Captain Stew’s Bay Cruise

Captain Stew took my little boy and I on a ride this last Saturday, January 23^rd. He was extremely kind, accommodating and knowledgeable about the Bay. He gave my son a little sea horse for wearing his life jacket and had binoculars available that my little guy enjoyed using. There are two locations for pick up and times vary based on the season so it is best to call. This bay tour is Inexpensive, clean and led by a great Captain, Stew! You can tell he loves being on the water, and that translates to a great experience.

Great tour. Great local, interesting knowledge. Beautiful scenery. Lovely to take a cool beverage on the boat.
What a bargain. Check out the dockside for yummy food and good beers after.

Captain Stew is the real deal! He had a kind heart and a seaworthy boat. As I stood on the warf, tears welling up in my eyes, while I watched my chartered boat cruise away, the boat I had driven four hours from Los Angeles and left my infant for the first time with my husband to be on, when suddenly – Captain Stew to the rescue! Within seconds he was on the radio and within we minutes were cruising toward my boat for a daring mid-​sea transfer (well, really it was a very placid bay but you know).
Though I did not take the traditional bay cruise, I can truly say you are in good hands with Captain Stew!

Stew’s bay cruise was a very fun and entertaining ride. My wife and I had a great time and would do it again. The only thing I would suggest is that they served refreshments other than that worth the $ 10.

Stew accommodated us even though we were late and gave us a great sunset tour of the bay. We had the good luck of seeing a pod of see otters with their babies on their bellies. Two other families with kids joined us and enjoyed running around the boat. He took the boat close to the rock so we could get a good view of it from up close. We picked up the tour from the smokestacks and grabbed dinner at Dockside next door afterwards. Great way to spend an hour for a family trip!

Seemed like a great deal… if you can get on board.
We called twice to confirm the boat time.
Kinda planned our day around this.
Got there 30 minutes before and they said no boat ride.
Eh. Shrug. Laugh. Oh well. was pretty much the explanation.
There otter be a better system.
Seal you later, Captain Stew.

this operator ignores the marine mammal protection act and repeatedly runs up on otters and seals. he has numerous complaints against him. please don’t support him, or if you do, ask that he abide by the 100ft distance given all marine mammals!

Nice little 45 minute outing for the family. This small little cruise around Morro Bay got us up close and personal with sea otters, seals and sea lions. Spent a couple of minutes on the sand pit surrounding the bay and explored the area a bit, even encountering our first sea slug! Captain Stew was quite knowledgeable about the area and quizzed our kids about the knowledge they had just gained. $ 10 for adults and $ 5 for the kids, definitely worth it and it gave our children their first little boating experience.

I went on this cruise instead of the tiki boat because they were closed due to upgrades which I was so disappointed about but I had some family in town so I thought I would take this tour instead. captain stew was rude, he gave no information on the bay or wildlife, so we just sat there the entire time while everyone looked bored. How hes gotten such good reviews i dont know, those people must have not taken lost isle or subsea tours before. he also drove way out to the mouth of the harbor which is supposed to be super dangerous considering I have heard that morro bay is the 3^rd most dangerous harbor to go in and out of. I told someone when I got off the boat that he had taken us out there, they told me that it was against coast guard regulations for his boat to go out that far since his boat is not certified to go into open water or past a white sign that warns boaters like that not to pass that point. I will never take this cruise again and I hope people realize that he does not care about the safety of his passengers for putting their lives at risk like that by taking them out to the mouth of the harbor how extremely dangerous!

I wish I could have given Captain Stew’s Bay Cruise a 5. I bet if my boyfriend and I actually went on the cruise it would have been awesome. I’m also probably the only person on here w/​a negative review of him… but I have my reasons.
The first time we tried going on the cruise, was a fail. We met Stew and he was a bit condescending, talking to us like we didn’t understand the basic English language.
Here’s what he should do: 1. Post on the board your hours (when the boat departs, when boarding starts, and when you return to dock) That way people actually know when to visit and sign up. 2. Have a system like tallying on a sign up board or chalkboard to let people know how many people are allowed on a boat and how many have signed up per hour. That way people can plan their day accordingly 3. Actually have someone manning both dock areas to answer questions/​sign you up.
My boyfriend and I went several times in one day trying to figure out when he actually would be there to answer our questions since no one was answering at the the phone number we called. We went at 4, 4:30, 4:45, 5… When we finally met Capt. Stew, he told us that the only way he does a sunset cruise is if 4 people go on it. So we had to base our day on him, in hopes 2 more people came. He also was a bit insulting to his colleague as he told us to «call the other dock to see if anyone had signed up, and SPECIFICALLY say we spoke to Capt Stew as his partner can be a bit inept.» Yep, that’s what he said. Way to be professional about your colleague. When we called, his colleague sounded pretty capable to me, telling us no one else had signed up. He asked for my number so he could call and let me know if there was a change in status.
Day 2 we tried again. Going 2 times to one location, calling twice w/​no answer, and finally at 4:50 calling up the 2^nd dock and the man who answered says, «Stew takes off at 5:15». I gave my number for them to call in case things changed. We got there at 5:10, and «They just took off.» Umm, I thought it was 5:15 when the boat takes off. WTH?!
Ultimately, we didn’t experience this educational cruise around the bay. I also learned that when we come back, to go w/​someone else, or kayak instead. I am not going to waste my vacation on Stew.

This was my fourth time and I have loved each one. So has my 3 year old! Captain Stew dropped us off at the beach then picked us back up on another trip. Great tour for visitors and locals!

This is a stop you don’t want to miss while visiting Morro Bay. The ride is comfortable and you experience views you can’t see from the shore. Our guide made it a great experience. Do this. You won’t regret it.

This is the best bay cruise money can buy. Captain Stew was very informative, got us close to the wildlife without disturbing the natural vegetation. It was smooth riding (I usually get motion sick and did not have any queasiness) if you are in the area it is a fantastic way to see the area. Seats 25 comfortably and he allows you to bring beverages aboard. It has a bathroom, blankets, binoculars and open to views from every side. We will definitely be back. Thank you Captian Stew and your wonderful boat, Little Miss Magic

Captain Stew was very welcoming. He was very knowledgeable about the bay.
He also went out of his way to give us some tip for the day concerning sightseeing.
Captain Stew was right on with the tips! They were awesome places to visit.
I think this is a great bay cruise at a great cost.

We had a great time. We saw seals, baby otters, and beautiful views. The weather was a little cloudy and we’d totally go again if tomorrow is clear. Thanks Captain!

Great cruise! Super informative, and it’s really neat to stop and watch the sea lions, otters and find out about the history there. They have blankets on board too if you get cold, and binoculars.

Great tour Guide, very personable and knowledgeable. A must try when you are in the area.

Our son was in town and we really wanted to show him a good time. So, remembering the advertisement on the side of Stew’s boats and on their website that says their place of business is by The Waterfront Grill, we went down at 4:55pm and when we didn’t see anyone there, we called the phone number listed on the door. The person who answered told us to wait there and the next cruise would depart at 5:15. We waited and waited and waited some more and no one ever showed up. We made another call and we were told that there wouldn’t be anyone showing up at the Waterfront Grill after all and if we wanted to take their cruise we would need to walk to another location ten minutes (on foot) away. Needless to say, we chose another bay cruise and wish we hadn’t wasted our time on Captain Stew.

Best tour ever we went on sunset tour it was beautiful stews cruise is better then the other cruise isle cruise stew is very respectful funny and he knows his history and facts well love it I do recommend everyone to go on it at Morro Bay and what a deal $ 10 adult $ 5 for children

A Morro Bay paddle boarder, Kelly encouraged us to go out with Captain Stew for his 7:00pm cruise. For $ 10, you get a 1-​hour guided tour, a blanket to use and all the scenery and wildlife you desire: otters, harbor seals, sea lions, brown pelicans, cormorants, kelp :) Plus, you get to meet other people from around the world. A grand adventure, and I would go again & again!
Captain Stew is accommodating, personable and quite knowledgeable. He can answer almost all of your questions and has a lot to share. You can bring your own food and drink on board for your adventure. I was with my friend who is in her 80s and she was using a walker. Thanks to the kindness of Kelly and other passengers, we got her down the staircase to the boat. However, Captain Stew has an accessible dock where he can pick people up who have ambulation issues.