Tag Archives: Boston’s North End

Mar

Don’t Miss Art Cruise on the Island THIS Saturday!

Get creative and cruise with Boston’s Best Cruises to Boston Harbor Islands Spectacle Island!

Part of our Winter Cruise Series, join us this Saturday, March 24th for the Art Cruise to the Island. Artists, painters, photographers and explorers are invited to take a picturesque harbor cruise to Spectacle Island to capture the beauty of Boston Harbor. Signs of spring are popping up on the island so bring your artistic medium of choice and a sense of adventure for this unique island experience! Not an artist? Not a problem, just enjoy the beautiful weather (forecast for Saturday is 60 and sunny) and the view from Spectacle Island!

Boston’s Best Cruises’ ferry will depart from the Quincy Shipyard at 10:00 AM and Long Wharf North in Boston at 11:00 AM. We will drop passengers back off in Boston at 2:00 PM and in Quincy at 2:30 PM. Enjoy tasty comfort foods including chili, chowder, hot dogs and hot chocolate available throughout the day aboard our ferry!

Tickets for the Art Cruise on the Island are $20 for adults, $14 for kids (ages 4-11), $17 for seniors (65+) and FREE for children 3 and under. Purchase tickets by clicking here and get ready for an afternoon of Boston Harbor Islands fun!

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Posted in Special Cruises | Tagged Art Cruise to the Island, Boston Harbor, Boston Harbor Islands, Boston's Best Cruises, Long Wharf North, Quincy Shipyard, Spectacle Island, Winter Cruise, Winter Cruise Series | Leave a comment

Mar

What’s the Free Friday 411?

Every week on Boston’s Best Cruises Facebook page, tune in for the Free Friday 411! Every Friday, we will feature a fun, fabulous and FREE Friday event happening near our Boston Ferry Center in the upcoming week and this time, we are talking about the Greene Oleary School of Irish Dance’s free performance at South Station! Happening this Friday, March 16 from 11-1pm, get into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit and enjoy a great performance on your lunch break. With fantastic food trucks stationed right by South Station, grab lunch, enjoy the weather and start St. Patrick’s Day weekend with a “kick”.

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Posted in Boston Events | Tagged Boston Ferry Center, Boston's Best Cruises, Free Friday 411, Greene O'Leary School of Irish Dance, South Station, St. Patrick's Day | Leave a comment

Mar

Snow Row is Next Saturday, March 10

You can’t miss The Hull Life Saving Museum’s signature-rowing race, the Snow Row, on Saturday March 10, 2012 at the Windmill Point Boathouse in Hull! The Snow Row covers a 3 3/4 mile triangular course starting off the beach at Windmill Point, continuing around Sheep Island, past the Peddocks Island day marker and finally heading back to shore. Come aboard with Boston’s Best Cruises to watch the wild, LeMans-style start and be part of a one-of-a-kind gathering of gorgeous boats and athletes. Tickets are $20 for adults. The ferry will leave Quincy at 8:00am and Pemberton Pier in Hull at 9:15am. Click here to buy tickets.

Posted in Boston Events, Special Cruises | Tagged Boston's Best Cruises, Hull, LeMans-Style, Peddocks Island, Pemberton Pier, Quincy, Rowing Race, Sheep Island, Snow Row, The Hull Life Saving Museum, Windmill Point | Leave a comment

Feb

Family-Size Fun and Even Bigger Savings With the T Harbor Express

Did you know – the T Harbor Express is convenient, family-friendly way to go between the South Shore and Boston! For every adult ticket purchased, two children ages 0-11 ride for free! Additional kids enjoy the discounted senior rate, just $3! Take the kids into Boston for a day of fun and exploration and save big by riding the T Harbor Express.

Posted in T Harbor Express | Tagged Boston's Best Cruises, Children Ride Free, Family Fun, Family-Friendly, T Harbor Express | Leave a comment

Feb

Get Your Tickets for Saturday’s Snow Day on Spectacle Island!

Looking for a family-friendly outdoor activity to keep the kids entertained as school vacation starts? Then Boston’s Best Cruises next Winter Cruise, Snow Day on Spectacle Island, is the perfect wintry adventure!

This Saturday, February 18th, bring your hiking shoes (and weather permitting) snowshoes or cross-country skis and join the Boston Harbor Islands staff to explore Spectacle Island. The visitor’s center will be also open for guests to discover the history of Spectacle Island along with crafts for the kids to enjoy and everyone will love the beach campfire! Not only will the whole family have a great time on the island, but the boat ride offers spectacular views and Boston’s Best Cruises triple-decker ferry includes plenty of outside viewing space as well as two heated indoor cabins and a fully stocked galley with chili, chowder, snacks, coffee and hot chocolate!

The cruise will have two morning pick-ups, first in Quincy at 10:00 am and second in Boston at 11:00am. The cruise ends in Boston at 2:00pm and Quincy at 2:30pm. Tickets are $20 for adults, $17 for seniors and $14 for children – purchase tickets now. To view the complete winter cruise schedule, click here. You can also call (617) 770-0040 for more details.

Posted in Boston Harbor Islands, Special Cruises | Tagged Boston Cruises, Boston Harbor Island, Boston School Vacation, Boston's Best Cruises, Boston's Best Cruises Triple-Decker Ferry, Explore Spectacle Island, February Vacation, Snow Day on Spectacle Island, Winter Cruise, Winter Events Boston | Leave a comment

Feb

Whale Watch Season Is Quickly Approaching – Pre-Order Tickets Today!

From Melissa Rocha, Lead Naturalist

With whale watch season approaching, I have been busy getting ready for another great season, and am very excited to share so many new things I have learned over the winter break with passengers! People may wonder how us naturalists keep busy and on top of the ever-expanding knowledge of whales and marine life, both during the season and in the off-season. Well, for lots of us, we attend workshops and conferences and are members of different societies email groups.

First though, I am Melissa Rocha, and I am the Lead Naturalist for the Voyager III. This will be my ninth season, and my fifth as Lead Naturalist. I along with many other naturalists from around New England attend a Naturalist Workshop every spring were we are able to hear from experts in many different fields that can answer questions and offer perspectives on situations we may experience on our trips – this helps us all be on the same page and have the most up-to-date information for our passengers. In addition to attending this workshop, I am a member of the Society of Marine Mammals and was able to attend their 19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals this past year. This conference was a great experience; I was able to meet and hear from people around the world working with every type of Marine Mammal there is!

I also attend a lot of talks on research being done right here in the Stellwagen area, which has helped me to expand my knowledge of what is happening on the waters of Stellwagen. I recently attended an Education workshop where I learned how other naturalists from around the world do their work and research as well as exciting new ways to get passengers more involved with the trips we go on! I am looking forward to a GREAT Whale Watching season and if you join us on one of my trips, feel free to ask me about any of this information I have mentioned! I look forward to seeing everyone out on the water!

Click here to pre-order tickets for the New England Aquarium Whale Watch!

Photo by M.Rocha

Posted in Whale Watch | Tagged 19th Biennial Conference, Biology of Marine Mammals, Boston's Best Cruises, Lead Naturalist, Melissa Rocha, Naturalist Workshop, New England Aquarium Whale Watch, Society of Marine Mammals, Stellwagen Area, Voyager III, Whale Watch Season, Whales and Marine Life | Leave a comment

Feb

Explore with Boston’s Best Cruises, Water Taxi and Geocaching!

From Boston’s Best Cruises Principal Mike McGurl

As we run our businesses, The Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi and Boston’s Best Cruises, I enjoy exploring slices of our demographics and the wide variety of special interests of our guests. Recently, I became aware of a fantastic hobby which is practiced on every continent including Antarctica. It is called “Geocaching”. Essentially this is a worldwide treasure hunt where there is no actual treasure but small stashes or (caches) in which you will find logs books signed by previous hunters and small low value tokens and things to trade. By signing up at geocaching.com, you can see a list and hints to find geocaches no matter where you are in the world. There are more than 1,600,000 caches in place at this time and more than 5,000,000 people participate in the hobby. To sign up is free, but you can also get a premium membership for $30.00 per year. My suggestion is to try the free version and if you like it, then sign up for premium membership and get access to more caches and more services from geocaching.com. All you need is the membership and a GPS OR a Smartphone with internal GPS.

If you are traveling to Fort Lauderdale soon, we invite you to board our Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi and spend the day exploring the area and finding geocaches. Below is a list of geocaches that are between 15’ and 3,500’ from our Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi stops!

**8A Is a whistle stop at the Riverside Hotel. Ask Water Taxi Captain to drop you off; wave the next boat down to get picked up again.
**9A is a whistle stop in Christmas Tree Park. Ask Water Taxi Captain to drop you off; wave the next boat down to get picked up again.

Posted in Explore | Tagged Boston's Best Cruises, Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi, Geocaches, Geocaching, Geocaching.com, GPS, Smartphone, Treasure Hunt, Water Taxi | Leave a comment

Jan

Don’t Miss Sel de la Terre’s Wine Wednesday’s

Did you know, every Wednesday, you can enjoy a fun night out with a fantastic four course meal with a selection of wines inspired by changing seasons, wine regions or varietals at Sel de la Terre just steps from our Ferry Center? Wine Director Erik Johnson leads an engaging, informal talk touching on the highlights of the evening’s wines. For only $44 per person, this Wednesday, January 25th at 7pm, enjoy “It’s Summer Somewhere: Argentina.” Call 617.720.1300 to make your reservation.

First Course: Steamed Prince Edward Island mussels with saffron, shallot, apple and grilled scallions
Wine: 2011 Crios de Susana Balbo, Torrontes, Mendoza, Argentina

Second Course: Thyme roasted pork tenderloin with currants, red grapes, black quinoa and lardons
Wine: 2009 Carelli, “Latitude 34°”, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

Main Course: Grilled hanger steak with garlic roasted fingerling potatoes and chimichurri
Wine: 2009 Ben Marco, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

Cheese Course
Wine: 2009 Jean Bousquet, “Reserve”, Malb Pangato Valley, Mendoza, Argentina

Posted in Boston Events, Boston Restaurants, Cruise & Play | Tagged 2009 Ben Marco, 2009 Carelli, 2009 Jean Bousquet, 2011 Crios de Susana Balbo, Boston's Best Cruises, Cheese Course, Cruise and Play Partners, Four Course Meal, Grilled Hanger Steak, Sel de la Terre, Sel de la Terre Wine Wednesday, Steamed Prince Edward Island Mussels, Thyme Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Wine Wednesday | Leave a comment

Jan

My Profession Reflects My Passion

From Boston’s Best Cruises Principal Mike McGurl

I have had the opportunity to see many harbors around the country over the years; however, there are few harbors that can compare to Boston Harbor. As an avid sailor and former Merchant Marine, I have spent time in many ports along the entire eastern seaboard as well as many foreign ports but there is nothing quite like my home port, with its diversity of sights; from the natural, unspoiled beauty of the Boston Harbor’s outer islands to the spectacular Boston Skyline with its mix of classical and contemporary.

Last Saturday, I did the 8:00am round trip on Boston’s Best Cruises T Harbor Express Ferry. As one of the owners of the company, I do this often, but I never tire of the experience. On a winter Saturday morning the harbor and city are very quiet and you have the opportunity to absorb all that the experience has to offer, without the hustle and bustle that is present later in the day. A particular treat is the scenery, with the winter morning low sun angles and dry crisp air that provide great contrasts and vivid colors.

With my cup of coffee and ginger bread cookie, I sat at a table by the window, ventured out on deck with my camera phone to take a few photos, and stood on the upper deck as we slowed our speed and made our way back to the Quincy dock. For me, this is as close to a religious experience as you can get without actually being in a house of worship, and I know I am fortunate to have my profession reflect my passion.

Posted in T Harbor Express | Tagged Boston Harbor, Boston Scenery, Boston Skyline, Boston's Best Cruises, Eastern Seaboard, Merchant Marine, Mike McGurl, Quincy Dock, T Harbor Express Ferry, Winter in Boston | Leave a comment

Jan

Go Wild January 16th with Our Winter Wildlife Cruise

From 10am-2:45pm on Monday, January 16th, take the family to explore the great outdoors at the outer Boston Harbor Islands, Hingham Bay and Weir River Estuary. Part of the Winter Cruise Series, Boston’s Best Cruises Winter Wildlife Cruise combines adventure and learning, perfect for both kids and adult. Join park rangers and experienced “birders” as they narrate the cruise and inform passengers about the wildlife they are viewing. You can purchase tickets by clicking here.

Throughout the winter, enjoy monthly trips to the Boston Harbor Islands including Spectacle, Georges, and Peddocks Islands as well as nature-oriented excursions this season with Boston’s Best Cruises. Don’t stay indoors this winter – bundle up and explore the wonders of Boston! Click here for the Winter Cruise schedule and fares, and you can also call (617) 770-0040 for more details.