Ko Olina Sunset Dinner Cruise with Cocktails & Snorkel Tour - Ocean Joy
Overall Rating
4.66
Sunset snorkel/dinner tour
Reviewed by: M. Olson-New Mexico, 2024/08/03The entire boat crew made this an experience to remover for ever. If you are in the area, I would highly recommend booking an evening tour with them, job well done!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2024/07/13 |
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Great trip !!!
Reviewed by: Michael Stern, 2024/05/09The trip was great, service, experience and activities were all well worth it.
The boat trip, snorkeling, dinner, drinks and a dolphin sighting for one price was amazing.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2024/05/07 |
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Great Experience!
Reviewed by: Pam, 2024/03/16My husband and I really enjoyed the Sunset Snorkel Cruise! The views were beautiful and the crew were so nice! I was nervous about trying to snorkel but the crew was super helpful and I felt safe (life vest and I was able to use a floatie as well) and we saw lots of colorful fish and sea turtles! The cocktail service was great, tasty and generous. Unfortunately during the return portion of the cruise, I felt a bit seasick (did not really affect my enjoyment of the cruise though) so only ate rice for dinner but my husband enjoyed the food which was plentiful. If you are prone to motion sickness (which I am) that would be my only advice, I forgot my accupressure wristbands which do actually work fairly well. I liked that the group was small and we had the freedom to move around and sit and stand where we wanted and all the guests were pleasant and we felt comfortable socializing and getting to talk to other people. I highly recommend this cruise!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2024/02/20 |
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Amazing crew and experience
Reviewed by: Luau D, 2023/02/01Overall great experience with a good meal, friendly crew, and add-ons to capture the adventure.
I would do it again. But I'd some time of approved boat shoe or water shoe. Not a fan of barefoot in public areas.
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2022/11/10 |
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Sunset dinner cruise
Reviewed by: Trish, 2022/03/21Just did the Snorkel and Sunset dinner cruise. I would definitely do this again. The. Staff was absolutely awesome and very very patient. I sometime feel very constrained with all the rules but the staff did a very good job explaining why they have to do what they do to keep all of us safe and still have the best time. The music was great, the food was wonderful. And everybody on the boat seemed to have a good time. Oh and the sunset on the water was epic. I highly recommend this to all!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/03/19 |
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Great crew! We had a blast!
Reviewed by: Jake B. , 2021/11/13Everyone was so welcoming and fun! We will definitely be coming back next time we’re back in Hawaii! The boat was clean and all the staff was very professional!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2021/11/11 |
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Great crew, awful photographer
Reviewed by: Cece, 2021/08/24The crew were friendly, but the photographer was no good. Don’t purchase the pictures. They are not worth it. She basically only took pictures of u on the boat, which u can also do with your own camera. When it’s time to go under water, the photographer was too busy snorkeling herself. We had to chase her down for some pictures, but it came out super blurry. At the end when the pictures package were emailed to us, it consists many Google under water sea life images. I’d recommend u bring ur own phone with waterproof pouch, the pictures will be so much better.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2021/08/17 |
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Fun time, bad weather
Reviewed by: TiffTheGr8, 2018/04/13Not a fan of the food. The crew was fun and knew their stuff. The experience was great. We went out on a windy night and the water was a little rough. It was too cloudy to see the sunset that night too.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2018/04/10 |
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Snorkeling and dinner
Reviewed by: Gary Jackson, 2017/10/01GREAT time!!!! Staff was wonderful and did a great job of ensuring we had a good time!!!
If we had the time, we’d do it again!!!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2017/09/28 |
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Excellent
Reviewed by: Norma, 2017/04/04We loved our time on the snorkeling and dinner cruise excursion. Well worth the price. Our captain gave great instruction and safety procedures. He also took us up snd close to a whale which gave us quite a show within 25 yards or so. The time by the shore snorkeling was impressive. Lots of fish.
The dinner was delicious with plenty of variety of drinks both spirited and not. I enjoyed the time to enjoy the sunset. Beautiful. There are two restrooms where you can change. Two shower hoses to rinse off after you snorkel. Staff was great. Underwater photographer was along for optional photo package you can purchase.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2017/03/25 |
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Adventures In Sea Sickness
Reviewed by: DLineen, 2017/03/25I know it's just the luck of the draw and bad timing but 5 or 6 people got sick on our trip due to high waves. Maybe cancelling the trip would have been best because after all that, the provided meal was not at all appetizing. Yes we saw a couple green sea turtles, but it would have been much, much better without the fear of human projectile.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2017/03/04 |
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Amazing Time
Reviewed by: R.D. Francis , 2017/02/12My wife and I enjoyed this very much, Great way to help celebrate our 30th anniversary. A fun and knowledgable crew took very good care of us. Fantastic catamaran
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2017/02/09 |
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Ocean Joy Snorkel & Dinner Cruise Review
Reviewed by: Unhappy customer, 2016/08/02We were pretty disappointed with this trip. Just not as organized as we had hoped. We've been on many different snorkel trips over the years and this is one of the most unorganized we've attended. Competing boats seem to pass out gear and explain rules and safety regulations on the way to the destination. Then, once anchored, we can get in the water. This boat waits until we are on anchor, then starts the slow unorganized process of handing out gear. Takes way too long!
Food was decent, but mixed drinks were not! The captain, although tried to be funny, was not for the most part. We tried to have a conversation with him and generally got one word answers. So, he really wasn't interested in talking with us. When we were on anchor, he seemed to be more interested in flying his own personal drone around the boat.
The crew was nice and helpful, the captain, not so much! The best part of the trip was the photographer. Really a terrific individual, very personal with the guest and generally took an interest in the guest.
Overall, I wouldn't use this boat again.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2016/07/30 |
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Best excursion!
Reviewed by: Tracy Arnett, 2016/04/05This was hands down our favorite excursion on the island! Fantastic Crew, great food, fun music, great snorkeling, and lovely boat ride. We went with my mom and our 5 year old son. Both of them chose not to snorkel and still had a blast. Extra bonus, they have a photographer who took tons of photos (even underwater!) at the cost of $40 for the entire flash drive. Really great time! Highly recommend!! We will be back :-)
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2016/03/31 |
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An absolutely wonderful time!
Reviewed by: Alison B, 2015/11/15My fiancé and I went on the Snorkel and Sunset cruise the second week of November. The bus pick-up was extremely easy and allowed for worry-free drinks on the cruise.
The cruise was spectacular. The orientation was clear and made us both feel comfortable. The snorkel spot selected was stunning and quite safe feeling. We saw many tropical fish and even had a ray breeze past! We spotted a humpback whale breaching and so the captain took us on over for a closer look.
The Kalua pork was tasty for dinner and the crew went out of their way to make sure we were all satisfied. We were treated to a beautiful sunset and leisurely cruise back to harbor.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2015/11/07 |
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Second Time - As GREAT as the first!
Reviewed by: Silas, 2015/10/13Ah Man! What an amazing trip. I was a bit weary on the afternoon of since the weather report was not promising any sun. But the sunset was probably the most beautiful I have ever seen. The colors that crusted the clouds were just tear jerking. The crew was so friendly and laid back, food was healthy and tasty, beer was cold, the coastline was misty, water dark blue ... it felt so good to be there at that moment. Cheers to Ocean Joy and VELTRA for making this short trip back to the islands so much fun.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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The best sunset on Oahu!
Reviewed by: Lahn Bahn, 2015/10/13This sail packs in so much in the perfect amount of time. Not only do you get to sail along the west coast of Oahu, but you get to visit a great snorkel spot, eat your fill of delicious food and guzzle down lots of drinks!
I have done a lot of regular dinner cruises in Hawaii and in other states, but this one is definitely the most unique and you totally get a great bang for your buck. Since you are on the west side, you are literally right there as the sun dips below the horizon, and with a steady stream of drinks and as much food as you can eat, there isn't anything better!!!
The drive is like 40 minutes from Waikiki, but the transportation was comfortable and on-time. Great option if you don't want to drive and definitely a "must do" if everyone in your party is planning on knocking back a few.
Be sure to bring some cash to buy the photos that they take of you. The photographer is fantastic and takes TONS of pictures throughout the cruise, both in and out of the water. They put it on a USB drive for you and that way you don't have to worry about snapping shots and can just focus on having fun ^_^
Best. Dinner. Snorkel. Sunset. Cruise. EVAR!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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AWESOME!!
Reviewed by: Tristan, 2015/10/13Best snorkel cruise I've been on! The crew were great and you can tell they enjoy their jobs. They were all friendly and personable. They made the experience what is was. Unfortunately I am bad with names, but the crew member who spoke all the different languages was fantastic and so was our photographer (local girl).
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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A day that I won't ever forget!
Reviewed by: Ms. Kitty, 2015/03/18My friends and I were finally able to get together on Oahu, and we knew that we wanted to spend it out on the water. This cruise was the perfect choice since we got to snorkel at TWO spots (both filled with fish, coral, urchins, etc.), sipped on cocktails, devoured plates and plates of food, watched the sunset AND got to see whales! We literally couldn't ask for more!
After leaving the harbor, we headed out to the first snorkel spot and got the first glimpse of whales and after we got out of the water (which was really warm by the way), we saw even MORE whales!
The food was really hearty and filling (pulled pork, teriyaki chicken, a really tasty pasta salad, white rice, veggies and fruit) and the crew kept all of our drinks topped up :)
Really happy that we got to go on this cruise, and can't wait to go again on my next visit!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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Awesome
Reviewed by: mysticlair, 2014/12/16Ocean Joy Snorkel & Sunset Dinner Cruise was worth every penny!!!! As Kamaaina, my husband and I enjoy participating in various so called "tourist" activities. Not everyone who lives in Hawaii has a boat...so activites that offer ocean fun is very appealing. The trip started with a very comfortable pick up and ride aboard a full sized air conditioned bus. The driver was even early for pick-up. Ocean Joy fulfilled our every need from the moment we arrived at the check-in location to the time we departed the boat. The staff were very attentive and informative. The food was plentiful and the bar was flowing. We experienced one of the best views of our local sunset and even got to see a whale breach off the side of the boat. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Hawaii and other "Locals" who are looking for new things to do.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2014/12/13 |
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Deluxe Snorkel and Sunset Dinner Cruise (from Ko Olina Marina)
Reviewed by: William , 2014/11/23This sunset dinner and snorkel sail was excellent! The catamaran was very spacious with plenty of space to walk around and two spacious clean bathrooms. The staff was incredibly friendly and the photographer was exceptional! The food for dinner was also very good! After being in Hawaii for four days already and snorkeling each day, I am so glad I took with snorkel tour since it was by far the best snorkeling with beautiful reefs and sea life, and the photographer came into the water and took underwater photos of us! A jump drive with all the photos cost $40 and was well worth it! Of note do take some motion sickness medicine, you are on a boat! Overall I would highly recommend this trip to any one who wants to see great corral and beautiful sea life!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
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A must do!
Reviewed by: Sang Park, 2014/10/31We came here on our honeymoon and we had an awesome experience with Ocean Joy Cruises. We scheduled for the shuttle service and the bus was right on time to pick us up from our hotel. There was a little traffic to Ko-Olina but wasn't too bad. The bus driver kindly guided us through the entire ride and it was comfortable. The cruise staff were friendly and generous. They provided everyone with ginger pills to avoid motion sickness. Snorkeling was great too. Too bad that we didn't get to see the turtles but it was fun! The food wasn't fancy or anything but it was delicious and that first sip of an icy cold beer after snorkeling was heavenly. While we were having dinner, we got to see the group of dolphins swimming right next to our cruise which was phenomenal. The sunset, of course, it was breathtaking moment. My husband and I really enjoyed the cruise and we will definitely come back with our family in the future.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2014/10/30 |
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trust me to try this experience
Reviewed by: han lee, 2014/10/31first of all, people working on the boat was awesome, they were very very friendly, especially guy name mason was funny and very active and he was there every moment when we needed him
the boat was not too big and luckily we only had less than twenty people so a lot of room normally around forty people on the board. I suggest to take a pill before you go on because it really help you not to through up.
snorkeling was fun experience and they teach you everything you need to know and fun part was when you go into the water they feed the fish so the fish can come to you I'm talking about a lot of fish and it was so amazing and beautiful when can I get to see that many of fish.
after snorkeling it's cold right but this boat has warm water so you can take salt water out in warm water, that was pretty good idea for help from cold and windy weather.
the boat had every drink you could think of like from hot coffee to cold soda to alcohol beverage and people working on the boat took turn to be a bartender and they actually make good tasty drinks but just let you know that alcohol is only served after snorkeling.
I gotta talk and tell you about the food. it's most delicious Hawaiian pork bbq burger and charcoal grilled chicken was so so good and fresh Hawaiian fruits was one of my favorite
during the diner time captain called out to come out and we went out and guess what?!! dolphins were swimming by, not just one couple of Dolphins
it was my first time watching Dolphins swimming around and that was amazing time.
captain was very generous he didn't want us to miss every moment so he was keep looking out and around the ocean if anything it might be interesting for us.
overall this was the best experience for us and I truly and definitely recommend to try, love to go on the board and meet them again.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2014/10/30 |
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Ko Olina Deluxe Snorkel Sunset Dinner Cruise
Reviewed by: Felix, 2013/08/11This was a wonderful experience. The driver Larry is amiable and knowledgable who provided all the information needed for the trip and he gave detailed description about the areas along the road. Crews on the boat are professional and helpful. They did an excelent job in making it an enjoyable trip on the sea. Watching the golden sun vanishing into the ocean, eventhough we did not make encounter with the dolphinss, yet it was an unforgetable pleasant experience.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2013/08/08 |
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Wonderful!
Reviewed by: Younjae, 2013/06/08친구의 도움으로 예약을 해서 가게 됐는데
정말 멋진 시간이였다!!
귀여운 돌고래와 멋진 석양.... 그리고 친절한 직원들까지
하나 더! 함께 탄 사람들도 참 유쾌했다
다만 우리가 영어에 약해 어울리지 못했다는
점이 참 아쉽다
다음 기회에 또 다시 이용하리라
당신의 소중한 의견을 주셔서 감사합니다!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2013/06/04 |
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Whatt?!?!?! OMG Amazing!
Reviewed by: Eddy & Nancy, 2011/07/19OK, there was a pod of 200 dolphins swimming all around our boat - which was a trip, sunset views were awesome - you won't see a sunset like this one in Waikiki, believe me I went one TWO sailing trips in Waikiki last week, which were great too ... but on this trip we actually saw the sun slip away behind the ocean horizon. The crew was so friendly and chill and accommodating ... no pressure ... no trying to shamelessly sell you stuff, actually, Captain Patrick shared all the free stuff to do along the coast, we saw the Black Pearl from Pirates of the Caribbean and the new Disney hotel too. The snorkeling was great! The food was simple and healthy and tasty! Yum! I understand that this is a newer tour so we only had about 18 people on a 49 capacity boat .... so lots of room to stretch out and get some tanning done. Thank you all at the Ocean Joy for such an amazing experience! We will be back the Kai oli oli again!!
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| Attended as: | Families |
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Untitled
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2009/07/19The crew was amazing and knowledgable. The only snorkel/sunset cruise I could find. A Blast!
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| Attended as: | Families |
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Nice time
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2009/04/28Would have liked to have seen more fish on the snorkel trip, but nice crew.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
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beautiful sunset on the water
Reviewed by: kiki, 2009/02/12Great boat, wonderful crew and a delicous meal just the icing on the cake to the most beautiful sunset we have ever seen. Hawaii sunsets are pretty sitting on the beach but you can't beat the beauty of seeing it out on the water. This tour is out in west Oahu (Koolina) far away from waikiki which is exactly what we were looking for!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
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Aloha and thank you so much for taking the time to write about your experience on the Kai 'Oli'Oli. We are sorry your experience wasn't the best. Because of your feedback, we have thoroughly retrained the crew on how to efficiently conduct our snorkel preparation and briefings and have privately counseled the Captain about his disinterest towards you and your family. At our next crew meeting, we have food and beverage training scheduled in addition to our usual safety training. We strive to always have complete customer satisfaction and we know that at times we may fall short, so we truly appreciate your input. When you visit O'ahu again, please call us directly and we would like to host you on our boat and we will be proud to show you a better tour as a result of your review.
Ocean Joy Cruises Management