought it did. Day of, we got the email from Chase around 10am (our boat departed at 11am) stating that we had to text a concierge to confirm headcount, I did and mentioned we had a dog but unfortunately the dog was not registered yet. I was freaking out as it said we needed to check in at 10:20 for dogs and our reservation didn't include one. Captain Troy was very kind to let us on regardless and said that the dog check in policy was for pups to relieve themselves before getting on the boat so there are no accidents. We saw a dolphin stampede that day and it was so nice hearing local commentary. Bathrooms are slightly freaky as the lights flicker on and off but the drinks were great! read more

We had such a lovely day on The America! The staff was very kind and had a lot of information. It was quite interesting to hear about the original America and the America's Cup. Plus, all the Naval stuff happening in the bay. They also took a lot of car to involve the children on the trip. The Boat was beautiful and we will definitely recommend it to others. With appreciation for a beautiful experience. read more

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We had a fantastic time. The American is a beautiful smooth sailing yacht staffed with attentive and knowledgeable crew. We saw a mega pod of dolphins that started to stampede. Amazing. read more

The main reason we booked this particular trip was because we wanted to bring our dogs along. Our 2 dogs were welcomed (at no extra cost). One of the deck hands immediately brought over a bottle of water for our dogs (we brought our own collapsible bowl). The ship and the tour were outstanding! I have been on several whale watching tours and never really saw whales nor was I expecting to see any on this trip. However, we did see a couple whales and pods of dolphins. Not only was our trip personally narrated by the young lady (sorry I did not get her name) giving a bit of a history, lesson, pointing out landmarks, and pointing out that we can see Mexico. She also took videos of the whales and the dolphins as she knew where and what to look for. She also had better access to parts of the ship that we did not. At the end of the tour, she airdropped them to our phones (for free) what a great service! Although chips and snacks were passed out during the trip, several people brought their own lunches. The ship itself was gorgeous, clean and very roomy. It never felt crowded. read more

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We had the experience of a lifetime! The crew of Captain Troy and Fathom, Derek, Ariana, and Dylan were so knowledgeable and made our adventure even more pleasant. The care they showed to each and every passenger was top notch. Sailing on such a fantastic and historical vessel America was mind blowing. The 2 species of whales and dolphins we saw and heard will be something we remember forever. If you've ever wanted to go whale watching, DO IT and contact Next Level Sailing. read more

Next Level Sailing - First Mate Kylo - Boat Charters Near Me - San Diego, California

Amazing boat! Amazing staff! Amazing boat dog! We ended up going with them twice because we didn't see whales the first time (what a deal!). We will definitely be back to cruise the bay, glide along dolphins, or just hear more about the history of the bay, marine life and take in the sites. read more

I really wanted to go whale watching but needed something dog friendly and this place popped up. Even though we didn't see any whales, this activity was super fun! I really appreciated that my dog could come along on a boat and the fact that the staff was super welcoming and accommodating to my dog. They provided us our own area to sit, a dog bed, a water bowl, and lots of love and cuddles. My dog also got to experience seeing dolphins and sea lions for the first time. I am definitely coming back because since we didn't get to see whales, they invite you to come back for free to hopefully see some the next time. Thank you so much again for this wonderful experience! read more

Next Level Sailing - My dog seeing dolphins for the first time - Boat Charters Near Me - San Diego, California

Staff were beyond great! Boat was fantastic and clean. Very friendly,professional crew.

The crew definitely cares about your enjoyment and safety. We saw dolphins and whales. Since it's a sailboat just know that you are more exposed to the elements but you are likely get a better view than other boats. I thought it was cool they sent a text reminder to be at check-in by 8:30 and a number in case you needed to let them know if you were running late. The crew also helped me problem-solve a travel related issue - which I really appreciated! Some people got pretty sick, the staff really tried to help each person feel better and were proactive in trying to mitigate it from happening. If you think you might get motion sick or the moment you start feeling badly tell them! Let them help you from becoming miserable. read more

Wonderful morning on the water. Staff was communicative and helpful in moving us to another time when the weather forecast looked bad for our scheduled day. Great information during the cruise. Would have been fabulous even if we hadn't seen whales, which we did. Would definitely do it again next time we are in San Diego. read more

Enjoyed the trip, saw dolphins , pelicans , and seals . Did not see any whales, but they have whale guarantee, and they offer a free trip, with no expiration date. We also got to see the San Salvador ship sailing.There is plenty of free parking . You can bring your own snacks or lunch . They do offer soda, water, chips and granola bars, which was nice . Look forward to going again. read more

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I have conflicted feelings. I have been whale watching before and had a very different experience my first time. Pros: We saw 2 humpback whales, a huge pod of dolphins, and lots of seals. The views were unmatched. They also had free soda, water, and snacks were passed around twice. Cons: It's a long trip with very uncomfortable seats. Since it is a sailboat, passengers sit on benches for about 3 hours. The water is also very choppy. About half of the boat was experiencing sea sickness. The ride out to where the whales live is very long. Bring things for you kids to do! Once we finally got to the whales, we saw them come up for air twice and then had to quickly leave to return. Ultimately, I saw sea life, but it was just a very long day! read more

Next Level Sailing - Boat Charters Near Me - San Diego, California

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Had an amazing day with Next Level Sailing! It was a little cool and chilly out, but the crew is awesome and was nothing but five star hospitality. Captain found a mega pod of Pacific Porpoise that we sailed with for a while and then 2 humpback whales that we followed for a little bit as well. Far exceeded our expectations and would rebook for a second trip anytime we are in San Diego! read more

Next Level Sailing - Boat Charters Near Me - San Diego, California

It was amazing! It seemed personalized without being personalized. Super friendly staff...and DOG FRIENDLY!!!!

My husband and I had a wonderful time! The staff was very attentive and frequently checked on us regarding our comfort. It was a great delight to have Marie Antoinette (chocolate Labrador) on board to assist with whale spotting. The moments when the gray whale surface were sublime. Being on a sailboat was such a joy. Highly recommend! read more

Wonderful, but don't get left behind! What better thing to do with my visiting Kansas born-and-bred sister than take her out on the ocean to look for whales? We had a great time, and she said one of the best experiences of her life was when a rarely-sighted blue whale blew and then glided alongside us no more than 30 feet away. A fin whale also made an appearance, as did two different species of dolphin (including a pod with babies). The Navy base was pretty cool, especially the Los Angeles class attack submarine in drydock and the drone ship Sea Hunter. I think we'd have been happy just to go sailing. Being on the America was an order of magnitude better than being on the big double-decker diesel ships the other cruises offer. You're down near the water, and it's pretty thrilling just riding the waves and feeling the movement. The crack of the sails is a nice accompaniment. I'd advise making your way as far forward on the America as allowed, and getting a seat on one of the flat benches (I assume they store life jackets) along the side. The seating along the middle is at a slight incline, and in addition to being more comfortable the benches give you the better view to the side and forward anyway. Be sure to bring your own cushions! Otherwise you'll be sitting on bare wood or plastic. When signing in an hour early, look for the gazebo with a blue Whale Watching vertical banner. We checked in and then stood by the water looking at the ships, and somehow missed the announcement that it was time to cross the street and head out. We turned around just in time and caught up to our group before the locking door at the marina closed. Pay attention! Extra credit goes to the crew member with Kai the corgi dog who loves gazing at the ocean almost as much as we did; who doesn't love a happy corgi? Extra-extra credit for her (the owner) knowing which aircraft carrier it was we were watching coming into port and flying her air group off. Another rare treat. I've been on other whale watching cruises, but this is the only one I'd consider in the future. Great crew, great vessel, whales, and free Doritos. What's not to love? read more

Next Level Sailing - Boat Charters Near Me - San Diego, California

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We thoroughly enjoyed our whale watching experience. This wasn't your ordinary touristy tour, it was a super cool sailing experience, with knowledgeable guides. And while we didn't see any whales on our particular tour, we did get to sail along a pod of dolphins. It was one of the most amazing experiences I have had in my life. And they have a guarantee if you don't see a whale, you come back again at no cost. Highly recommend this tour. read more

Next Level Sailing - Boat Charters Near Me - San Diego, California

Excellent customer service on a beautiful boat. The trip started and ended exactly on time, which I appreciate. We didn't see any whales, but we saw hundreds of dolphins! They take their whale-sighting guarantee seriously, so we may come back for another trip during whale migration season. I was disappointed that we motored everywhere. We put up a couple of sails, but it seemed like those were mostly for show. I'm a sailor, and I was looking forward to seeing such a large sailboat in action. I understand that we had to motor in order to get so far offshore on a 4-hour round-trip; I just wasn't expecting a motorized cruise. This boat might not be safe for small kids unless you hold their hand the whole time. There are lifelines (rope railings) in the customer area, but there would be nothing to block a kid from running out to the bow or the stern, where there are no lifelines. The crew made sure to explain that, and everyone stayed safe. read more

This was our first time going whale watching and I can say, this was an amazing experience for my family. We were just excited to get out to the water but, 20 mins in we spot a dolphin. It didn't take long after that for us to, not only find a mega and super pod of dolphin, but to see multiple humpback whales breach. It was just awesome. The crew was amazing as well. They were very helpful and made sure we felt welcome. I will definitely be doing this again with Next Level Sailing read more

Next Level Sailing - Boat Charters Near Me - San Diego, California

I will start off by saying that our trip was apparently one of only 2 days this year that there were no animal sightings of any kind. This review is not indicative of that, as no one can predict what will or will not be seen on any given day. The check-in guy (who I eventually found out was also our Captain) was impersonal and almost rude. My husband and I booked "Active Duty Military" tickets, but when we showed him our active duty military IDs, he denied me the military ticket. He told me their military tickets extend to the active-duty member only, not their spouses. I understand that discounts and polices are completely up to the discretion of the business and if they choose to offer a discount to an active military member only, that's their prerogative but it should be made clear upon booking. Their website only says "Active Military Member" tickets and I do have an Active Duty Military ID. He then charged my card without my consent. He did not tell me what the price difference would be and he did not ask if the card on file was alright to be changed. I only found out it happened when I got notified on my phone. Horrible customer service. The Captain never introduced himself and only talked to the front half of the ship. We were seated in the back and didn't hear a thing. I can't believe there's no PA system onboard. The crew was friendly and knowledgeable, but without name tags they all felt like strangers and we sat on a boat for 4 hours in complete silence with no idea where we were going or how far we'd gone. If you asked the crew, they were happy to tell you but otherwise, not a word. As others have said, it's a long and uncomfortable ride, especially if the water is choppy. The boat is lovely, but the seats are either wood or plexiglass, which I kept slipping off in my leggings. The crew provided sodas, water, chips, fruit snacks and granola bars and were attentive to picking up or taking others trash. They also had a sea sickness kit and blankets that secured around your neck and shoulders if you got cold. The overall experience might have felt more worth it if we saw anything other than a few sea lions as we left the port, but even with their "guarantee" I would not choose to spend another 4 hours on that vessel. read more

Spectacular amount of sightings of whales and dolphins. Close up and personal. The sights along way fun. F22 and helicopter fly overs exciting and navy ships interesting. My 3 and 6 year old grandkids had a great time.Uniqie way to see marine life from a large sailing boat with an interesting history. Highly recommend read more

What a gift to be on this special boat! I loved seeing the sail boat in action, the owner of the boat was so patient with all of us. It is generous to let people bring their dogs- knowing they might get sick . The trip was awesome, wind was strong and waves were large! The whales were magical, sea lions hunting were adorable and dolphins playful. Great day on the ocean!! Thank you so much for sharing your personal boat with us read more

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We are so happy that we booked the Next Level Sailing as our whale watching tour, not only because we have the chance to explore the 141-feet historical sailing yacht, but also because this is the ONLY dog-friendly whale watching tour in San Diego!!! We booked the weekday 1:15pm tour, $85 per adult and dog is free! We checked in 30 mins before the start time and our guide with her lovely crew dog Marie is already there waiting! The full 4 hours experience is lots of fun! They give a very knowledgable background stories of the off-shore ships and sightseeing along the way, and on our way back the crew are sharing the fun facts of different whale species as well! Very interesting! Also all the crew members are really nice to the dogs as well! They offered free ice cold bottle water and soda during the tour and also free blankets rental and free sea-sick pills if anyone feel cold or not well, very considerate and sweet! The most important thing is, we get to see whale breaching 7 times in a row that day! Very very fortunate, at the end of the trip the crew is even walking around Airdrop the great videos they took during the tour so everyone can go home with the fantastic experience in their cellphone as well! This is the best experience I had so far this year, thank you all for all the crew members from Next Level Sailing! Hope to see you guys again when Blue Whale season starts!!! read more

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We were so excited to go on this whale watching tour because they are one of the few that we could go on with our dog. We were anticipating it for days! On the morning of the tour we arrived and checked in at 10:15, well in advance of the 10:30 check-in time. We had been told that boarding would be at 10:45 so we had about another half hour to relax. We went to the restroom for about 15 minutes, came back by 10:35, and the group was gone without a trace. We ran around checking to see where they could've gone. And we called the provided phone number(s), thinking we could reach them because there was still plenty of time before the stated boarding time. That got us nowhere. The alleged "offsite office" number kept directing us to the "main" number, which we assume is the boat captain's phone - who never picked up after trying to call more than 20 times. They don't seem at all interested in working this out and giving us satisfaction. We really want to have had an amazing whale watching tour with our pup, but failing that, it would behoove them to give us our money back. Judging from how they handled it in the moment, I'm not holding my breath. I'll update this review if that changes, but we still haven't heard back 3 days later. read more

Like all the other reviews mention this is a great experience. From check in all the way through to making back ashore at the end of your trip. We had a great time, saw two or three small pods of grey whales, lots of dolphins and learned quite a lot about them, the San Diego harbor area and the yacht America - both the original and this replica. read more

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We are group of four plus three dogs. Thank the crew team for taking care of us and our dog! One of the dog got sea sick during the trip and causing a lot of troubles, but the team was extremely patient and kind to clean after her, super sorry and appreciate. We saw a pot of dolphin on the way back and saw whale spout. It was a memorable trip and they kindly gave us two t-shirts just because we got sea sick (I actually felt very sorry, since we already made so many troubles bc of the dogs). They also took very nice pictures for my baby boy! Over all, super recommend! read more

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Crew was awesome they brought my kiddos blankets. The Captain is a rock star! He heard there was a pod of Orcas at Mission Bay so he turned around (away from all the Blue Whales we already saw) and hightailed us over there. We saw a pod of four Orcas!!!! Amazing!! Captain was also great about letting us drift very close to the whales. So cool! read more

Next Level Sailing - Boat Charters Near Me - San Diego, California

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The best. WE had a fantastic time, many dolphins. Unfortunately we did not see any whales but the crew did great and also tried their best to locate whales but it was not happening today. If we are in the area we will do our best to take this tour once again. Thanks read more

Great experience! Beautiful boat and what a way to enjoy San Diego! Captain and crew are the best!

What an amazing day! Boat was gorgeous and the captain and staff made the day!! their knowledge and constant engagement was welconed and made the excursion even better (if possible) they were very knowledgeable and attentive read more

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Dog friendly excursions can be a challenge. We were thrilled to find Next Level Sailing and take our two golden retrievers on a sailing trip in beautiful San Diego. Everything was as promised. The crew was very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. We had a great afternoon, met some very nice people, and our dogs seemed to love it. We saw sea lions, dolphins, and a sun fish. There were no whales but Captain Troy has a free return offer in case that happens. We are looking forward to our next visit. read more

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We had an excellent experience. Super organized and punctual. We saw a humpback whale, a blue whale, dolphins, pelicans, seals, etc. I highly recommend them. read more

Wonderful experience! Gracious crew and captain. Since it's early November, we saw only two humpbacks; nonetheless, they were close enough to the boat to make it worthwhile. I wish that we could have been under full sail but it was not to be. read more

I would recommend going out whale watching on the Yacht America. It's a great experience, we have been on other whale watching tours but going out on a sailboat makes the experience that much better. We didn't see any whales the day we went out but spending 4 hours sailing off the coast was worth every penny. read more

If I can give them a zero star I will. We feel we got scammed by this company with the experience we had. Be aware of this company. Read on if you value real customer service and don't want to be tricked into a false advertised experience. We are out of town visitor at the San Diego area, and found this company on our research for dog friendly activities in San Diego. We got our tickets online a week in advance. On the day of the event, we were really excited, and got there on time, a little early to check-in at 10:20am (well before their 10:30am cut off time.) At first we don't know who to look for or what to expect, and just trust their text based email instructions will get us on board. After we parked, I saw a man sitting on a picnic bench, with his head down looking at the phone, there's no check-in board, greeting whatsoever. I spotted the mentioned Check-in flag 10 feet away from the guy, so I assume he may be the person who checks people in. I walked up, he didn't acknowledge me at first, and his head was still down looking at his phone. I had to say "hello?" to make sure he is the check-in person as there are many others standing and sitting around by the check-in flag. He asked for the name and said "You are checked in.", then went back to looking at his phone. As a host, he did not show much care to tell the passengers what to expect next. As everyone else were standing around, waiting, we figure we use the restroom, that was about a minute walk away from the waiting area. So we went to the restroom, came back by 10:39am (10:45am boarding time), and the whole group completely vanished! We suspected the group went to board, so we started looking around, but we don't see a sign of any moving group or similar looking sailing boat. So I called the number provided on their email, and the person never picked up after 10x attempts, we left a voicemail and text message for attention. Nothing. What else can you do, right? We called their "company number", and could only get hold of a speaking person at the "booking office" to see what else we can do, and was told that we can be transferred to their "main office". After a couple back and forth, we found out the so call "main office" is the same number we called 10x times, by now we probably called 20x within a few minutes, and NOBODY picked up. Just completely irresponsible. We suspected that check-in person is that number holder and he is also probably the manager, owner, tour guide and everything else you can possibly think of. A one-man band with close to $100 per ticket, you will expect a little more than just "You are checked-in!" And head down back to looking at the phone. Perhaps, that's how they (or he) operate and they are just cruising by as long as they can. We started seeing a similar looking boat starting to sail out the dock, we kept calling calling and calling, still no answer. By that point, we know we are not going to be able to board, and may not even hear anything back from them (him). We left voice messages, and have yet to hear back from the number we dials. We felt completely scammed by this company, needless to say. Their website may look put together, which is easy nowadays to build a professional looking website. the automated emails may seem informative, but it is the personal customer service that will tell you what kind of company it is. As frustrating as this whole experience is for us all, we will continue to try reaching out, but we figure there will be zero chance we will be able to get hold of this "main office" person for any sort of fair compensations or even refunds. We will update our review should we have any more news, but we highly doubt this company will ever return our calls or care to understand what we had gone through - the way we were treated was very minimal effort and does not worth a penny at all if you ask me. Yes, you will board as long as you stick to the group, but don't expect anything more than that. Read the other people's negative reviews and you will see a pattern there. read more

My wife and I chartered Next Level Sailing for our 50th wedding anniversary. We had about friends and relatives aboard with us. We sailed for 4 hours on San Diego bay and the unanimous feeling was an A+ for this event. Special recognition to Fathom our primary. Connection with Next Level Sailing. I don't know how the day would have been without her on board. She is fantastic and so well suited for this job on this sailing vessel. Thanks to all the Next Level Sailing staff and Captain Troy read more

That was certainly one experience I will not forget. Sailing along with my family, sitting straight on the deck, next to the safety line, enjoying the morning breeze and the solidarity of the open sea, until that was interrupted by the awesomeness of the biggest animal that ever lived on this planet; a whale playing in the water as if it wanted to impress us with its charming nature. What a memorable moment! Beautify vessel, run by smiling people that seemed to honestly enjoy the views as if it was their first time too. Will certainly do it again, next time I am around. Thanks! read more

Nothing planned for today so we checked out using our points Whale Watching thru a third party. We aboard the America 1851 and met the Captain and Marie Antoinette. The cutest and most behaved Choc Lab I've seen. We were very lucky to see Humpback Whale and learned a lot about whales in general. The women working are very knowledgeable and the yacht itself is gorgeous and so clean. Would book again- even if I was sea sick which btw they nursed me back to health. Or the whale did? Who knows now lol JK read more

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Fantastic on so many levels and yes, multiple Blue Whales sighted. Just GO! Unforgettable experience. read more

Next Level Sailing - Captain/owner at the helm - Boat Charters Near Me - San Diego, California

We have done many experiences in San Diego but this one is the absolute top of the list. Wow! The captain and the crew were incredible. The schooner is beautiful. We saw a hump back whale that they said was 11 meters. It had a net around the tail and we were helping Sea World and the Coast Guard spot the location. Sadly the whale went into Mexican waters and we didn't get the outcome we wanted but the experience was once in a lifetime. I just loved this experience. Thanks Next Level Sailing! Everyone should do this. read more

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