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Bay of Islands Tall Ship: Scenic Maritime Park Cruise
4.9
296 Ratings
Russell
Experience the thrill of sailing on the historic R. Tucker Thompson tall ship in the Bay of Islands. Enjoy a BBQ lunch and support youth development voyages.
Experience the thrill of sailing on the historic R. Tucker Thompson tall ship in the Bay of Islands. Enjoy a BBQ lunch and support youth development voyages.
Duration:
5 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Russell - Lovely town with plenty of character - easy to walk around - plenty of shops and restaurant, museum, and other attractions. You can spend time here before or after your sailing with us. Your ferry tickets can be used as early and late as you wish on the day of your sailing.
- Russell - Lovely town with plenty of character - easy to walk around - plenty of shops and restaurant, museum, and other attractions. You can spend time here before or after your sailing with us. Your ferry tickets can be used as early and late as you wish on the day of your sailing.
What's Included
- Wet weather gear (if required)
- Bar on board (including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages)
- Morning Tea with our famous scones
- Tea and coffee available throughout
- Cruise aboard the renowned ‘R. Tucker Thompson’ tall ship
- BBQ lunch included
- Wet weather gear (if required)
- Bar on board (including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages)
- Morning Tea with our famous scones
- Tea and coffee available throughout
- Cruise aboard the renowned ‘R. Tucker Thompson’ tall ship
- BBQ lunch included
What's Not Included
- Hotel pick up and drop off
- Hotel pick up and drop off
Additional Information
What better way to explore the peaceful waters of the Bay of Islands than on board the ‘R. Tucker Thompson’ tall ship? This replica of a 100-year-old schooner looks just like a working ship of the 18th century and you can spend the day on board exploring the bays and beaches of this beautiful Maritime Park. Operated by a charitable trust, funds raised…
What better way to explore the peaceful waters of the Bay of Islands than on board the ‘R. Tucker Thompson’ tall ship? This replica of a 100-year-old schooner looks just like a working ship of the 18th century and you can spend the day on board exploring the bays and beaches of this beautiful Maritime Park. Operated by a charitable trust, funds raised from our sailing go to support our youth development voyages over winter.
- Please talk to us about any physical disabilities. We try hard to accommodate all travelers!
Location
Russell Wharf, Russell, Bay of Islands
The Strand
Departs Russell Wharf: Complimentary ferry tickets avail from any Paihia Info centre by 9.15am. Depart 9.30am Paihia, boarding in Russell 9.45am
Returns Russell wharf 3.30pm. Ferries back to Paihia depart every 20 min. Some delays
*Cruise ship passengers please check ship tender times before booking
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(296 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
159carolynk
May 1, 2024
Sail like a mid-19th century merchant! - Sailing on this ship was a highlight of our New Zealand vacation. Built in the mid-19th century style, with canvas sails and rope rigging, being aboard is about as close as you can get to what it must have been like to be a sea merchant at that time in history.
Everyone who wished to do so had an opportunity to help trim the sail, climb the mast (while securely tied in) or climb out to the bow over knotted ropes. The ship stopped at a small island with breathtaking views, where we learned all about Captain Cook. Lunch was grilled on board and was delicious.
What an adventure! Definitely recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hmwf
Apr 22, 2024
One of the best things we’ve done in BOI - Excellent day out. One of the best things we’ve done in the Bay of Islands. Gorgeous ship and super friendly crew. We helped set the sails, climbed the rigging and swung off the rope swing into the water at lunch time. Delicious lunch. All in all a great experience and good to feel you’ve helped contribute to their youth programme too. We were undecided about which trip to take, but glad we went for the full day rather than the sundowner. Good value for money overall.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Y5122petomp
Apr 20, 2024
THE best way to experience the Bay of Islands. - Fantastic day, great sailing and swimming, friendly/informative crew, tasty lunch. Got to lift the sails and climb out and up while hooked into a safety harness. Best of all, the cost went to getting kids out on the water. Win win!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ryan_e
Apr 20, 2024
The best time in the bay of islands - This was an amazing experience! The boat is beautiful and cool to check out. The crew were all very friendly and helpful. The food was really good, and the service was good. The money helps support kids learning how to sail too which is great. I’d highly recommend this experience.
Review provided by Viator
Johanna_f
Apr 14, 2024
Amazing Adventure - Excellent experience!!!
I highly recommend this sailing tour to anyone who is visiting the Bay of Islands.
The four person crew did a great job keeping us all safe & entertained.
We saw a pod dolphins right next to the ship.
A very fun & memorable adventure.
Review provided by Viator
O3957ffjamief
Apr 8, 2024
MUST DO! - This was one of the best experiences we’ve ever had - truly unforgettable. The tall ship is great and there were lots of opportunities for those that wanted to help out. My husband loved helping with the sails and climbing the rigging!
The stop-off at the island was simply spectacular. The views are second to none and we had a glorious swim before heading back onboard for a yummy BBQ lunch.
We would absolutely recommend this trip to anyone, and to top it off, it’s so lovely that the money all goes towards teaching young people to sail.
We’d give it more than 5 stars if we could!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tardis_girl_456
Mar 30, 2024
Hands on sailing experience - I can’t recommend this trip enough. Many thanks to the captain and crew of the vessel (Marcel, Connor, Tom, and Arihi) for helping to make it such a great experience. You get to be as hands on (or hands off) as you want to be—for me that was very much hands on. I got to help hoist the sails, man the helm, ride the bowsprit, swing from a rope swing into the ocean, and my personal favorite—climb the rigging which gives you the best view on the ship! Only a handful of passengers wanted to climb, so they let me spend quite a bit of time up there which I really appreciate. We experienced all the weather during our day sail—wind, sun, clouds, and a brief but heavy downpour of rain—and while it dampened everyone’s clothes it didn’t dampen peoples’ spirits.
I went on my birthday and I can honestly say it was the best birthday ever. I’d originally been suppose to come in 2020 but the pandemic put a halt to that so I had had 4 years to build the day up in my mind and the reality not only met but exceeded my hopes and expectations.
And thank you for the birthday card; that was an incredibly sweet and unexpected personal touch. 💕
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wayneandcam_m
Mar 30, 2024
Sailing into the past in days of old. - Everything about the whole R.Tucker-Thompson experience was rewarding. It was my wife's birthday and she wanted to go out on the water. Sailing on such an old time square rigged sailing vessel was just the perfect choice. The crew were very nice and capable and contributed a lot to the enjoyment of the day. Really got a kick out of taking the helm and getting a helmsman's feel for the sailing capacity which was impressive especially on the wind in my opinion. I have recommended it to many friends and family and would do it again .
Great thing you have got going there guys.
Wayne McCarthy
Review provided by Viator
Jeannet_l
Mar 25, 2024
Don’t hesitate to book this one - Wonderfully positive and inspired young crew. Instead of rushing from photo op to photo op, you truly experience a great day. Lots of participation possible, but never required. We even raced another tall ship for a bit (our crew knew the folks on it) which made for some fun sailing. Cannot recommend more highly, as this non-profit also support sailing trips for youth up north. The scenery is breathtaking.
Review provided by Viator
Laura_f
Mar 23, 2024
Don’t hesitate to book this trip! - Amazing day. Great crew, learnt really interesting history and had loads of fun on this sailing trip. BBQ lunch was good and plentiful. Boat was very cool. They’re a non profit organisation who use the trip proceeds for youth education on sailing, leadership, etc., so all for a great cause too. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
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