Imagine Cruises

Imagine Cruises

Imagine Cruises
5
Scuba & SnorkellingBoat ToursEco ToursDolphin & Whale WatchingNature & Wildlife Tours
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
About
'Imagine Cruises' is an advanced Eco-Accredited company that is dedicated to the protection of Dolphins and Whales. 'Imagine' is a 54ft Sailing Catamaran, purpose-designed as a model for Eco-tourism and capable of both offshore and inshore cruising. She offers a covered foredeck, as well as a comfortable downstairs cabin and bar. Whenever possible, we will hoist the sails and share with you our passion for sailing! We offer four seasonal tours that all carry Advanced Ecotourism certification: Dolphin Watch + Sailing, Whale and Dolphin Watching, Dolphin Watch + Snorkeling and Seafood BBQ Dinner Cruise.
Nelson Bay, New South Wales, Australia
Meets animal welfare guidelines

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles586 reviews
Excellent
487
Very good
77
Average
11
Poor
2
Terrible
9

Nicole F
Filey, UK51 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Couples
WOW! What a morning we had! As we left the bay there was a dolphin playing around then within 20 mins of setting sail we had found a few whales! We watched these for a little while then headed to see seals on an island, as we started to head back to the harbour there was some activity on the horizon so the boat turned round & we went in search of these whales. Well we wasn’t disappointed! Whales we breaching, tail slapping etc etc. Really great morning, lovely informative crew & clean tidy boat! Well worth a visit!
Written 27 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Inge M
Sydney, Australia59 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022
Wow, what a great way to spend an afternoon! Beautiful spacious boat, with fabulous facilities, to suit both us oldies and the youngsters! Staff are knowledgable and friendly. The snorkelling was second to none! We saw blue gropers, wobbygong sharks, and various other species in the crystal clear waters. The equipment give to us to use was in good condition. Staff kept a keen eye on us at all times, so even the inexperienced would feel safe. We would recommend this company to anyone wanting to spend 3.5 hours or more on the water.
Written 21 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nick M
Frenchs Forest, Australia1,046 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
June 2022
This was our third trip with Imagine Cruises for whale watching, and probably the best so far. Although there is no guarantee what the whales will do, or where they’ll be, the consistency of the crew each time has always been excellent.
They do appear to care that there customers get the best experience, and see as many whales (as well as dolphins, seals, turtles) as they possibly can.

Our next trip will be with Imagine Cruises.
Written 26 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

kazebear
Bendigo, Australia382 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022 • Couples
Wow this is the best boat tour company I have been with for a snorkel and sail. The staff are so down to earth and friendly helpful lovely people who know what they are doing.
The boat is lovely and not over crowded. Nice seats and tables. Getting changed was easy in toilets. Shower availability. Bought a nice beer after snorkel. The variety of fish and shells were fantastic on the reef near the island. Mask and flippers provided. Noodles to swim. If you stay on boat the have the nets down to swim-relax on. On way out to island you can also go on the net and up high pose like the titanic. They put the sail up to come home was so peaceful. Going through the heads was an adventure quite wild but the boat handles it can’t be to close to the front as waves splash just while going through the headlands. Saw so many dolphins and they stop so you get a good look. Also see the rock wall of the headlands going in and out.
I highly recommend this cruise and all for $75
Written 21 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Luv2travel
Sydney, Australia2,472 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2022 • Couples
We did the NYE cruise & as per my heading, there were some hits & a few missed.

I'll start with the hits. The seafood meal served was amazing. The fish couldn't have been cooked any better.

Another plus was being able to watch the fireworks from the front of the boat. Just magical.

Misses: We were told to arrive at 5.45pm for a 6pm departure. So we did. However, no one to greet us when we arrived. We hung around the entrance to the boat & finally a bloke appeared (assuming captain, he didn't introduce himself), simply asked if we'd checked in, which we had, & then our names. No "welcome aboard", nothing. He just turned to the next person after checking us off his list.

The boat ended up leaving closer to 6.30pm, so nearly 45 mins sitting on a boat in the dock. No apology for late departure.

Am assuming that it was due to the late departure that the boat rushed back to Nelson Bay for the fireworks, splashing sea water on everyone at front.

However, all said & done, good food & great entertainment (being the fireworks) won us over.
Written 31 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Elizabeth
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
June 2021
As a resident of Port Stephens I am able to book various trips on Imagine -which is my favourite local boat - and love every trip. I have been on the dolphin watches plus the Marine Discovery snorkelling trip twice over summer. Recently I've been on two whale watches and had the pleasure of seeing some early whales. One did an impressive breech and rotational flip ( or whatever the term is) that Frank the captain caught on video and posted on Facebook. Happy to watch rather than film and it was a bonus to have it recorded. I do recommend taking motion sickness tablets before boarding the whale watches to allow time for them to work. I have high praise for a great team providing lovely and memorable experiences
Written 3 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Yonie71
Cremorne Point, Australia28 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020 • Family
The boat is relatively small so doesn’t have many passengers. The staff were knowledgeable and very friendly. They tried really hard to get people to take seasickness tablets Shane people didn’t listen! Going in a smaller boat we preferred it a larger boat may get to whales quicker?
Written 9 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LDab27
Sydney, Australia24 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020 • Couples
I was disappointed in our whale watching cruise. We were booked on the 3 hour cruise leaving at 2pm. It was a bit rough on the water and the captain did take it steady over the bigger waves which was great. It took about 50 minutes to get out to where the whales were. We had a bit of a look around for 25 mins, saw a couple of water spouts and a tail and went back to the marina. Got back to quieter water and spent 45 minutes letting the children on board steer the boat. That’s lovely and all but not what we had paid to do. Why couldn’t we stay out longer?

The catamaran also has lots of rigging which makes viewing the action a bit tricky.
Written 17 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

_ES1_1
Sydney75 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
We have taken the sunset dinner cruise a few times including with family. Suited to adults (kiddies will be a bit bored). Very peaceful and beautiful to see the sunset. The cruise aims to go by sail of they can. Good dinner included and licensed bar. Wrap up warm no matter the time of year so you can enjoy it, and definitely try the net at the front (you don't get wet). Highly recommended to all visitors.
Written 26 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Becky T
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
My family had an amazing adventure on Envision (or as my son calls it “the red boat”) today for a dolphin cruise. The captain and crew were amazing at their job and the whole experience was comfortable and very informative. The best part was we were blessed to be joined by two different pods of dolphins! From the grandparents to the grandchildren, all had a great time and we cannot wait until our next Envision adventure!
Written 5 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review! So glad that your family enjoyed their time onboard 'Envision' with us, and that you had a great experience with our fabulous Bottlenose Dolphins! PS. Your son might like to know that our crew also call it "the Red Boat" :)
Written 7 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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Imagine Cruises - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2025)

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