Captain Cook Cruises — Local services in Perth

Update: Captain Cook Cruises reached out to us after our bad experience and offered us another cruise which we very much appreciated. We took the daytime Fremantle cruise in January and it was a much better experience. The food was great, the staff actually came and notified each table when it was their turn to go up and get food. The weather was great and we had much better views. Would recommend the daytime cruise for couples and families.

Old post: Maybe we just had an average experience but I definitely wouldn’t rave about this cruise. Was purchased as a gift for my partner and I from his parents via Redballoon. On the instructions it advises to be there at 7pm which which we were. We lined up until 7:30pm and then eventually boarded the boat. Was told we were sitting upstairs so sat down at our assigned table. A bread roll and a piece of sushi each awaited us. We headed out from the jetty, took a couple of photos of the skyline with the sun setting which was nice.

Waited at our table wondering what happens next. Do we go downstairs to the buffet and help ourselves? Do we go up to the bar and order or is there table service? Is the buffet even ready?

We waited 30 mins longer thinking there was going to be an announcement over the speakers advising us to head down to the buffet or something. Nothing…. Eventually another table just went downstairs and came back up with food so all the other tables followed suit. When I got down, all the other tables downstairs had basically finished their food so we must have just been waiting upstairs for nothing. Was half way through our food when I said to my partner to go up and order a drink as obviously it must not be table service. He went to the bar as was advised that someone would come round and take our drink orders. At this rate we had basically finished our meal before someone came round and asked what we wanted to drink. Maybe they were short staffed? Food was fine but I wouldn’t rave about it. Overall a very underwhelming experience. Maybe it would have been better during the day so you can see the sights but at night time you’re literally just cruising round the river...

We did a wine tour, where part of it was returning home on via a river cruise from the Swan Valley. The river cruise part of the day was superb, with amaxing staff, on a great boat with good facilities. This part of the day made up for the failings of the earlier part of the day. The three stars are for the whole day, not the boat (which would get 5)

The rest of this review focuses on the whole day, which I suspect was not all arranged by Captain Cook cruises (although I don't know)

We went up to the Swan Valley by minibus, had two wine tastings and a chocolate shop visit before coming back on the boat. Some guests had the same tour, but also went up on the boat (rather than minibus). I'd repeat the day, but suggest going by boat in both directions.

Regarding the day's tour there are a couple of small things which would have made a big difference, mostly these are about giving clear information to people on the tour, so they know what to expect.

Our guide was a really nice person, although had a habit of talking on the bus in a way that everybody couldn't hear (using a microphone might help).

The biggest suggestion I'd make is to make people more aware of what's happening through the day, how long each stop is and how / when they can get food (or shop). This would be simple to do and would have allowed us to enjoy the day far more. For example at our first wine stop we would like to have got some nibbles but didn't know that the second stop would provide these. Knowing up front the length of each stop, the facilities at them and the transfer time between them would have helped a lot.

Once again the river cruise home was superb and it made up for the eariler part of the day. I've marked the three stars as being forhte whole day, not the boat (which...

An amazing day on the Swan River! I did the Taste of the Swan Valley tour and cannot recommend it enough! The entire experience was outstanding. The boat was clean, well managed and the staff were friendly and welcoming.

I’m a picky eater and the lunch did not disappoint! I loved the beetroot arancini especially. The cruise offers a nice variety of food. And the onboard wine tasting was a great experience. The staff did a wonderful job guiding the passengers through each wine. And I really enjoyed the captain’s narrative as we cruised the Swan River - I learned a lot!

Upon arriving at Mandoon Estate, we were met by a large and very comfortable motor coach that would take us on a short drive to Lancaster Wines. The Lancaster Wines property was beautiful. We had the option to taste a variety of wines plus could nibble on some cheeses. There were plenty of places to sit in both the sun and shade. Plus there were fantastic photo opportunities.

After about an hour or so we boarded the bus to go to the Margaret River Chocolate company. The only negative is we only had about 20 minutes to shop for chocolate and the accompanying gourmet food store - Providore. It definitely was not enough time to browse and shop. I felt rushed.

The motor coach returned us to the boat and the cruise back was a joyful experience. I highly recommend sitting in the front of the boat for this part. The weather was perfect and the front offered unobstructed views of each side of the river. Plus it’s a great place to meet others! And at some point during the return trip, one of the staff members sang to us. She was remarkably talented!

In sum, I can’t recommend this cruise enough. It was well worth the cost and the time. It will be forever a very...