Plenty of visitors find San Diego an attractive destination on account of its glorious oceanside location. For that reason, one of the best ways to explore San Diego’s iconic waterfront is by going on a harbor cruise. You’ll have several different harbor cruises to choose from when in San Diego, but no matter which one you select, you’re sure to enjoy the beautiful sights and sounds of this lovely coastal city.
Planning Your San Diego Harbor Cruise
Multiple tour companies run harbor cruises in the San Diego market, but regardless of the brand name these harbor cruises tend to come in three formats: north harbor tour, south harbor tour, and full bay tour. As a general rule, the north harbor tour provides guests stunning views of Harbor Island, Shelter Island, Point Loma, Cabrillo National Monument, and North Island Naval Air Station. The south harbor tour covers such attractions as the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier, Coronado Bay Bridge, the US Navy Surface Fleet, and Naval Amphibious Base Coronado (better known as home of the Navy SEALs). The full bay tour consists of the north harbor tour and the south harbor tour combined into one experience. Both the north harbor tour and the south harbor tour come with great views of San Diego’s skyline—however, the view of the city during the north harbor tour is a bit better.
Which San Diego Harbor Cruise Is Right for Me?
If you want to experience San Diego’s many wonders from the water, you’ll definitely need to consider going on a harbor tour. Still, with so many different harbor cruise options available, you’ll likely ask yourself: which harbor cruise is the best for me? You’ll want to think about the following questions as you set about making your decision.
*What do I really want to see on my harbor cruise?
–As described above, the standard San Diego harbor cruise typically comes in three tour formats: north harbor tour, south harbor tour, and full bay tour. Knowing your sightseeing priorities—what exactly you want to see, or if you for sure want to see everything—is the key to deciding just exactly which harbor cruise is the one for you.
*Is time a factor?
–As you plan your outing, be advised that the north harbor tour and the south harbor tour are each 1-hour long. Meanwhile, the full harbor tour lasts 2 hours. The tighter your San Diego schedule is, the more this hour-difference might matter.
*Am I interested in an upgrade?
–Many tour companies that operate San Diego harbor cruises also offer special themed excursions. These upgraded experiences provide you with similar sights and sounds as the conventional harbor cruise, but feature extra amenities like cocktails, hors d’oeuvre, and even sometimes private dining tables. Available packages include brunch cruises, dinner cruises, and sunset cruises, just to name a few. If you’re interested in one of these packages, you’ll pay more—but you’ll get more, too.
What to Expect on Your San Diego Harbor Cruise
As soon as you’ve determined which harbor cruise you want to go on, it’s a good idea to start gearing up for your tour. Here are three small pieces of advice to keep in mind prior to departure.
*One of the most common concerns people report before embarking on their harbor tour is a fear of seasickness. How choppy will the water be? Will I feel ill? While no 2 days are ever quite identical on the ocean, typically, the water is calm for the duration of your San Diego harbor cruise. These tours don’t last as long, or go nearly as far from shore, as an excursion like, say, a whale watch. If you’re still worried, though, you can always take some motion sickness medication in advance of your cruise.
*Don’t stress too much over where you sit. On most harbor cruises, the boat will pass by an attraction twice—once in either direction—meaning that you’re liable to have a good view of your particular favorite sight no matter which side of the vessel you’re sitting on.
*In addition to wearing comfortable clothes, be certain to wear layers. The temperature in the bay on your cruise is going to be different than the temperature on land, so you’ll want to be able to add or subtract layers as needed. You can’t go wrong with sunscreen and a hat either.