Tallship American Pride

My boyfriend bought a sunset dinner cruise for us on the Tallship for early in August. Due to an issue with overbooking, the staff contacted him and asked for us to push back the dinner but offered us an additional 2 seats for free to bring another couple; Regardless that he purchased the tickets on Groupon. I was pretty impressed by that.
About the cruise itself: the staff was very friendly, there is a chubby little Labrador that sharks about looking for scraps, and the captain was hilarious. We were able to bring our own wine, kick back and enjoy the ride. There wasn’t anything above & beyond about the experience — but we loved it. It’s nice to have your own alcohol, the other people on board were couples and families who were just relaxing and taking in the view, and the food they served buffet style for us to take back to our spots on the boat was actually pretty damn good. I’ve already recommended it to a few friends and to my parents, and I would probably go again. I would suggest trying to make it before the nights get too cold. Considering its’ on the ocean even at night in August I had to pull on a jacket.

Not sure why it took so long to get to this review, but here it goes. I found the ship 2 years ago when trying to plan my mom’s memorial at sea. Somehow stumbled across their Unilocal page. The price was great, and the service was beautiful. I think the boat let up to 100 people on board for the services. I would recommend to anyone for a small burial at sea.

This review is solely based off the sunset dinner cruise. We had purchased our $ 70 per person tickets weeks in advance. (40 people limit) but I counted 58 guest in view not counting the crew of maybe 10. I guess we imagined table and chairs. It was buffet style. Sorta a roughed up grub. The lady overseeing the food used her fingers in the meat tray to tear the pieces apart. A grubby dog aboard who didn’t beg for attention which was good. Find your own seating which was limited cargo. Most people had to stand because there was not enough seating areas. This is a ship with sails so keep in mind you will have to move in and out a bit so the crew can change directions. The crew was very friendly. The food was good. I don’t think it was all worth $ 70 a person but that can be left up to you. Wear casual clothes and jacket. A few people had been over dressed for the accommodations. I can’t say we would do it again, but it wasn’t that bad either.

This camp has been the highlight of my daughter’s summer. This year she is anxious to return with friends, her younger sister and cousins. She’s 14 and talks about her experience aboard the American Pride fondly and often. Highly recommended!

My first sailing experience was on the American Pride 14 years ago. I was a senior in High School in Nashville and our class took a trip including 3 days on the Pride in Catalina. It was a truly life changing experience. They have inspired countless young people and are a wonderful organization.

Our first date for whale watching was rained out and the Tallship called us day before to reschedule. We appreciated not finding the morning of that it was cancelled. Our family of 11, ages 4 — 64 did go this past weekend, and thoroughly enjoyed! History of this special ship, interaction of the crew AND Lunch made this a special outing with the extra bonus of seeing Dolphins on our way out. On our way back the captain spotted spouting and turned the ship so that all would be able to see better when the whales came to surface. We saw the huge tail flip up, the kids and adults were awed. No one missed this because of the advance notice & knowledge of Captain Greg. The touch tank was definitely a hit with the kids and the marine biologists on staff answered all the questions about feeding, habitat, enemies, etc. with patience and knowledge. I highly recommend this whale watch, it was definitely worth the money.

Wonderful Experience. Helpful and friendly crew. Beautiful trip! Great lunch. Terrific cause and learning experience for adults and children. Great bargain! We would love to go again!

This is not your ordinary sail out of Long Beach or generic whale watching cruise. This is a wonderful opportunity to sail on a tall ship full of history and run by the nicest and most hospitable family you’ll ever meet. Yes, there are whales and dolphins and a touch tank full of creatures and an amazing lunch but more importantly you’ll leave with memories to last a life time and will definitely be back for more!

Had a wonderful time aboard the Saturday whale watching trip! We saw 2 whales and the crew let us have plenty of time for viewing. The food was excellent and there was plenty of it! My kids loved the extra touch tank experience and now they can’t wait to go to Catalina this summer for their summer camp. Love this boat… very cool! Would definitely recommend and we will be back soon! Thanks for a great sail!

Best whale watching cruise in Long Beach and way better than the Harbor Breeze Cruises and not just because this ship was a smoother ride plus on this one we got plenty of chances to see the whales. Fantastic crew great learning for not just the children but for the adults also, plus they pack in a lot for a three hour cruise and they even had someone in a wheelchair & a baby stroller on board. Also the BBQ lunch was pretty good as the Caesar salad was so good you could of just ate a whole plate of just that, then the burgers were well done (being that they were made ahead of time) but a decent size with a fair amount of condiments to select from. They also have a good variety of sodas to select from & plenty of small bottles of water perfect for keeping the children hydrated along with the adults. I would recommend for everyone as it was not only a great value but a lot of fun also!

We had such a great time yesterday on the Long Beach cruise! The crew was extra friendly to all passengers, including my two nine year old kids. The food was great and there was plenty to drink. The ship was immaculate and not overly crowded. I can’t say enough great things about this experience!

We just got back from whale watching on the American Pride with our 6 and 8 year olds. The crew was very friendly and engaged, taking plenty of time to talk to our kids about what they were seeing. Now my kids can’t wait to go camping with the crew. I see some people had bad kid experiences, but that was two years ago. This team really made an effort to make the kids feel included.

It’s been several years since I went on one of the whale watching BBQs but I’m planning to again this year. The ship is beautiful and the voyage was very enjoyable. We didn’t see any whales when I went but the Dolphins were out and it was one of my favorite trips on the water. The staff is also very helpful and good about responding to emails.

Absolutely wonderful trip for my 11 year old son! He had an amazing time and learned a lot. He came home full of excitement about the adventures he had, the people he met and all of the things he learned. This was his first time away from home without any family members and I don’t think he missed us a bit. The captain and crew made him feel right at home. He did not complain about any work that he may have had to do, be it tidy up the ship or dare I say clean the head. These are all normal responsibilities in life & I for one am glad this camp made him earn his keep. He can’t wait to get back on the ship & I would send him again in a heartbeat!

Beautiful ship, friendly crew, strong team building activities, friendly office staff and support, and two very knowledge captains! This was our school’s first time aboard the American Pride after spending years with another Tall Ship company.
We can’t say enough good things about our experience. In fact, we just rebooked for the same experience «Manifest Destiny» next year!

For the past ten years I have taken our school’s fifth graders on the Catalina Island Exploration three day trip. For all these children, based on their comments, this is a highlight of their young lives. The education officers are patient with my 10 and 11 year old students. The activities are geared to the abilities of this age group and include kayaking, snorkeling and jumping into the water from the ship. The educational activities include fish or squid dissection, water analysis, a touch tank and activities to promote understanding of water pollution and how it affects sea life. The food is always good. The sleeping quarters are comfortable for a ship of this kind, but you do learn how to manage in tight spaces. After all, this no Princess cruise! Part of the lesson is to experience what life was like for the early explorers that the students study in fifth grade. Except this boat is much nicer than Drake’s. I don’t think those guys had flushing heads on their boat.

We went aboard the American Pride at Dana Point and had a wonderful time! The crew was friendly and professional the entire time. We sailed out of the harbor, the red sails were raised and then we participated in a cannon battle that felt very authentic. It was a great experience and I would recommend it to anyone!

NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN ON ANY LEVEL: I can only say that it is an educational experience that is completely unfit for children. Primarily because the oversized Captain and his family hate children. From the moment you board, one snide comment after another. The Captain screams from the back of the boat at elementary aged school children then berated the parents yelling «who does … belong to, will you please go parent?» Yelling at kids is one thing but who is he to belittle the parents in front of a boat load of passengers. It is unreal to me but they actually run a Summer Camp. My goodness, I cannot imagine how much you have to hate your kid to send them with these folks. SAVE YOUR CHILDREN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE, there are other options in Rainbow Harbor.

I have been aboard the American Pride a hand full of times since it has been docked in Long Beach. I have been aboard for whale watches, evening Christmas light cruise and Sunday Brunch. The crew is not only friendly but very knowledgeable of the history of the American Pride as well as sailing and ocean life. These are the reasons I felt 100% comfortable allowing my 11 year old to spend 5 days aboard the Pride without me with him. When my son returned he talked for days about all of his experiences. One of his favorites; dolphins swimming alongside the ship as they crossed. Also, the touch tanks on deck are great! Captain Greg and other crew members making sure all of the kids were part of the each experience. My son was petrified to snorkel out by the ship, so the crew members took him closer to the beach to make him more comfortable and made sure he didn’t miss out on this fantastic experience. That doesn’t seem to me they were letting their «inner assholes come out» as the other reviewer said. From what I understand, cleaning the heads (bathroom) and other chores are part of the sailing/​boating experience and the Captain’s sons are expected to take part, so I am not appalled by this in the least little bit. The kids are not aboard for a vacation where they lay on deck and get waited on hand and foot. If this is what you are looking for… keep looking. If you are looking for a highly educational, fun activity filled, making new friends, unforgettable (in a good way) experience… don’t hesitate… SIGN UP!!! As far as the sleeping in the berths… if your child (and you for that matter) take part in all of the activities of the day, they will be so tired, they won’t hear the creaking of the 70+ year old wooden ship. But really, how cool is that? You get to play and sleep aboard a 70+ year old, 130 foot, 3 masted schooner!!! How many people can say that???

My 10 year-​old son and I just returned from a weekend school trip to Catalina on the American Pride. I cannot begin to express how disgusting and unsanitary the bathrooms were, even after some of the children were forced to clean them (including my son)! Most of the crew made us feel like we were a constant annoyance and at times were downright rude. Several members of the crew had no business working with children at all, let alone for a «Children’s Foundation». They try to pass this attitude off as authentic to a historic sailor’s life, but it is really just an excuse to let their inner asshole come out and make themselves feel superior over school children. And even if that excuse were valid it does not apply to adults/​parents. Also, there was a tremendous amount of misinformation about activities that would be offered. Promises were made about hiking, kayaking (the kayaks were on the ship but never used) and movies that did not happen. We were told to bring wetsuits for the kids but they were not allowed to wear them in the extremely cold water because it was too much of a hassle for the crew to deal with. It seemed pretty clear that the plan kept changing according to what was easiest and the least amount of hassle for the crew. The bright spots were that Two Harbors, Catalina is beautiful and worth seeing, and a couple of the learning activities on board such as fish dissection and a living reef touch tank lesson were both educational and fun. Oh, and forget about sleeping in those tight berths with the loud creaking of the ship and those smelly toilets a few steps away!