Our trip to the UP was canceled due to hazardous air quality from wildfire smoke coming from Canada (this was near the end of July). I still wanted to write a review because they were very proactive as the air quality changed and I appreciate their willingness to refund 100% due to the circumstances. We had a night and day cruise booked and although the night cruise was not cancelled due to air quality, they fully refunded us since we did not make it up there. We highly value a business who takes care of their employees and customers even when it costs them. We are from North Carolina but will definitely be back to get our tours from them! read more

When you have a option to go on a cruise, take it! Our time in the upper peninsula was refreshing. Being out on the water for a sunset cruise made it even better. It was beautiful! Please keep in mind that Lake Superior is the coldest of the Great Lakes, so once the sun sets it gets cold! There is an option to be on the bottom deck, which is enclosed. Part of the middle deck also has windows to shield the air. If you want to remain in the open air, you'll need a blanket and coat! Happy cruising. Also check out the store. They have many cool items for sale. read more

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We bought tickets ahead of time online. When you arrive (they ask that you arrive 15 minutes before but know that it is first come, first seated so if you want to sit on top or get a seat of your choice, arrive as early as you can) you are seated on patio chairs all lined up for about 10 rows. As mentioned, you sit in the order you arrive. When it was time to board, everything was done smoothly and efficiently. The cruise was great, our guide (and I assume captain?) was fantastic! He spoke clearly and succinctly when telling about the history of the names of the formations and the lake. He expertly maneuvered the ship boat so that no matter what side you were sitting on, you got a great view of each formation. As some were better when viewed from a certain angle, he would turn the boat for the best view. It was a great experience! And the perfect way to see the rocks! read more

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Amazing cruise. Amazing narratives and smooth sailing. Great price and smooth sailing. You won't regret the tour. read more

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We saw what we could via trails and via car routes. 2 hour boat ride that rides along all of the rocks along the shore. The $46 ride is all of the rocks. Next ride is at 2PM. The $54 ride is all of the rocks + the spray falls. Next ride is at 3PM. Waiting to sit in chairs to start the boarding process at 2:45 PM. There are two rows of seats are already full outside on the dock. We are seated by 2:34pm, in the second group or 4th row. We took the 4th row of seats, even though there are open seats in the 3rd row, but it's facing right into the sun. Need to stay cooler and thus our back to the sun. A staffer checks in guest last names and count, while we are seated. Boarding the cruise boat by 2:47pm. Pushing off from the docks by 3pm. Right on time and we aren't even in Korea or Japan. Fancy that! We are off by 3:03pm. Knots and wind is picking up. Hair is up. The boat is called Spray Falls. Boat was built in 2022. The captain is funny, gregarious, captain Noah. 63 Feet boat. Holds 150 people. Boat can get up to 25 MPH. Run by 2 caterpillar diesel fuel engines. Captain Noah. Cheyenne and Ashley are part of the crew. The rocks will be on the right on our way out and on the left on the way back. Castle Rock by 3:25pm. Chapel Cove by 3:56pm, we were able to ride inside the cove. Passing by Spray Falls by 4:03pm. Not sure it was worth the extra $8 for the rather small falls. The rock formations are worth the visit for sure. Turning around now by 4:06pm. Good thing. I am pretty done with seeing the rocks by now. We are back at the docks by 5:06pm. Disembarking by 5:08pm. read more

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This company provides a great way to experience both a boat and kayak tour. They're very organized and helpful, and they strongly emphasize safety. I called ahead to get advice on which tour to book, and they provided excellent information ahead of time so felt very prepared. My husband and I did the Spray Falls tour, which was was amazing. Our tour guide Zach provided excellent information on the history and geology of Pictured Rocks. He answered every question and told funny dad jokes - even though he's only in collage! We loved every aspect of this boat tour and hope to do it again read more

Recommended! Pictured Rocks is a section of coastline of Lake Superior that is indeed highly scenic. I liked "Battleship Row", which totally does look like something from Pearl Harbor circa 1941, if you just use a little imagination. You also see arches, and a pretty unique tree-on-an-island where the roots extend through the air to the mainland. As scenic tours go, this is a good one. read more

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Really fun and well-run sunset cruise along the lakeshore. Captain Noah and his crew were the best!

The boat, Spray Falls, had coolant system engine failure that began on our trip out to the lake (the constant beeping followed by crew running about the boat was indicative of a problem). About an hour in, we were alerted to the problem formally. 2 hours of our day was unfortunately spent waiting on engine problem diagnosis and return to the dock. We were offered a refund or an option to join a boat tour at a later time. No discount was offered to make up for the loss of our time. I would have hoped the company would check all engines for readiness before launching, not sure how coolant system failure got past the mechanics. Please make sure your boats are ready to operate so that your customers' time is respected. read more

Cpt Noah and crew were awesome and polite and funny The cruise ship was very clean When Cpt Noah took boat right into a cavern it was soooooo cool! His knowledge was impressive read more

A must do cruise. This is one of those things that you really can't miss if you are in the area. The views from the water are magnificent. Far better than from the trails at the top of the cliffs. It's a great experience. Fun. Easy. They take good care of you. Just do it. Oh, also try the glass bottom ship wreck tour. It's entirely different and also a must do thing. read more

Awesome time out on the water! Be sure to wear some layers if it is not in the peak of summer. It gets cold out there on the lake! The cruise was 2.5 hours. I took my mom on a road trip to the UP and this is a cruise I will never forget. read more

The sunset spray falls cruise was beautiful and fun! The descriptions and stories from the crew were very interesting and made the trip more meaningful than just seeing the rocks from the shore. The day we went was pretty windy and rocky after the storm the day before. They warned us about weather/waves and offered a refund if you weren't comfortable with seasickness, in hindsight maybe I should have gotten off before going, but I'm still glad I went. Definitely watch their website and the weather for a good time to go read more

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We watched the weather earlier in the week and decided that it looked reasonable enough to do this cruise on Lake Superior. The cost for two is close to $100 with fees for this 2.5 hour cruise along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. When the day of the cruise came around it was much colder than what had been predicted so we arrived about 30 minutes before they started to board. We wanted to ensure that we got an inside seat. Well it turned out that a Sunday morning in early June is not yet high season and the boat that could hold over 140 people had less than 40 on the cruise. So plenty of warm inside seats. As the morning went on it did warm up enough to venture outside for short bits to get pictures. The crew was friendly and the captain did a good job with the tour and narration including his collection of "dad jokes". The scenery is great. This cruise is definitely worth the price! read more

We had an amazing 6:30pm cruise. We booked the day before and it was the only time slot left. The sun in July hits the rocks perfectly at that hour. The captain did an amazing job narrating. Sit on the right side of the boat and thank me later:) Parking was easy and free. The boat left right on time. We did the 2 hour cruise to the falls. Highly recommend this cruise even if you've driven through the park and hiked. read more

Pictured Rocks Cruises - Boating Near Me - Munising, Michigan

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Conveniently located. Friendly & professional staff. These folks have their tour business philosophy done en like a work of art. Their gift shop has a plethora of items & actually great prices. Our cruise had to turn back 1/2 way into it due to intense fog, But, the captain & his staff was informative and accommodating. Never once did we feel unsafe or uneasy about the situation. We had a partial refund back to our original form of payment & confirmation email before we even left the parking lot after disembarking. Without even informing any staff members. Our dog took advantage of the cool and safe kennel accommodations while we are on the cruise. It was safe & clean. FREE too! We were offered a padlock to use and keep for $5 read more

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Took the sunset cruise and even tho we had a cloudy night without a sunset, it was amazing. Had a great tour guide. Was able to get some amazing photos of the scenery from the cruise. read more

Very nice touring the cliffs, rocks, beaches and coolest sights. The staff were all great and the ride was poetry smooth. Lots of windows and easy viewing of everything as well. I liked the jokes and great boat driving. The only thing was that at the end, it seemed like the captain was stalling in coming in to the dock to make the trip 2 full hours. I'm not sure if they run in the colder weather, but definitely go when it is summer months. Really nice ride and great views! read more

I had great time. Great views. Great narrator and kind staff. Sodas and little snacks are available on boat. A tiny discrepancy between right and left side boat experience. Only other bad factor is bad behavior from other audience members since the boat allowed them to get up. Overall, great experience. I will return next time I'm in the area. read more

Amazing! We went when it was raining and the rocks showed more color than usual, blues, greens, and blacks. Enough indoor and outdoor seating for your preference. We spent half the ride indoors and half the ride outdoors in the covered area due to the rain. Definitely open the window if you're inside, you see the colors much better! read more

Pictured Rocks Cruises - Boating Near Me - Munising, Michigan

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What a fantastic trip today! Everyone was so helpful and nice and the scenery was to die for. Special shoutout to our guide Brice who was super knowledgeable and funny! read more

Beautiful place! Friendly staff. Would recommend to get there 30-60 minutes before boarding to get a good seat. read more

I completely, wholeheartedly advise anyone and everyone to take this Cruise. It was magnificent to see the pictured rocks from the water. Only a handful of people and myself were on the top deck because it was 50° out and quite cold. But I was prepared so I stuck it out the whole 2 hour trip. Isaac who was the captain and the tour guide, was awesome. He had the silliest dad jokes, and I half expected to see a man in his 40s or 50s when I came down the stairs because of those jokes, and he was a young buck in his twenties, who gave a great and entertaining, as well as very informative, guided tour of the pictured rocks. Their souvenir shop has decently priced gifts for all ages and all shapes and sizes. read more

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The boat was nice. The crew was informative and knowledgeable. The scenery was ok. I was expecting more colors. read more

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Pictured Rocks Cruises was a great excursion during our visit to the U.P. The staff was friendly and the boat was clean. The top two decks were pretty packed by the time we made it to the boat, so we sat on the lower deck. Great views and ample seating. We loved our tour and the Captain's commentary. The rocks themselves were gorgeous and a must see! I would certainly take the tour again. My one recommendation is to get there at LEAST thirty minutes before your departure time, as the parking lot was packed solid. If a single car hadn't left we would have been parking way down the street, walking to the dock and would have missed our boat. However we got there about 7 minutes prior to departure, so that's on us. There is also a gift shop with a lot of nice things. Some was typical touristy stuff, but a lot was really nice quality and gift worthy. We definitely recommend Pictured Rocks Cruises. read more

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Highly recommend the Sunset Cruise! It's such a beautiful experience and even more breath taking when the sun is setting. We arrived ~45 minutes before and there was QUITE the line, so if you're set on a certain seat, you best arrive a hr+ early! You line up in the back of building near the dock - no need to go inside like I tried to at first. We didn't have trouble at all though getting a good view though. We sat at the lower deck & moved to the open back area once we were given OK to "move about the cabin". Also, since the boat travels to & fro the same way, you'll get a great view no matter which side you choose! It was particularly gorgeous on the way back as it was peak sunset -- so if I were to do it again, I'd just start sitting on the right side (the views are OK going there but BREATHTAKING heading back). FYI - There are bathrooms on board! If you use the Mackinac Ferry tix as a guideline, the Pictured Rocks Cruises are a STEAL and a great value. read more

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Pictured Rock is a must see if you visit Upper Peninsula Michigan. All the youtube videos will share the same thing. Top ten things to see and do. This is number one. Upper Peninsula is a hidden treasure. Hidden in the northern midwest. People are now discovering this area. And all twelve months. It is a winter wonderland as well. We had a sunny, warm afternoon in late August. Purchased tickets ahead of time, hint, hint. I would book online, check your weather app, and aim for a clear, sunny day. We had a delightful Captain and crew. Captain Joe, had many stories about the history, geology, this marvelous lake and laced his dialog with humor. His assistants, Jessica and McKenzie were top notch, knew their stuff and fun to interact with. We felt safe, and entertained. Both by the delivery and the stunning scenery. Now the scenery was absolutely amazing. Breathtaking, from the first lighthouse to the many coves, buttresses, wind tunnels, caves, etc. Even slowly, entering a cavern and stopping just short of the back of the cavern. Cameras were snapping wildly. The passengers breath was taken away. It was amazing. I hate to overuse that word, but it was a super adventure (crusie). Five stars for captain, crew and the Pictured Rock Cruise!!! read more

Had a wonderful cruise as a family. Great job by the captain describing the history and special sites as we passed by. We had a beautiful day for cruising, too, which helped ;) Recommend arriving early (30 minutes to an hour) to get your spot in line and an outside spot on the boat. Glad we were able to enjoy this experience! read more

Definitely recommend! The captain was very knowledgeable and kept us entertained. Unfortunately the fog rolled in and we weren't able to see all there was to see so we were refunded 1/2 our ticket price! read more

Spectacular trip! But here's what you need to know before you go.... The tickets info says boarding is 15 mins before trip and that people line up starting an hour before the trip. We got there about an hour before our trip and there were about 40 people in line already. We still got good seats, but if you really want top level seats, you better get there early. I would choose the top level, right side as close to the front as possible for best viewing. (They do spin the boat so both sides get to see attractions) Don't be fooled by calm waters in Munising Bay, once you get past the protective island, Lake Superior can get pretty rough and choppy. If fact, we received an email the night before warning us of a possibility of rough waters and were given the opportunity to reschedule or cancel if we wanted. (Glad we didn't, because the winds died down before our ship took off). The wind did pick up as the sun went down however and it did get a little funky... and a big wave actually splashed the people on the right side of the boat all the way up on the third deck! If you want to take pictures, you are going to want to be as far up front and to the outside as possible. Otherwise you will have a lot of arms holding phones in your frames! It is really hard to stand to take a picture because of the rocking of the boat. Dress warm... even on a nice day! You can always take a jacket off, but it is a 2 hour trip, and it is much cooler out on the lake. There were a number of tough guys in tee shirts on my trip that were freezing by the time we docked. The name of the trip,we took was called the Sunset Spray Falls Cruse. This is a great trip and I highly recommend seeing this national park from the lake and it's really cool to watch the sunset from the lake. Just amazing what nature can do or has done over thousands of years. Well worth the $48. read more

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We bought tickets in advance (I highly recommend during the busy season) and enjoyed this cruise touring the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Grand Island on Lake Superior. We had a nice sunny day and a smooth ride. On the way out, the tour guide provided lots of interesting tidbits along the way about the sights we saw on the mainland - including some humor guaranteed to bring a "groan" to break up the reading. Our captain took us quite close to shore, and at one point we cruised into one of the inlets so we could get an "up close and personal" view of the beautiful water and rock formation. On the way back, we had silence for a while, and then some tidbits about Grand Island. I would recommend that you sit on the right for better views - and also close to one of the speakers. I also recommend you have easy access to the back of the boat on the lower level for great pictures. Get there early! We got there 25 minutes before departure; and couldn't get the seats we wanted - lots of people lined up. There is a gift shop at the dock area if you want to purchase souvenirs. read more

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Easy to book online despite being the ding-dong I am and booked a day too early. Didn't notice until the day following the cruise I booked, yet was the day we wanted to travel! Knowing the tickets say No Refunds for missed cruises, I went to the ticket counter to purchase my new tickets. As the clerk was checking availability I told her I missed yesterday's cruise which was my 50th birthday for which I have tickets and she said she might be able to help me with that She was able to exchange my tickets!! What a surprise!! Great gift shop! We took the 5 pm Spray Falls cruise. I love that the ship has both indoor and outdoor seating and the captain did a nice job. I'd take this tour again. The rocks are just amazing!! read more

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This past weekend I embarked on Pictured Rocks Cruises for the second time & it was just as delightful as the first. Pictured Rocks Cruises is an independently owned, small business, doing great work here educating & providing tours to all those who come through this area, introducing many to this magnificent lakeshore & showing all of us a view we might never otherwise get to see. I've now done both the Classic and Spray Falls cruises! For $8 more per person, I'd recommend the Spray Falls cruise for sure! You go a bit farther than the classic cruise to see the falls, and you also do the entire trip in a shorter amount of time because they try to use their high speed catamarans for that cruise. You are still able to get so close to the shore on the Spray Falls cruise, and also they pulled us into Chapel's Cove as well, which meant we were surrounded on all but one side by the tall cliffs of Pictured Rocks - it was incredible. I would also definitely recommend doing the sunset cruise & to book far ahead for that! The best time to see the rocks is at sunset, I would say even an afternoon trip is a bit too early and the sun will be too high and harsh on the rocks, especially for pictures. There is ample room on both of the boats I went on for you to move around during the entire cruise from the open top deck to the bottom deck where the captain is navigating. If you want to snag a really good seat on the top, open deck though, I'd highly recommend getting there more than their recommended 15 minutes before your scheduled time. In fact, when we were pulling away from the dock, we already saw people queueing up for the following cruise an hour later! So I'd say get there at least 30 minutes beforehand, especially if you have a larger group. Once on the boat, it doesn't matter what you sit if you're interested in hearing the captain speak. There are speakers all around the boat that will allow you to hear them clearly & I would highly recommend paying attention to what they're saying as you cruise as well because Pictured Rocks has such an interesting history & story behind it! All in all, this is probably one of the best ways to experience Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and I can't wait to come back! I'd highly recommend it to everyone who is wanting to explore Pictured Rocks! It is family friendly and while it isn't dog-friendly, they do offer complimentary boarding for your pet in a room at the back of their building right along the shore that contains their gift shop. It's a room filled with kennels and they advise you to bring your own padlock & key set for the kennel you put your dog in. The room is unsupervised, but I didn't feel weird placing my dog in the kennel for the two and a half hours we were gone. There are people who come in and out of it to put their dogs in and pick them up, and I'd recommend bringing your own bowl & water to place inside as well. read more

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Lovely cruise. We bought tickets online a couple weeks prior. It sells out quick, so don't hesitate if this is on your list of travel sights to see. We stood in line about 15 minutes prior and we were close to the end of the line. The boat is three floors. The first is enclosed, the second is half enclosed and half open with seating outside and the top was all open and the most popular spot. No one wanted to sit inside and It was better for us for social distancing. If you have a preference get there early so you are at the head of the line. As far as COVID. They only sell 50% of the seats so it's not full. And you can see that in between cruises they wipe down all major surfaces and they also spray every seat with disinfectant. Masks are required and the crew reminds people that take theirs off. The narration was great. They explain a lot, the waters, the sights, and the stories, and a few jokes. The sights are beautiful and worth seeing. We Went on the sunset cruise and the glow of the sun on the cliffs on the way back was beautiful. Great trip. There was small restrooms onboard and they sold sodas and a few snacks. I'd say bring your own. Highly recommend this trip. read more

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Great tour! Boat Captain was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Gorgeous views and great photo opportunities. While on the tour we discovered beaches that we went to the next day. Bring a blanket though. We did an afternoon tour in August and it was chilly! read more

Weather was chilly and rainy, they brought an extra boat to make sure everyone was as comfortable as possible! They took care of their customers. They can't control the weather, but are making the best of it! read more

We took the Spray Falls cruise at 10 a.m. The cruise was wonderful, the scenery was gorgeous and fascinating, and the captain's narration was entertaining and informative. However, we weren't allowed to stand up even for a second to snap a photo while the boat was moving, and we only stopped twice to allow passengers to take photos. Since most people - including us! - are going to want to take photos on a tour of Pictured Rocks, this was a significant drawback. (The photos that we did manage to take while seated were all partially blocked by the railings and heads of other passengers.) What's truly ironic is that the advertising blurb for this particular cruise literally says, "You won't get wet, but you will get great photos!" Um, no - you absolutely will not. Hopefully, the owners of this cruise line will either revise this misleading advertising, or consider incorporating more photo op stops into future tours. Another annoying detail is the crewman who planted himself with his arms crossed in the seat facing the passengers so he could police the people that dared to stand up for a second to sneak a quick photo. His presence definitely put a damper on what was otherwise a very enjoyable trip. read more

Well the national park website stated military discount however when arrived to buy our tickets we were told there was not one. You better line up 45 to 60 mins before cause if you want a good seat for photos. It's only 2hrs and we did the Spray Falls tour. It was nice that the boat does a u-turn so if sit on right or left side you'll get good photos if sitting at railing or top of the boat. Bring a small lunch or snack or $1s to buy drinks aboard. Captain was nice and knew his stuff and grew up in the town. read more

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While the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is DEFINITEY worthy of visiting, the cruise we took today with this firm was just plain awful. Our first warning sign was that we noticed that none of the people from the preceding trip were smiling when they got off the boat. That should have tipped us off. This is definitely NOT a trip for little kids - or even teenagers unless they are geology or nature geeks. The main issue was that the captain and crew lost control of the trip from the very start. The captain made one announcement about how people should not stand to take photos, because that blocked the view of other passengers. He said that if you wanted to stand, to go outside on the stern of the boat. The reason is that people on the other side of the boat would have their view blocked by those standing at the windows or in the aisle. Within just a few minutes of departure, people disobeyed this rule, and the captain did nothing about it. We had our view blocked much of the way out because of people violating this rule. Also, it was very hot today - the hottest day of this summer. One of the crewmen sat in the main window at the front of the boat, blocking about 1/2 of the ventilation from that window for about 1/2 of the trip. I'm sure he was cooler than the rest of us. The captain asked that little children not be allowed to run around the aisles - a rule which of course both they and their parents ignored. I can't tell you how glad we were to exit this cruise. One of our big concerns was that if there was an emergency, the captain had not established himself as an authority - so that people would not obey him in case there really was a problem. 1) Do not take small children - or even teenagers on this cruise. They'll hate it. 2) Sit on the right side of the boat. The trip out is vastly different than the return trip, despite what the captain promised. You'll be disappointed. 3) If it's a hot day, bring an umbrella for the excessive wait in the line to board the ship. read more

Ample parking space. There are two options for cruises one is longer. That's about two hours long and takes you to the Falls and back. The other one is shorter the captain had a nice fund knowledge. He had written books about the area. We enjoyed the place. Lake does get chilly, make sure you have something warm with you . read more

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