You need to set your expectations for this trip. As you are going in the wild, the whales may or may not show up and if they do, you will only see them far far away (if you are lucky than near your boat) and only tiny bits of this huge animal.
The reason I have given them a three start is because the cruise wasted a lot of time pretending to collect people from other places, went into deep sea on a very slow pace, resulting in relatively less time to be in open seas. They could have managed the time properly.

Knowledgeable commentary, good job finding the whales so late in the season!

The Staff and Crew provided excellent service. We had a great time on the whale watching cruise! Highly recommended for their exceptional service. In fact, I booked two more cruises when I got home--Sydney Harbour History and the New Years Eve cruise! Looking forward to our future cruises with Captain Cook!

Service: yes, of course i would buy from them again.
Product: other than being dizzy due to sea sickness, the rest was great,just a little crowded when we wanted to take pictures of videos

Service: commentary was very informative. staff were friendly and showed concern for safety of passengers on board.
Product: Accomplished details for two passengers online but information for second passenger was not received at Capt Cook's end.

Service: time punctuatuin, very clean ship, good hospitality by the crew, hospitable guide during the whale watching
Product: value for money.............

Während unserer Tour hat die Crew sich leider bei der Zeit vertan und gerade also wir einen Spot gefunden hatten, an dem wir Wale sehen konnten, hieß es dass wir umdrehen müssen.... ein paar Minuten später hieß es dann, sie hätten sich vertan und es wäre doch noch Zeit... nur leider haben wir dann die Wale nicht mehr gesehen.
Sehr enttäuschend.

Service: Amazing! Amazing! Amazing experience! Not only did we see whales, but seals & dolphins too! The crew was amazing! Explained everything throughly with what we were going to see & how. Although, if you have a paper ticket, make sure you arrive at least half an hour before to exchange it for an actual ticket to get on the ferry/cruise. I was there early & showed the guy my paper ticket & he told me I had to go exchange it. Not even 3 minutes & he left me🙄. Luckily there was another ferry in half an hour which is what I originally showed up for. I did the combination with Taronga Zoo & everything was just perfectly timed with enough time to get around the zoo, see 2 shows then head out to see to spot some whales 🐳
Product: I was able to catch the seal show & bird show with enough time to explore everywhere else & grab a bite to eat! Captain Cook tours made everything easy but just be sure to arrive half an hour early fo exchange your paper ticket for an actual ticket or the ferry will leave you. Overall worth the visit! Especially the climb(lift) up when you first arrive.

Service: The crew was really nice, especially the guide, who shared her passion for her job and for whales.
We got to see a mum and her calf really close and it was a very especial experience to me.
On the way back, the boat crossed Harbour Bridge to get great views of it with the Opera House.
I would totally recommend this cruise!
Product: Very easy to book online and to get the ticket at the booth.

Service: Great afternoon out, we saw lots of Whales and the crew were so informative I would definetly recommend this trip.
Product: The crew were very good and told us so much information about the whales which added to our expierence.

Experience of a lifetime, seen two pods of whales up close and learned a lot about them. The guide was very friendly and helpful! Totally doing it again when back to Sydney. Thanks guys!!!!

Website and booking process could be a lot clearer from a purchasers perspective - the email that follows your booking contains way too many links that are irrelevant.

The trip itself was fantastic, as were all the staff - especially the academic.

Service: Well organized from the start and continuing
Product: The cruise was exciting; the presenter was well informed and easy to follow; the whales played their part.

Very informative trip fabulous to see a large female with her calves.

Service: Bellissimo.
Product: Fantastico, tutto organizzato alla perfezione, i tempi sono perfetti.

Service: No whale can watch. Bad experience and will not join thia tour again. Expensive and nothing to see but the tour guide said already have whale only we cant see because very far. Unbelievable. So mean cant watch right!
Product: No whale can watch. Bad experience and will not join thia tour again. Expensive and nothing to see but the tour guide said already have whale only we cant see because very far. Unbelievable. So mean cant watch right!

we hardly saw a whale :(

Foi tudo excelente! A única questão é que faltou informação e direcionamento para o embarque.

They waited in the Sea until we spotted the whale and made every effort to remain close enough to those whales for us to take some good shots. Amazing commentary and shared many things about the behaviour of whales which the kids enjoyed as their learning too.

Service: What a wonderful afternoon we enjoyed cruising out through the harbour and into the open ocean. The commentary was informative, enthusiastic and very funny. Our Captain always made sure we had the best vantage point to observe the many many pods of whales we saw. The baby whales were so playful and provided us with thrilling entertainment. Don’t miss this great cruise.
Product: This was an easy online purchase and great value for money

Très bon service !

Service: It was a real nice adventure
Product: I enjoyed every minute of this trip

Service: Great cruise seen a mother and baby whale. Fabulous day.
Product: Cruise was cheaper than expected

We were really lucky to see several whales doing multiple breeches, awesome trip

The staff were great and the experience was good. However, the boat was small and there wasn't enough room for many to stand along the open area. The result was that i was crushed by a boorish man who pushed from behind me to take photos. While waiting for our boat i saw 2 other companies going out in bigger boats which had more open space.

Service: 出海比较平稳，解说很有趣
Product: 出海很平稳，解说生动，救生示范和设施齐全，茫茫大海安静等待鲸出现

Service: The staff was friendly and were ready to answer questions.
Product: The boat was good and the staff, friendly. The only problem I faced was with sea sickness. Of course this is personal, but still affects the trip.

Service: Service was professional and guides knowledgable and entertaining. Good to see whales only 30 mins from Central Quay
Product: Very good. The quality of the sick bags was first class.

Service: Quick briefing before entering the boat not during the cruise as it is hard to listen.
Product: Not many whales at that time

The weather was windy and the sea was very choppy. A lot of customers got sea sick. No whale was in sight for most part of the journey, even though the captain decided to keep going to look for whale. I understand your company policy but shouldn't customers well being be your priority first?

Service: Good service. But the seas were rough and in the end, we didn't see any whales. We were given coupons for the next whale watching for free but we were only in town for a while and the coupons were only valid for 2018. We couldn't ask for a refund and frankly we were disappointed.
Product: Rough seas with no whales in sight. We were given coupons for another whale watching experience that were only valid for 2018 but we were already going back to our country the next day. No refunds were given. We were disappointed.

It’s the second time it gets cancelled... this kind of *****, especially when you have kids and you have to explain why we cannot go to see the whale AGAIN.

Whales soaring through the skies seabirds, dolphins thanks captain Cook!

15 whales wow!!!!

Service: Fabulous afternoon! The whales didn’t let us down!
Product: The whales didn’t let us down!!

the crews are really funny and full of knowledge about whales!!!
besides, you can not only see the whale but also the spectacular view of Sydney via this trip!!! Really worth a try

It was an amazing cruise. Excellent experience. Cruise Crew very fantastic
And to top it off we saw over 20 whales

We felt very comfortable with all staff and secure on the boat. We were so excited to see 2 whales and even seen one of them breach high out of the ocean.

Enjoy the moment we can really saw the humpback, how excited!! Captain also funny and nice, we can saw the seal in the nature!

Knowledgeable and charming staff who did their utmost to make the experience enjoyable. And boy did they deliver on great whale sightings.

It´s not so much the service as the staff attendance, both ashore and onboard was nice. The issue is that the weather was rally bad (big waves and 1/2 of the person on the boat got sick…) and in such a case, it would be better to cancel the trip than trying to pull it off....

Service: We really didn't get to see any whales. It's not their fault - you can't control nature or other people. But it was a bit disappointing. The crowd blocked the view when there were little splashes. Not Captain Cook Cruises fault. It was just one of those days. Would love to actually see some whales next time!
Product: Not sure it was worth the $85 ticket per person for the little we saw that day.

The experience in general was very poor for the money paid. Lots of people on the boat fighting to get a glimpse of a whale, that the captain was not able to show. At the begining, we did not see any whales, after wandering for 20 min he decided to follow one of the other boats (different company) and finally we got to see somenthing, but the captain was chasing the whales as a headless chicken, so everytime we got a glimpse of one of them, he would change course and follow them instead of keeping steady so the passangers could see. Only the ones at the front of the boat were able to see somenthing, very little (we were at the viewing deck upstairs). After our complaints, he decided to mirror the movements of one of the boat of the other company (which obviously had more experience in the matter as they were waiting for the whales to emerge rather than moving constatntly in circles) and only then, we saw somenthing, but by that time it was too late and we had to had down to port again.

Nette crew! Schönes schiff

Service: Good introduction and service.
Product: Interesting tour and it will be memorable

Service was Ok , but it was a bad experience as the weather was bad, the seas were pretty rough and everyone was scared, screaming kids and more than half of the people were vomiting, They should not have sail if they knew the weather was bad.

Lobster and steak was great was staff were slow with our drinks and we were not asked if we would like any more

服务态度很好，如果有问题，工作人员会及时耐心回答。看到鲸鱼后，船长就关闭引擎，静静等待鲸鱼过来，回程的时候还有海豹看，很难忘的一次经历。

Service: The crew on the boat is amazing, friendly, knowledgeable. The whole experience was so much fun, we spent an hour watching the whale as he was so interested in our boat. Also saw dolphins and at the end of the trip the crew took us to see seals as well! Thank you and definitely recommended!
P.S. the only small thing that could be improved is phone booking experience. Long wait and the ******* the line was not really helpful.
Product: Great trip, fun and completely worth going!

Nice, helpful, capable staff. High quality, modern craft.

Service: This is an amazing trip and manage to watch few whales on the open sea. My parents really enjoy it and it's highly recommended.
Product: Easy to purchase online and helpful staff as well.

Our family enjoyed the whale watching very much. Everything was great. Our only disappointing thing was that the guide who talked, talked way too much. There were a couple of times, he missed telling us which direction the whale was. He was talking about something else.

Service: I expected to see more whales in action, but the trip overall was really pleasant. The beautiful view of Sydney harbour and the open sea that we were heading to already enjoyable. Even though it was very windy, the sun shines brightly. Our guide on the speaker really fun and gave a lot of useful information
Product: It was easy to purchase this tour

Not the best season for whale watching in mid-August but we spotted some none-the-less and the ride and information by the guide was well worth the tour. Very informative and a fun day on the water.

为什么经常取消出海呢？同一天的行程其他船公司都出海呀。

Very poor travel company, not responsible and helpful at all, never go again

Great crew members and experienced guide. However the windows on our cruise were quite dirty that inhibited the viewing a little. The weather meant that standing in the elements, at the outdoor areas, was a slightly uncomfortable and crowded as it seemed a little small for the amount of people booked. However overall quite enjoyable.

Service: Excellent service, from the front counter staff who helped us with a booking problem right thru to the staff on board who did a great job finding the whales and explaining everything. My sons loved it and we will definitely do it again one day
Product: AS a first time experience it was amazing to see them so close to Sydney. very memorable

Service: Tutto perfetto
Product: Tutto perfetto dall'inizio alla fine

Had a great day out on the water Nit too crowded , friendly professional staff unfortunately not many whales on the day but that’s the luck if the draw. On time there and back Thanks

Good explanation. Cannot see the head of the whale as pictured in leaflet!

Great afternoon out, thank you to the crew for a great job - commentary, but also keeping all guests safe, noticed they also made sure the international guests were safe in a really polite and respectful manner - great job.

Service: not much whale can be seen
Product: not much whale can be seen

Great staff, very good comments

Service: Service level was good, the vessel was clean, and stable. We also left on time and made it back on time as well.
Product: Service level was good, the vessel was clean, and stable, and the commentary by the crew was important for us to understand what we were seeing, which was the migration of the whales. And what made it even better was the spotting of at least 2 pods of whales! Great cruise!

The boat was in very good shape and the tour started right on time. The person talking in the mic, I can't remember his name, provided a lot of very interesting information and was really funny.
It was our lucky day because the weather was beautiful and we saw many whale so my friend and I really thought the price we paid for this activity was totally worth it.

Service: Over all very good
Product: it was good a bit lumpy due to weather

Service: Matig schip, safety instructie open water werd volstrekt niet serieus genomen, cruise te kort, half uur gedobberd net op open water tot het tijd was terug te gaan. Geen dier gezien, kan altijd voorkomen. Echter over de whale garantie geen woord en omdat de kaartjes volledig waren ingenomen bij boarden geen poot om op te staan.
Product: Voor de moeite!!!!!!!!!!!

Service: Took their 2.5-3 hour PM whale watching cruise on 10 August, 2018. The boat came late, then had to pick up more passengers from Taronga Zoo. Boat went out for about half hour, then stopped “in case some whales have been around and not wanting to miss them”. After about 15 minutes, saw other boats (except Whale Watching Sydney) and followed them. Saw some sprays from a couple of whales, waited then chased a bit, then saw more sprays. After about half an hour most of the boats left to other spots, but Captain Cooks stayed. After about half hour, boat turned back to view some seals!! Thought I paid $55 to see whales closeup, not a boat ride to see seals!! I paid $59 last year with Whale Watching Sydney and saw 2 whales closeup for at least half an hour. Thought I’ll bring some family members to see same this year unfortunately has been utterly disappointed. I felt the Captain Cooks crew hasn’t really tried or has experience looking for whales. Came back to shore the same time as Whale Watching Sydney who left 10-15 min before us. I asked some guests from Whale Watching Sydney who just got off their boat if they saw any Whales closeup, answer, “yes, 5 and up close”!
Product: Not worth the money. Crew either not experienced or just not bothered to find the whales when another boat could

Service: The purchasing procedure was easy and the crew were professional. Clear information was sent out prior to the trip.
Product: We had an excellent time out on the water and saw plenty of Whale activity. It was everything they promised and the crew were professional. I would definitely recommend this trip to others.

To many people this it's hard to get a good view of the whales

There were too many people and i did not get to see the whales properly.

You could not see outside the windows as they were too dirty

4.5 star

Excellent introduction and detailed explaination of whales. Crew were entertaining. Many whales were spotted during the 3 hours journey, the cruise was definitely valued for money!

Service: Generally, very well organized although a bit mess when waiting for embarkment. Nobody was present to tell people what ferry to embark on. Two ferries were present in the meantime - one competition, the second yours. People were running from one pier (within Wharf 6) to another and did not know what ferry to embark on. Your ferry logo is hidden below the pier and not visible to passengers waiting on the pier. Finally the third ferry was the right one.
Ferry crew very helpful and efficient in finding whales :)
I would recommed your services to others.
Product: Please see above explanation.

Service: The staff did a very good job in spotting the whales.
Product: With the discount, the cruise is good value.

Service: Commentary was excellent helping a rewarding experience. Found 2 pods of whales and provided excellent photographic opportunities.
Product: The price was a surprise and very good value

Service: The cruise team was very kind and service was great.
Product: A must do in Sydney and watching whales was just amazing.

Service: Hemos visto ballenas, delfines y focas. Lo pasamos muy bien! Lo único por lo que no pongo 5 estrellas es que en mi opinión hay demasiada gente amontonada en el puente de arriba (desde abajo no se ve nada porque tiene cristales y por tanto nadie se sienta allí)
Product: Muy facil comprar, ir al sitio y disfrutar de la experiencia.

Very well organised and young lady who did the commentary was excellent.

I have not seen even 1 whale in the entire tour

员工非常友善，观鲸体验很棒

I had such an amazing time. it was a dream come true. we had humpbacks come right over to the boat. it was absolutely incredible. also, I actually missed my original booking because of crazy Sydney traffic and the staff were so kind and understanding, and gave me a voucher to come back. overall the ease of booking, the wonderful customer service and the experience left me raving about you guys to all my friends and fam. thank you so much! ill be back at the end of the season :)

Great tour !

Service: It was all good, crew was nice and very friendly and good comments about the whales
Product: Captain found some nice whales and was able to keep up close to the whales to see them

Incredible family experience. Lots of whale sightings, even one breaching. Curtious knowledgable staff

It’s a greate journey with Captain Cook Cruises. The people are so nice!

Service: Once got into Pacific Ocean, the voyage was very rough. We were severely affected by the motion. Didn't bother to leave our seats to see the back of the baby humpback.
Product: Rough journey and the return was only the back of 2 baby whales.

lovely introduction

我觉得船员对亚洲面孔的乘客很不热情，甚至是冷漠。另外我订的是Captain Cook，可实际坐的船是另外一艘。唯一欣慰的是看到了在一起的两条鲸鱼。

Service: We saw whales and the commentator was fantastic.
Product: It was Good value for money

Whale watching cruise was enjoyable for the older and the younger passengers. All the crew were enthusiastic and helpful. Thanks for a memorable day!

Had a great time - the staff were very considerate as my 13 year old was shoved to the back by some horrible tourists and they almost knocked her new digital DSLR skin camera out of her hands.... Staff came to the rescue and moved my 83 year old mum and my daughter who were on the cruise together back to the front where they were originally. THANK YOU! it made such a difference for them.

Great experience, would highly recommend. Crew were fantastic.

Awesome time viewing the whales! And dolphins!!

Service: Had two cruises both professional and well run, delivered what was promised
Product: Went very well, was well run

Very professional & courteous staff

A very enjoyable whale watching cruise to see the beautiful creatures of the ocean.
There was a high swell but the crew were excellent. Gave great advice and help when required.

Informative and cautious

Great experience. Spotted couple of whales around 4-5 times. Great crew and Captain, they were waiting to show us the whales patiently.

Service: Excellent experience with captain Cook cruises. We did the whale watching morning cruise and saw 3 humpbacks and even a little baby whale! Would recommend this to my friends.
Product: We got what we paid for: close-up whale watching!

Service: Friendly and informative commentary.
Skipper's focus on finding whales appreciated.
Boat handled swell effectively.
Product: Whales were not too playful on the day - not the fault of Captain Cook Tours

lovely trip

amazing trip and nice crew

Service: The cruise was excellently conducted. The information shared by the crew was extremely helpful, interesting.
Product: Excellent tour, interesting conversations, facts and trivia shared by the tour crew.

Service: A little over crowded on rear deck and not enough deck space. Would be better on a top deck boat where you can move freely.
Product: The prices vary from different operators for the same experience from $39 to $85?

Service: It was a very pleasant Whale watching cruise the boat was clean and modern
Product: easy to book online and obtain tickets on the day

the whale watch cruise was awesome, great day all round.

It was a good day, we saw 5 whales not too far away. The MC on the boat was very informative about whales and Sydney

Service: Great
Product: Great experience and experienced staff

Service: The ship was a bit small and I could not see the whales because of the many people that were gathering on the the boats sides.
I also felt that the moderator was talking too much
Product: good and easy but too many documents to feel/

Service: The cruise was excellent and so were the staff, controling non english speaking passengers is not easy especially when they pretend not to understand however your staf were great and firm
Product: Very easy to navigate the website

very good service and entertainment! :)

Service: Definitely would go again, was amazing!
Product: Absolutely magnificent!
Definitely would go again.

Service: yes Would buy again.
It is a wonderful trip to take visitors on.
Product: Very surprised no water fountain on board 2-50 for a small bottle of water is outrageous.

Team members were very attentive and the cruise itself is of a very adequate length. We’ve spotted many humpbacks and moreover got to know some interesting facts about them. The only thing is that the boat was pretty crowded so it was hard to find a good watching spot.

Service: Boat ride was nice. We did see whales although they did not come out of the water too much.
Product: I think the price was affordable

Well organised. Good presenter on the boat. All round good experience. Would highly recommend it.

We were so lucky to have a great day and see some whales in the ocean. Everyone was happy.

Service: Very well organised. Excellent commentary.
Product: Amazing! Well organised and excellent commentary

Problem-free from start to finish, with very knowledgable whale expert on board. We had a great day!

excellent commentary aboard the vessel and passionate crew that ensured we had the best views at all times. Fabulous experience!

Brilliant Day out

The Whales put on a great show, the commentary was interesting, fun and well delivered. Other crew were pleasant and engaging and the boat was very comfortable.

Wonderful crew and really value for money! If the relevant time table can be clearer instead of having to go through the whole webpage to look for it is provided would be even better!

Service: The tour was outstanding. The host was very knowledgeable but did not stop talking....so any whale footage I have had her talking which kinda ruins it.
Product: Excellent. Everyone in my group loved it

Service: Wonderful day out watching the whales they were literally in sight for the full 2 hours breaching and playing. Best thing ive ever witnessed.
Product: Best day out! the whales put on a show for the full 2 hours was magic best thing ive witnessed.

Captain, crew and presenter were very friendly and only too willing to answer any questions. Would like to go on this again.

Service: The commentary was second to none. Excellent commentary and excellent navigation skills from the captain (and crew) to achieve our goal of seeing quite a number of whales. Well done to all the crew.
Product: Absolute value for money. A tick on the bucket list but will do it again.

Great value for money for a full day out. Friendly knowledgable staff.

Really enjoyed our cruise with captain cook and were very lucky to see lots of whales that day ... would highly recommend.

Service: Opp
Product: Aaaàaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaausjehjej

The team was really nice and professional!
It was magic to see whales!

Service: Incessant uneducated commentary that did not stop for even 1 minute so we could enjoy the view with a mic that was distorting and a man that did not finish high school
Product: Terrible terrible terrible contamination narration throughout that did not stop

On time. Staff attitude dynamic and flexible meant all i bought were dealt with very well and all saw whales. We had awesome weather which was lucky but highly recommend the CC service.

Service: The guide was amazing, really funny and provided a lot of information and just made the entire trip enjoyable. All the crew were really friendly. Highly recommend great day out :)
Product: Good value and great experience :)

It was a nice trip with a friendly crew. We saw whales very closely .

Service: Friendly and helpful staff
Product: Easy and customer friendly website

Service: excellent staff, very friendly and great commentary on the cruise
Product: Great value for money, saw plenty of whales and very informative commentary along the way

Belle expérience

Pity you needed a ticket . SO often these days we are asked to download our ticket. So many people were int eh queue only to be told their downloaded ticket was not sufficient - they had to leave the queue, go to the ticket office, then go back to queue. Thankfully I had forgotten our tickets, so had already been to the ticket office.

good job

Service: The crew were very helpful and informative.
Product: Helpful pleasant crew. Well presented craft and crew.

It was an amazing tour. The guides were very friendly. I will suggest everyone use this service.

Service: On time and the description was accurate.
Product: We watched whales, as they promised, and departed on time, which I always appreciate. I would only recommend to be more emphatic on costumers taking sea sickness pills, I saw a lot pucking (that's not company's fault, it's visitors')

Service: it was good
Product: good....................................

good commentary, spacious steady ship.

Good clear communication, attention to safety issues, informative commentary.

Service: The people were friendly and informative. A great sense of humour.
Product: Great experience, very informative.

Service: We went on the tour without much expectation of seeing Whales in the open water. We ended up with an amazing experience seeing 5 whales for a period of hour or more. The cruise personnel are very professional and friendly. We recommended it.
Product: Friendly and professional staff.

Service: Fantastic trip. Guide was interesting and very knowledgeable.
Product: Awesome trip! Cant wait for next season