Explore Group - Auckland — Attraction in Waitematā

I have so many regrets about booking Explore Group's Tikapa Moana Whale & Dolphin Watching Cruise.

It was billed as a seven hour cruise, including a 1.5 hour stopover at Tiritiri Matangi island. So we expected a 5.5 hour tour/cruise, which should be more than enough time to see some wildlife!

No. This tour is combined with the regular ferry to Tiritiri Matangi island, so the first 1.5 hours are spent in silence as we head to TM island to drop off the day's visitors. We should have brought a book to occupy ourselves. At least now the tour would start!

Part of the joy of tours and cruises is the patter of the guide and the interesting facts you learn about the area you're in, or the animals you see. But... not in this case. There was a five minute pre-recorded Maori introduction and explanation of how the islands were "bought" by the English, a brief announcement by the skipper that we were looking for specific birds that usually denote a whale or dolphin under the water, and then... nothing.

We literally drove around in silence for 2.5 hours.

The fact that we didn't see any whales or dolphins (and didn't even try for the penguins or seals also mentioned on the tour page) is almost beside the point. Even if we had seen one, those few minutes would not have made up for the hours of boredom before and after.

We were dropped off at Tiritiri Matangi for our brief visit (which was, to be fair, utterly gorgeous) and then piled back on to the boat for... another 1.5 hour ferry ride in silence.

So of our seven hour cruise, fully three hours were wasted as a non-advertised ferry service, and the remaining two and a half hours of the "tour" were spent in complete silence staring out the window at nothing. For this we paid $150 each.

Since we did not see any wildlife, we were offered a voucher to attend the same cruise again. This is of little use to us as we flew home the following day.

0/10 experience, would...

Disappointing experience with Explore Group.

Last Saturday, February 8, I booked and paid for two tickets to visit Tiritiri Matangi Island the following day, Sunday, February 9, at 8:30 am. ($190). I received a confirmation email. However, when my friend and I arrived at 8 am the next day, we were informed that we were not on the list to board. The receptionist showed me an email that the company had sent, stating that they were "unable to take this booking as our tour has sold out overnight." Unfortunately, I never received this email; the company did not attempt to contact me via phone or text message. So we choose to go Rotoroa Island instead not to waste the beautiful day; my bestie is leaving NZ in a few days.

To make matters worse, when returning to Auckland, we sat at the bow of the boat and witnessed a disturbing scene. A group of 4 dads with 6 young children were screaming and jumping while their parents drank alcohol and failed to control their behavior. The captain only asked them to keep their feet on the floor twice but took no further action to ensure the children's safety. As teachers and mothers we are, we found the parents' behavior to be irresponsible and the company's lack of action to be alarming.

Overall, our experience with Explore Group was extremely disappointing. The lack of communication - to let us know about the failed booking-and attention to passenger safety is unacceptable. Therefore, we can only give...

My wife and I decided to finish our lovely 2-week, multi-island vacation with an evening dinner cruise in the Auckland harbor. The cruise lasted nearly 3 hours, and departed about 30 minutes before sunset. We were greeted by a crew of at least 4 that were incredibly friendly and courteous. They are the epitome of the New Zealand people. We were first served a cocktail (I chose wine), and some small appetizers. While we set sail for the harbor, the crew was working below to create a once-in-a-lifetime dinner experience. While we waited, we also purchased additional drinks from the bar, and sat along the railing to watch the ocean and the sky merge into one as the night fell and the sun set. The lights of Auckland danced like a child's carousel on the water, and the stars were so bright, we could see the faint sign of the milky way. We went down into the boat and enjoyed a three course meal that was perfect for this type of evening. It was not too heavy and not too light, so you finished feeling satisfied and ready to stand on the deck and watch the evening fade. We cruised out in to the harbor and under a beautifully lit bridge, and could see other boats sailing along with us. The captain even asked to to help lend a hand with the mast. What an incredible night. this is definitely a must-do event when you go...