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San Diego Harbor Excursion
Rating Details »
Categories: Boating, Boat Charters, Public Transportation
1050 N Harbor Dr(between Ash St & Broadway)
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 234-4111
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
34 reviews for San Diego Harbor Excursion
I have very fond memories of the harbor cruises from my childhood that I hope to pass onto my children. Dinner cruises....the food was great in my memory....watching the fireworks during the summer on a boat....whale watching....
Just this past weekend, my husband and I did the gun battle cruise. A nice relaxing 2 hour jaunt, watching the tall sail ships California and Lynx battle it out in the harbor. If you were expecting something out of Pirates of the Caribbean or even Master and Commander, you would have been extremely disappointed. But the weather was awesome. And it was grand watching these two ships on the water and it did put things in a very historical perspective on what ship crews had to go through.
The ladies' restroom was a total MESS in the SDHE building itself, but the ladies' head (restroom to the land lubbers) was was clean aboard. Sandwiches and drinks were a bit more expensive than expected (Subway really is lowering people's expectations of sandwich prices) but still tasty.
We're planning on a whale watching tour and I cannot wait for the December Parade of Lights aboard the SDHE. That's the next big date night for the hubby and me!
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I absolutely love San Diego Harbor Excursions. I've participated in the Nature Cruise and 2-Hour Harbor Cruise this year, so that's what I'm reviewing. Repulsive ladies restroom in the SDHE building and cheesy boat narrators aside, I love this company. My review is based solely on the cruise experiences.
NATURE CRUISE: What an unbelievable experience! My boyfriend and I did the Nature Cruise this summer, and my extremely high expectations were not only met but surpassed. Upon boarding the boat we were told that the journey would last anywhere from 5 to 7.5 hours; our cruise lasted a little over 6 hours. Be warned that (A) there's a lot of open-ocean downtime, so bring magazines and toys if you have kids with you and (B) you ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT go on this particular cruise if you have any sea sickness issues. I mean, the boat seriously lurches when moving through the open ocean and around the Coronado Islands. Be prepared for a mind blowing experience of seals, sea lions, pods of dolphins, whales, rare birds, and breathtaking scenery. Make sure that your digital camera is fully charged. Bring snacks and sunscreen and dress in layers.
2-HOUR HARBOR CRUISE: I took my mom on this cruise when she visited this summer. I knew that after the awesome Nature Cruise experience I didn't want her to miss the opportunity to see San Diego from the water and learn a few things...BUT...my mom gets really sea sick, so it was an iffy decision to take her. Luckily, she didn't have any problems. The harbor area is pretty protected and calm, so people who get sea sick easily shouldn't miss out on the educational Harbor Cruises for fear of getting sick.
The mix of people on the cruises is diverse--families, young couples, tourists.
I suggest going on Sunday cruises; the parking situation seems to be much better on Sundays from what I've been told, and I experienced no problems at all parking for free.
Definitely message me for more info regarding these SDHE cruises! I'm a huge supporter of them and love to share my incredible experiences.
FYI, if you're an Entertainment book member, then you score awesome buy-1-get-1-free coupons for a variety of the cruises that SDHE offers. AWESOME.
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One of those things that sounds like a way cooler idea than it is in reality. If you're from San Diego cruising around the bay, which you've probably already seen from different angles a hundred times, is kinda unexciting.
It's a nice thought though. I went on the fireworks dinner cruise. There were lots of couples attempting to impress their dates. Unfortunately the food was really average. It tasted like a frozen dinner heated up in a microwave. The dancing portion of the evening included a dj trying unsuccessfully to play to the wide range in ages on the cruise. He played the Commodores and then the Black Eyed Peas. I can't lie, the dance floor was sad. A few people tried to make the best of it but it wasn't working.
Two thumbs up on the drinks though. I like being handed champagne and the bartenders served up the drinks strong. The fireworks were pretty cool too. It's definitely a different experience to watch them from the water.
My main advice would be to avoid paying full price for the cruises. They just aren't worth it but like the other reviewers we got screwed into paying full price. Even though we were told we could get a much better price using a military discount, they made it such a pain in the ass that we ended up paying full price. I find that kind of customer service unsatisfactory.
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I will never forget about my ferry ride to Coronado. This is where it all started for me and my girlfriend, Lokyee A.
I knew that I needed to pull off something very romantic if I wanted to win her over...so I decided to put my faith into the hands of the Excursion. Seven months later...I'm happy to say that we are still in awe about that night on the ferry.
Absolutely gorgeous and surreal sight of San Diego during sunset. If you havn't experienced this, I'd do so right away. Then you can have dinner at the Ferry Landing. We had our dinner at Il Fornaio....but we'll save that for another review.
It costs just $3.25 one way and $6.50 round trip. The ferry leaves from the Broadway pier to Coronado at the top of the hour. It returns from Coronado to Broadway pier at every half hour.
Find that special someone and take a ride on the ferry. Have fun!
Took the dinner cruise on a Saturday night. Ended up being around $170.
Had trouble finding parking, make sure you arrive earlier.
Food was decent, expected better quality. Outside on top had a good feel to it. Was able to get a good look of the beauty of San Diego.
Had a nice time because of the person i was with.
Just don't expect much from the food and you should have a rather pleasant night.
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We took the nighttime dinner harbor cruise and despite the advertised price being much lower it ran me around $150 for 2 people.
The San Diego harbor at sunset is absolutely stunning and we did get a great number of amazing photo's. Unfortunately after the first 3 passes you kind of get over it.
The food wasn't that good ... tasted reheated and we were thoroughly disappointed. After dinner they had music and dancing below and it turned into a booze cruise. Not at all the scene we were looking for.
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Just went on the Nature Cruise to the Coronados Islands, three small islands off the coast of Mexico. The trip was 5 1/2 hours - approx 1 hour too long. But I loved it. We saw hundreds of dolphins, pelicans, seals, sea lions and brown boobies(!). The boat was well-equipped with snacks, drinks, beers and bathrooms. And the day was gorgeous.
The tour guide Steve sounded like maybe he was reading out of a book, and was losing his place. He would talk... then trail off... then talk... then trail off... But he told some great yarns, like the one about this boy Tom who got captured by pirates, taken to the islands, killed some pirates, stole their booty, then came to SD. Tom then got Blue and his crew to go back to the islands to retrieve the rest of the treasures and bring in the rest of the pirates for a handsome bounty. I like when people tell me stories.
Would have been 4 stars if the trip was just a smidge shorter.
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it was nice, especially on a day as sunny as this one, but not something i'd rush to do again. i think it would've been more picturesque at sunset...
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Me and my family decided to go here for NYE since most parties we saw were 21+ and we were going to be with 2 minors. We called them around lunch time of December 31 to book a whole table. They said they were already fully booked but they were gonna set a table up just for us. Plus one star for that.
They served us some duck with veggies for appetizers (I forgot the name of the dish.) which really whetted my appetite. It was a great way to start off the meal. After the duck, they served Lobster Bisque. Nothing too special about it but it wasn't bad either. The main dish was Fillet Mignon and Swordfish with capers. The steak was a bit tough but the swordfish was heavenly. It was cooked just right so it was really tender and juicy.
After dinner, we headed up to the top deck but since it was too cold we went back down to the second floor to go dancing. My mother and my older sister really enjoyed the music since the live band was playing stuff from the 60's and 70's.
A few minutes before the clock struck 12, we were told to go up to the deck for the countdown and the fireworks. The fireworks were awesome! AND it lasted a good 10 minutes!
All in all, it was a really great experience for all of us. The price was really worth it. And hey, I got kisses from 5 ladies! My mother, my 2 sisters and my 2 nieces! Hahaha.
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Planned a romantic brunch cruise for my girlfriend. Cost = $109 before even getting on the boat.
Once there, subjected to an overcrowded boat with extremely long lines for food, tables that seated 10 - defeating the romantic purposes of this cruise.
The food was mediocre at best and to make matters worse, they add 18% gratuity for a buffet. Really? You're lucky to get anything for a tip at a buffet because YOU AREN'T SERVING ME!
I will never ever do this again! TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY!
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My friends boyfriend set up a dinner cruise for her birthday. It was such a great idea. We made reservations which I do advise. Especially if you are trying to impress someone. Our party wasn't able to board until our whole party arrived and with the rain I wasn't too happy about that. We were told that we could wait in a nearby cafe but I felt like cattle being herded.
If you have never gone a cruise like this I would like to mention that your group's picture is taken as you board (maybe that's why we all have to wait for our whole party...). Be picture ready and later during the cruise they bring by the picture if you would like to purchase for $10.
I was impressed with the quality of the food. Usually boat food is okay but wow! The menu is preset and you make your selection before the actual day of the cruise. I had a Cesar salad which when presented I was surprised how great a Cesar salad could be prepared. Our next course was chicken, asparagus and mashed potatoes. The portions were huge and could have easily been shared between two people. It didn't matter though because it left more for me to eat! Dessert was a chocolate mousse souffle.
After dinner there was a DJ downstairs and we all went down to dance. What a wonderful night. Guys take note: This was very romantic and my friend LOVED the surprise. Overall the event for two people dinner, cruise, dancing, picture and drinks cost $150. Not bad.
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I decided to go whale watching this weekend for 2 reasons. 1) it was suppose to be another gorgeous 80 degree weekend in the middle of January and 2) it was prime whale watching season.
After doing a little searching on the Internet, I decided to book our trip with Harbor Excursions. Mainly because their rates were reasonable, the length of the trip was what I was looking for (3 1/2 hours) and their website boasted that they had experienced and knowledgeable volunteers from the Birch Aquarium on board to give us interesting information throughout our trip.
When I made the reservation, the gal on the phone was very friendly. High surf was predicted for the weekend, so I was concerned that the ocean would be too choppy to have a good time. She assured me that if the seas were too rough, she'd call me first thing in the morning to let me know so I could cancel the reservations. I was sold and reserved 3 spots on the ship with my credit card. So easy.
Later that evening I found out we had one more joining us, so first thing in the morning I called to add him to the reservation. She was again really friendly and although she said the boat was fullish happily added our extra person.
We arrived down on Harbor drive about 30 minutes before we were suppose to depart. Unfortunately we didn't have the same nice gal checking us into the boat. The girl who helped us was grumpy and not friendly at all. Definitely needed an attitude adjustment!
Finally boarded the boat and grabbed our seats. Everything was going perfect as we headed out of the bay and onto the open ocean. We immediately spotted some of the sea life we were hoping to see. A small pod of dolphins hanging out in the distance. As we headed over to check them out, the boats crew spotted a whale even further out. WooHoo! That's what I'm talking about!
Long story short, it was a fabulous day. The weather was perfect, the seas were calm, and the whales were a-migrating. We saw about 7 whales total, along with a number of dolphins and several California sea lions. The whales were very cooperative and gave us a nice show of their flukes.
My one complaint was that the boat was too big. Ive been whale watching on a number of occasions over the last few years and this was the biggest boat I'd been on. That was good in one way, because the larger the boat the less you feel the swells and the less sea sickness there is...but I don't get sea sick so I don't really care about that. The problem with a boat this big is too many people and not enough railing for everyone to get close too. Many times the captain kept the boat headed straight toward the whales...meaning if you were on the bow you got a great show. If not, it was hard to see over the mass of heads. And for some reason, our boat had a large number of unusually tall people.
Overall, it was a great day though. Planning on going again this coming weekend, only this time I'll make sure we get on a smaller boat.
Anyone got a dingy they can spare? :)
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I chose the SD Harbor Excursions Sunday Brunch after spending serious time comparing them with Hornblower. Decided on HE becuase they had a more extensive buffet (made to order omlets, lox & caviar for example). The price was also competitive. As a bit of a buffet snob I feel they did a good job, not the best but quite good and the quality of the food was pleasing.
Positives:
Great food - fresh & nice variety.
Great views - went to the mouth of the SD Harbor (sub-base) back down to 32nd Naval Base (so you got downtown coming and going).
Nice outside seating if you wanted to catch a breeze.
Negatives:
The majority of the people on the boat were with a private party, so they hogged the buffet (let family members cut repeatedly) which meant that the rest of us had to wait quite awhile for our food.
Table placement - got stuck in the middle of the room in a traffic pattern.
All in all, I was quite pleased and happily recommend them to friends & family. I am also trying to figure out another excuse to go back out...
As a reminder, read the fine print: tip & such are separate unless you get your tickets through MWR. The usual cheese pictures cost too.
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Last night was my wife's company Christmas party, they usually go to a restaurant but this year they decided to go with something a little different.
This was defiantly a great decision.
The boat has 3 levels of bad-ass-ness.The bottom floor is for dancing and making bad decision's saw some bad dancing)
The second floor was where you sit for dinner, and the top deck is for viewing our awesome San Diego skyline at night. I really enjoyed passing under the Coronado bridge, and seeing the Hotel Del all lit up.
Dinner was good, I had Fish stuffed with crab meat, salad, and a really good cheese cake/ chocolate .... um ...thing. I was impressed. The service was nice and quick. I never went more than a minute without a drink in my hand.
My only complaint is that I felt it could have gone another hour.
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Pretty awesome ride around the san diego bay, and seriously for such a cheap price, if I remember it's about $6 round trip, but it's such a nice ride on the waters of san diego and you get an awesome view of the san diego skyline.
it is best to come here at night and take in the sights!!! make sure to have a jacket or a blanket because it will be cold, or you will be stuck on the bottom level in the poopy area and not on the poopy deck!!!!
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Included in the cost of our San Diego Go Cards (http://www.gosandiegoc...) was a one-hour San Diego Harbor Tour on a ferry boat with San Diego Harbor Excursions. We arbitrarily chose the North Harbor tour, as that was the one offered at 10:00 AM which was an ideal time of day to see the harbor.
Highlights:
+ Enthusiastic and compelling narrator who pointed out and described everything to see.
+ Seeing sets of Navy Seals on rubber boats heading out to sea for diving exercises.
+ Seeing dolphin trainers working their dolphins in teaching them to look for underwater explosive hazards.
+ Seeing jet fighters soaring overhead.
Lowlights:
+ Spending the majority of the time gripping the kids arms so as to avoid their fatal plunge off the side of the ship.
This was a lot of fun, and interesting too. I would have gone for the two hour version, but the kids had had enough.
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I went on a nighttime Dinner Cruise while on my honeymoon. Overall I enjoyed it. The cruise was only in the bay area, I kinda hoped we would venture out to sea. Guess not. The boat was a bit rocky at times during dinner, which was not pleasant. But it passed and was smooth sailing the rest of the time. The food was pretty good, though my steak was a bit overcooked, but maybe it's just me and my preference for meat to be cooked medium not well-done.
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If you are a dude, do not go with your dude friends on this boat; not a good venue for that. I'm not trying to be funny, but trying to save you.
On that other hand, if you are with co-ed friends, family, out-of-towners, a significant other, or a new date, this is a great place. The ferry ride is fairly short but you get a great view of Coronado and the San Diego skyline; the breeze is really refreshing as well.
It's only like $6-8 for a roundtrip ticket. Sure the bridge to Coronado is breathtaking, but the ferry is a must do as well.
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Only $6 for a roundtrip ride. The views are awesome, especially at night and San Diego looks AMAZING from the ferry.
Lots of couples, everyone looks like they're infatuated with their significant other and it was really cute because one guy had just proposed to his girlfriend so they were super cuddly and there was lots of makin' out going on. Fun times!
I don't think I'd ever want to drive to Coronado and then deal with parking for dinner. The ferry is awesome :) On the weekends, it has trips that go later into the evening (last one at 10:30?).
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This was my second time going on a dinner cruise. First time was 2 years ago through Hornblower. I think I liked the Hornblower better.
I think the name of the boat we had this time was San Diego Spirit? I might be totally wrong. Or maybe it was Spirit of San Diego. Whatever it was, I didn't like the set-up of the boat. It was really tight inside. We were with a large group, just like last time, but the previous time we went we went on the California Spirit? Haha. Something like that. It was much more spacious. Ok, let me just talk about the Harbor Excursion cruise....
It was too snug inside the dining area. People nearby had young kids playing around, dont get me wrong, I love kids, but this was a more intimate setting and it didn't make it more romantic with kids being loud. The food wasn't really tasty. I again compared it to our last cruise which was extremely good....and this time it tasted, well not really good. The salad was a caesar salad, I know they were trying for a more fancy look, but basically they gave you half a romaine lettuce head, not cut-up. For our entree, we got the filet mignon, which was tasty, but really, really small and it came with I believe cheese mashed potatoes which were really runny and steamed veggies which were really bland. The dessert was a layered cake. I think the guy said it had cheesecake, chocolate cake and chocolate mousse. I really liked the dessert.
The views you see are amazing. I'm bad with directions and locations and I've lived here for many years, but I know I saw downtown near Petco Park and Seaport Village. Also another thing is that you go right under the Coronado bridge. We had just walked out onto the deck and didn't even notice until my husband said look up and well we were under the bridge. LOL. We didn't make it down to the dance floor this time. The music sucks unless you make requests. All in all though if the food doesn't matter to you, I would say this is a very romantic date and would recommend it. We had a large group so we only paid $47 a person, but I believe its a little over $50 a person normally. I personally prefer going on group dates on these cruises, its more fun to me.
I'd never done this trip, but my husband has always wanted to, so today we broke down and just went. $3.50 per person, each way - kids 3 and under ride free.
We went around 4:30, which was chilly enough that we should have brought a blanket (which we didn't - our bad).
The half-hour ride to San Diego was really nice....slow, beautiful, and very exciting for any little person. Our son was overwrought with excitement - so much to see! We saw a sea lion lounging on a buoy, the Midway - where Papa served, lots of cool buildings...it was just a very cool ride, especially for locals who never do touristy things.
We disembarked near the Midway and walked to Seaport Village.
Very enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. Bundle up - it gets chilly - and bring a snack. Great way to introduce younguns to boating.
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For $6 you can take a round trip ride and see the San Diego and Coronado skyline. Normally I wouldn't have done it but having out of town guests makes one eager to do such things.
The ride itself is about 22 mins one way and with the sea breeze blowing against your face, it's hard not to want to fall asleep!
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Yea, I guess it is a good deal for $6 but how many remember it as the nickel snatcher that sailors used to take from Coronado to the foot of Broadway and the Seven Seas... And that was before the bridge.
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I've lived in San Diego for years and finally decided to take this cruise. A friend from out of town was visiting and wanted to do something "different". Well, we took the San Diego Harbor Excursion. My friend and I decided to do the the Full Bay Tour. With our typical beautiful San Diego weather, the waters were calm and the sun nice and warm.
Prices:
Full Bay Tours are $23 (adults), $21 (seniors 55+) and $11.50 (child 4-12yrs).
North or South Bay Tours are $18 (adults), $16 (seniors 55+) AND $9 (child 4-12yrs).
If you are in the military, check out your local MWR for ticket prices.
This is something that I recommend everyone tries at least once in their life, especially if you're living in San Diego. This was something especially fun to do, when you have out-of-town visitors.
Travel Tips:
- Bring a sweater, in case a breeze builds up.
- Sit up at the top deck and you can get a full 360 view.
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I have gone a couple of their dinner cruises and it was a great and very memorable experience each time. The food is wonderful, each dish I have tried, service is great. then you are free to dance or go to the viewing deck. All around good time.
Ride the bike on the South Bay bike route, up the strand, stop at Il Fornaio for a muffin and coffee or o.j., catch the ferry back to downtown and ride home. The ferry ride is a great way to relax on the way back before the short ride home. Stay healthy, earn your fattening food, then a boat ride - this is one way to get the most out of living in SD.
I just got back from San Diego and for my last day I planned to go on the harbor excursion. We went on a 2 hour cruise of the north and south end of San Diego bay. It was amazing. The cruise boarded at 10:30 am and from the beginning till the end of the cruise, you can enjoy some bubbly with o.j., a wide array of foods to choose from (buffet), a bar to purchase drinks and an observation deck to enjoy the scene. I would surely be back to try the night excursion. The food was great for a buffet style. Plus they have great hand towels in the restrooms......take a look.
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I have never been on any kind of boat cruise before, but I have to say this one was probably the nicest, especially for a starter adventure. I was lucky enough to have our grad night aboard this vessel. The staff members were exceptional, and the food provided was very fresh and delicious. There are three different decks to this yacht and have adequate seating arrangements for viewers. The area within the yacht on the two inside floors was very large and did not make you feel as if you were stuffed in with a bunch of people. The amount of water this boat covers was really nice; recommended for taking a moment away from the hectic world and watching the city skyline go past.
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Brian K. needs to chill out and not be such a homophobe. I don't know what he's trying to save you from but taking a ferry with your "dood" friends isn't a sign that you're in to dudes (not that there's anything wrong with that). It means you're trying to get to Coronado without driving a car. And I'm not trying to make any friction between Brian and me. I'm just trying to save you. Save you from sitting in traffic on the bridge in favor or enjoying a great 15-minute ride across the bay.
Otherwise, this is one of SD's hidden jewels that people underestimate. It's actually an activity in itself. You don't have to get off in Coronado. You can stay on it and head back to SD. Round trip is $6. Add $1 if you're on your bike like I am most of the time.
Once you're in Coronado, you can catch a bus that will take you over to Orange Ave. Or you can take your bike and head west about 7 blocks through the nice homes.
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$6 round-trip and my parents loved it. Kinda lame-ish in my mind, but if the parents are happy, I am happy. We went from Coronado to San Diego, had dinner, and came back. Also appreciated since it allowed me to have drinks with dinner as I didn't have to drive! Everyone was happy, most importantly, me. :)
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Gorgeous views of downtown SD at night from the pier.
I went on this tour with a few friends and It really added something to our day. The boat ride was smooth, we sat on deck under the sun, the deck below offered refreshments and snacks and we had a guide telling us the history of ships and how San Diego came together. I only took the south bay tour which was an hour but you can do the full one for two hours that takes you north and south. I really enjoyed this ride, if you ever purchased a go card, I would say this place is worth a visit.
Very nice. If you've got a little time and want to do one more fun thing on your vacation, rather than cabbing back to the airport, take the ferry across to SD and take a cab to the airport from there.
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For $6 (round trip) you can ferry across the bay from San Diego to Coronado (or vice versa). Do this on a beautiful, warm San Diego day (aka any day!) Sit on the outdoor top deck and feel the cool breeze blow through your hair as you watch the sailboats go by. The ride takes about 15 minutes. When you get to Coronado check out one of the restaurants right by the dock like Peohe's or Il Fornaio. For an awesome date take the ferry over at sunset and then watch the sparkling San Diego skyline over dinner. How romantic! The only small draw back is that the ferry only runs once an hour, on the hour to Coronado and on the half hour to San Diego.
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