Half-Day Marlborough Sounds Cruise: Visit Ship Cove and Explore New Zealand's Coastline

142 Ratings

Picton

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Embark on a half-day cruise through the stunning Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand. Visit Ship Cove, admire the breathtaking scenery, and learn about the region’s marine life and cultural history.

Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Queen Charlotte Sound - Cruise through the tranquil waterways of the Queen Charlotte Sound, see wildlife and native flora and fauna along the way

What's Included

Commentary on board
On-board restrooms

What's Not Included

Food
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Beachcomber Cruises keep cup ($6 available for purchase)

Additional Information

Depart from Picton at 9:00 am and embark on a cruise through the stunning Queen Charlotte Sound to the historic Ship Cove. Along the journey, take in the beautiful sights and be on the lookout for any unexpected wildlife encounters.
Enjoy a visit to Ship Cove, where you can step ashore at the very spot where Captain Cook landed in the 1770s, with his…

Location

1 London Quay

London Quay

Please meet us at the Beachcomber Cruises Office on the waterfront - the Corner of Wellington Street and London Quay, we are a black building with Blue Signage.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.3

(142 Ratings)

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1 star

Anne_m

Jul 5, 2025

Dolphins! - A very pleasant trip, with lots of dolphin sightings. The captain stopped the boat a few times so we could observe them closely.

Review provided by Viator

Nomad47464657793

May 15, 2025

Enjoyable Ships Cove Cruise - Had a lovely trip to Ships Cove and got off the boat for 1/2 hour to learn about the history of Captain Cook's landing. We then stopped off at Furneaux Lodge and Punga Cove to drop off the bags of people walking the Queen Charlotte track. The driver/guide was very knowledgeable and gave a great commentary throughout the journey which made the trip enjoyable and memorable 👍😊

Review provided by Tripadvisor

X2016tqsandram

May 8, 2025

Really enjoyable trip - This trip is well worth going on we really enjoyed it . The staff in the booking office were so nice and Dylan our boat pilot was really friendly and was full of of infomation. It was a nice way to see the Marlborough sounds while delivering a vital service .It's really worth doing ...

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Loftyfrance

Mar 27, 2025

A must - Professional crew boat and cruise also very informative. You start with a briefing in the office with what to expect to hopefully see and do. Once aboard given a pair of binoculars and ID cards. There is a commentary from the captain at points of the trip and you can follow where you are on one of the ID cards. The trip is decided of weather conditions and what has been seen in the passed days. Its not rushed and although there is a time frame if wild life is spotted on the water they will not rush, and the complementary glass of wine on the return is always appreciated.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Keith_i

Mar 20, 2025

Cruise on Marlborough Sound - A great way to see Marlborough Sound and Ship Cove. The boat had seats inside and outside and was skippered superbly.

Review provided by Viator

Tracey_s

Mar 4, 2025

Ferry Crossing - Our crossing was delightful, perfect weather and great coffee and breakfast. Thought it was unnecessary to get moving at 5am, arrive at 6:30 for a 8:45 departure. We also caught an Uber who dropped us off at the station for platform 10 pickup when he could have dropped us off at the Interislander Terminal. Regardless we enjoyed the journey.

Review provided by Viator

Susan_s

May 23, 2025

Beautiful Scenery - Lovely area but boat ride was long…basically a water taxi only stopping once. Would have been nice to have a guide talk to us about indigenous culture.

Review provided by Viator

W5355iklouiseg

Feb 12, 2025

Queen Charlotte sound trip to Ship cove - Fabulous boat ride along Queen Charlotte sound on a beautiful sunny morning .. Interesting little stops on the way to pick up and drop off people... Ian the skipper was very informative and offered friendly chats on the bridge for us to to ask further questions ..and get more information Only disappointment was only having 15mins at Ship cove...such a stunningly beautiful place ...it was spoilt a lot by having to watch the clock and not having enough time to soak up this beautiful place....appreciate things need to run to time..but would have enjoyed it much more with more time..even 30mins would have greatly improved this experience and I would have given you had given you 5 Stars ,!!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Babethmarcel

Feb 11, 2025

Awesome cruise - It was a great day and the cruise was perfect. Condietable biat with good comments beautiful scenery. I recommend this trip.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Lindapa8518hd

Feb 15, 2025

Wrong cruise but nice - The boat was nice and so was the ride but we didn’t have much time to walk around. My mistake to have gone on this tour. The staff was very professional.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Check Availability

From $61

up to 15 guests

1 - Adult