Honolulu Whale Watching Tour with Transportation Option - Honu Lani [Dec-Mar]
Overall Rating
4.48
Fun morning cruise!
Reviewed by: Tricia , 2021/03/30The staff was amazing, personable and hilarious! Overall we saw 2 babies and 2 adults but they were at a distance.
If you are looking for up close this is not the cruise but this is very family friendly and a relaxing sail with great views of Honolulu .
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2021/03/28 |
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Good sail
Reviewed by: Janice Bryan, 2016/05/011st time to Hawaii and was a little disappointed had to cancel our whale watching trip the 1st time but was able to reschedule before we left. We saw one whale but wasn't fast enough to get a picture. Just saw a little bit of the hump and tail. But we had fun while we could.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/04/05 |
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FUN TIME!
Reviewed by: Stephanie M., 2016/03/05We went on the afternoon cruise on Valentine's Day 2016 that was suppose to leave at 3 p.m. We ended up leaving about 15 minutes late because we had to wait for a van coming from Waikiki with more riders and they were late. We did see whales about 2 miles off the Hilton Hawaiian Hotel. The crew was very friendly and we enjoyed the open bar. It was like a whale watching party on someone's private boat! We had so much fun, that we booked the 5:30 p.m. boat cruise that very same day! Again, the only disappointment was that the boat was suppose to depart at 5:30 p.m., but this time it did not depart until 6:15 p.m. (45 minutes later!) because again, we were waiting on a van that had gone to hotels in Waikiki to pick up more riders and they were late due to traffic. Our boat cruise was cut short by 45 minutes and we only stayed out on the ocean until 7 p.m. so we felt cheated out of ocean time. Again, the crew was friendly but when I pay to spend time on the ocean, I expect and want to spend the entire one and a half hours on the ocean. In the future, I would suggest to the boat company, not to wait for a late van of riders and penalize those who were on time. Or, make sure that your riders get their full time on the ocean by staying out longer if you depart late.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/02/14 |
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Great Time
Reviewed by: HulaHoney, 2015/09/07My mom and I are seasoned travelers to Hawaii. We enjoy whale watching but this was our first time on this Waikiki Whale Watch Sail.
Our driver picked us up on time and was courteous and professional.
We sailed on the Honi Olani. It is a 45 passenger boat but for our tour there were only a dozen or so guests. We were given safety instructions and then we headed out to search for whales!
Captain Chad seemed very experienced and knowledgeable about the humpback whales and their patterns. He knew how long they would be down and which direction they were headed.
We spotted 2 whales and stayed with them most of the tour. The whales dive down and then come back up every so often for air. We saw the other large whale watching boats but we were closer than them and able to turn quicker and get to the whales when they popped back up.
We also saw green sea turtles, spinner dolphins and flying fish.
The boat has bathrooms on board and snacks were provided. There was fresh orange and apple, chex mix and granola bars. There is a covered area in case of inclement weather. The drinks were free for sodas and $1 or $2 for alcohol.
The crew was great. Chad, Jacob and Chad were more than happy to talk to you about the beautiful Hawaiian Islands and all they have to offer.
Our tour lasted a few minutes longer than expected because we came upon the pod of spinner dolphins. Nobody on board had conflicting plans so we were able to prolong the tour a bit.
Upon arrival to Waikiki our drive was able to drop us at a different location to do some shopping! It wasn't far from our hotel yet it saved our tired feet and legs.
I do recommend this tour to others. It would be great for any age. There were senior and young children alike on our sail. The little ones enjoyed the nets in the front of the boat. And the seniors were able to sit in the covered area to rest. I'll definitely be going out on the boat again on my next visit to Waikiki.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2015/01/11 |
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Great time
Reviewed by: Steve, 2015/04/20I recommend the whale watching with Hawaii Nautical. The crew was fabulous and very friendly. We got lucky because our family was the only one on board that day. We saw some green sea turtles and some spinner dolphins but the whales were very elusive that day. The captain tried his best and even gave us some extra time to try and catch sight of some whales. He felt very bad that we did not get to see some whales up close. We were not disappointed, we just enjoyed the cruise. But he gave us some coupons for another free trip with them anyways. Next time we are in Hawaii, we will go with them again for sure!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2015/03/25 |
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Waiiki Whale Watch Cruise
Reviewed by: Sharon & Jim, 2015/04/10Dave and the crew of the Honi Olani catamaran were very friendly and welcoming to their tour guests. We enjoyed our late morning cruise on a bright, sunny day which featured panoramic views of Honolulu, Waikiki and Diamond Head.
Unfortunately, following a through search with all eyes focused on the horizon, we did not see any whales during our late in the season (end of March) cruise. We did see several sea turtles which thrilled the children on board.
At the end of the cruise we received vouchers for another Hawaii Nautical tour which we plan to use on our next visit to Hawaii.
Although we didn't see any whales we would recommend this tour - how often do you have the opportunity to take a catamaran cruise in Hawaii!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2015/03/30 |
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Nice Cruise
Reviewed by: zenm, 2015/03/31My family and I went to a afternoon 2 hours whale watching. We couldn't see whales this time but we all enjoyed on catamaran cruise.
I love this catamaran, we sat on front of boat most of the time. We saw great views of the ocean, harbor, beach, diamond head,
coco head, and building of waikiki city. We also saw beautiful rainbow.
The captain and crew were very friendly and knowledgeable. They provided us free snack and soft drinks, you can get beer if you pay $1 that is good deal.
The captain gave us a free ride ticket because we did not see whales. So, we definitely come back to tour again when we come back to Hawaii!!
I also satisfied customer service of Hawaii activities when I book this tour. They also called me for remind the tour the day before,which is help us.
I definitely recommend this whale watching tour book by Hawaii activities.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2015/03/25 |
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Great Activity, a couple whales and some dauphins.
Reviewed by: Gilles, 2015/03/28we just went to this activity last Wednesday 8.30 am and it was great! We arrived a bit early and just took a walk around the park. very nice area. They have easy parking next to the Marina where you can park for $1.00/ hour. The crew on the cruise was very nice and made us feel welcome right away. We were only 6 on the cruise witch made it very intimate. I think that is one of the great advantages of the morning cruise, We took a drink and sat on the front nats until we saw turtle and dauphins and finally on the way back a couple whales. The whales were the least impressive as you stand far away and they don t really jump out of the water as you see on TV. It was one mother and one maybe and they basically just came up to the surface to breath every so often. Everything considering, this was a great way to spend morning. Maybe a bit overpriced but the crew and amenities were great.
Compare to the huge ships, I would choose this one every time just so you actually feel like you are on a boat .
Snacks could use improvement and the way back to marina was a bit rushed
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2015/03/25 |
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Great Experience!
Reviewed by: Jason, 2015/02/16We had a great time. The boat was on the smaller side, which was good...we could maneuver and move towards sighted whales more quickly and easier than the large vessels could. there were about 12 total guest on the boat with 4 total crew members, so the tour was very intimate. We enjoyed the friendliness and knowledge of the staff. Light snacks and refreshments were provided, and alcohol was available for $1 or $2 for those who wanted it. There was plenty of room in the covered area of the boat as well as the front deck. We spent the majority out on the deck, as the views from there were remarkable. One woman got seasick and the crew did what they could to help her out. I'd recommend Dramamine beforehand just in case! Regarding the actual whale sightings, we probably saw about 6 whales in the time that we were out there. Most of the time we would see the large fin protruding from the water a few times, and then we'd see the tale come up before the whale made a deep dive into the water. We saw one turtle as well. No spinner dolphins when we were out but I believe that those are a common sighting as well. The whales we saw were anywhere from 50-100 yards away, so we felt like we were pretty close, without being on top of them (they are huge!). Overall, we had a fantastic time. Just being out on the boat was worth the price, and the multiple sightings made it a great trip. Staff does not ask for tips, but we thought it was appropriate to leave one since they were so accommodating. I would certainly recommend to a friend!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2015/02/11 |
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Can I get ya anything?
Reviewed by: Arysa, 2015/02/09We started our activity by getting picked up at our hotel by a friendly shuttle driver. We were with my mother-in-law and her sister. The driver suggested they used hotel restroom before we left, which was very nice, considering they were elderly and the restroom on the boat can be a little tricky to say the least.
When we got to the shipyard we were greeted by the captain and the crew. They were very thorough and professional.
We set off to find whales and the crew was very accommodating and interacted with everyone. They always asked if we needed anything.
We didn't have much luck spotting whales this day. We spotted a few in the distance and finally a mom and baby after looking an extra 30 minutes past our scheduled time.
Not really their fault, but a little disappointing.
I would recommend these folks. They are a good crew.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2015/02/06 |
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Relaxing 2 Hour Boat Ride
Reviewed by: Jensen Wakayama, 2014/12/14I made this booking at the last minute because my best friend from Ukraine was visiting Honolulu.
The reservation was made late at night and confirmed promptly by 8AM the following morning.
The 3 man boat crew was very polite and friendly which was fantastic. The boat and the head were clean. No complaints there.
I had made the booking with the obvious intention of viewing whales. But Mother Nature had other plans. We spent the full duration of the ride seeing just blue water, small fish and the occasional airplane flying overhead. Relaxing, but not what we had come to see.
I was very pleased that the company which provides this service has a policy regarding cruises that do not encounter any whales. Because we did not see any whales, the boat captain provided us with a voucher allowing us to take another whale watching cruise with the company at no charge. I will certainly be seeing them again soon.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2014/12/12 |
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Fun
Reviewed by: Tokyoboy, 2014/01/08When I arrived to Kewalo Basin Harbor little bit earlier than their check-in time by our self, I couldn't fin their pier. It is just couple ships next from the pirates ship.
It is just small boat. But, Captain and crew's hospitality was really good.
Small ship means can turn easy to chase whale. Unfortunately, we couldn't watch whales much closer. But, Crews tried to do their best.
During activity, when my wife wanted to lay down on storage of life jackets, Captain brought life jacket for her to use it as cushion. Other staff was very kind for our kids. It was fun and much enjoyed.
I am sure that I will try to aboard this activity once again at next time.
Thank you very much for making our very good time.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2014/01/07 |
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