Your Bay Of Islands Cruise FAQ
Bay Of Islands Dolphin Cruises compares guided dolphin-watching cruises and other boat tours in the Bay of Islands. The questions below cover booking, prices, cancellation rules and how to pick between the tours on this site.
Booking And Payment
How Do I Book A Cruise Through This Site?
Read the comparisons here, then click through to the tour's booking page on a third-party platform. Booking and payment happen on that platform. This site takes no bookings, holds no seats and processes no payments of any kind.
Who Actually Runs The Tours?
The tours are operated by independent boat operators. Bay Of Islands Dolphin Cruises is a comparison site only: it gathers tour facts in one place so you can decide which cruise suits you, then hands you off to the booking platform.
Who Should I Contact On The Day Of My Cruise?
Contact the operator or booking platform shown on your confirmation. Check-in details, meeting points and departure updates come from them. This site has no phone line and cannot reach an operator for you.
Prices And Cancellation
How Are Prices Shown On This Site?
All prices are USD from-prices per person, taken from each tour's booking page. Across the 22 tours they run from $63.07 to $263.16. Final prices depend on your travel date and any options you select at checkout.
Can I Cancel For Free?
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start is stated on 20 of the 22 tours. "Phantom Sail, 5 Hours 30 Minutes" and "Vigilant Yacht Full-Day Sail" state no traveller cancellation window, only operator weather or minimum-numbers refunds. Always check the tour's own terms before paying.
Do Tours Pick Up From My Hotel?
Hotel pickup is stated only on the two Auckland day trips. The other 20 tours do not state it. Of the 22 tours, 17 depart from Paihia, 9 from Russell (some from either town) and 2 from Auckland.
Choosing A Cruise
Can I Swim With Dolphins In The Bay Of Islands?
No. Swimming with dolphins is not permitted. A Department of Conservation sanctuary rule, in force since 15 December 2021, keeps everybody out of the water within 300 m of any dolphin, whale or seal. All dolphin experiences here are watching from the vessel.
Is A Dolphin Sighting Guaranteed?
Wild animals are never certain. One tour, the "8.5-Hour Day in the Bay Cruise", states a dolphin viewing and marine mammal guarantee, terms not given. For "Day Sail, Lunch and Island Stop" the booking page says sightings are common but cannot be guaranteed. No other tour makes such a claim.
What Is The Difference Between The Tour Types?
The 22 tours split into dolphin and Hole in the Rock cruises (7), fast boat cruises (2), tall ship, yacht and catamaran sailing (7), cream trip and full-day cruises (2), sea kayak tours (2) and Auckland day trips with a bay cruise (2).
Are There Age Limits?
Most tours state no minimum age. Only "Fast Boat, Hole in the Rock" states a minimum age, which is 7. If a booking page is silent on ages, treat that as unstated and ask the operator before booking with young children.
Do Any Tours Stop For A Swim At An Island?
Some sailing and full-day cruises include an island stop, and a swim or snorkel stop appears only on tours whose booking page states one, for example at Otehei Bay. This is a beach swim, entirely separate from the dolphin-watching rule above.
What About The Hole In The Rock?
Several dolphin cruises also cruise to the Hole in the Rock, one of the Bay of Islands' best known sights. Check each tour description to see whether the visit is included on the route you choose.