This is a must-do in the region! If you are planning a trip to Perth, you will have heard of Lobster Cruise and Mandurah Cruise. This is one of the best things to do. Go on a leisurely cruise in the outskirts of Perth and enjoy a seafood lobster lunch while cruising. There is also the opportunity to catch your lobster cage. The Wild Seafood Experience from Mandurah Cruise is the best. It is a 3-hour cruise with a 7-course lunch menu and unlimited drinks. You will cruise around Mandurah’s beautiful canals and waterways with the opportunities to spot wild dolphins at play, plus pelicans, ospreys and other fascinating birdlife. This is a great experience for travellers to Perth. It is just an hour’s drive out from the CBD.

Booking & Prices

There are a couple of ways to go about booking the cruise. You can simply book it directly from their website or check out some third-party online travel agency. Do note that the cruise does not run daily and there are slight changes in their schedule from day to day. I chance upon the cruise on Pelago, an OTA that offers tours and experiences in collaboration with Singapore Airlines. The cruise costs 299 AUD for adults, 269 AUD for Seniors above 65 and 150 AUD for kids when booked directly. At the point of my booking, Pelago was running a promotion where SQ customers enjoyed 30% off. I ended up paying about 222 SGD per person. Quite a deal.

Arrival 

You are recommended to arrive about 15 minutes before the cruise departure time. Do cater much more time than that as it can be rather hard to find parking. You can find free parking at Mandurah or the Mandurah Bridge Car Park. If you decide to do this, do prep some time for the stroll over. We managed to find a lot right in the city centre.

Do pay attention to the limit of the parking lot as you need something with at least 4P (4 hours). Mandurah is so laid back and gorgeous. The cruise departs from the town jetty just opposite The Bay Cafe.

Boarding 

The cruise arrived right on the dot. The 15-minute allowance might be a stretch but with such things, it is better to be earlier than later. We spend the time wandering around the waterfront area. We were warmly welcomed onboard by Chloe and the rest of the crew. We were invited to take a sit and explore the yacht. Immediately, the crew came along to hand over some ginger cookies and a flute of bubbles to start the party.

We ended up departing about 20 mins late as there was a huge group of guests that were late. It is so unprofessional of them but with it being a group of 17, the crew were slightly more accommodating. We had a total of 21 people on board.

As we departed the jetty, the crew gave us a short safety briefing and provided some information. They have storage for personal belongings as there might be a chance of them getting wet. We are also told to get drinks anytime and they have a huge selection of alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. They have also prepared 3 lobster pots for us to pull, one for each group. The yacht is spacious and have a small toilet for guests to use too.

Mandurah Wild Seafood Experience Lobster Cruise

We sail out for a bit and hit up the lobster cages. The crew gave us clear instructions and we gave it a try. I was the first one to throw the hook. It is pretty easy. Just aim for the line and throw in. Then pull as hard as possible. It was absolutely fun. The crew will put these cages with bait for the next cruise that they have. We are right in the middle of the harvesting season which ensures some of the best pull.

The first cage got us 3 lobsters. One was super huge and close to 10 years old. The crew then gave us a little introduction on how to measure and gauge their ages. I even got a crab. I also learned how to tell the gender of the lobster. According to local regulations, we can only catch lobsters that are above 7 years old. If it is a female and has eggs, we can’t have them.

We then got even more opportunities to have pictures with the lobsters. Check out this super huge one! The chef then prepared the food onboard and offered us the Mandurah Blue Swimmer Crab Terrine with House-made Seeded toast and Seared Abrolhos Island Sea Scallops, served in the shell with a Remoulade as we cruise around.

We then spend the rest of the time lounging around over drinks before returning to find the bottom deck set up with a white tablecloth for the rest of the meal. We headed back to the jetty just as we were finishing up desserts.

Seafood Lunch

The cruise includes unlimited drinks in the package throughout the whole journey. You can find premium still and sparkling fine wines from Howard Park Wines’ Regional Range such as Petit Jeté NV, Miamup Rosé, Flint Rock Riesling, Miamup Chardonnay, Miamup Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, Flint Rock Pinot Noir, Miamup Cabernet, Western Australia craft beers, corona and 150 lashes. Non-alcoholic beverages include soft drinks, tea, coffee and water.

Here is the food that we had onboard. As mentioned earlier, food is served throughout the cruise. Mandurah Blue Swimmer Crab Terrine with House-made Seeded Toasts

Seared Abrolhos Island Sea Scallops, served in the shell with a Remoulade

Seafood Platter featuring Mandurah Blue Swimmer Crabs, Exmouth Prawns, Oysters & Fremantle Marinated Octopus

Lemon Pepper WA Barramundi with Broccolini & Sticky Chilli Rice

Lobster Sashimi to share, served in the shell with a Zesty Dressing

Western Rock Lobster cooked on the BBQ in Garlic Butter, served with Chilli Mango Noodle Salad

Conclusion

This might come in a little pricey but it is hands down the best experience that I had during my time in Western Australia. It is worth every penny. Thankfully, I also managed to take advantage of the Pelago promotion and get some discount. The food is excellent and the same goes for the drinks. I am glad to take part in this. These food experiences are what I adore. Catching my lobster and savouring them fresh? How fantastic is this! I enjoyed it and properly had too much to drink. The meal was delicious and we were so full at the end of it. Highly recommended! It is the perfect half-day trip out from Perth! I might just be digging into the yacht life.