acadian sightseeing nature cruises

My friends and I went on the 1100 nature tour. We were staying at the hotel where the boat departs from and discount tickets ($ 23) are available for hotel guests.
The tour lasts just about two hours, a little more or less depending on what wildlife you see.
Our tour guide was amazing. He was born and raised in bar harbor and knew so much about.. well just about everything! You get to know a lot of the history about Acadia national park and all of the mansions in the area.
We took the tour mid June which is a great time to go. We saw fur seals and pups as well as multiple bald eagles and an eagle nest. It’s really tough to see actual wildlife in Acadia so if that’s what you’re hoping for I would strongly suggest this nature tour.
Small refreshments available on the boat. Even in June it was quite chilly so we all got got chocolate :)
Definitely would recommend.

Very interesting and informative tour of the area. Seen many seals and a few bald eagles but no whales. Workers were very informative on the area. The only downside, and this is not their fault, it was Memorial Day weekend and it was freezing cold! They tell you to dress warm but I wore shorts and a light jacket and almost froze!

We signed up for the three-​hour VIP cruise that is offered after Labor Day. It travels along the coastline and up into Somes Sound. It was chilly and windy on the water, but bearable with a jacket on. The tour guide on the boat provided a lot of interesting facts and stories, particularly about the various mansions built on the coastline and their owners. Sometimes his voice was drowned out by the sound of the boat’s motor, even though it was amplified through a loudspeaker. We saw several lighthouses up close along the way. At one point, the captain cut the boat’s motor so we could watch some seals on a rocky outcropping at sea. That was really cool. Another highlight was seeing several bald eagles high up in the trees on the rocks above the coast.
The main reason that I have downgraded my rating of this tour is that for us, and for many other people on the boat, it was a half-​tour. The three or four lucky people who are first in line when they let people on the boat grab the few seats up front on the bow. They have a clear view both to the left and right. Everyone else must sit on benches on either the left or the right side of the boat and can only see what is visible from their own side. The boat’s cabin hides the other side from view. We were on the right and could see everything as we went down the coast and around the south side of the island, since the shoreline was on the right. However, when we entered Somes Sound, we saw nothing, since the points of interest were on the left. Conversely, people seated on the left missed the sights going down the coast, but were able to enjoy the sights in Somes Sound. To be sure, some people got up and stood on the opposite side from where they were seated, but not everyone wanted to, or physically could, do that. What Acadian needs to make this trip great is a boat that has an upper deck that affords an unobstructed view to all sides, so that everyone can see everything.

Decided to try the nature cruise at the last minute when Bar Harbor Whale tours abruptly cancelled their run. Turned out to be a great excursion. We were cutting it close and it seems that, unprompted, the sales person at the West street office called the gal at the Eden street ticket booth and gave her a heads up that we were on our way. Really nice. We were greeted warmly by Tom and got great information on the coastal sites by another crew member (Steve? Jeff? didn’t quite catch his name). He was pretty funny and reminded me of the Car Talk guys. We saw many bald eagles and seals, which thrilled the kids. Great tour, very fun but professional. They do appreciate tips, so be ready for that!

Okay, this review is going to have two parts: (1) handicap accessibility, and (2) actual nature cruise.
HANDICAP ACCESSIBILITY:
Although their website claims to be handicap accessible, THEY ARE NOT HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE in any way, shape, or form. Absolutely would not recommend this to anybody in a wheelchair — it would go very poorly.
Personally, I have something called bilateral tarsal tunnel syndrome that makes it very painful to walk. I can walk somewhat (maybe a block or two) without it being too bad, but other than that I have to use a wheelchair, or at least a walker. Since they claimed to be accessible on their website and I knew I’d be sitting on the boat the entire time, I figured that going without a wheelchair or a walker would be fine. I shouldn’t need them at all. Well, I was very, very wrong. But at the same time, I wouldn’t have wanted to bring the wheelchair anyway, because it would’ve been physically impossible to use one here.
First of all, when you get there, there are a whole bunch of signs that tell you where to park — it’s right next to the ticket booth. Awesome accessibility there: handicap bathroom, no stairs, handicap parking, etc. But then we were told that we had to walk all the way down to the boat from the parking lot. The lady at the booth made it seem like it was just around the corner, but really it was a ¼-​mile walk that included two flights of stairs. Seriously? They couldn’t have a parking lot right next to the harbor? Nope. So by the time I got to where you were supposed to get on the boat, I was completely exhausted and in excruciating pain.
Then I realized that there is this huge gang plank they expect you to stand on and wait in line to get on the boat. It’s a long single-​file ramp that has a gate at the bottom, and it’s all above the water. Well… I can’t stand still for any length of time without being in pain, so I had to sit on the dirty grass next to the ramp, where there were tons of bugs, because there wasn’t even a park bench or anything for people to wait on, and we were 30 minutes early for our cruise.
Finally we got up to get in line, but even though we were the first ones there, we ended up being 20^th or so in line, because we hadn’t been able to wait in line since I had to sit on the grass. And then they make you wait in line some more while a bunch of people get their pictures taken before boarding. I was DYING at this point.
Eventually we hand in our tickets… and then realize we have to walk down this HUGE ramp to get to the bottom, where we’d board the boat. Let me stress this… while, yes, this is a «ramp,» it is VERY steep. I would not let somebody push me in a wheelchair down that thing… I’d probably go shooting down into the water and drown. And there’s no way you’d be able to get up or down in a wheelchair by yourself. This thing was like 80% incline. Impossible!
So then you go down to the boat, and there’s steps to get INTO the boat. I’m not sure how they would ever be able to get a wheelchair onto the boat. Can you picture it? They’d literally have to have three people just pick you up WITH the wheelchair to get on. And then the whole tour thing is UPSTAIRS on the boat. There are some seats on the first level, but I’d imagine that seasickness would be a bigger concern down there, and you don’t get as many pretty views, breezes, and your access to the tour guide is limited.
NATURE CRUISE:
But once we actually got into the boat and sat down, it was a pretty fun time! Our guide was great, and even though it was FREEZING (even in 80 weather) on top of the boat (seriously, I’d recommend a coat, hat, AND a blanket, or pants, for your legs. I am not kidding around, it was COLD.), I still had a really fun time and a lot of the information we learned was very interesting. And we got to see plenty of birds, seals, and beautiful islands and mansions!
If you’re not in any way disabled, I would highly recommend this experience to round out your Acadia trip… but if you are in a wheelchair or have trouble walking/​standing, this is NOT the thing for you.

My fiancé and I went on the 1:15 nature cruise. There was a bit of initial confusion because the confirmation email said to arrive 15 minutes early and listed 1:00, not a problem but when we arrived just before one the very friendly woman working at the ticket booth said she called to hold the boat because of some other latecomers. Moral of the story: arrive 20 – 30 minutes prior to your booked time.
Regardless, our cruise set off and we had beautiful weather. I learned a great deal and really enjoyed the time. They offer blankets (for free), binoculars ($ 3), and various refreshments (unsure of the price because I brought my own drink aboard). Peter was our guide and was incredibly knowledgable. He was able to offer facts, local lore, and personal stories as a resident of the island. We lucked out because we went in the off season, so there was plenty of room to wander the top deck without bumping into others.
One final tip I could offer is that your picture is taken as you’re about to board but you can only purchase the photos with $ 20 cash at this moment in time, and if you’d like that keepsake, plan ahead.

Definitely the nature cruise company to use in Bar Harbor. I’ve lived in Bar Harbor for years and have been on both these boats and the bigger guy in town, and this is definitely the company to go with. The staff is friendly and knowledgable. The boats are comfortable and a great environment for kids and pets. I can’t say enough good things about these guys. I probably take at least two to three trips with them every season. I’ve yet to try to the puffin cruise but will be doing that this summer. I’ve been on all the other trips and have loved each and every one of them. They are located just outside of town, so parking is much easier.

Seeing a place like Bar Harbor and Acadia from the water is a must-​do. You get to see wildlife and fowl. We missed puffin season, alas. However, it was still a very informative and fun trip. A bit crowded, but the weather was nice so I understand that completely. Thanks much!

Wonderful experience. The narrator, Dennis, was very knowledgable about the area and encouraged questions. Another gentlemen, Bill, assisted in continually pointing out wildlife — thanks to his sharp eye, we saw four bald eagles, including the unusual sighting of two birds together atop a tree. Bring windbreakers, binoculars and cameras and have a wonderful time. If you stay at the nearby Acadia Hotel, you can purchase your tickets at a discount as well (probably also possible other hotels as well). Highly recommended, reasonably priced.

My husband and I chose Acadia Nature Cruises because they are pet friendly. I was amazed at how pet friendly Bar Harbor was in general, but I never could have imagined taking my dog on a boat. The cruise was very nice and informative, without being in your face. We went on the sunset cruise on a Tuesday night and it wasn’t crowded at all. We were able to see some otters and dolphins, which was really neat. I also think their prices are very reasonable. I would definitely recommend them to a friend.

This tour is very kid friendly, without being cheesy. It’s quite laid back and come-​as-​you-​are. We looked at the other tours and decided the boats were too small and restrictive for our just-​walking toddler. She will not sit on a bench and stare at water for longer than 5 seconds. This boat was spacious and steady enough to permit strolls around. Also, the 4 pm tour is very convenient for kids who still nap. Also, the captain was extremely gracious to us with all our gear/snacks/etc.You are allowed to bring strollers aboard. The wind was so loud, no one cared if she squawked at the sea life we saw around us. The whole family had a good time.