Tall Ship Cruises Toronto – Tall Ship Kajama

As someone who has a 9 – 5 often stressful office job, I find this a perfect way to relax during a sunny weekend. You get to get away from the big city’s craziness for a good hour. They have pretty good food on the Kajama ship too. You can often buy tickets on Groupon, so it’s not even that pricey of an experience.
What’s pretty cool too is that if you go on a Kajama ship, you will pass by the airport, so sometimes planes fly right above you at a really low altitude. Pretty awesome!

This cruise was pretty much what I expected… a nice romantic little trip along the waterfront, and a nice sunset view of the skyline. I didn’t give it four stars because I think they make it a little too crowded. you can’t really walk around much, and there was always a huge line just to get a drink.

I sort of feel bad leaving a 1 star review, but to be quite honest that is what this experience is worth. Of all the tourist trap things there is to do in Toronto, this one literally is a large Tourist trap on the water.
At $ 23(?) bucks a pop the price is pretty fair for a tall ship ride out onto the lake, or so I thought.
First, it was a bit hard to find where exactly the boat docks as there aren’t any signs aside from the ticket booth which can be difficult to spot when large crowds are around. It seems the boat docks, unloads, and immediately loads to go back out. One could call this efficient, and I will admit that the staff was pretty efficient in turning the boat around in a timely manner. I understand that this is a tourist attraction, and that they are in business to make money, but to be quite honest they oversell each «cruise’ by quite a large margin. The boat was jam packed, and if you got up there was a very good chance you were losing your seat. On top of that, there was loud music playing the entire time. I understand loud music is great for attracting people when docked, but when out on the water they should turn the volume down a bit, or even change it to something that’s more instrumental and less top 40.
Of all the bad though, my biggest gripe about this experience was the constant roar of the engine. This is a tall ship! This is a sailing vessel! I understand that the engines are needed from time to time, but it would’ve been nice for them to turn the engines off, and use the sails at least once. I wouldn’t have minded if it was even for 5 of 90 minutes we were out.
Please, whoever reads this review: Don’t waste your money! Go check out the CN Tower, take a water taxi to one of the islands, or even find a rooftop patio to go have some drinks at. There are far better ways to spend your hard earned cash, and I wish I chose one of them over the Kajama.

Only worth it if you use the group-​on deal.
The Kajama is just a commercial ship that takes you out into the bay for an hour and then spins around to come home.
The crew is composed of college students and they do a good job of maintaining the ship.
The food is a little pricey but nothing that you wouldn’t expect from Toronto.
Overall, the ship is clean, the crew is friendly, and it’s a nice spot to take pictures.

It was aunties and nieces day out for my family and we opted to go for a peaceful ride on Kajama on a beautiful Tuesday afternoon. I read through the reviews the night before and found the negative reviews hilarious. People: it’s a boat ride in the harbour… Nothing more. We boarded at 11:30 am and the boat left at 12. When you board they insist on taking photos of you which they will later being around and ask $ 18 for. My cousin’s 11 year old aptly commented that it would be much cheaper to just take photos yourself. I found that funny. A nice gentleman with menus and an iPad came around to collect lunch time orders and they would arrive at the specified requested time. Food prices seemed reasonable and the process quite simple. Drink prices were on be high end but you could get a bucket of 5 coronas for $ 30. Overall it was a very relaxing ride on a beautiful day. Had it rained this would have been a very miserable trip. Downstairs on the boat there is ample seating but no windows which would make for a very boring ride. We used Groupon and only paid $ 16 per person but the regular price is $ 24.

Just had our wedding on board the Tall Ship Kajama this past weekend and it was a blast!
The staff were courteous, efficient, and very helpful. I never had to go looking for staff because everything was taken care of, from dinner to drinks, and they even took the initiative to work with the photographers and set up a slideshow projection on one of the sails (which are just for show, by the way).
The food was tasty, better than I had at some other venues. The beer selection was very good and they allowed us to make any changes to the alcohol menu in order to keep costs down or to request special items
Most of all, the night cruise gave us one of the greatest views of the city we have ever seen.
We brought our own DJ and the sound system suited our needs very well, though announcements could not be heard below decks.
Definitely recommended for special events!

My boyfriend and I enjoyed a relaxing ride along the waterfront on the Kajama.
I wish I knew more boat lingo to provide better details of the best places to sit! We sat on a bench in the middle of the boat, close to the speakers which is the opposite side of the bar. These seats were particularly nice because we didn’t have to crane our necks to enjoy the view, and the music played as fun background music, mostly 80s and 90s pop which was right up our alley!
It was a sunny morning and we were glad to have sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses.
I think the only miss for us were the photos taken when boarding the boat. We respectfully declined as we knew from other reviews that they charge a fee if we wanted to purchase them afterwards. But this seems to me, such an archaic way to run a business. First, the photos are taken before even taking off, so it’s right in the harbor instead of out on the water with the amazing Toronto skyline behind. And, secondly, I feel most people would prefer digital copies of photos. Why not take the photos and add them to Facebook for free, which encourages more people to go to your social media channels or tag themselves in your photos, sharing your company name with their friends and relatives. Just seems like a missed opportunity!
Otherwise, it was a really great experience. The views of downtown Toronto were amazing and the crew were enthusiastic and full of energy. It was great seeing volunteers help raise the sails and the canon that is shot near the end was a nice way to finish the ride.
If you have a warm afternoon in Toronto with no real plans, I’d recommend a sail on the Kajama. Make sure to bring your camera!
–Ashley Marie

This is a very relaxing ride. There’s a kitchen and bar inside the ship and there’s also music. Don’t expect anything fancy with the music though. You can barely hear it while sailing and when you’re about to get off the boat, they put some sort of salsa/​jazzy music and turn it up to attract customers!
The 90 minute ride passes quite slowly. I used the time to work on a nice tan on the boat and hang out with my buddy, while enjoying a beautiful scenery.
They take a picture of you and your company once you get in and sell the printed photo in a cardboard photo frame for $ 16. When I saw my picture, I realized they can do way better than that, the angle wasn’t right and they should at least take pictures when they’re in middle of the trip, so there’s at least a nice background behind you, and not just some ropes. Plus, these days everybody has a phone or camera, so that’s not the best way to market.
The bar serves beer, wine and up to 4 different kinds of mixed drinks. I tried the Kajama-​Rama (banana, orange and cranberry flavour) and although it was not strong, it gave me a good buzz and it was quite a summery fruity delicious drink. I tried the Quesadilla for $ 9.99 and couldn’t finish the whole plate. It wasn’t the best Quesadilla I’ve had, but it was alright.

Obsession 3 Brunch Cruise
Our children gifted us with this for our 35^th wedding anniversary. There is ample underground parking nearby on Queens Quay. A map of the Harbourfront center parking lot locations is available online to print out.
The day we went was beautiful and sunny. This was a 2 hour brunch cruise. We were greeted with a welcome aboard mimosa and were seated on the upper deck. The roof was retracted and was a little warm until we got underway and were able to enjoy a breeze. The bar was available for drinks and the prices were comparable to bars and other tourist attractions. My husband ordered a rye and ginger ale and I ordered something that was called «Sex on the Beach». They had run out of cranberry juice so my drink was made without it. It was good even so.
The scenery was gorgeous, planes landing and taking off from the Island airport, people in boats, yachts, canoes and kayaks.
When brunch was served I was pleasantly surprised at the portion sizes and the variety. The choices were salmon, chicken breast, eggs, bacon, sausage, roasted potatoes and 2 types of salad with a choice between caesar or garden. Everything was thoroughly cooked, delicious and filling.
They offered coffee and tea after and that’s one thing I saw that needed improvement. There was only one girl serving coffee. They need more organisation for that. A table with milk, cream and sugar set up with stir sticks etc needs to be put in place. The poor girl had to go into the fridge across the boat for every order that wanted milk or cream. Doesn’t make sense and made getting a coffee chaotic. Even better, they could have people serving it table to table but serve yourself would work too.
The music was great, very relaxing. One other thing that I was disappointed in, although I should have spoken up. When we boarded, they took a picture of us. It wasn’t until we were walking away from the dock that I realised they’d said nothing about the pics. I was fully prepared to buy one and at no time was it announced that they were available. We could’ve gone back but on the board walk was a street artist doing caricatures so we bought that instead.
A hat, sunscreen and a camera are a must. The temp was 25c so we didn’t need a jacket or sweater but on a windier day it might be necessary. It doesn’t offer a commentary or any historical information. This is a relaxation cruise. There are other cruises that offer that if that’s what you’re looking for.
All together it was a very nice way to spend a Sunday. We plan to do this again, perhaps for a dinner cruise.

I have not ridden it, full disclosure. I have had the… Pleasure… Of interacting with the staff.
If rude entitled Aussies are your pleasure, then this is your jam.
I could deal without the summer visa employees throwing ropes while not warning the people in the actual danger zone, and then mocking the people they hit.
Maybe it’s awesome on board, but I’d rather judge by their treatment of people they’re not paid to be nice to.
To the owners: I’d train my employees in Canadian law, and that assault is still assault even if they say something a split second before said act occurs.
Also, I doubt your proclaimed ownership of the boardwalk and benches where you dock. But, hey, maybe you do. Then you’re just normal jerks, rather than the falsely entitled version?

I was taken here a few years ago as part of my birthday and although the thoughtfulness, the gift itself –as I enjoy being near the water, the company and concept was more than I expected and very much appreciated, the boat trip itself was lacking.
They sell their trips as «sailing trips.» As a matter of fact they pretend to go so far as raising and pseudo-​trimming the sails, which I personally did. Yup, I along some of the crew were doing some hard pulling on ropes and got my exercise in.
Now, I do know a bit about sailing, I have been on a few boats and I was certified for sailing small boats and I can tell you this boat does not sail worth spit.
It was incredibly obvious. The raising of the sails if completely and utterly for show since they are never properly trimmed due to obvious reasons… The entire «sailing trip» was all done by inboard motor, I mean, you could feel the ever so light vibrations of it on the ship! Which is not how it was sold to the person who bought the tickets. I could tell she did not know the difference but I was very touched that she had tried to make me happy.
Although they are supposed to be a fully working boat, in the end and I guess it is somewhat understandable they will not go all out, as a fully working ship can be a busy place and it would be annoying going to and fro through a bunch of people walking about and eating\drinking in the way. But still, I thought it was THAT EXPERIENCE, that of seeing a working tall ship in action that we had paid for.
Not for a glorified, floating, wooden bus trip with an overpriced bar. Which is what this experience ultimately translates too.
If you are not into sailing and want to lazily sit on a floating bench with no protection from the sun (at all, so bring lots of lotion) then this is a nice way to spend the afternoon, since at that point what really matters is who you are with.
Don’t expect to see any real sailing or anyone tell you much about the history of the boat… which would be nice and help make the experience more unique. Since once they raise sail, you are basically on your own until docking. Unless you want to order something or give them more money.
Still, the thought was nice, the boat sailing was not. As there was not any.

My friends bought us $ 15 tickets from Groupon and it said you would learn how to sail and you would learn more about the history of the boat. Well they were late setting sail. They did the intros and safety speach and that was it! They didn’t talk to us during the tour. They said if anyone wants to help us raise the sails. No lesson to be had. There were so many people on board they had to get seats from downstairs. The food and drink were overpriced and tasty like crap. Even the pop tasted weird.
We sailed as far as Parklawn and Lakeshore Bvld. West. Then the boat just sat there in the water for 20 minutes or so. As we were sailing back they tried to hit up you for $ 15 for the photos taken as we boarded the ship.
Then as we were docking they announced how a red bucket would be available for tips and to give as much as you thought you had enjoyed the tour. OR take as much back if you didn’t. I said to my friends: let’s get our $ 15 back! They wouldn’t let me saying it would be bad karma. Why they said we could?!!
So as I was about to walk off the boat I looked in the bucket and there was a $ 10 and $ 5 bills in the bucket. I said loudly enough as I passed a staff person: My friends won’t let me take back my $ 15 for the worst boat tour ever!!!
Don’t waste your money on the Kajama!!!

My family and I were invited to take a cruise on Lake Ontario on The Tall Ship Kajama. A three masted Schooner that takes you on a tour of the Toronto Harbor. Now I know nothing about sailing, but I thought this would be an adventure for my kids, and my father who just happened to have his 65^th birthday at the time we decided to take the cruise, so we took him along with us. My dad loves sailing, loves boats!
The Tall Ship Kajama is a really big sail boat, not a small little dinky one that you’d own personally, this is huge!
The weather wasn’t the greatest, and it really did look like rain but they’re prepared on the ship, with a canopy to cover in case of some showers, which we did need for a small amount of time. The weather was overcast, but it was perfect for a sail, it wasn’t so hot, wasn’t so cold, just great for a day out on the water.
Once you walked aboard the Kajama one of the staff took your photo which you could purchase at the end of the sale for $ 10 I think it was. Since it was myself, my girls and my parents, it’s not a lot of times we get a photo together so my dad purchased one as a memento.
You can see more photos and my review —

This was the first real activity we did while in Toronto. We wanted to do a boat tour, and had done the jet boats in Niagara, so this was a good change of pace. It was interesting watching the crew hoist the sails (and you can help if you would like to). The cruise was relaxing and afforded great views of the city. On the other hand, being slower boat, the distance of the trip was not as far as I would imagine other boat tours may be, and perhaps we didn’t see as much (just speculating). We ordered food, but the kitchen got behind — so they brought it as the tour was ending, but they didn’t charge us since it was so late. The food was decent — nothing exciting. The crew was friendly. Overall we had fun and were pleased.

Nothing beats being on water on a nice warm day.
This cruise of sorts fills that space if you don’t mind sharing the boat with others.
This means one is free to drink and munch as someone else is responsible for the navigation.
Kajama runs two cruises on a weekdays (May till Sep) and 3 on weekends and weekdays in July till labor day lasting about hour and half.
The lineups can look huge but the ship is big enough to hold a big crowd.
Tickets are purchased through a booth on the boardwalk and can be purchased online.
They do serve food and drinks on board, beer selection is OK though they have a decent range. There are several options for food (I didn’t try any) and from the looks of it was run of the mill stuff.
You can help the crew if they decide to pull up the sails (a good activity to keep the kids busy)
Other than that a nice space as one goes around half way around the Island.
They do fire a canon midway though tiny the bass/​boom is comparable to a good home theater :)
The crew is mostly college kids so kudos to the management for providing an opportunity to work in summer and improve on the people skills.
3.5 Stars

Thanks to Groupon, we were able to enjoy a relaxing 2hr tour on the Kajama for only $ 12. With that being said I thought it was a great way to end the day of exploring the city.
The ship docks at the Harbor Front Center and there is a small booth next to where the ship docks.
After boarding the ship a picture is taken of you and your group, obviously for possible purchasing in the future. After the picture you walk around to find a seat and settle down for the ride. As the ship pulls away from the dock the crew invites passengers to help raise the sails for the trip. Although I don’t think much sailing was going on because there was absolutely no wind the day we set «sail».
The trip was a silent trip in that there was no music or commentary about the sites we were passing. Food and drinks are available for purchase. We ordered the Fish & Chips, which weren’t the best in the world or the worst. Prices for the food and drinks weren’t cheap but what do you expect from a tourist attraction. My suggestion would be to bring your own food and drinks and picnic style it out.
Luckily we were on the last tour of the day and the sun was going down as we sailed. We were greeted with beautiful views of the skyline on our way back. Perfect for photographers.
All in all, it was a very relaxing trip around the Toronto harbor and for $ 12 with the Groupon it couldn’t be beat.