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Tobermory
Things to do in Tobermory
Bruce Anchor Cruises
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Bruce Anchor Cruises

See all things to do
See all things to do
Bruce Anchor Cruises
4.5
Full view
About
Our extremely unique and modern glass bottom vessels depart Tobermory on a regular schedule. Our tours operate during the spring, summer, and fall! Passengers are given an opportunity to view two 19th century shipwrecks, The Sweepstakes and The City of Grand Rapids, resting just a few feet below the surface. Following the shipwreck viewing, guests will pass by Big Tub Light House (1885). From there we cruise around Flowerpot Island passengers for a view of the magical scenery. This scenery includes the historic Flowerpot Light station, the light keeper’s homes, the Flowerpot rock formations and more. If you are planning to hike the island, we dock at Beachy Cove to allow allow passengers to disembark and explore the island on foot for a couple of hours. Stay Aboard cruises are also available.
Tobermory, Ontario, Canada
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Bruce Anchor Cruises
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Travellers talk about
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(75 reviews)
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
346 reviews
Excellent
214
Very good
77
Average
32
Poor
11
Terrible
12
John P
Toronto, Canada4 contributions
Great Time, going back.
Sep. 2022 • Friends
Did the glass bottom boat to the ship wrecks and Flower Pot Island had a fantastic afternoon, well worth it. Hint sit upstairs the view of the wrecks is better as is is the scenery.
Written September 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Lesley G
1 contribution
Flowerpit island glass bottom
Boat
Aug. 2022 • Family
The cruise over to Flower pot island on the glass botton boat was as expected
However they make you line up an hour in advance
and we stood in the hot sun until boarding as sgadevis limited
And it was crowded when we went(330pm )

Even though it’s first come first serve for boarding we selected seats that were close to the glass bottom but it didn’t matter because people crowd around the viewing site and basically the only views you have are peoples bottoms
The boats run on time the crew is at times difficult to understand when they’re speaking into the mic but they get you there they get you back and they try to explain what you’re seeing as you pass over the wrecks
Written September 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Moondoggie1957
Woodbridge, Canada563 contributions
Great cruise!
May 2022
We had perfect weather on the day of our cruise, severe blue skies and calm waters.

The boarding process was pretty routine and before long we were off to view the 2 shipwrecks. From there we headed for Flowerpot Island.

We all had a great time and it was well worth it!
Written August 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
aspoe093
Pierre, SD500 contributions
Great time
Jul. 2022
Very easy to work with, got our tickets the night before and did an excellent job of bringing us to Flowerpot Island and showing us the shipwrecks. Way cheaper than Blue Heron as well.
Written July 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
patlv23
Winnipeg, Canada669 contributions
Get a spot on the top deck
Jul. 2022 • Family
Quite an invloved process pre-boarding but not too bad. Basically buy tickets online or in-person, check-in an hour before (up to a few days earlier too), park at a designated parking lot, proceed to boarding area (the earlier the better if you want to guarantee a spot at the top deck). That's 3 separate locations so keep that in mind. They try their best to inform you of this by e-mail/text. Staff was friendly/helpful. The boat ride itself was fun. At the shipwrecks, they stay for a while, slowly rotating the boat a few times so all could get a good look. My kid reported that he preferred the view of the shipwrecks from the side of the boat better than the glass-bottom. From there they go directly to Flowerpot Island, though the tour guide will share tidbits of information on the islands/locations we pass by. We disembarked at Flowerpot Island. At our scheduled return boarding time, there were people being turned away who had a different booked return time. It's worth a try but no guarantees. We were close to the end of the line so we couldn't get a spot at the top. The trip back was pretty much direct to the docks, but there was still a little bit of commentary by the tour guide. Very happy with this cruise though it would have been nice if we could take a route closer to the other islands.
Written July 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
HappyTraveller
Toronto, Canada211 contributions
Best Ride to the Flowerpot Island
Jul. 2022 • Family
The boats are modern-looking and sleek than the traditional cruise boats. The glass bottom is perfect for viewing the shipwrecks around Tobermory. The on way boat was big and the ride was smooth. The smaller boat for the return trip was a little wobbly in the waves. Still, it was a great experience and I highly recommend them.
Written July 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
BoardingPass31901
3 contributions
Amazing experience with The Bruce Anchor Cruises
Jul. 2022
What an overall wonderful experience! The process from booking the tour, to managing with 2 dogs was super easy, as the entire staff and crew are beyond lovely and helpful. The boat tour is amazing, smooth sailing all the way to the island with a breathtaking view on the way there and back. Seeing the shipwrecks from the glass- bottomed boat was super cool.
Thank you, Bruce Anchor team, for such a wonderful experience, twice :)
When in Tobermory, you must visit Flowerpot Island with the Bruce Anchor crew, you will love it!
Written July 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Eric Douville
Ottawa, Canada1 contribution
Really disappointing service. Would not recommend. They made no attempts to fix anything.
Jun. 2022 • Family
Today, I drove about 45 minutes to get to this boat cruise to get the news that the all trips were cancelled for the day at 12:35 on June 30 2022. Since we were not informed, we did not get a chance to re-book for a later time in the next few days. Plus the lady providing the excuses told me I should have had a message or an email stating that sailing was cancelled for the day. I did get this message at 4:09 pm yesterday:
———-
Good Afternoon Eric,

Are you already in town? Come pick up your tickets tonight and avoid the lineups tomorrow!

For your convenience, you can collect tickets at our 10 Hay Bay Road location and our 61 Front Street location until 8:00 pm

As a bonus, if you pick up your ticket at our office on 61 Front Street you can enjoy Tobermory's finest sunset view as well!

See you soon!
———

No decency from the front desk, the lady just told me I could go now, while I was waiting for a confirmation that my credit card would be reimbursed within 5 to 10 business days.
Written June 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
bruceanchor
Thank you for your feedback. Safety of passengers and crew is our #1 priority - always. Leading up to the Canada Day long weekend we had unexpected and unscheduled maintenance needs arise, forcing us to cancel some of our sailings. We are deeply apologetic to those affected by these cancellations, and hope that everyone affected understands just how difficult this situation was for all of our staff. We appreciate your patience with us and can assure you that this type of event is rare here at Bruce Anchor Cruises. An opportunity to reschedule is always made available to those who are affected by cancellations. We hope that you made many fabulous memories during your trip to Tobermory - and wish you the best summer!
Written July 18, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
sarahleclair
Toronto, Canada75 contributions
Expensive but nice
Jun. 2022 • Family
The cruise and tour was very nice. Expensive but all the other companies are the same price and I think this boat was much nicer compacted to the other companies. We did the stay aboard and we are glad we didn’t get off to go on flower pot island. I was expecting flower pot to be more exciting but there was really only one big rock to look at and nothing else. The boat went over one of the shipwrecks which was awesome being able to see it through the glass bottom. They are pet friendly and offer free parking as well. The staff were all very nice but the man who booked us 30 min before departure told us only 15 people were booked however that wasn’t the case as it was about 75 people on board. I recommend sitting downstairs because you can’t see anything on the top deck as everyone stands up and blocks the view. The boat was noisy but comfortable. Wouldn’t do it again but it was a nice hour on the water.
Written June 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
bruceanchor
It's an adventure, that's for sure! Hiking Flowerpot Island offers a few more activities and sights to see. We hope you were able to capture many incredible photographs of what nature has to offer here in Tobermory. Its breathtaking - and serene! Thank you for sailing with us at Bruce Anchor Cruises!
Written June 16, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Telah M
Ottawa, Canada303 contributions
Reduced tour.
Jul. 2021 • Family
We did this 2 years ago, this year with COVID, they do not circle the island nor visit the wreck in the harbour. The glass bottom boat doesn’t do much in this case. Staff are friendly. Everyone MUST wear a mask! Great little trip to the island.
Written April 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
bruceanchor
Hey! Thanks for sending in a review! Since COVID restrictions have lifted, things have returned back to a "normal" state. Masks are encouraged, although not required while onboard our vessels. Tours are back up and running. Hopefully you get another opportunity to come visit! Thanks!
Written June 16, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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BRUCE ANCHOR CRUISES (Tobermory) - 2023 What to Know BEFORE You Go