The Ocean Princess is the biggest and fastest head boat in Ocean City, and it runs the widest menu of trips in the port. The Bunting family’s 80 foot boat carries up to 65 anglers from Dorchester Street downtown, from a $58 four hour trip up to a 14 hour tilefish run, with new motors that put it on the grounds ahead of the slower boats and free parking, free bait, and the fishing license all covered. It targets sea bass, flounder, tautog, triggerfish, and tilefish, and the crew earns steady praise for keeping a big deck fishing.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.7 the Ocean Princess is a strong choice and ranks third in Ocean City. Its case is range and value: no other boat here offers as many trip lengths, from a cheap half day to a serious 14 hour tilefish run, on the fastest, largest hull in the port, with parking and bait thrown in. What holds it a notch below the Morning Star and the Angler is the crowd and the focus. A 65 angler boat fills its rail at capacity, so a peak summer trip is a busy deck, and the menu, wide as it is, stays bottom fishing rather than the canyon tuna and marlin run. For a smaller, quieter rail, the Morning Star caps its load; for a comfortable family boat, the Judith M leans into the amenities. The full field is on the Ocean City ranking.
The boat
The Ocean Princess is an 80 foot head boat, the largest in Ocean City, rerigged with new motors that make it the fastest too, which matters when the grounds are an hour out and you want lines in the water first. It carries up to 65 anglers, with a galley and the room a boat that size provides. The honest caveat is the flip side of that capacity: at or near 65 anglers the rail is full, lines cross, and the day feels like the big party boat it is. Reviews split on this, with some noting plenty of room and others a tight deck on a sold out trip, so the experience depends on how full the boat sails. Booked light or midweek it is roomy and fast; booked on a peak weekend it is a crowd.
The fishing and what you target
The Ocean Princess fishes the wrecks, reefs, and deeper bottom off Ocean City. The shorter trips work sea bass, flounder, croaker, triggerfish, and bluefish, the 7 and 10 hour trips reach further offshore for better sea bass and flounder, and the 14 hour limited passenger trip is a deep drop run for blueline and golden tilefish and big sea bass. Sea bass season runs May 1 to December 31, 2026, at 15 fish and a 12.5 inch minimum, with summer flounder on its own May to September window, and the 2026 federal rule aligns the offshore wrecks with the Maryland measures. This is a bottom boat across its whole menu, so the canyon pelagics are not on offer here. Confirm the current sea bass and flounder rules with NOAA Fisheries and Maryland DNR before a season specific trip.
Trips and prices
The menu is the widest in the port and the pricing is clear. Adult fares run $58 for a 4 hour trip, $65 for the 5.5 hour spring and fall special, $70 for 6 hours, $80 for 7 hours, $120 for a 10 hour day, and $225 for the 14 hour limited passenger tilefish trip, with children 12 and under about half price on the shorter trips. Free parking, free bait, and the fishing license are included, which trims the real cost, and rod rental is $6 on most trips and $10 on the tilefish run. That spread means you can match the trip to your budget and your stamina, from a quick family half day to a long offshore drop. For how a head boat seat compares with a private charter, our cost guide and the party boat versus private charter guide set them side by side.
The crew
The Ocean Princess is a Bunting family boat, the same family behind the Angler, with Captain Victor among those reviewers name at the helm. The crew sentiment is a real strength: anglers repeatedly describe mates who are helpful, patient, and entertaining across a long day, and the boat’s speed gets a lot of credit for reaching the fish quickly and leaving more time to fish. The variability, as on any big head boat, is the crowd. On a packed trip the mates are spread thin across 65 anglers, so the help you get depends on how full the boat is. That is the format, and it is the main thing that separates this boat from the limited load Morning Star above it.
Booking and what to know
Book through the operator site or by phone, and pick a weekday or a shorter trip if you want a thinner crowd, or the limited passenger tilefish trip if you want room and a serious offshore day. The boat leaves 307 Dorchester Street in downtown Ocean City, with free parking at the dock, an easy walk from the boardwalk. Arrive early to board and find a spot at the rail. Bait, parking, and the license are covered, so you bring food, drinks, sunscreen, a hat, a cooler with ice, and the $6 rod rental if you do not bring your own. Dress for a cool start, and confirm the schedule and weather policy when you book.
How we scored it
The Ocean Princess scores 7.7: the largest and fastest head boat in the port, the widest trip menu from a cheap half day to a 14 hour tilefish run, clear posted prices, and free parking, bait, and license, held below the top of the field by the crowded rail of a 65 angler boat at capacity and a bottom fishing menu that stops short of the canyon. Boat and equipment and trips and access are its strongest factors. See how we scored this boat for the full rubric, and the Ocean City ranking for the field, including the Angler and the Judith M.