General Questions |
| Q: Where & how do we book our tickets? A: You can book by going to the BOOK ONLINE page on this web site and choose date passengers and time. OR you can book by calling our number 1300 763 739 and supplying your name passenger numbers and contact mobile. |
| Q: Is there any age restrictions? A: There is no age restriction on any cruise, although we recommend children under the age of 7 would be unsuitable for the Wilson’s Promontory Cruise due to its duration. |
| Q: Where do the cruises depart and how do we get there? A: All Phillip Island Scheduled Cruises depart Cowes Jetty. This is Melways reference 634 D1, or if you’re using an electronic map, enter 12 The Esplanade, Cowes & you will find our office and Jetty is located across the road. |
| Q: What parking is available? A: There is parking in the triangle area adjacent to the Jetty, this is restricted to 2 hrs between 9am & 5pm daily. We recommend you park along the foreshore which is 4 hour parking, or Bass Avenue which is all day parking. There is no charge for any of these area’s. |
| Q: Are there toilets on the boat? A: Yes, there are male, female and unisex disabled toilets. |
| Q: Is there a licensed bar on the boat? A: Yes, there are drinks available through our licensed bar on board at bar prices. |
| Q: Will it be rough? A: For all cruises, we are dependent on the weather, the cruise with-in the Bay are usually fairly flat. The Seal Watching Cruise mostly experiences some swells, and at times experiences rough sea’s for short periods during the cruise, due to the swell and tide conditions on the way to Seal Rocks, which is located in the open waters on the edge of Bass Strait. |
| Q: Is the boat BYO? A: BYO is not permitted. |
| Q: Is the boat available for charter? A: Yes, the boat is available for private charters, please refer to the Charter section of the site for more information. |
| Q: How many people can the boat hold? A: 127 Passengers. |
| Q: How do we get to the cruise from Melbourne if we do not have our own car? A: Day Tour operators, Grayline, will pick-up at selected City Hotels for tour 364 which includes a tour, the Seal Cruise and the Penguin parade. This can be booked through our online booking page. Melbourne Australia Tours (03 9016 9347) will pick-up most places through-out Melbourne and suburbs. V/Line operate 3 times daily to Phillip Island from Southern Cross Station, and the local ferry operates from Stony Point(end of train line) to Phillip Island at least twice daily. |
Seal Watching Cruise |
| Q: How long is the cruise? A: This Seal Watching Cruise lasts for a duration of 2 hours. |
| Q: What times do the cruises go? A: In peak times Seal Cruises operate up to three times a day 10.45am, 2.00pm & 4.30pm. During daylight saving season we operate at 2.00pm or 4.30pm. From mid April until late September we operate at 2pm Sat,Sun,Mon,Wed & Friday. (No Cruises 30th July until 14th September due to prevailing adverse wind, sea and swell conditions over that time) |
| Q: How many seals do you see? A: Through-out your cruise, you are guaranteed the to see 6000+ Australian Fur Seals on the rocks, and often they approach the boat in the water, offering an up close and personal experience. |
| Q: What food is provided during the cruise? A: At the onboard kiosk/bar, there is chips, chocolate bars, soft-drinks, ice-creams plus beer,wine and pre-mix drinks available at bar prices. Complimentary bottomless cup of Tea & Coffee is available throughout the cruises and there will be Cake & Biscuits served for afternoon tea during the Seal Cruise. |
Twilight Cruise |
| Q: How long is the cruise? A: The Twilight Cruise lasts for at least 1.5 hours. |
| Q: What food is provided during the cruise? At the onboard kiosk/bar, there is chips, chocolate bars, soft-drinks, ice-creams plus beer,wine and pre-mix drinks available at bar prices. Complimentary bottomless cup of Tea & Coffee is available throughout the cruise, plus a selections of platters of dips, cheeses, Kabana, fresh pitted olives, seasonal grapes, cream cheese and chilli sauce with crispy corn chips, plus hot food including variety of mini dimsims, springrolls, samosas & fresh pizza diamonds. |
| Q: What times do the cruises go? A: The Twilight Cruise departs at 7:00pm from the Cowes Pier on Thursday and Saturday nights. Over periods of high demand extra cruises will run. |
French Island Bay Cruise |
| Q: How long is the cruise? A: The French Island Tour lasts for 1 1/2 hours, with a 9:00am departure from the Cowes Jetty. You will arrive back at the Cowes Pier at 10:30, includes 1 hour Island Bays Cruise, plus a 1/2 hour walk and talk on French Island by one of our experienced crew. |
| Q: What times do the cruises go? A: The French Island Tour leaves the Cowes Pier at 9:00am on a Wednesday and a Sunday during summer holidays |
| Q: What food is provided during the Cruise & Tour?
A : At the onboard kiosk/bar, there is chips, chocolate bars, soft-drinks, ice-creams plus beer,wine and pre-mix drinks available at bar prices. Complimentary bottomless cup of Tea & Coffee is available on the cruise and there will be Cake & Biscuits served for morning tea on the return cruise from French Island. |
Charters |
| Q: What is the minimum number of people required to charter a cruise? A: To charter a set tour from our “Group Tour” selection you will require minimum 30 passengers. But for a custom charter, you will usually be quoted a set price and for that you can have anything from 1 person to 120 people. |
| Q: How much is it to charter the Boat. A: There is plenty of variables, and we are flexible, depending on use and area. But the basic cost for charter of Boat and crew only is $800 per hour within sheltered waters (Min 1hr charge), and $1000 per hour if going into open waters (Min 1 hr Charge). |
| Q: Where do the charters depart from? A: The boat can depart from most Westernport Jetty’s by arrangement, but all scheduled cruises depart from Cowes. |
