I've read so many Seattle posts today my head is swimming with information (and probably lots of misinformation, too).

I'd like to take a cruise but don't really want to devote an entire day to it. One poster mentioned a cruise that went through locks that sounded interesting. Does anyone have a suggestion about which cruise line to use? I think I saw Argosy mentioned, and maybe one other.

We definitely want to spend some time on the water, and I'm wondering if I'll be disappointed if I don't make an effort to see the whales (which I'd really LOVE to do).
Any advice?

We didn't get to take the Locks cruise while we were in Seattle, but I remember the sign at the Pier 55(?) departure said it was 2 1/2 hours long. Several people said it was really good.

If you want to spend less time than that, consider one of the Duck tours that depart from Seattle Center. We were very pleased with this 1 1/2 hour narrated tour through the streets of Seattle and Fremont, which culminated in a cruise on Lake Washington. The driver even "rocked the boat" to the piped-in music, which was pretty cool.

I was afraid the Duck tour might be silly, but only a few younger kids had "quackers", and it wasn't silly at all. We loved it!

Donna

Argosy is the major player for water touring. The Ticket Office at the main entrance to the Pike Place Market often has half-price tickets for cruises. Tickets go on sale at noon.

Argosy actually delivers a pretty good product, especially if you take a tour that transits the Ballard Locks into Lakes Union and/or Washington.

No predictable presence of whales (meaning Orcas) in the Seattle area. Most whale chasing operations run out of the San Juan Islands or Victoria BC. Choose your operator carefully so you don't become part of the problem.

Gardyloo - I absolutely do NOT want to become part of the problem. Is there any operation you could suggest that would allow us a glimpse of whales without being a disturbance?