Port Stephens: Dolphin Discovery Cruise

Great value

Great value. We saw heaps of dolphins and all the crew were very friendly and informative. Would definitely recommend.

Highly recommend! 🤍

Incredible! I would pay just for that boat trip. The boat was very comfortable, spacious, and clean. The staff was very friendly, and it was a lovely experience. At first, we didn't see dolphins, but as we were returning to the port, they appeared. The boat stopped for a while (even though we were already approaching the time to return) to observe them closely, then the dolphins followed the boat, and we could see them up close. Highly recommended, I would definitely come back! :)

Amazing Experience

We did this cruise 7 years ago to the day and had to make sure we went back again and was so much better than the last time we went even though our last experience was also amazing, this time our experience was even better due to the amount of dolphins we managed to see. There was a whole pod of dolphins this time round. Real close to the boat and surrounded us almost the entire course of the trip around the bays. So glad to have done this experience again.

Nice cruise let down by one rude crew member

Boat was good and well equipped, captain and most staff lovely, and we saw dolphins which was great. An otherwise enjoyable day was a bit affected by one incredibly rude staff member who screamed at my children (captain was just announcing that kids must not stand up on ledges; we were trying to get them down but had multiple young children including one with a sprained foot so it was taking us a minute - and the boat had not yet departed). Crew member stood between me and my husband, blocking him from helping, screaming GET DOWN FROM THERE RIGHT NOW - upsetting my children and slowing the process down. He later had a “joke” with my 6 year old which involved telling him off for something he didn’t do and then laughing “with” him (he wasn’t laughing). And at the end he told off a couple in front of us for moving a barricade - which they didn’t, it fell - remarking sarcastically “it needs to be there, it’s almost like I put it there on purpose”. Shame as it was otherwise a nice afternoon.

Great experience

The best splash and slide dolphin watching trip. Very friendly and attentive crew who made sure everyone got to see dolphins. Wasn’t the hottest day but everyone thoroughly enjoyed splashing in the spa, the slide and the boom net. Will definitely do it again.

Top value and great fun

Worth every penny. Been in it 3 times this year and have enjoyed every time. Crew were wonderful as usual. Top value and worth the effort.

Great tour to learn about Mykonos

Theodora was a lovely guide, she knew a lot of folklore and history of Mykonos. For a little party island it does have some interesting history. We also stopped at many scenic spots to take photos. If you are looking to do something a bit different in Mykonos I would recommend you try this tour.

An excellent experience overall

Our first time to the region. WE saw the brochure and went to the booking office. The lady who took the booking was amazing. Most welcoming and told us about all other things to do in the region, not just her experience. The crew on the boat were most helpful and informative on the tour. The amount of dolphins we saw was incredible. I thought maybe half a dozen before we went. We saw many pods and they just played in the water near the boat. A great experience. We also got a cold beer and food on the boat. An added extra. Thanks to all involved. A great company and experience.

Bucket list opportunity

Getting the opportunity to see these magnificent creatures which occurred due to the experienced captain and crew. Found the crew very caring & would thoroughly recommend them.

I will go again!

The Cruise was most enjoyable. The staff were extremely pleasant and helpful. Whilst we didn't see a great many whales we were able to get fairly close.

Great morning on the water

Such a lovely way to spend the morning. We saw lots of dolphins. Great trip on the water. The boat was in great condition and the staff were very nice and helpful.

Mother dolphins with their cute babies.

We were fortunate to find a large pod of mothers and babies that hung about us for about 30 minutes. The commentary was very informative and the crew were all very friendly and knowledgeable. A most enjoyable 90 minutes.

Good

Cruise was good but I ordered chips it was so salty and I complain about it , instead of give me another chips she said ok I let the chef knows, so funny

Lovely trip and delfins guaranteed

We saw various delfins groups Lovely experience and great tripulation Nelson bay is the perfect place for the family Thanks

Great dolphin cruise no matter the weather.

Although the weather was not the best we took our grandchild on the dolphin watch cruise. It was a great afternoon and we saw several dolphins, and a couple of babies. My granddaughter loved the boom net but was a little apprehensive about the slide which was really enjoyed by kids young and old. Hot food is available on board, and not expensive. We thoroughly recommend Moonshadow dolphin cruise for a great morning or afternoon out on the water.

Lovely morning out on the water

We actually went on the 2 hour dolphin watch cruise from Tea Gardens Wharf. The staff were very hospitable and knowledgeable. We saw lots of dolphins - even a new born! The kids enjoyed playing in the water boom net too!

Amazing view

Friendly staff. Amazing ocean view, fresh sea breeze, enjoyed everything. However, unfortunately didn't get a chance to see any dolphin during the tour and hence we are offered a free entry for the next tour valid for a year.

My 5 month olds first boat ride he got to wear the captains hat 💙

They found a lot of dolphins made sure everyone everywhere on the boat got lots of views of them and photos and the captain was great at the end of the trip we asked to get a photo at the wheel for my son (5 months old) it was his first time on a boat the captain let us in and also offered us his captain hat for my son to wear we got lots of smiles and he stayed after the trip for a good 15 mins or so chatting to us. It totally made the trip

Family fun

Although we didn't get to see any Dolphins we had a lovely time on our cruise and we did get to see Penguins so that was cool.Weather could have been kinder but we all enjoyed ourselves. Kids loved the slip and slide onto the boom net.

One perfect dau

Patience was rewarded with a beautiful display of dolphins feeding and seagulls trying to steal their catch! Ben is an awesome captain and kept us informed of what was going on and history of places. The day was perfect and hank you😊

Worst experience and money sucking business

I have booked 2 family passes for 1:30 pm cruise, but somehow 1 was 1:30 and other one incorrectly booked 3:30. We have traveled from sydney and found the issue while we were tried to boarding at 1:30. Lady manager Jacky was ruthless, rude and without morality. She rejected us to board together at 1:30, not only that she wanted to charge us for 1:30 booked tickets and not willing to transfer at 3:30. So we could traveled together, we went to their office at Stockton st, old lady in the front desk was already informed my Jacky and was acting like robot. One of worst experiences we have ever had, won’t go again with this money sucking company.

Little family trip

We had a pleasant time with our kids, the staff were very friendly and the boat was spacious and clean. We had a great time

AMAZING EXPERIENCE TO TAKE A DEEP IN THE OCEAN

It was one of the most amazing experience of my life. Cruise was amazing, with plenty of dolphins around. Best part was the dive in the ocean through the nets. AMAZING..THANKS TO MOONSHADOW TQC Cruise.

Great way to spend the afternoon

It was a great time. The boat is nice, the crew were friendly and the captain went out of his way to the heads of the harbour to get close to the dolphins.

Playful dolphins

Loved the cruise. Staff were knowledgeable and friendly. Enjoyed the humour of the young man who watched over the boom net and slide - he sacrificed his leg for Pakistan, haha! Kids loved their time on the boat. Saw lots of dolphins in sparkling water and beautiful weather. Just a shame it wasn't longer than 1.5 hours.

Dolphin watching experience 10/10

A great day out & did not disappoint as we got see dolphins up close. Friendly staff & beautiful surroundings.

Dolphin Cruise Spectular

The Captain was very informative and the crew were wonderful, I would highly recommend anyone wanting to view dolphins in their natural habitat to take this cruise.

Highly recommended

An amazing experience, highly recommended, we have done this many times. My daughter dropped expensive glasses off the side of the boat, somehow they landed on the outside of a ledge on the boat, the staff went to amazing lengths to rescue them from dropping into the water. Thank you thank you thank you!!

Great to see dolphins in their natural habitat!

Got to see so many dolphins....Skipper's commentary was entertaining... and all the Covid related rules were followed... Loved the experience!

Bad

Unfortunately we didnt saw good dolphins. Far away and short time. Normally when we walk on the beach we see more and closer dolphins then on ship...

Excellent cruise, fun for the whole family

The cruise was excellent. We went as a family of 6, our kids range from 12 months to 8 years. Every one of us had a ball. We were lucky enough to see loads of dolphins. The staff were very friendly and helpful with info on the dolphins and the local area. The highlight for our kids was the waterslide off the back of the boat into a net. They didn’t want to get off the slide. I highly recommend this cruise for people of all ages, especially families with children.

Absolutely brilliant!!!

Whales, sea turtles, seals and dolphins literally a fabulous experience!! Very informative team and showed us some amazing hotspots.

Best time ever for the grandkids

We saw so many beautiful dolphins up close playing in the waves The ships crew were fabulous, friendly and helpful All health requirements adhered too

Loved the dolphins

What a great day. Saw lots of dolphins. Nice morning tea provided. Staff very friendly especially Mel. They have a waterslide and boomnet as well. Great views.

Enjoyable. Great experience

Visited 19-1-20 10:30am sat up the front of the boat with my 3 children whom loved the experience seen dolphins 5-10 minutes into the cruise they were playful and great to see the captain was kinda funny with his commentary , history of the bay staff were helpful and accommodating. When the boom net was down my children loved it the female staff very helpful with my daughter pulling her off the net after she went down the slide staff monitoring the boom net and active the entire time which was great. Over all great experience awesome time my children as I loved it Thank you

Dolphin Watch Cruise

The Captain and Crew were great . The Captain was very knowledgeable about Dolphins in the wild. Highly recommended

I don't advice this cruise

Because they are really unprofessional start laughing on us, they cancelled without a reason I don't advice this place

Dolphin Watching Tour

Booked 20 minutes prior on a sunny but windy Sunday morning. Big catamaran but great viewing areas. Two large cabins and an open top deck plus bow area. Saw two pods and added advantage of an underwater camera. Very professional service and efficiently managed, thank you.

Playing tourist for a day

Dolphin cruise on the Moonshadow V. Highly recommended, great service including audio from captain. Saw a heap of dolphins and our daughter had a great time on the onboard slide & boom net!

The cruise LEFT us only 5 minutes late!!! And I alreary called before, frm newcastle here is no convenient buss schedule

28/12/2018 for 4pm dolphine cruise. We bought the ticket online while rainf lunch at newcastle, went straight to buss stop, but then there were not a lot of busses going to port stephen, only almost 2pm and we hop into the buss it goes very slow, view minutes more than 2 hours to get to the dock. Theres NO clear sign where to go and its a big port, very confusing we went to the wrong dock, we saw the boat already. When we were making our way to the right dock the boat LEFT me before our eyes. I have called a couple of time that I am coming and I update our position. And we finally there but the boat finally Left us just in front of us only 1-2 minutes walk to the boat. And more than that, we can’t refund the money, can’t even reschedule it to another day. This is NOT costumer satisfaction, the boat is full and on schedule, I can understand that. But unrefundable and can’t teachedule, is very un human treat for your customer! Dolpines are still be there bless them & I still like them but I am very UnSATISFIED for how Moonshadow Treat people they want money but no considerations of refunding or reachedule!! NOT REcommended at all !!! Be careful people. You better be ready half an hour before or they eat your money.

A must try

An incredible trip. We saw 7 dolphins that day. My 3 years old son had a lot of fun watching dolphins for the first time.

Stunning - Thanks Anthony

Superb trip. Anthony is highly knowledgeable about dolphins and the local area. Information concise and easy to digest- especially for young children. Saw plenty of pods of dolphins that went right up to the beautiful backdrop of shoal bay. They also have a 'boom net' that they attach to the side of the boat where you can get in and have some fun in the water whilst enjoying this local beautiful spot. Incredible value for money

Dolphins in their natural habitat

What an incredible day! Spotted a mother with its baby - such an incredible experience. Highly recommended!!!!

Dolphin cruise for granddaughter's birthday

The cruise was very enjoyable, our granddaughter had a ball on the water slide & swimming in the boom net. We saw several dolphins & the staff were really lovely with Annabelle, giving her a small token for her special day & taking her to the wheelhouse to steer. Great customer service!!

Joanne

Cruise was really nice , unfortunately didn't see any dolphins so we're given a return trip . Seen dolphins in second trip . Even without the dolphins a nice cruise . Very crowded though . Great for overseas tourists .

Disappointing

This was sold to us as a dolphin watch cruise where they find Dolphins 99% of the time you obviously can't guarantee nature but were surprised to learn from a crew member once on board that they " hadn't seen dolphins for days". The cruise boat searched for about half an hour then slowed almost to a stop and effectively parked in the bay while people went down a water slide. So if you're not bothered about Dolphins and are quite happy to watch people shouting and laughing their way down a slide this is the cruise for you.

"Not seen any dolphins for days"

The public address system was such poor quality that we couldn't hear what was being said over it, safety briefing, commentary, whatever. Moonshadow nosed out of the bay and, finding the sea quite rough, quickly turned back into the bay then stayed next to the sandbank for the next hour to allow the children on board to swim off the back. No dolphins, just a shrug from a crew member and a "we've not seen any dolphins for days" explanation when we asked what the plan was. OK, of course they can't guarantee us seeing dolphins but, having given up so quickly, they could at least have taken us on a short circuit around one of the prettiest bays in NSW but no. We were very disappointed when the boat simply returned to its berth, presumably to take another boatload of fare-paying "dolphin-spotters" on another wild goose chase. Many of us were disappointed and frustrated with the casual and lazy attitude of the crew and frankly, blatant money-grabbing approach to rely on the 'free cruise voucher if no dolphins are seen' fallback as most of us were one-time visitors to the town and unlikely to redeem the personalised voucher, which, of course, they know. I recommend you ask when dolphins were last seen before you pay your money to either these people or their 'cruise' agents on the quay. Well, on a positive note, at least they gave us a cup of tea. :-(

Best dolphin cruise

The staff were very knowledgeable about the dolphins. Saw a pod of dolphins about 20-30 mins into the cruise and they actually stayed around the ship and moved in a relaxed manner which allowed us to experience their beauty in the open sea. We all immensely enjoyed the experience.

great way to spend a morning

We did a dolphin watch cruise and were rewarded with quite a few dolphins really close to the boat. Staff are excellent and friendly. You could swim in the net at the back of the boat but it was swarming with kids and not a lot of room. Very pleasant cruise.

Nice Cruise

We went on the morning dolphin watch cruise for 1.5 hrs. Unfortunately we didn’t spot any dolphins but enjoyed the cruise anyway and it was great to see the various bays from a different perspective. There was a slide aand boom net that the kids and big kids loved. I thought the price was reasonable at under $100 for 2 adults, 1 student, 1 child and an infant. The umbrella stroller was not a problem on board, plenty of room. All passengers received a complimentary cruise voucher because we didn’t spot any dolphins so we are looking forward to heading out on the bay again soon.