Made reservations for four about an hour before the 10:00AM seal trip. Met at the dock by Captain…read morePhil, we boarded with four more adults and a few kids. This was a nice trip. On a low tide the captain was still able to gets us pretty close to the seal herds. Learned a bit about them too. On the way in and out there is decent scenery, big oceanfront mansions and more to see. For $45 this trip is a bargain.

This was our seventh year in a row going out to see the seals with Captain Rob - it has become a…read morefamily tradition for us and is enjoyable every time we go! It's a great view of Orleans and Chatham from the water and Captain Rob provides a great telling of all the lore of the area and the sea animals, seals and sharks alike. With so many seals in the area, it's only a matter of time before they show up on the tour.

We had an absolutely wonderful time on this beautiful sailboat... the crew was knowledgeable and a…read morewealth of information... It was a wonderful memory!!! We recommended it to many since we went!!! Mark and Pam Anderson

We had a great sail, and a great conversation with captain Tyler. He is very knowledgeable about…read moremarine biology. He is also a lover of classic wooden ships and it shows. If you are considering taking a cruise, I don't think you can go wrong with A Morning in Maine. We took the sunset cruise and brought wine and snacks.

Tip: arrive 15 to 30 minutes before your sailing time. If you do for some reason arrive late like…read moreus, you will need to contact the company and see if there are any open spots available for the next sailing session. If there is no answer, they do call you back. While you wait there is a bar/restaurant right on the dock, you can relax and hang out on. Parking is limited but can be found outside the docking area along the main street. Onboard: seating is first come first serve. If you prefer to be out in the open, head all the way to the front of the boat. Make sure you grab yourself a small table if you plan to have drinks and oysters. Cash and credit is accepted, pay your tab closer to shore when returning to avoid having to wait for all the others wanting to cash out at the same time. The oysters offered are from 6 different farms. We only liked 1 of them as the others were very briny and salty. Still pretty cool to taste what they offer. Great selection of drinks and local beers. The captain is very nice and super funny, but hard to hear or understand at times. Overall the sail is nice close to full 2hrs and not choppy at all. I wouldn't go more than once, but would try if I'm visiting the town.

We love this! Oysters were so yummy and boat was informative for sure! Wish there were some stops…read moreor more interaction with captain

Deep Boat Hard to…read morepass up a boat ride to see some adorable puffins while visiting Maine, so we decided to give Hardy Boat Cruises a go on their "Puffin Watch" tour. The Good: *About a twenty minute drive from gorgeous Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. *Staff was friendly *You're not stuck in your seat for the entire journey as you're free to move about once the boat gets going. *About as close as one can get to the puffins without going on the island they hangout. *Overall, it was a really fun boat ride and you get to see some neat stuff. The Meh: *It's not cheap at $51/adults (13+) and Kids (2-12) *They have a representative from National Audibon on the boat which is awesome--but you can't hear a weird she says thru their archaic "sound" system. Between the waves and engine noise, she could've been reading the dictionary for all we know. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The Meh: *Their "off-site" parking lot is definitely just that--off-site! It's a good 10min walk from the parking to the pier, but that's not even the worst of it. You have to walk on a two-lane road with almost no shoulder and lots of curves, so definitely be aware of your surroundings. Or it'll coy-tains for you, see? Coy-tains! *And--as if the above wasn't bad enough--they have the gall to charge you $20 for the pleasure of parking there. -_- Conclusion: Fun ocean adventure to see the puffins--but be prepared to crack open your wallet for this pleasure.

The puffin tour was super informative and fun! We saw so many and the staff pointed out what other…read morebirds we were seeing too. Very good overall. The storefront/gift shop at shore is a bit rundown looking but don't let that fool you. The boat is the main attraction area. They got close, but not too close to the birds. We even saw harbor porpoises on the way back in!

We took Balmy Day Cruises out of Boothbay to Monhegan Island, and it was an absolutely lovely…read moreexperience. We ordered both our outbound and return tickets online ($23 per person per leg of the trip, so for two people - after fees - it was close to $100), showed up to collect them at about 9:15, and got in the queue (I'd strongly recommend showing up even earlier than we did: the best seats are on the top of the boat, and they fill up very quickly). The whole process was super easy! The boat is for passengers only, departing Pier 8 at 9:30am and arriving back around 4:15/4:30pm. The boat ride is about 1 1/2 hours each way. At 2pm they offer a trip around Monhegan Island (it's $5 per person, cash only) that offers spectacular views of the entire circumference of the island; it's narrated with local history and nature facts (actually most of the boat ride to and from is), and when we went the captain also brought us over to Duck Rocks to see dozens and dozens of seals sunbathing. We also saw harbor porpoises on the ride back to the mainland! There are beverages available for sale (including adult options); there are bathrooms on board, as well. The staff is friendly, incredibly safety focused, and very quick to help when there's a sick passenger (after all, you're in the open ocean of the Gulf of Maine). I didn't know what to expect, but was impressed and satisfied with the entire experience. We're already looking forward to our next trip to Monhegan which we'll do through Balmy Day (who also offer harbor tours, private charters, sailing trips, mackerel fishing, and Burnt Island Lighthouse tours... something we're also interested in now too!). What an incredible way to explore coastal Maine from the convenience of Boothbay!

Great Captain honest day. The cocaptain was training a new hire. They were very emphatic on making…read moresure we were back well in time not to miss the trip. The water was safe safe and smooth. Entertaining dialogue from the captain throughout the cruise. It was a absolutely fun and rewarding day on the island.

Our first time sailing. We loved the quiet and beautiful Benobscot Bay. The ship is almost 100…read moreyears old which is so cool to sail on a true piece of history.

The entire process of booking to sailing was perfection. Staff was so good with communication which…read morewas key as we were coming from out of state with 21 people. They helped us order fantastic snacks for the sail and supplied a cooler and ice. The schooner Captain Jeff and his crew could not have been better. We were doing a little celebration of life with our family and Jeff was so wonderful. He made sure we were all safe and comfortable.

Had a fantastic 3 hour cruise this morning on Camden Harbor Cruises. Cassie was very informative…read moreand educational, we learned a lot about lobstering in Maine, as well as taking in all the awesome scenery (got to see a handful of lighthouses on this tour). We also observed several harbor seals on the cruise. As an added bonus, the weather happened to be perfect this morning. Dogs are allowed on the boat, our mini poodle also loved her outing today. We highly recommend this cruise if you have never been to the Penobscot Bay area before.

Very enjoyable and educational experience. Not too many lobsters caught, but a number of crabs…read more Good explanation of lobsters and crabs and lobsters as well as local lighthouses and their history. Friendly crew. No scripted presentation but as things come up. If you only have 75 minutes , definitely worth the time and an inexpensive way to see how Camden looks from the sea.

Went on another cruise and his past week on the Stephen Taber. The fog finally cut on our second…read moreday. The winds and sun decided to bless this beautiful schooner with great sailing winds ! The food by Chef Juice, they call him was absolutely 5 stars ! From the best cheeses from around the world hand picked by Capt. Noah and his wife Jane were absolutely fantastic ! They take pride in their appetizers before a wonderful meal ! All the meals are hand made and out of this world ! The trip was almost fog free and we went around many of the Maine islands and had the wonderful lobster bake on Russ island, a favorite of Captain Noah's ! The crew on this trip was absolutely amazing ! They were absolutely spit on with detail and did everything they could to make you feel welcome on such a special schooner cruise. If you haven't taken a schooner cruise, I highly recommend that you give it a try! 3/4 of my sons have gone and they loved it ! Once again, I give this trip a 5 star review !

Wonderful trip. Still talking about it. Food was amazing. Staff were wonderful and knew what they…read morewere doing. It doesn't have the comfort of a cruise, but if you're someone who likes camping spaces, this is your next adventure.

It's nice that they have a puffin and whale watching combo cruise. Being short on time, it was nice…read moreto have the opportunity to do both in one half day. We had a naturalist/animal guide who was knowledgeable and very attentive at identifying birds. There were a decent number of puffins, though they didn't really get close enough to make out the finer details by naked eye, but there are binoculars for rent (not sure how helpful they are because I had my own camera). We unfortunately didn't see any whales, but we were each given a standby ticket for a future cruise. The instructions in the email confirmation weren't completely accurate -- it instructed to go to a different pier where the cruise was actually going to be. Thankfully, I was able to reach staff over the phone and clarify this quickly. Definitely dress in layers, because once the boat starts powering out of the bay, the wind chills the temperature down a good 20 degrees. They did have blankets available but I'm not sure if they're an additional cost. The inside of the boat is nice and toasty, but the views aren't as crisp. I'd heard parking was rough, but if you go before June 1, I noticed some lots nearby were free, and there is free 4 hour parking a short 6 minute walk away that is just long enough for the cruise.

We took the puffin watch cruise and has a great experience! The boat was clean and well taken care…read moreof inside and out. Great crew. An Audobon employee gave us a talk about the birds mammals we might see. Then she gave a history of the puffin breeding program. Fascinating! We saw floating and flying puffins even though it was a foggy day. Nice items to buy from Audobon on the way back. Snacks and drinks available on the inside of the boat.

So beautiful! All kinds of sea creatures wash into the pond including lobster, shrimp, fish,…read moreminnows, starfish, crabs, hermit crabs, and so on. Make sure to check the time for low tide before coming over!!

Great place to be during low tide. Yesterday it was disappointing all we saw were few small crabs…read moreand thousands of snails. So it depends on the day and weather the water was warm yesterday so that may have had something to do with it. I have found so many things in here lobsters, crabs, hermit crabs, horseshoe crabs, sea stars, and much more. One of the greatest places to be at low tide.