Where to Book Morning Sailings: 13 Trips Worth the Crossing

1.Morning Cruise to Symi Island & St. George Bay

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,671 reviews · 8 hours · from $64Our pick

Set out from Mandraki Harbour aboard Doll, a modern, accessible boat with indoor and outdoor seating, Wi-Fi, toilets, and a snack bar. Swim or snorkel at St George’s Bay, then spend three hours in Symi’s photogenic harbour, with time for lunch, shops, and Kali Strata.

“Great day out and such a good price for everything included! Would definitely recommend! 3 hours to roam Symi is definitely enough time too”

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2.Morning or Afternoon Harbour Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,520 reviews · 1h 30m · from $38

Cruise Sydney Harbour from Circular Quay for 90 minutes, with live English commentary from skippers such as Ron or Bruce. You’ll pass the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Royal Botanic Gardens, and other landmarks while enjoying tea, coffee, water, fruit, and biscuits.

“Very informative guide and a really nice way to look round the harbour”

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3.Phi Phi: Morning Speedboat Tour to Maya Bay with Snorkel

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,244 reviews · 4 hours - 390 minutes · from $51

Start early from Tonsai Pier for Maya Bay before the crowds, then swim at Pileh Lagoon, spot monkeys, snorkel with reef sharks, and photograph Viking Cave. Choose the half-day trip or add Bamboo Island, lunch, and extra swimming with the full-day option.

“Highlight of our trip so far! Definitely book the full day to get to bamboo island it’s magical! It’s an early start but you miss all the larger tours from Phuket and are the first group into maya bay & bamboo island so you have the place to yourself before the bigger groups arrive a little later. We had lots of time for swimming, relaxing & snorkelling! Guide was amazing and very friendly!”

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4.Sydney Harbour Sightseeing Cruise Morning or Afternoon Departure

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 704 reviews · from $39

Cruise Sydney Harbour for 90 minutes from the Eastern Pontoon at Circular Quay. You’ll pass the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Royal Botanic Gardens, Luna Park, sandstone cliffs, and small bays while a live guide, often Ron, explains Sydney’s story. Tea, coffee, indoor seating, outdoor decks, and a restroom are included.

“Great cruise around the harbor. The guide gave us a lot of great info about Sydney. It was a beautiful cruise and a beautiful day.”

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5.Phang Nga Treasures Sunrise Trekking and No-crowd James Bond by longtailed boat

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 171 reviews · from $132Top rated

Leave Phuket before dawn for Samet Nangshe sunrise, then reach James Bond Island before the crowds by longtail boat. With a maximum of eight people, you’ll canoe through hongs, explore caves and mangroves, follow a treasure legend, and finish with Thai, Western, or vegetarian lunch.

“I think that the overall experience is that this was an amazing tour ... even if getting up at 3am was a bit ‘tricky’ But it proved to pay off ... we ended in first row for the sunrise pictures, and being the first and only people on James Bond Island 👍🏼 Afterwards we climbed the sRead more”

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6.From Phi Phi: Sunrise Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon Speedboat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 107 reviews · 4 - 8 hours · from $53

Start early at Tonsai Pier with an English or Thai-speaking guide, often led by the popular guide known as Batman, or GoGi. Ride by speedboat to Maya Bay, swim at Pileh Lagoon, see Viking Cave, visit Monkey Beach, snorkel at Shark Point, and choose a full day with lunch on Bamboo Island.

“Amazing! Our guide was the best!!! Best tour we made ever! Highly recommend!!!”

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7.Lan Ha Bay: Experience the Magic Bay at Sunrise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 39 reviews · from $51

Start at 5:15 AM for a three-hour Lan Ha Bay boat trip with an English-speaking guide such as Lam, Tran, or Luan. Watch sunrise, kayak through Cai Beo floating village, spot monkeys near Monkey Island, swim at a quiet beach, then enjoy banh mi, coffee, and tea.

“This trip was truly amazing ! we thought that monkey island was beautiful and kayaking in the floating village was super fun. Do it!”

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8.Portland: Casco Bay Morning Lighthouse Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 26 reviews · from $57

Cruise Casco Bay aboard Ruth, a 1935, 39-foot picnic-style boat carrying up to 19 people. Your English-speaking crew points out Portland Head Light, Bug Light, Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, Ram Island Ledge Light, Fort Gorges, islands, seals, and seabirds. Bring lunch, wine, or beer.

“The female guide was very pleasant and knowledgeable. The male guide/captain was a jokester. Very disappointed we did not actually stop at any lighthouse sites. Other crew passengers were also under the impression that we would actually get to stop and see some lighthouses. Would not recommend this tour, it was simply a brief boat ride in the bay.”

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9.Phi Phi: Sunrise & Beat The Crowds to Maya Bay by Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 21 reviews · from $76

Meet at 6:00 a.m. near Tonsai Pier for a speedboat trip to Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, Monkey Bay, snorkeling sites, and Bamboo Island. An English-speaking guide, lunch, drinks, gear, and park fees are included. The group can reach 38 people.

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10.Morning boat tour around Palma Bay with snorkelling 2h

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 14 reviews · 2 hours · from $34Best value

Join the Sa Calma Boats crew in Can Pastilla for a two-hour morning cruise around Palma Bay. You will spend about an hour on the water, then stop for roughly 30 minutes of swimming and snorkelling with equipment supplied. Spanish and English are spoken.

“Tour war aufgrund des geringen Preises in Ordnung. wer Schnorcheln möchte muss ne andere Tour buchen, das Equipment ist wirklich sehr billig. kein Teilnehmer hat mehr als 10 min gecshnorchelt..”

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11.Koh Phi Phi: Early Morning Maya Bay, Bamboo Speedboat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 7 reviews · 4 - 8 hours · from $57

Leave Blue Flow Travel early for Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, snorkeling, Viking Cave, and Monkey Beach. Add Bamboo Island for white sand, swimming, and a lunchbox. An English or Thai guide leads the route, with park fees, gear, drinks, fruit, and life jackets included.

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12.Late Morning Whale Watch Cruise on Seasmoke

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $125

Join Ocean Sports aboard Seasmoke for a 90-minute late-morning cruise through Hawaii’s Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Marine naturalists explain whale behavior while you watch for breaches and spouts, listen through an underwater hydrophone, and enjoy snacks, tropical juices, soft drinks, beer, wine, and cocktails.

“Lots of whale sightings, although not too close, within a few hundred yards (binoculars would be good). Beautiful Spring day, windy & cool; excited kids! A sea turtle swam next to us on the way back. Crew was really great with our kids ages 5-16. Know before you go: 1) Dress expecting to get wet. 2) We only received directions to the parking lot, not to the embarcation point; allow 30 min to walk from your car to the Marriott hotel & navigate through hotel pool area to the beach, then board a skiff to the large catamaran (we had SEASMOKE), all before the designated sail time.”

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13.Tampa Bay: Private Sunrise Dolphin & Island Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 2 hours

Captain Joe takes your private group of up to six through Boca Ciega Bay at sunrise. Watch for dolphins feeding, hear tropical birds, bring drinks and snacks, and enjoy two quiet hours on the water. The price is $275 per group, plus a $25 fuel surcharge.

“Sehr netter Kapitän, tolles Boot, wunderschöner Sonnenaufgang, interessante Tour - einfach ein sehr gelungener Start in den Tag!”

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