Flagship Cruises Harbor Tour in San Diego, CA

On my previous San Diego trip, I saw that there were short sightseeing ship tours of the harbor. I didn’t have time on my last trip, but this time I went on the two-hour Full Bay Tour put on by Flagship Cruises. Flagship Cruises also operates the ferry that runs between Coronado and San Diego. If one doesn’t have time for a full cruise, the ferry ride offers great views of the harbor that’s much more cost- and-time-effective. I took the ferry across to San Diego to get on the yacht for the cruise. The ferry doesn’t have bathrooms or other amenities, but the ships used for the tours have food and beverages along with bathrooms. For both, there’s indoor and outdoor seating.

Departing from the San Diego Broadway Pier, my cruise started with the North Harbor, then docked to let people on and off before continuing on to the South Harbor. Both trips provided beautiful views of the water (and sometimes sea lions!), but it’s the South Harbor portion that heads over to the Coronado Bridge which is pretty impressive from underneath.

Those interested in military history will also enjoy the south portion as the cruise goes past the naval base and the many ships docked there. The narration provided was fun and informative. When some people got a little rowdy during the tour, the tour guide thankfully gave a strong reminder that others wanted to enjoy the cruise peacefully. If there’s time to do some relaxing sightseeing, the harbor tour (especially the south tour) is a nice experience.

Water2Wine Cruises in Richland, WA

For my trip home this year I wanted to do something other than hanging around the house. In my search for something interesting to do, I came across Water2Wine Cruises which started operating in 2016. The company offers a few different cruise options, including ones with entertainment, but the best option for my trip was a Sunday brunch cruise.

We set sail from the Columbia Point Marina in Richland, WA at 12:30pm. The marina has plenty of parking and it was easy to spot the yacht and where we needed to check in. After a short wait for others to arrive, we boarded the 96-foot yacht and were handed mimosas. At check-in we were given a table assignment, so we headed to our seats.

On the brunch cruise every party was seated on the lower level, but the upper level has tables as well. It appeared that every seat had a great view of the river and there’s also the option to leave your seat to get a completely unobstructed view from the front or back of the yacht during the 1.5 hours (other cruises are longer) you’re on the Columbia River.

The brunch was buffet style and the food was delicious, especially the roasted potatoes. Water, coffee, and tea were free while alcoholic beverages could be ordered for an additional price.

Although my table didn’t order anything extra, the staff was still very attentive. The yacht itself is decorated beautifully and also has bathrooms available. My group definitely enjoyed ourselves. I’d definitely go on one of the longer cruises next time.