Washington State Ferries (WSF), Kennewick vessel, Friday, August, 16, 2024, 9:30 am. We were on a…read moreroad trip in a Class B RV (which is van-sized), and needed to travel from Port Townsend, WA to Coupeville, WA. In investigating our options on a mapping app, we found that we had two options -- to drive about 215 miles (4 hours, 45 minutes, plus toll) OR take a ferry (about 8 miles, 45 minutes plus wait time). With some apprehension about how it would work with our oversized and tall vehicle, we decided to take the ferry. We made a reservation online about two weeks before our planned trip, and many of the time slots for our preferred travel date were already taken but we were still able to get a slot at 9:30 am. The reservation "no show" fee was $10, charged only if the reservation is not used. We were pleased to find that there was a category to identify our vehicle as being "under 22' in length, and 7'6" to 13' tall." (There are also options to ride standby when vessel space is available). Washington State Ferries has loading down to a science. On our travel day, we were warmly greeted by the attendant at the entrance tollbooth. One senior (my husband) with vehicle under 22' was $15.30, while I was counted as an adult passenger for $4.10, for a total of $19.40 for two people and the RV. After paying, we were directed by staff to park in a specific lane (with other RVs) and allowed to disembark from our vehicle to grab a coffee or use the restrooms. The process of loading the ferry was highly organized. Every inch of space seemed to be used -- without unused space but also without there being vehicles that didn't fit. We were most impressed in seeing how easily an 18-wheeler semi also fit! After all of the vehicles were parked, the ferry left the dock and many passengers left their vehicles to move upstairs for the water views or to grab a snack. Disembarking in Coupeville was equally efficient. Overall, we had a great experience -- smooth sailing, efficient operations -- but also recognize that service disruptions may occur due to adverse weather conditions or emergency repairs. On this particular day, we were fortunate to have saved hundreds of miles and hours of driving, and nice smooth sailing. One small quibble. We found the WSF's website to be confusing for newcomers to ferry operations. .

Not a fan of this one. When your service is so volatile that high winds can cancel most, if not all…read moreof the ferries in a single day, just build a bridge. Also, the guy standing on the curb near the entrance, who informed us of the cancellations, told us that there were no reservations available for any other crossings, even later in the evening. This proved to be completely false, as we booked a reservation five minutes afterward, and by mid afternoon, the winds had subsided enough that we were able to board and cross without any issue. Government incompetence at its finest!

I signed up for the full day whale watch since it stopped at Friday Harbor and I always wanted to…read morevisit San Juan island. The check-in process was really easy and friendly. Paid parking is available just outside the building. Public bathrooms are down the street near a coffee shop. They had two boats in the harbor, we were on the smaller one: Redhead. The interior has about 12 booths that fit four people each with a wrap-around deck on the outside. The boat was nice and comfortable with table service. They have coffee and hot chocolate, and food including a blueberry buckle. We saw one Gray Whale, one pod of Orcas with a young one, and one pair of Orcas. We also saw Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seal, Sea Otter, Bald Eagles, and lots of birds. It felt like most of the time we were driving really fast to get to the whales and then to Friday Harbor, then back. Most of the time is just moving quickly on the water. Though the experience was great, I probably wouldn't go on this trip again. We didn't see many whales. It was a very long day of just going quickly through the area. If I went again it would be at a different time of year and only for the half-day tour.

Amazing site seeing on every tour! I have been multiple times and each one offers a different…read moreexperience. I have done the full day and half day out of Port Townsend and they're both fabulous. Highly recommend the full day tour if you have the time, there are many more opportunities for sightings. I have invited local and out of state friends on these tours and it's always a hit! The crew is very safety oriented, friendly, and informative. Photo creds to staff member Brooke (puffin photo on iphone)

I cannot explain how thankful I am that I chose Western Prince!! Prior to booking, I read that they…read moreallow you to come for a second viewing if whales were not spotted on your trip. We unfortunately saw no whales during our first outing (so many cute seals and eagles though!), but they were able to squeeze us in the next day for another chance at no additional cost. And on that second trip we were blessed to see multiple orca pods socializing together! They had a mic that they inserted into the water, and we got to listen to them socialize. I wasn't aware they had this and it was such a magical experience to hear them! Huge thanks to Ivan and the rest of the crew for this once in a lifetime experience, it was a dream come true!

You have an excellent crew. The tour was great…read more All you need is a professional photographer with a telephoto lens with photos we can upload.

This was my first time going on a whale watching boat tour! I will be differing from my usual…read moreorganization of information and just delivering bullet points about the experience! Read on to hear my thoughts. * I took this whale watching guided tour in March and it was pretty cold and windy. Make sure you bring extra warm clothes!! * If you're bringing a camera, bring a good long-distance lens. When I went, we couldn't get very close to the whales and orcas, so the photos on my phone didn't turn out too well. * The people leading the expedition are very, very knowledgeable and extremely helpful!! Kudos to the team at San Juan Safaris and thank you for sharing your knowledge! * There are places to sit/be sheltered on the boat. * The trip is roughly 4-5 hours out on the water. * Very fun overall!! Final thoughts: It was SO fun, and I got so many cool photos (even without my camera and long distance lens lol). Dress warmly, be prepared to be out on the water for a while, and have fun!!

We went on a kayaking tour and whale watching tour and had a great experience! The crew was…read morefriendly and great with my kids.

crew was amazing and super knowledgeable! we saw an orca pod of 6 playing for a good hour! it was…read morean experience i personally will never forget. shout out to megan, sam and capt brock!!

Great tours! You WILL see whales, or they'll invite you back free. Very informative staff, and they…read morewere super helpful when we missed our tour due to a very long delay at the ferry. We went on two tours. Highly recommend!

This is a good way to get the "lay of the land". After taking the Jolly Trolley we had a much…read morebetter understanding of the island and went back the next day in our car to several of the spots that were featured on the tour. I give it a thumbs up.

The premise of the tour is you can hop off at a site and catch the next one(1 hour later)…read moreunfortunately if they are short staffed you don't know this because no updates are posted to their site and no one answers the phone. Too bad.

Absolutely incredible group of people and guiding service. My org contracted San Juan Outfitters…read morefor a 3 day/3 night trip for 10 people involving hiking, sea-kayaking, and camping on Jones Island. Chance and Tyler were amazing, I cannot say enough positive things about their attitude, leadership, knowledge of the area, and work ethic to ensure we were well fed, comfortable, and having positive experience. Additionally, Kylie from the reservations office was terrific in helping coordinate the logistics of our trip, as many of us came all the way from the East Coast. I highly recommend their services to anyone interested in visiting the San Juan islands.

Amazing experience! Saw orcas and they came right up to our kayak! Sean was great and made sure…read moreeveryone respected their space. Great tour and made my dream come true!

Wow! Just wow! The flights to and from Friday Harbor from their location near Sea Tac were amazing!…read moreWhat a fun way to travel. We were flying low enough to see the scenery of the area including a good look at the Seattle skyline. There were some clouds so the mountain view was not as clear as it would be on a sunny day. Didn't really matter since there was so much else to see. Shane was the pilot both flights and he is very experienced and safety conscious. He also knows a tremendous amount about the area. That was an added bonus. Highly recommend this method of travel!

I just wanted to say thank you for an amazing experience!! Our Delta airline flights were delayed…read moreby 8 hours and the first day of our trip to Friday Harbor was not what we had expected. We got stuck in Seattle and missed our original transportation by car and ferry but Friday Harbor Seaplanes came to our rescue. Michelle was absolutely amazing and got us booked on the first flight out the following morning so we didn't waste another moment of our trip. She arranged a shuttle to pick us up at the hotel we booked which was also quite the task as many hotels were completely booked up but we finally found one and Friday Harbor Seaplanes accommodated us and got us to the airport and flew us in to Orcas Island. I was really impressed by our pilot and how well he flew the plane. I was a bit nervous and I tend to get motion sickness and he made the flight very enjoyable and even checked in with me during the flight to see how I was feeling. I felt he took slight turns a bit more slow and careful with me in mind and it was very appreciated. My friend also had her baggage delayed by Delta Airlines for 2 days and Michelle was so kind to try and help us by arranging for the airport to deliver the luggage to them so they could bring it to the Friday Harbor dock on one of their daily flights. Unfortunately Delta was being lame and they wouldn't do it, but the fact that Friday Harbor Seaplanes was willing to help us went above and beyond our expectations. What amazing customer service! I hope to one day visit the islands again and without a doubt I will use Friday Harbor Seaplanes again. They treated us like family!! Thank you! I wholeheartedly recommend this business. They are all great people and do an excellent job!