Planning a trip to Boston this summer? Boston Harbor Cruises is a must do while visiting the city!
Last month Hector and I headed to Boston for a mini getaway. We both had never been to Boston before, so we were excited to check out the historic city. Since it was our first trip to Boston, I tried to fit in as much as I could. Hector loves boats and being on the water so it was a no brainer to include a tour with Boston Harbor Cruises.
When I was planning and doing research for the trip, I realized that two of the Boston Harbor Cruises were included in the Go Boston Card. The New England Aquarium Whale Watch Cruise and the USS Constitution were both included with the all-inclusive 3 day Go Boston card. If you are planning on doing the two boat cruises and at least two other attractions listed on the card, it is well worth getting the Go Boston Card. The Whale Watch Cruise is normally $53 and the USS Constitution Cruise is $23.
New England Aquarium Whale Watch Cruise
At first I was hesitant about the whale watching tour since I am not a big fan of aquariums. I did some research and learned more about the the whale watching area. The cruise goes out into the Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary. Located at the mouth of the Massachusetts Bay, between Cape Cod and Cape Ann, the Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary is an 842 square mile protected marine sanctuary.
We arrived early, about 45 minutes before our boat cruise left. We wanted to make sure to get a good viewing location. We were able to secure the perfect viewing location on the 3rd level. It got very windy as we sailed out of the harbor. The wind was so strong. It felt like the wind was going to rip off all my eye lashes!
We were about an hour into the cruise when we were told we had to go down to the second level. We couldn't be up there anymore. A few minutes later, they said that we had to turn back because too many people were sick. We were disappointed that we didn't make it out to the sanctuary but it is understandable with so many people sick. They said that this doesn't happen too often. They did offer to exchange the tickets to use anytime or a refund. Since we got our tickets through Go Card Boston, we couldn't get another ticket. Since we already had a pretty full schedule we wouldn't have been able to fit it anyways.
USS Constitution Sightseeing Cruise
The next afternoon, we decided to to the USS Constitution Sightseeing Cruise. It had been raining all day and the sky was pretty gloomy, so we opted to sit inside the boat. This 45 minute narrated boat cruise is very informative about the city of Boston. The tour brings you up close to "Old Ironsides" at the Charlestown Navy Yard. You have the option of disembarking the boat for a tour of the famous ship and adjacent Naval Museum. You can return on any later cruise leaving from the dock at the Charlestown Navy Yard. Be sure to check the times on their website.
Even though a few things didn't go perfectly, we had a great time out of the water. For more information about the schedule and times of all the cruises offered by Boston Harbor Cruises check out their website. If you are planning on doing a lot of sightnseeing while in Boston, I highly recommend getting a Go Boston Card. It can really save you some money while exploring all of the amazing sites and attractions Boston has to offer!
Disclaimer: I was sent two Go City Boston All-Inclusive 3 day passes in exchange for my review. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.
[…] We spent quite a bit of time walking along the Boston Harbor. Even though the weather was gloomy and rainy, we enjoyed seeing all the boats and just being by the water. While at Boston Harbor you can take a Boston Cruise with Boston Harbor Cruises. We used our Go Boston Cards for the USS Constitution Cruise and the Whale Watching Cruise. Read more about Boston Harbor Cruises here. […]