snorkelTone

We booked with winsome tours (the Richardson family) based on the good reviews here.

They arranged two vans for our group of 18 people ranging from 13 to 90 years old. They took us everywhere we requested and more. Very interesting commentary and I felt I learned so much about bermuda. The facilitated an easy visit to the caves and were so kind assisting our elderly passengers including one who needed to transfer in and out of a wheelchair. The larger van has loudspeakers allowing all to hear what our guide, Julie, had to say.

We even used them on a Sunday to get us all home from Hamilton late, after public transit had shut down.

While in general we like to be independent travelers and prefer not to sit in a bus being driven around, with this large and varied group, we felt we had to do something like this tour, and they were exceptional. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Do not hesitate to tell them exactly what you would like to do with your day. Later on, a relative complained that he didn't have enough time to enjoy Saint George and would have preferred more time there instead of all the driving around and commentary. While I liked our day and didn't feel I needed more time in Saint George, it would have been so easy to just communicate with our guides and just adjust the trip to the needs of our group.

Professional, kind, knowledgable, do consider them if you might be interested in such a tour.

We booked Wahine Charters and enjoyed their small but well equipped boat with 14 passengers (only). Really fun guys running the operation who were focused on safely enjoying the Dolphins and the reef. First once they spotted the Dolphins they pulled up well ahead of where the Hawaiian spinner Dolphins were swimming and then encouraged us to quickly get off the boat and into the water to see them. Well only a couple of us actually were quick enough to see them but we all heard their clicks and whistles. Our guides yelled ok get back on the boat and we sped to another spot, where we all tried again to get in to see them. I missed them again, so on the third try they stopped the boat and said ok get off and all 14 of us hopped off where we could see the huge pod of dolphins coming towards us and swimming past where we floated staring at them. Absolutely beautiful. They were on the move, and not stopping to play, although I understand that they do stop often.

I had booked the captain cook snorkel so seeing those Dolphins was a thrilling and unexpected treat. We then got to kaleakekua bay, or captain cook, and had the incredible reef mostly to ourselves. It was the most stunning snorkeling we have ever seen. Absolutely clear and healthy reef filled with colorful fish, eels, urchins, coral. It was hard to decide what to look at and focus on. Not ready to get back on the boat when they circled around to pick us up (but we really did have a long time there - maybe an hour in the water?).

They had made us lunch and then took us by the lava tubes and taught us more as we went along.

Yes the setting weather and reefs was incredible, but the two guys running the operation were so funny and friendly that they really made the trip special too. We had another experience on a larger boat and you just can't compare to having such a small group - easy to get on and off the boat quickly.

What a wonderful day with Aaron and Lindy! We used Santa Barbara Adventure Company. We booked the four hour harbor kayak because that was the best fit with our cruise port time. We came in on a Century cruise. The tender boat let us off right at the dock where we were to meet our guides. After a safety briefing and suiting up (they had plenty of extra gear to keep us dry) we were off. Saw sea lions on our way out to the beach park where our guides prepared a fresh and delicious lunch on the shore (cutting up fresh vegetables and fruit to serve with wraps and salads and cookies mmm). A harbor seal pup swam with us a bit on our way back. Fun navigation challenges in the harbor on our way out. Fun, safe, friendly welcoming and instructional guides. My 12 year old had a great time too.

A great shore excursion for independent cruise passengers. I recommend the company add some information on their website welcoming cruise passengers to confidently book excursions with them. I wasn't sure it was feasible until I called and spoke with a representative. If you have a longer time in port you might fit in a Channel Islands trip but that requires an additional cab to the beach it leaves from.