Daisey's Island Cruises
Daisey's Island Cruises
Daisey's Island Cruises
5
Historical & Heritage ToursBoat ToursSightseeing ToursPrivate ToursNature & Wildlife Tours
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
On our nature cruises you will experience Assateague Island in a way that is simply not possible from land. Let us show you the hidden beauty and wildlife of Assateague Island. At Daisey's Island Cruises our main goal is for you to have an enjoyable and memorable experience. Customer satisfaction is very important to us. We hope that you will take time to read our customer reviews and explore our web site. You will see why cruising with Daisey's Island Cruises is the right choice! Your Captain will fill you in on all the local knowledge as you explore the remote backbays and expansive coastline of Assateague Island. We cruise all the best areas of Assateague Island for pony viewing. It is also common to see dolphins, bald eagles, and an array of other wildlife on our sightseeing boat tours.Many of our customers tell us that our cruise was the highlight of their Chincoteague vacation!
Chincoteague Island, Virginia
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingSimilar Experiences
Daisey's Island Cruises
Booking unavailable on Tripadvisor
Want other options you can book now?
Show optionsTravelers talk about
Contribute
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.
Popular mentions
5.0
1,967 reviews
Excellent
1,838
Very good
90
Average
20
Poor
7
Terrible
12
msump
Curaçao41 contributions
Mar 2021
Booked this tour on a whim for March 5, 2021 as no other tours for Chincoteague Island were answering their phones. What a surprisingly great tour! We had a good long look at the ponies where Captain Bill maneuvered the boat through shallow waters and saw amazingly close views of two bald eagles! Captain Bill was great and had a wealth of local knowledge and history on the ponies. We had the boat to ourselves and even though it was briskly cold out, they supplied the 3 of us with 5 blankets that were very welcomed. We saw the lighthouse, Southern herd of ponies, bald eagles, and numerous other birds. The next day we ended up in their tour office in town and had another great conversation with Laurie, where we learned about the local NASA rocket launches and other stories about the ponies. Thank you for this memorable experience, we will be back to the Island, it is MAGICAL!! We recommend this tour as a "MUST-DO" to anyone that visits the island.
Written March 9, 2021
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.
We are proud to hear we exceeded your expectations however, that's how we treat all our passengers/customers because each one is individually important. Upon your return voyage, please let us know you're back for more excitement. THANK YOU for choosing Daisey's!
Written March 12, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stephanie E
1 contribution
Jun 2020
We booked a 2 hour boat tour on the 6 person pontoon for 9:00. We have 2 adults and 2 toddlers and another couple we didn't know joined us. We easily booked online the day before the cruise using their online platform. I was also able to contact the office to ask a few questions regarding life jackets for my toddlers. Their office staff was very friendly and helpful!
The captain (captain Bill) was VERY knowledgeable of the land and answered lots of questions. He kept us safely away from the breaking waves but allowed us to see dolphins pretty close up!
We sailed for just over 2 hours. We got to see a lot of wildlife including birds, ponies, dolphins, and more! I would 100% recommend Daisey's island cruises. We had a great cruise and was a good price compared to the other companies on the island.
The captain (captain Bill) was VERY knowledgeable of the land and answered lots of questions. He kept us safely away from the breaking waves but allowed us to see dolphins pretty close up!
We sailed for just over 2 hours. We got to see a lot of wildlife including birds, ponies, dolphins, and more! I would 100% recommend Daisey's island cruises. We had a great cruise and was a good price compared to the other companies on the island.
Written July 2, 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.
Kristen
7 contributions
Sep 2021
We had the best cruise with Captain Nate! We booked the larger boat, but since only 5 people signed up we ended up with the smaller boat. Captain Nate was engaging with everyone, full of knowledge, and made sure my 7 year old daughter (the only kid on the cruise) was having a blast. Nature cooperated as we saw tons of playful dolphins, a herd of wild ponies, various sea birds, crabs, an eagle's nest, and more. We learned about the history of the ponies on the island and the annual swim, saw the lighthouse and the NASA launch site, and spent a great morning on the water. My daughter is already asking to go back! This adventure was well worth the money and I highly recommend sailing with Daisey's and Captain Nate!
Written September 7, 2021
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.
Diana P
2 contributions
Aug 2020
My husband and I enjoyed the sunset cruise on a beautiful mid-August Monday evening. There was plenty of room on the large pontoon to social distance yet interact with the other 17 or 18 passengers aboard. We saw a bald eagle and several ponies. Reggie did a wonderful job piloting the boat and adding commentary. The narrator Aiden was a young native son of Chincoteague whose passion for the islands shone through every word he spoke. Even though he was young, he and generations of his family before him have spent their lives on Chincoteague and Assateague, and there were no questions that stumped him. He made sure we saw
ponies on Assateague and even introduced us to his family’s horses that were grazing in the salt-water grasses along our route.
Great cruise! Heed the suggestion to bring a jacket. I was glad I thought to grab a beach towel to use as a shawl!
Thanks, Aiden and Reggie, for a memorable evening. God bless!
ponies on Assateague and even introduced us to his family’s horses that were grazing in the salt-water grasses along our route.
Great cruise! Heed the suggestion to bring a jacket. I was glad I thought to grab a beach towel to use as a shawl!
Thanks, Aiden and Reggie, for a memorable evening. God bless!
Written August 19, 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.
James H
2 contributions
Sep 2021
Fantastic cruise! We went on the early morning cruise to see the wild ponies on Chincoteague and we certainly weren't disappointed! Our pilot was Sandy and she did an amazing job. Taught us the history of the island and its waterways while she went from spot to spot where she knew the ponies hang out. We got to see them from 3 different stops and loved the gorgeous scenery for the rest of the trip. I would highly recommend the smaller scenic pontoon boat tour as the boat is smaller (carries 6 passengers) and can get really close. Also I can confirm that the very first tour out in the early morning (we loaded at 0830) had the best luck seeing the ponies. Would give this trip 6 stars if I could!
Written September 14, 2021
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.
Steve S
5 contributions
Jul 2020
We were only going to be in Chincoteague for one afternoon/night and scheduled a sunset cruise with Daisey's. The weather forecast wasn't looking good so I called the day before coming down to see what we could do. Daisey's took my info and said they would try and get me on at an earlier time if needed. Sure enough, while on the road heading down to Chincoteague, the phone rang and it was Daisey's calling to reschedule us for the 3-5pm tour. The weather was wonderful that afternoon. Our captain was wonderful. He grew up in town so he had lots of local history and personal stories to add to the tour. We saw lots of dolphins not too long after starting the tour and then our captain found a bunch of ponies which we got real close to. It was an awesome tour!!! We were on one of the small pontoon boats which only seated 6. My family of 4 sat in the front and another couple sat in the back. Plenty of room and felt perfectly safe.
Written August 11, 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.
2cats3cats
Virginia35 contributions
Sep 2021
We took the 6-person small boat tour. The boat was a small pontoon boat that was very stable with a canopy to shade you against the sun. The ride was comfortable (I get motion sick easily, and I had no problem). If you don't need the restroom that the larger tour boats have, I highly recommend the 6-person boat experience. It's like having a private tour. We had Captain Ed as our tour guide, and he was great. He made sure that everyone got the photos they wanted and didn't rush anyone. We saw numerous dolphins and ponies. Ed was patient and careful in maneuvering the boat into positions where we could get a good view of the animals without disturbing them. Because the ponies at one spot were in such a good location to view, he stayed longer than the scheduled tour time so that we could enjoy watching them. It was clear that he loves the Chincoteague, which made the experience that much better. Also, the online reservation system was easy to do, and when we first arrived, there was a person to give us clear instructions where to wait. We can't imagine it having been a better experience.
Written September 7, 2021
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.
Marc David Miller
Washington DC, DC33 contributions
Jun 2020 • Solo
I had a great waterway trip with Captain Mike (?) on a recent trip to Chincoteague Island.
The boat is comfortable (mine was a pontoon, but the company has others), website was easy to purchase from, boarding was organized, and the boat itself was comfortable and stable.
The Captain, a lifeline resident of Chincoteague, gave a great narration about the history of the area, tales of the ponies, the oyster and clam industries, and was very talkative when we asked questions. He really made the trip enjoyable and unique, as well as safe.
We did see ponies from a distance...the boat had clean binoculars for us to get a better look. Try as he could, the dolphins must have been regrouping offshore as we didn’t get to see any on this trip.
One note: The temperature was around 75, with sunny weather, but it was still chilly on the water (this was in June), so plan accordingly.
All in all, a great way of spending a few hours to learn about Chincoteague’s unique history and see the waters around the area.
The boat is comfortable (mine was a pontoon, but the company has others), website was easy to purchase from, boarding was organized, and the boat itself was comfortable and stable.
The Captain, a lifeline resident of Chincoteague, gave a great narration about the history of the area, tales of the ponies, the oyster and clam industries, and was very talkative when we asked questions. He really made the trip enjoyable and unique, as well as safe.
We did see ponies from a distance...the boat had clean binoculars for us to get a better look. Try as he could, the dolphins must have been regrouping offshore as we didn’t get to see any on this trip.
One note: The temperature was around 75, with sunny weather, but it was still chilly on the water (this was in June), so plan accordingly.
All in all, a great way of spending a few hours to learn about Chincoteague’s unique history and see the waters around the area.
Written June 18, 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.
vsp1524
Gloucester, VA107 contributions
Jun 2021
We’re visiting Chincoteague for a couple of days, and decided to take the island tour....SO glad we did. We booked the early morning (8:30) cruise, wanting to avoid the heat (and bugs) of the day, and hoping to catch a glimpse of the ponies. And catch them we DID! Captain Sandy had us up close and personal with Riptide’s herd in a very short time. She gave us plenty of time to watch them in their native habitat and take gazillions of pictures.....it was the highlight of our trip! I’ve seen them many times from afar, and been to Pony Penning, but never seen them in their natural habitat this close. Capt. Sandy was the absolute best - a native of the island, she told us so many interesting facts, and answered all the questions we could toss at her. She explained the history of the island, told us some interesting “tales,” and was the perfect tour guide. I HIGHLY recommend taking the tour.....even if you’ve visited the island many times, you’ll learn something new!
Written June 9, 2021
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.
MLG
58 contributions
Dec 2020 • Friends
We went for a trip. The boat is respecting covid in terms of the capacity of the boat - no more than 4 people- although the tour guide was not wearing the mask - wonder if that may be ok since we were at open air in the middle of the bay.
The guide provided full explanation of the history of the ponys in the island and of other events take place in the island and surroundings. The tours is ok but expensive and too long. Stops were long and could be shorten and the price can be more attractive to the clients.
The guide provided full explanation of the history of the ponys in the island and of other events take place in the island and surroundings. The tours is ok but expensive and too long. Stops were long and could be shorten and the price can be more attractive to the clients.
Written December 12, 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.
Is there a time of day that is best for seeing the ponies or dolphins? I have some flexibility, although we are driving up from Norfolk for the day. Thank you.
Written May 26, 2022
Your best option is to call Daisey's and ask. They know the area better than anyone.
Written May 27, 2022
Where can I find pricing for the tours?
Written October 22, 2020
Our website has full pricing details, depending on type of boat, time of day and by passenger child or adult. We run year-round too! Tripadvisor doesn't allow posting website links but our #757-336-5556.
Written October 23, 2020
We are doing a sunset boat ride. Do we bring food for dinner and if so, what do people typically bring? Or do we eat before/afterwards?
Written August 11, 2018
We did the sunset cruise and brought food but were too busy to eat. I think snacks and water/drinks would be best. We had a soft sided cooler and so did the other couple on our boat. One thing to note is that we struggled a bit to find somewhere to eat after the cruise that was open past 9pm. We ended up at The Ropewalk which was fine but we were looking for something different as we had eaten there the evening before.
Written August 11, 2018
Would this be appropriate for small children? Ages 2.5 and 4.5.
Written May 1, 2018
Yes we take kids of all ages. Our 10 time in season is the most affordable for families. It is an educational fun tour. We also do custom tours as well if you want to book a private cruise.
Written June 2, 2018
I'm wondering about accessibility. My parents are elderly and mobile, but large step ups and walking long distances are impossible. any answers are appreciated.
Written April 23, 2018
Most of our boats are handicap accessible. We would pick up from Curtis Merritt Harbor where they have a floating dock. It is there for the sole purpose of helping to load and unload those who need a little extra help to board.
Written April 24, 2018
I just went on the Spring Roundup Tour on April 14, 2018 and I got to see both the Southern and Northern Herds when the "Saltwater Cowboys" flushed the ponies out and they came right in front of us running down Service Road. We began the tour by traversing around the southern end of Chincoteague and ended up as close to the shore and parked to wait on the horses. Captain relates information about the ponies, passes around a book, the Field Guide to the ponies by Kelly Lidard, island history, etc.
Written April 23, 2018
Wondering when is the best time of year to go and how long gift certificates are good for. Hoping to give as a gift
Written July 4, 2016
Gift Certificates are good for one year. The second question, hummm really depends on if you like the insanity of crowds, no where to park, and if you do, July when they have the big event of Pony Penning, the swim, running the ponies down Main street to the Carnival grounds to be auctioned off is the time for you and book a year in advance. Now personally, I prefer the small or no crowds, plenty of parking, lower rates in hotels,(off season) the personal experience of a 6-person pontoon boat, and getting very up close with the ponies. It was my first time to the Island so I needed to drive slow and explore the place, locate places, etc. without people tailgating me so without a doubt, the Spring Pony Roundup in April every year or the upcoming Fall Roundup in October. But if you want to go to the Penning and Pony Swim in July, call quickly! I hope I have been of help to you, get out and go soon! Best trip I have ever went on from the Florida Keys to the Great Smokey Mountains and points in between.
Written April 23, 2018
pamhammers1
Bethesda, Maryland
We are staying in Pocomoke City, Md because everything was booked for a one night stay in Chincoteague and many required a 5 night stay. Can you give me directions from Pocomoke to your take off point.? We are going on the "swim back" July 29th.
Written June 29, 2016
Go South from Pocomoke, turn left onto Chincoteague Rd & go across the causeway. When you get to Main St, turn right & go to the end of the island to the harbor.
Written August 21, 2022
I went on Daisey's Island Cruises and the BIG Boat has a bathroom. The smaller pontoon boat has an umm, pan and someone will hold a curtain up. All captains strongly suggest you use the bathroom just steps away from the dock before you get on the boats and as soon as you get off. My cruise was a morning cruise that you need to be there at 7:30 a.m. it lasted a total of 3 hours and I only took one bottle of water to sip, in April, it is not hot at all. Here is my tip: Don't drink any coffee before your tour. I had bottled water and snacks in my car. I took a pack of M&M's but wasn't hungry since eating breakfast at the hotel. You will be so excited when you see the horses, you won't even think of going to the bathroom.
Written April 23, 2018
Showing results 1-10 of 16