Reviewed by: Lynda DeWard
On October 7th we joined the Dolphin watch Snorkel cruise to Lanai. It was quite breezy that day and upon boarding we were informed that because of the weather the cruise to Lanai had to be canceled and alternate snorkel locations would have to be used instead of the live coral reefs originally promised off the coast of Lanai, and further, the activities and relaxing time on Lanai would be out of the question. Although very disappointed we understood the situation and sympathized with the cruise captain. She was very nice and we felt sorry for her. We proceeded to her first chosen snorkel location off the coast of Maui, dropped anchor and began preparation for our first snorkel dip. The underwater scenery was somewhat less than spectacular but the experience was interesting. Not having snorkeled for several years it was an exhilarating experience to paddle in the ocean and explore the ocean floor. Subsequently, we pulled anchor and headed for another snorkel area off the shore of Maui and had our lunch, which was quite good and filling. When we arrived at the second site it was too windy to dive there and we were forced to find another alternative site. Again, interesting but even less spectacular than the first and really too windy to enjoy. Exhausted and chilled we finally headed back to Lahaina harbor for our cruise departure. Final assessment, the crew was very good and experienced, the captain was very good and well informed and handled the situation, much as it was, graciously and all in all we did enjoy ourselves on the cruise, but we didn’t even come close to what we were expecting for our investment.
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Packages: | 2-for-1 Review Rebate Special |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/10/24 |
Activity Date: | 2015/10/07 |
Reviewed by: Laurie
I wished we had a more outgoing/energetic group of passengers along with us, but our driver, Sam made up for it, amazing me with his non-stop humor and entertainment. As others said, I am very glad I did not have to drive that one-lane two-way road with rusty railings and precarious turns myself for hours and hours of driving (see the one photo attached where looking out my window you could see an inch of pavement and then the drop). The tour buses being higher than car height and having large windows provided a wide-open view i would not have see from my rental car. Sam educated us on Hawaiian history, and pointed out dining spots, fauna, flora, and talked of herbal uses of the plants. He talked about his family and their land, and told stories of growing up in Hawaii. He made certain to stop and let us take photos from the tour bus, at perfect photo spots along the road often near its many bridges, rivers, falls. We were handed a map at the beginning with spots high-lighted in yellow where we would get out and walk around, so we could gauge how long we had to go. The places we stopped were gorgeous. Some had very short paths to explore. The banana bread stop nice. At one popular waterfall stop, the road jammed up and Sam was out there, cooling tempers with his humor, making friends, and directing traffic to clear the gridlock. The open air restaurant in Hana was good, beautiful artwork, nice lunch. Sam brought us tastes of a local dish, Poke, the restaurant made. Unfortunately at the one stop for swimming at the 7 Sacred Pools of 'Ohe'o, the park has certain conditions the surf must meet to let you down there to swim: it was closed that day, and I was terribly disappointed after seeing so many beautiful pictures on the internet and hoping it to be the big finish, but Sam still gave us time enough time to do the circular hike out to the point above there, as consolation. I am very glad I signed up for this tour. Was sad when the day was over.
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Packages: | 50% Discount Review Rebate Special Hana "Gold" Adventure |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/10/21 |
Activity Date: | 2015/10/13 |
Reviewed by: Brian Soushek
The VELTRA tour I took was the Maui to Lanai Dolphin and Snorkel cruise on October 7th, 2015. The tour was a great opportunity to see the island of Maui from the water and snorkel in beautiful unspoiled coral reefs. The staff on the tour were attentive and hospitable. The food was great and there was plenty of it. We did not get to our destination of Lanai due to poor weather conditions. In my opinion the boat captain made a wise choice in avoiding a possible dangerous trip across the waterway between Maui and Lanai. The captain did offer the option of rescheduling our trip in order to see the island of Lanai, but our group was leaving the next day so this was not something we could do. I would suggest that anyone taking this tour should schedule it at the beginning of their vacation so if there is inclement weather they can change the date and have the full experience. One other concern was that lunch was served between our snorkeling opportunities and on my second snorkel trip I had a full stomach. I don't suggest doing this. If lunch had been served after the second snorkel it would have been easier on me. Overall though, a great time had by my family!
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Packages: | 2-for-1 Review Rebate Special |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2015/10/20 |
Activity Date: | 2015/10/07 |
Reviewed by: kshabanov
I booked this tour for my family [ages 3 & 6]... none of us had any snorkeling experience. We all had a great time learning about the islands, sea animals, and snorkeling. The locations were beautiful!! The crew was friendly and helpful--especially when I was trying to get the kids in and out of the boat [and when my son asked for more cookies!].
Once on the water, at least two crew members were floating around on surfboards teaching, offering advice, and helping us swim back to the boat if we were too tired.
It was a little scary to be afloat in the big ocean, but I felt more confident knowing that there were at least 3 people keeping eyes on the water at all times... we even saw 2 pods of dolphins!
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Packages: | 2-for-1 Review Rebate Special |
Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Posted on: | 2015/10/19 |
Activity Date: | 2015/10/05 |
Reviewed by: Arcglasgow
The Maui and Lanai providers were both very well organised which was particularly good as I had only been able to book this at the last minute. Bruce the guide and driver was knowledgeable and fun to travel with, a very pleasant man. He also gave me lots of good advice about where to go in Lanai City as I had opted to stay there for a while, He also ensured I knew how to get back to the ferry. The ferries were very well run.
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Packages: | Half Day Tour |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2015/10/14 |
Activity Date: | 2015/10/12 |
Reviewed by: Julie
We recently went on the Maui to Lanai Dolphin watch and snorkel trip. Unfortunately not under the control of the crew but the weather was not great and winds were strong enough that we could not make the trip to Lanai. I would have rescheduled as they gave us that as an option but we left the next day so it was not possible. So instead the captain tried to make the best of it by taking us down the west coast of Maui. We stopped at the first snorkel spot and it was good- really far from the reefs so kind of difficult to see much. They gave us about an hour here and then we were supposed to move further south to the next location. When we arrived the weather had picked up so she turned around to head back. They finally settled on a location to let us snorkel again and the seas were rough- better snorkeling though once we got in. However they didn't leave us much time in the water and by the time we got out they said we were to close to the harbor to even have our free drink allowance so 3 people in our party missed out on that :( Bummer since they wouldn't serve it to us prior to snorkeling. Didn't get to see dolphins either (which is why my son wanted to take this trip) but I also know that is not guaranteed. Overall the crew made the best of a bad weather situation. Maybe next time.....
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Packages: | 2-for-1 Review Rebate Special |
Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Posted on: | 2015/10/13 |
Activity Date: | 2015/10/07 |
Reviewed by: Sunny
The atmosphere was great and the food was scrumptious. You cannot beat the open bar and the Mai Tai where the best I have ever had.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/10/08 |
Reviewed by: Miked
This was the last event of our three week vacation in Hawaii and what a way to end it! It had great food, outstanding service and dazzling pagentry! There were many handsome Kane and beutiful Wahine! The show provided and outstanding story of Hawaii and its history. Mahalo!!
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Packages: | Table and Chair Seating |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/10/04 |
Activity Date: | 2015/10/01 |
Reviewed by: dustman
This was our second time for this particular luau. (We obviously liked it the first time also) The food was as good as we remembered from our previous trip ( 2 years ago ) and the entertainment took a big step forward with both the dancers and the master of ceremonies . Had a great time!
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Packages: | General Seating Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/10/04 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/08 |
Reviewed by: dustman
Very pleased with the cruise. It definitely exceeded my expectations. The food was good, the timing of service was right on and we really enjoyed the live entertainment. Would highly recommend.
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Packages: | Sunset Dinner Cruise |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/10/04 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/10 |
Reviewed by: mauiwowie
After taking a nice short drive to the Fruit Farm, we arrived at its beautiful location and were immediately greeted by the staff. We were invited up to the farm's gazebo and offered several varieties of fresh dragon fruit. Upon confirming with the staff, we were told that we had only booked the Zipline Adventure Tour even though we had intended to do the combo tour. I guess what happened was that I had originally booked the combo tour but thought I didn't and actually ended up booking the wrong tour. This is nothing related to the actual tour itself, but I would recommend that hawaii activities more clearly distinguish the different options to avoid confusion for others.
Letting the staff know this, they were happy to add the aquaball adventure to our package. Since we were the only ones in our group, we had plenty of time to enjoy the zipline and the aquaball as well. The whole entire staff was both friendly and professional, and we highly recommend this activity to others.
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Packages: | Single Line Zipline Adventure (4 rides) |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/10/03 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/24 |
Reviewed by: Betty Latiolais
My sister and I were upgraded to a helicopter tour to Hana. Then we came back by limo to our hotel. It was a great trip and we enjoyed every minute!
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Packages: | Hana Tour with Picnic Lunch |
Attended as: | Friends |
Posted on: | 2015/10/02 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/23 |
Reviewed by: Miked
This tour was fantastic! I recommend this to anyone who wants to get a breath taking view of the entire island of Maui. The equipment is state of the art and the personnel were helpful and cheerful!
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Packages: | Complete Island [65min Eco-Star] |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/10/01 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/27 |
Reviewed by: Laura
Lovely morning at Haleakala. Was cloudy at first, but eventually the beautiful sunrise appeared. Breakfast was great and they offered a choice of three selections.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/09/27 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/27 |
Reviewed by: Dennis and Pam Bock
The BEST dinner cruise! Great crew, delicious food, beautiful setting, very nice boat. I'd do it again and again!!!
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Packages: | Sunset Dinner Cruise |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/09/25 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/22 |
Reviewed by: Richard Horton
Would thoroughly recommend this Luau. All you can eat and drink plus a great show put on by the dancers. A really great evenings entertainment and some great memories.
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Packages: | Table and Chair Seating |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/09/23 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/13 |
Reviewed by: honeymooners
My husband and I were looking forward to seeing lots of fish/dolphins and enjoying a barbecue lunch and cocktails. Our boarding passes didn't match the boat that we boarded, but we didn't think much of it. The boat started heading toward Lana'i, and the continental breakfast started (Costco muffins cut in half, fresh fruit, granola bars, and coffee or warm pineapple juice). Breakfast was good, but it quickly became EXTREMELY choppy. There was quite a south swell, so my husband and I didn't complain. When we arrived at Lana'i, we had to skip a snorkeling site due to rough water but were able to snorkel in a marine preserve bay. We saw a lot of fish and thought visibility was okay, but more experienced passengers thought that the visibility was awful.
We headed off to a Maui snorkeling site after an hour. On the way, we were treated to our "barbecue" lunch: cold-cut sandwiches, chips, and soda or water. We had all been looking forward to barbecue and almost every adult had been talking about the cocktails they were going to order. Compared to what we paid for, lunch was a real disappointment. But it was about to get worse; the water became even rougher, and passengers started vomiting everywhere - out the cabin windows and all over the floor right where everyone was eating. We did end up seeing dolphins, though.
The second snorkel site had pretty bad visibility, but we did see a few turtles! After an hour, we got back on the boat and headed back to the harbor.
We talked to a couple of locals (one an activity concierge) on the boat, and they said this trip is usually one of the best ones out there. But frankly, if you pay for barbecue and cocktails, you should be getting that (or something comparable with an explanation/apology). This did not happen on our trip. The locals said that the original boat would not have been as rough, as it was much bigger, too. We don't usually complain, but we wish we had gotten a bit of a refund. At least the crew was nice.
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Packages: | 2-for-1 Review Rebate Special |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/09/22 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/21 |
Reviewed by: Tony
The center had great sea life tanks. We saw sharks, turtles and all the types of fish you see in the ocean around the island. the staff was very informative and knowledgeable.
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Packages: | One-Day Pass |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/09/21 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/08 |
Reviewed by: Tony
We had a wonderful time. The captain and the crew were great. The snacks, drinks and the dinner were great
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Packages: | Premium Package (until 01/31/2018) |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/09/21 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/12 |
Reviewed by: Marco G
A must do when visiting Maui. Try to avoid taking kids the will get seasick. You will become great at snorkeling after the cruise. The crew was awesome, the captain told stories and gave us a bit of history is the islands. The breakfast given was just right, it was light for the long ride to find a good spot to snorkel (about one hour and fifteen minutes), I didn't get to try much of the lunch because I got a little seasick but what I tried was good. We were taken to rough waters to snorkel first then we were taken to a very calm beach with an old dock were we spotted a big turtle that when below most of us snorkeling. To be able to enjoy to the fullest you must drink you any type of anti-seasick drugs.
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Packages: | 2-for-1 Review Rebate Special |
Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Posted on: | 2015/09/20 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/11 |
Reviewed by: Molly
My sister and I joined this activity because we thought that snorkeling is the must do thing in Hawaii. On the boat, you didn’t feel crowded and every group had their own table. However, the day was bad weather. The captain took us to three different places for snorkeling. There were only few fish and no any dolphins. Moreover, some people were stung by jellyfish. Fortunately, the captain had prepared vinegar on the boat. The crews were very nice. Because my sister is not good at swimming, one of the crew accompanied her during snorkeling. We really appreciated it when he offered to help. And the food provided on the boat is simple but good. I loved fruits. Besides breakfast and lunch, they also provided drinks and snacks. In spite of the bad weather, seeing and enjoying Lanai on the boat were wonderful. There was also a Hawaiian woman telling Hawaiian story during the tour. This tour is worth it and is suitable for everyone.
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Packages: | 2-for-1 Review Rebate Special |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/09/20 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/07 |
Reviewed by: Tara
Informative and absolutely breathtaking. Our tour guide, "Sally", was excellent.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/09/19 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/16 |
Reviewed by: Dee
Mario, Becka (sp?), and Cap'n Linda did an outstanding job of making us feel welcomed and appreciated. They (the crew) were friendly, courteous, and genuinely happy to have us on board. I have no other sunset cruise in Maui with which to compare this event, however, I can recommend this cruise to you all without reservation. (Another couple we met on board had been on Teralani before, and they said Queen's Treasure was much better...for what it's worth). The food was good...hors d'ouervres, but substantial enough to fill. Meatballs, tuna roll-ups, cheeses, crackers, fruit, veggies, dips, and some deli meat. Drinks were sufficient for the evening. I recommend NOT paying extra for the premium bar, 3 drinks are plenty (even for the seasoned professional, such as I), and even so, they weren't keeping track of those who did, or didn't pay for the premium package, so drink at will! The boat has a max occupancy of 49, we were scheduled with that many, but only 43 showed up. Plenty of room, drinks, and food! Mahalo!!
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Packages: | Premium Open Bar (All-You-Can-Drink) |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/09/19 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/16 |
Reviewed by: Iliana
We had a fantastic time on our Road to Hana tour! Larry is a great tour guide. I just wished we could have spent more time at the Seven Sacred Pools. We saw many waterfalls, so this is an excellent choice for people that love nature!!
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Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2015/09/15 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/11 |
Reviewed by: Kerhoffmn
Great Captain (same as our snorkel trip) and crew. Very friendly and happy, food was good. Nice night for my wife's birthday.
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Packages: | Sunset Dinner Cruise |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/09/14 |
Activity Date: | 2015/08/24 |
Reviewed by: Cindy
The guide was great and witty. A lot of fun despite not being able to see the sunrise because of the fog that morning.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Friends |
Posted on: | 2015/09/13 |
Activity Date: | 2015/08/22 |
Reviewed by: Zane & Kay
We read it was a good idea to do this at the beginning of your trip so you're still on your 'time' due to the early morning time frame. Even though you are going to nice warm Maui, it is very cold up there early morning. You are in the elements for about an hour, bring a jacket, blanket, beach towel, something... It's easier to enjoy the spectacular sunrise if you're not freezing.
Glen was a fun tour guide. We enjoyed our morning with Glen.
The view at breakfast was beautiful.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/09/13 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/06 |
Reviewed by: Arminder
Went to maui for honeymoon and this was defiantly our highlight and we had a great time. This was my first time doing snorkeling and i don't even know how to swim so i was not comfortable initially but this staff helped me with everything, explained me how to snorkel safely and i had no issues. Staff was really nice and helpful. Food was also great as well. They served breakfast when we started in morning and then we had bbq lunch. After snorkeling for couple of hours, they started BBQ and we had fresh hot dogs, cheese burgers, chicken burger and much more. Savor a delicious and freshly prepared BBQ lunch featuring big juicy hamburgers, chicken breasts and plump hotdogs with all fixins was amazing. After lunch, drinks bar was open and we all had complementary drinks. I was not expecting this much fun but now i am glad that i did this activity. This is must do activity in Maui and every dollar is worth spending on this activity. The price was very affordable since everything is expensive in Hawaii this was relief. I would highly recommend to get this deal. The Lahaina curse company and her crew are family oriented and provided safe, fun adventure.
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Packages: | 2-for-1 Review Rebate Special |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2015/09/12 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/09 |
Reviewed by: Debbie
Words can't express how beautiful the sunrise is from up here. Definitely bring jeans, sweatshirt, hat and gloves!! You need it.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Friends |
Posted on: | 2015/09/12 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/08 |
Reviewed by: Debbie
The food was subpar. The service was the same. Hated that we had to get up and get our own drinks which were weak. Chairs were bolted down so no movement and extremely uncomfortable. And 90% of the 'cruise' was us drifting in the water...I expected a sunset cruise to, well, cruise....
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Packages: | Sunset Dinner Cruise |
Attended as: | Friends |
Posted on: | 2015/09/12 |
Activity Date: | 2015/09/09 |
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