Ashley Gorman Shell Island Cruises

Ashley Gorman Shell Island Cruises

Ashley Gorman Shell Island Cruises
3.5

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


3.5
3.5 of 5 bubbles31 reviews
Excellent
15
Very good
3
Average
5
Poor
6
Terrible
2

Amy W
Houston, TX31 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
We did the snorkel and dolphin tour. A dolphin swam right under us while we were out swimming. During the snorkel time shells were found by people and one even found a starfish. For the price, it is a good tour.
Written July 11, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

R.s. G
Panama City, Florida114 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2014 • Family
We were disappointed we could not take a cooler for drinks on board. It was a very hot day and we had 11 guests visiting us who were not used to Florida heat. We were told we could buy drinks and water on the trip. We had already paid close to $300 for tickets for the 13 of us. We were giv en a hot dog, chips and a drink but that was on the way to Shell Island. With children in our group it would have been ideal to take some snacks to the beach and drink boxes...The trip to Shell Island was so slow we ended up with only an hour at the beach and could have stayed much longer, it was gorgeous there. The "narration" was very skimpy and the man doing the narration had a drawl which was not easy to understand. The boat was clean and we did find some shady spots, but overall it was we felt very poor value for our large group.
Written June 23, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sweeteyes88
14 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Snorkling was great, found tons of sand dollars! Never got to see any dolphins up close though. I would recommend the snorkeling vests to have disposable mouth pieces to blow up the vest, was grossed out by that. But other than that we had a great time:-) i took my 6 and 2yr old, they didn't like it too much until we had been in the water for a while.
Written August 9, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jessica D
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Family
Had a fun day on the Ashley Gorman. This trip takes you through the bay around the jetty rocks to look for dolphins. The boat docks at a more private pier on shell island. We had 1 hour to swim and snorkel on the beach. Great family trip!
Written July 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bucsfanf
Orlando, FL22 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2015 • Family
We booked this trip hoping to believe the positive reviews. Unfortunately, we got about the same as what others had posted. We went into knowing that you can't predict if they see dolphins or not...and go figure, we didn't see a single one. On the ride to where we snorkeled we went through some beautiful amazing water that seemed to have sea life in it.... yet they parked the boat in this super shallow water that was NOT clear, full of seaweed/grass, and I think I saw one fish the entire time we snorkeled. I swam as far away as I could to try to find clearer water/more shells/anything interesting. Nothing. There were so many people in the water and the water was so shallow that everybody just stirred things up more. We found a few (small, nothing special) that we could have found in 5 minutes anywhere on the beach. Out of 100 people on the boat, TWO sand dollars were found. Being from Florida, I can tell you it's much easier to find sand dollars in other areas that this! The best part about the trip is that when we got on the boat everybody else sat down on the seats outside, while we "claimed" the bow of the boat and had it to ourselves the whole trip...so we were able to actually lay down and nap during the super boring trip back to the dock. I will say the staff that was inside (snack bar) was very nice. The picture boarding the boat was only $5.00...but who wants a $5.00 picture that reminds you what a boring day you had and that you didn't see a single dolphin? It was the ONE thing our whole vacation week that I was looking forward to and I'm SO disappointed I booked it towards the end of the vacation, so we didn't have any open time to try a different boat/excursion.
Written August 19, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Savannah J
Knoxville, TN24 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2017 • Couples
The tour guide and captain were very knowledgeable. There were drinks and snacks on board. We went to Shell Island and then looked for dolphins. Seeing the dolphins that close was amazing. Would definitely recommend this, and we found a coupon in one of the advertisement booklets.
Written October 16, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Marcene T
Cartersville, GA85 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2016 • Family
Step aboard the Ashley Gorman for the best Shell Island Cruise. Located at the foot of the bridge before crossing onto the beach side of Panama City, the Ashley Gorman offers an unforgettable cruise with views of birds, dolphins and a free lunch to boot! For the sun-seekers, climb up on top of this sailing vessel and soak in the rays on your trip to Shell Island and back. There is nothing like a sunny day and the sea breeze to help soak up a summer tan. While you are docked at the shore of Shell Island, you can take a walk, swim, dive, snorkel (bring your gear), or stay on board and enjoy a cocktail. Either way, you spend a heck of a day. ** Make sure you pick up a local entertainment/coupon book to save $10 per person off the cost of your ticket. This is must for my family and friends, every time we visit Panama City!
Written June 19, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RhondaM1972
3 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2015 • Family
I was so excited to go to shell island. My husband booked the tour so we could get "tons" of shells and see Dolphins. The trip out was ok, we arrived at shell island only to find very few shells then the boat ride back was awful! There are not enough seats, it was dirty! They also failed to mention the don't accept debit on the boat, cash only!!! The crew was friendly and the photo price was great.
Written June 18, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Talia B
Pickens, SC19 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
My husband and I were hoping to go to Shell Island for shells, but really your paying to swim and we could have just done that at our hotel for free. The boat did not have a big choice of food and beverages, but was very clean and the seagulls were exciting to feed from the boat. The dolphins were amazing and we did not snorkel, but should have to find the shells. All in all we were disappointed among other families expecting to find shells.
Written August 11, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sarahg1104
Belleville, IL48 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2018 • Family
7 of us went on this Shell Island, Dolphin watch cruise at the end of June 2018. We wanted an affordable cruise that lasted a decent amount of time, and this fit the bill, plus you get lunch included!

Pros- inexpensive
3.5 hours
Nice dock to unload at Shell
Island with ample time to visit
the island
Friendly staff

Cons- overcrowded
Limited seating
Fish and crab traps were empty
Limited view

The boat advertises a 150 person capacity, but only has seating for about 50 outside the indoor cabin, which doesn't have that many seats. We were about in the middle of the line and were lucky that we got a "seat" on the storage lockers at the back of the boat. They pull the fish and crab traps up in front, so we didn't really get to see that, but they were empty anyway. With being such a large boat with a big cabin in the middle, you may have trouble seeing the dolphins, depending on where they are in relation to the boat. Shell Island was beautiful of course! On the return trip, people had taken "our" seats, so several of us had to sit on the floor of the boat. Staff was very friendly, however, next time we will fork over a few extra dollars for a boat where we won't feel so crowded and will have an actual seat.
Written July 1, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Ashley Gorman Shell Island Cruises - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)