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

154 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

(154 Ratings)

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O6841gpelisabethf

Feb 23, 2026

Sounds Magic Tour - We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise with Beachcomber Cruises. Daryl was informative and entertaining. It is a great way to see the beautiful Marlborough Sounds. We would highly recommend it. Great value for money and just the right length of time to see the sights.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Fordiie

Feb 21, 2026

A trip not to be missed - It was a 3 hour absolute pleasure trip, our captain Ian kept us informed as to where we were stopping to drop off luggage and passengers in various coves. The stop at Ships Cove for a walk around was very interesting and it was a very enjoyable morning cruise.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

O8309xedianev

Feb 16, 2026

Great morning but poor weather. No ones fault - Great skipper.really good commentary

Review provided by Tripadvisor

John_p

Feb 5, 2026

Nil - Take some warm clothes as it may be chilly on the water. Daryl, the driver, was very entertaining and knowledgeable.

Review provided by Viator

Janet_m

Mar 6, 2026

Sunny, chilly day for a chill boat tour - Lovely ride around the sound and a quick trip to Cook monument. We took this ride early March. It was a beautiful, sunny day but quite chilly on the water especially up top on the open deck.

Review provided by Viator

Deniseihamiltonnz

Feb 1, 2026

Half day cruise from Picton - Sadly there was heavy rain for the whole trip which means visibility was poor but our skipper provided all info to make it interesting. Got off at Ships Cove and walked a TINY bit of Queen Charlotte but was VERY slippery. Would recommend trip to others.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Kathy_b

Jan 24, 2026

Picturesque Picton. - A little long. Captain was informative. Left a tip for him. Rating was based on lack of variety of cruise NOT the captain.

Review provided by Viator

Asa49

Jan 3, 2026

Would avoid - As others have said, this is not really a tour. You’re basically riding on a boat while the captain makes stops to pick up/drop off deliveries (people or bags). The people on shore were extremely pleasant, but the captain was not. I asked a question about the length of time at the Cook memorial and was told, in a surly tone, that he would leave whoever wasn’t back on time. In short, you see some nice scenery but the experience is not worth it.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

668hirens

Dec 28, 2025

Beautiful and must go if you could find another provider - It was great to start with we had dolphin sighting and then cruise continue to the destination and that’s where it started to go downhill. The captain rushed us to get back on the boat because he wanted to deliver bags or parcels. For the delivery he made five stops And we felt like being part of a courier service on the way back. Even worse, forgot to take four passengers on board on the way back so they had to return to get them. We started the tour at 9 am. There was no tea or coffee available on board. You could have a coffee if you brought your own cup so basically no drinks no food and we were there with them for 4 1/2 hours mostly doing their deliveries with them highly recommend to avoid this provider. Not even an apology for the 1.5 hour delay. No explanation why scenic tour was turned into a delivery service.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Go10084620561

Nov 25, 2025

Not as promissed - We did the Marlburough Sounds and Ship Cove Cruise from Picton. The weather was quite stormy with rather big waves at sea. Almost everybody else was dropped of or picked up, so had a reason to be on board in these circumstances. There was only once 5 minutes time to get off board. We were on the boat to have a nice morning which was not possible in these weather conditions. They should have cancelled our 3 our trip. It was absolutely not worth the time or money. We didn't have anything to drink in the 3 1/2 hours on board because in the hurry to get on board she forgot to tell us we had to bring our own cup and on board seemed to be none available. The explaining was done, but couldn't be understood because of the noice of the engine and the weather. We complained at the office about not cancelling the trip, but, according to the lady, this was normal and they never cancel even though the can 't live up to their promisse that you can get of the boat to have a look around. So no good review sadly and the handling of the complaint was also not priceworthy.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Check Availability

From $62

up to 15 guests

1 - Adult