Seafood Odyssea Marlborough Sounds Cruise from Picton

Recommended by 93% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Picton, New Zealand

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

3 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.7

· Kelly_B ·

Mar 2026

This is a fantastic tour !!! Wonderful staff and beautiful wine and food, guide was very informative , fabulous afternoon

· David_C ·

Feb 2026

It’s a very pleasant day on the water. Beautiful views, good food, and a very nice staff. The ship was very comfortable.

Overview

Discover the natural beauty and fresh seafood of the Marlborough Sounds on an afternoon cruise from Picton. Travel by luxury catamaran through the sheltered waters of Queen Charlotte Sound. Taste fresh, locally farmed salmon and Greenshell mussels on board, pairing them with a glass of local wine if you like (own expense). Learn about marine farming in the sounds, and admire the views of otherwise hard-to-reach places.

Learn more about the region via the captain's informative commentary
Sample local seafood and see where it's raised and harvested
See parts of the Marlborough Sounds you can only access by boat
Look out for wildlife such as seals, dolphins, and penguins

What's Included

Food tasting
Live commentary on board
Local taxes

Food and drinks, unless specified

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Seafood Odyssea Cruise
Town Wharf 6 Picton Marina, Picton 7220, New Zealand
Our vessels are docked at Town Wharf 6 at Picton Marina. This is at the east end of the Picton waterfront, near the private vessel marina. There is a carpark nearby. OR, pop into our Cougar Line Office right on the waterfront - Corner of London Quay and Wellington Street in Picton.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Make your own way to the Picton Marina in the early afternoon to board your 65-foot (20-meter) luxury catamaran. Picton is located at the top of the South Island, near the head of the Queen Charlotte Sound, and just 25 minutes north of Blenheim.

Get comfortable on one of the outdoor decks or in the cabin, which has booth seats with tables and lounge areas. Take in sweeping views of the scenic waterways of the sound as your captain takes you to salmon and mussel farms along the route. The crew serves up samples of fresh seafood from local sources (typically steamed greenshell mussels, king salmon, and Cloudy Bay clams), accompanied by a glass of Marlborough sauvignon blanc wine (own expense).

Hear informative commentary about the region from your captain during the cruise, and enjoy possible sightings of wildlife such as penguins, dolphins, and seals.

A range of light snacks, hot tea and coffee, Marlborough wines, beer, juice, and bottled water are available for purchase on board.

Your afternoon cruise ends with your return to the Picton Marina around 4pm.

Queen Charlotte Sound (Pass By)

Marlborough Sounds

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Infants must sit on laps
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate
For Winter we will be running this tour Wednesdays and Saturdays

Check in for your cruise is 15 minutes prior to departure.
May not be suitable for cruise ship guests, as the times for this cruise may not align to meet the callback time to the cruise ship. Please confirm your callback time before booking.
Minimum of 6 travelers required to run this tour
Please review and acknowledge our Swimming Waiver on our website before participating in any swimming activities.
Children must be accompanied by an adult
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 100 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

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Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Michael_K

This was an outstanding cruise that set the standard for our New Zealand cruise. The boat was comfortable and the cruise was great as we traveled through the Marlborough Sounds. The mussels and salmon were fantastic and the wine was also very good. A pleasant and courteous crew along with the great weather made it a very enjoyable time. Would highly recommend this excursion and well worth the price.

Reviews

4.7

based on 133 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

The crew were very...

Kate_O, Apr 2026

The crew were very professional and helpful. I had a great time looking at the beautiful views, and the food was delicious

This is a fantastic tour...

Kelly_B, Mar 2026

This is a fantastic tour !!! Wonderful staff and beautiful wine and food, guide was very informative , fabulous afternoon

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Kelly, thank you for your kind words and taking the time to leave a fantastic review. We appreciate it. So glad you enjoyed the cruise. Be sure to visit us again next time your in the Marlborough Sounds!

Would recommend!

David_C, Feb 2026

It’s a very pleasant day on the water. Beautiful views, good food, and a very nice staff. The ship was very comfortable.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for your kind review! We’re so glad you enjoyed a pleasant day out on the water, taking in the beautiful views and relaxing on board. It’s wonderful to hear you found the food delicious, the team welcoming, and the vessel comfortable. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to have you back with us again soon!

Nice relaxing cruise with delicious food

Huay_W, Feb 2026

Very nice relaxing cruise around Queen Charlotte Sound. The boat Olympic Spirit was big and very comfortable. The food especially the green mussels was very delicious and plentiful. Highly recommended.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you so much for your lovely review! 😊 We’re so glad you had a relaxing time cruising through the beautiful Queen Charlotte Sound and enjoyed the comfort of Olympic Spirit. It’s great to hear the greenshell mussels were a highlight too..they’re a local favourite for a reason! We really appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back on board again soon.

The young crew members...

Ruqia_A, Feb 2026

The young crew members were really good and welcoming. The checking in was straightforward. More information before hand would have been helpful. Didn’t meet my expectations and I didn’t think it was value for money. Plenty of green mussels and bread but salmon was rationed! In fact the captain asked me if I had a portion already , which I didn’t but it shouldn’t have mattered,🤣the wine was reasonably priced and crew very attentive.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re glad you found our crew welcoming and attentive, and that check-in was smooth. We appreciate your comments!

Great to see the sounds close up.

Connie_M, Jan 2026

Beautiful scenery and a very comfortable trip. The crew were fabulous and mussels and salmon yummy. We also had a chance to chat to other travelers.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for taking the time this lovely review!

Enjoyable and relaxing cruise around Marlborough Sound.

Brian_N, Sep 2025

Very enjoyable cruise through the sound. Mussels and salmon tasting was delicious and more than enough to satisfy everyone. Interesting commentary and very attentive crew. Definitely a cruise to put on your travel list.

Perfect

Jacob_M, Jul 2025

The Captain was nothing short of amazing his cooking was supreme and vast local knowledge made it special. David and Susan

Nice afternoon out on Marlborough Sound.

John_B, Apr 2025

Pleasant afternoon out from Picton, despite the somewhat choppy weather. The mussels and the salmon sample were terrific. We were well looked after by Eli, who did the wine and mussel cooking duties as well as the deckhand.

Response from Host, May 2025

Thank you so much for joining us and for your kind review! We're glad to hear you enjoyed the experience "even with the choppy weather" and that the mussels and salmon were a hit. We'll be sure to pass your lovely feedback on to Eli, who’ll be thrilled to hear she made your trip memorable. We hope to welcome you back on a calmer day!

Beautiful day, wonderful...

Mark_P, Mar 2025

Beautiful day, wonderful staff very accommodating. Boat was in great shape simple to find. Minor point but could have used something to go along with the seafood.

Response from Host, Mar 2025

Thanks for your feedback Mark.

Nice outing on the water

Ronald_K, Mar 2025

Very nice and informative crew. Food was great (green mussels and grilled salmon). Beautiful weather. Saw mussel farms and a pleasant cruise around the bay. Recommended for a nice outing.

Response from Host, Mar 2025

Thanks for the review Ronald

An all round wonderful...

Michael_P, Mar 2025

An all round wonderful experience topped off by great views.friendlly attentive staff and tasty seafood.

Response from Host, Mar 2025

Great to hear you had a great trip.

Mussel Heaven

Michael_S, Feb 2025

It eas a very nice boat not crowded at all Very friendly staff, excellent salmon and mussels which were huge and meaty juicy very well prepared. Truly Amazing

Would highly recommend

Catherine_M, Feb 2025

This was a wonderful way to this beautiful area by boat Very well organised and the mussels were amazing

Beautiful Picton on the water !!

leah_T, Jan 2025

Try it !! Worth every moment. Comfortable boat, very fortunate we were a smaller group. Weather was not the best but still enjoyed every minute of the cruise. Beautiful fresh mussels and local salmon. Scenery just gorgeous… and the staff all lovely, making sure you were comfortable with offering of blankets and seeing to your needs. Commentary from captain pretty good too. . A great experience we will never forget. Thank you.

Lovely afternoon cruise....

Delwyn_R, Jan 2025

Lovely afternoon cruise. Best mussels ever eaten , staff friendly & informative . Beautiful scenery . Well organised.

It never happened as it...

Firozeh_M, Dec 2024

It never happened as it was cancelled last minute with no notification. Very disappointed. Didn’t have enough notice to book other excursions. So whole visit to Picton was wasted

The ticket stated that a...

Denise_J, Dec 2024

The ticket stated that a wine tasting was included but this did not occur. This was a disappointment as we did not expect anything other than tasting size glasses and took a notebook to record those wines we liked. We had to purchase wine by the glass no tastings of any description was provided. Other than that it was a good tour . The ticket should clearly state that wine was available for purchase not that a wine tasting was included.

Response from Host, Dec 2024

Hi Denise, My apologies that the tour did not meet your standards. We have entered a new season and were more than happy to honour any vouchers that mention that a 'complimentary' glass of Sauvignon Blanc was part of their tour description. We have never offered "FREE" wine tasting as that is not part of the seafood cruise. However, I hope outside of this you enjoyed the beautiful scenery that the Marlborough Sounds offers

Pleasant. wanted more

Linda_C, Dec 2024

Boat was comfortable; views gorgeous; captain informative. Mussels & salmon served were exceptional. Saw some fish with chumming. Expected to see more sea life.

Response from Host, Dec 2024

Hi Linda, Thank you for your review - apologies there wasn't more sealife, somedays they everywhere and sometimes they hide.....I'd suggest travel in winter next time as that is when we see an increase in marine life with cooler waters.

Very nice scenery. The...

liping8, Dec 2024

Very nice scenery. The staff were friendly and boat was nice and clean. enjoyed tasting of New Zealand green lipped mussels and salmon.

Response from Host, Dec 2024

Thank you for your review - appreciate the positive feedback

Wonderful boat trip

Clare_F, Nov 2024

Excellent service from the staff, enjoyable trip around Marlborough sounds with delicious mussels and salmon

Response from Host, Dec 2024

Thanks Claire

Delicious and beautiful!

Amelia_G, Nov 2024

Great service, friendly staff, beautiful views and incredible food. Loved the opportunity to see a small mussel farm and take a tour around the bays.

Response from Host, Dec 2024

Thank you Amelia for your review.

Outstanding Afternoon on the Water

Peter_T, Nov 2024

Very enjoyable afternoon spent cruising the waters off of Picton. The boat was comfortable and clean, the crew very friendly, and the lunch of fresh green lipped mussels and grilled salmon was very tasty. And the scenery was gorgeous as our captain took us into small coves and inlets. Only drawback was that samples of local wines were not included in the price, but this was a minor inconvenience. All told it was an outstanding afternoon on a beautiful day.

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Hi Peter, Thank you for your review. We will pass that onto the crew. We do plan to add some wine options on the tour this season due to feedback like yours. Thanks

Great experoence

Yvette_R, Oct 2024

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip, the views were amazing, the crew informative and super friendly. Boat was clean and food delicious.

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Thank you for your review Yvette - Will let the team know about your great review.

Beautiful wee cruise and...

Wendy_H, Oct 2024

Beautiful wee cruise and you see so many bays with water access - fresh local mussels and salmon (delivered daily)

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Thanks Wendy - great to hear you enjoyed your time with us as well as the fresh seafood

Personal , professional.

Connie_P, Oct 2024

Felt like on personal yacht. Served wonderful food in one of the most beautiful settings in the world. Excellent captain and staff. Thanks for the experience!

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Thank you Connie for the great review and wonderful to hear you had a great time on the trip.

Great seafood and cruise experience

Richard_W, Oct 2024

Great experience with a very knowledgeable crew. The green lipped mussels were so fresh and tasty and the bbq salmon was devine

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Thanks Richard, will let the crew know about your great review on the trip and seafood

Excellent Cruise

Bryce_K, Oct 2024

We had a fantastic afternoon on Queen Charlotte Sound. The boat was excellent the captain and crew provided great service. We would definitely recommend this cruise to others.

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Thank you for your review Bryce - appreciate the recommendation as it is great to know you had a great day.

Went there as a couple,...

Harish_S, Sep 2024

Went there as a couple, great experience, captain was guiding well and explained the history and geography of the place, good food too.

An older couple’s adventure in NZ.

Geof_W, Apr 2024

We enjoyed the seafood tastings and local wine although we didn’t manage to see any dolphins. We did however see a small pocket of marine protection where there were some fish.