East Coast Cruises

Awesome Service and abundance of Wildlife

It was an amazing Boat Trip to Maria Island - an absolute beauty for nature and wildlife lovers! The service of the very friendly and approachable crew was outstanding and they made the trip very enjoyable despite some wild weather conditions. The hospitality and the knowledge about Maria Island are second to none and should you ever by in Transmania, this unique experience is highly recommended!

Thanks Michael and Rachel for such a great day. Saw so much of Maria Island that you wouldn’t see from land alone. We are thrifty with our hard earned cash and thought it was worth ever cent

Four of us went on the Island of Seals and Maria Island cruise today. We all had a fabulous day with Michael and Rachel. The weather was kind to us and we spent a marvelous time gradually getting nearer to the many seals on the rocks and in the ocean. Our time on the northern end of Maria Island included entering caves with differing layers of colors in the rocks, watching seals frolic around us, seeing the fossil limestone area.
It was followed by an excellent guided walk around historic Darlington with Rachel. The day finished with a view of the painted rocks.

The food was also fresh and appropriate for this type of tour and the experience and expertise of Michael & Rachel made for an altogether memorable day.

One of the best things I did in Tasmania! Michael and Milly took great care of us. Morning tea and lunch were delicious, the cruise took us to some beautiful spots, and both Michael and Tilly knew so much about the history, culture, and ecology of the island. Such a special day and I hope to come back soon. Also, if you love wombats, this is the place to see!

Amazing experience with Michael and Millie the experts who are super knowledgeable. It was exciting and somewhat adventureous. The scenery, the animals, food, wine etc.was too good and the hosts kept us super comfortable and engaged. Not to be missed

Captain Michael runs a great ship. Thrills, geology, history, new knowledge, wildlife, adventure and sights like I've never seen. Even the lunch was fantastic and always delivered in an amazing location. His staff is also knowledgeable and helpful beyond any expectation. If there was any way that I could give this team 6 stars. I'd probably give them 7. I went on both of his Maria Island cruises and feel that the sum total of my cruise experience is life changing. I will recommend this to my friends and will likely return. Recommend to anyone looking for unexpectedly exciting adventure!

Used Maria Island Shuttle to get our group to and from the island. Trip there was on time, and driver making sure that everyone was where they needed to be and was comfortable. We were blessed with the owner as our bus driver back from the Maria Ferry. He was friendly and went out of his way to make our trip enjoyable and hassle free. Thank you!

Thank you so much for the shuttle delivery to Triabunna and back again. We were looking at a long walk in the dark with packs on to get to our accommodation but were generously dropped off. Fantastic service after a wonderful 5 days on the Island.

Big shout out to the crew who were very knowledgeable, fun, and caring. The trip to the ile des phoques was amazing, awesome wildlife, and exploring the caves with the boat was breathtaking. Lunch and snacks were great! Landing to Maria Island was amazing, with a very interesting, knowledgeable, and kind guide. I had the best time and definitely recommend!

My family and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip on board Michael's cruise on 9th December. His sincerity and humor shined through while interacting with each guest, making everyone feel welcomed and entertained. His steady and experienced navigation throughout the trip made it a smooth sailing experience even though the water was choppy and the weather wasn't on our side. Katherine, the crew on board took care of us very well and made sure we were able to see all the views and not get wet by the rain and sea water. My wife was feeling a bit sea sick and she specially went up to the upper deck to check on her even though it was choppy. Her guide through the walk around Maria island was informative and she took care to pace the walk as we have young children with us. Overall an excellent experience for the young and old with very caring crew.

We can’t recommend East Coast Cruises highly enough! Mike and his family run team were amazing hosts, and immensely knowledgeable of the local history.
The cruise was amazing value, and fully catered (morning tea, tea/coffee/juices, salad lunches, alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages!). We cruised down and around the southern tip, before settling in a little bay for lunch and swim. We then had a 2 hour tour at Darlington before heading back to the mainland.
We saw a pod of over 200 dolphins, seals, albatross’, sea eagles, bango shark, blue spotted stingray, local geese, paddlemelons and a tiger snake! Unfortunately it was too hot for wombats

Also want to shout out to Mike who jumped in the harbour to retrieve a little boys lost hat. He absolutely made the families day and just shows what a lovely host he is.

Well organised from buying tickets on line, to checking in to disembarking at the end of the day. All the staff were friendly and helpful. Made our trip to Maroa Island a memory for life

Terrific day viewing seal colony and hiking on Maria Island, seeing many wombats and pademelons with the informative, friendly and knowledgable captain. Excellent tour

Excellent trip despite the weather! I did the circum navigation of the island. Stunning coastal formation Mike certainly knew his geology and made it interesting for everyone. Zoey was excellent attending to people and ensuring their comfort and safety. Lunch was superb and a reflection on the cafe. And if you want to see wombats well you won’t be disappointed. Although the cape Brett geese were pretty fun too. Would highly recommend & would be keen to do it again. Maybe with a little less of a breeze!

Great trip - interesting varied and fun. Mike and Zoe are so knowledgeable. We learnt so much about the history, geology marine life and wildlife. The walk was a added bonus but the circumnavigation which allows you to see aspects otherwise inaccessible was the real of the show. Great lunch and morning tea refreshment - a real day out!

Highly recommend this cruise. Michael is an excellent safety conscious captain and an informative host. Morning tea, lunch and wine and sightseeing of seals, dolphins, wombats and kangaroos made for a wonderful day.

Had an absolutely brilliant day today with Maria Island Cruises. Mike and Ally - our brilliant crew were knowledgeable, friendly and helpful and made the day flow terrifically. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in scenery and natural history. The coastline around most of the island defies description. Huge cliffs, small sea caves and waterfalls were highlights. Entering one sea cave in our boat was a great experience. Wildlife abounds in this area and we saw many seals, sea eagles, gannets and other sea birds. The animal highlights included seeing kangaroos and getting up close to several wombats.
After a very yummy lunch we landed on the island and were guided through the settlement by Ally who provided us with a history of human settlement and use on the island.

Comfortable cruise. Mike the captain and Katharine are knowledgeable, friendly, and talkative. Good place for nature exploring and to understand the unique geology.

The cruise to Maria Island was comfortable with an informative commentary along the way. There was plenty of food provided. The island itself was interesting with plenty of wildlife to see.

Omg our day was amazing from start to finish. Great staff and all the information you could ever want. Boat very safe and comfortable.