Ko Olina Snorkeling Cruise & Dolphin Watching Tour with Picnic Lunch and Drinks
Overall Rating
4.71
Relaxing and enjoyable
Reviewed by: Heather, 2015/06/12We did SNUBA with Cam and had a great time. The boat is beautiful and the crew are all really nice and fun to spend the time with. We also met lots of other nice people from around the world. Next time I think we would drive ourselves from Waikiki to Ko Olina just to give ourselves more flexibility. The shuttle was fine, but we wished we had driven ourselves. We didn't see any turtles, but we did see a big group of dolphins and lots of beautiful fish.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2015/06/08 |
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Fabulous time!
Reviewed by: Stewclan6, 2015/06/01Brought our whole family for the snorkeling and snuba and everyone had a blast. The crew was great and gave my kids a fun experience all around.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2015/05/28 |
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Great day with kids!
Reviewed by: M.W., 2015/03/10It was a beautiful, sunny, windy day, the waves were choppy and the dolphins were no where in sight but the humpback whales and the green sea turtles made up for it. From the time we boarded the catamaran till the time we were dropped off back to the hotel the crew members were very attentive to our needs. With the choppy waves my daughter got ill but with the good nap on the cushion, located in the bow, she was all refreshed and ready to snorkel.
It was the first time for my children to snorkel but Lawrence took very good care of them on and off the catamaran. The most memorable moment was when they caught a fish and had asked my son reel in the catch. His dream came true that moment! Thank you Ko Olina Ocean Adventures, its crew members and Jacob for making it special day for us. We will be sure to visit you again!
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
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great
Reviewed by: sarahbrien, 2015/01/17it was a great day, the boat was really nice, we sat up the front with our legs dangling off the boat. we had two snorkel spots, both great, the water was a little murky but still saw a lot of pretty fish and some turtles. good equipment, nice friendly staff. the lunch was good. I have also been snorkelling at Waikiki but this was far superior. good eqipment, great day, highly recommend.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2014/12/24 |
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Enjoyed the morning
Reviewed by: Mike, 2014/11/01Very enjoyable. Saw a very large sea turtle, no dolphins though, maybe wrong time of year. The boat crew was very professional and helpful. Would definitely go again.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2014/10/08 |
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Nice afternoon out on the catamaran
Reviewed by: Mary Butler, 2014/10/28We took the afternoon dolphin watch cruise that set sail at 1pm. Saw some sea turtles and a dolphin pod from afar. The snorkelling was nothing great...lots of reef fishes and mostly dead coral. Being prone to motion sickness, I was elated at how wonderfully stable the catamaran was, and for once I actually enjoyed sailing instead of spending half my time being sick over the rails. In spite of my disappointment at not seeing dolphins up close, the afternoon turned out to be a really pleasant cruise along the beautiful Ko Olina coastline. The staff were attentive and friendly. My 3 year son threw a fit when I got him out of the choppy waters during the snorkelling session. Kudos to the staff who successfully quietened him down by giving him bread to feed the fishes from the back of the ship. Food was great. Pulled pork sandwiches, chips and fruit salad were delicious. All in all, a lovely afternoon.
Thanks Mary for the great review, and coming out with us! I'm glad you were able to enjoy our tropical waters and the hard coral that we have in Hawaii. Our waters are cooler than what you would experience in the Caribbean, so we don't feature the fanning type of coral- mostly the brain, and other types of more rock looking features. Did you know that 30% of our fish can only be found in Hawaii? Anyway, just thought we would share some fun facts. We love our jobs and glad we were able to share a great day with you. Take care and Aloha! Ko Olina Ocean Adventures
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2014/09/30 |
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It was fun :)
Reviewed by: shell, 2014/10/18We had such a great time both on the boat and in the water.
The food was great and staff members were all super nice and sweet.
I really appreciate it!
The only one bad thing for me was that I didn't remember/they didn't know how much it cost. I reserved this tour through the internet in advance like 10 days ago and payed with my credit card. Since my friends(there were 5 of us) tried to pay me by cash at the day of the tour but the voucher didn't mention about the price, I asked at the front how much they charged on my credit card. And the lady checked my name on the list and PC and said it's $485. I thought it's a little more inexpensive than I thought, so I asked her to double check and she said it's correct. So we just split the bill. But I found that they charged $695, which was the correct amount, after I left hawaii and got back home...Unfortunately all other friends are form other countries, so I gave up getting the difference in the bill from them. :(
I think the total amount should be on the voucher or at least they should have gave me correct info!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2014/09/28 |
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Fabulous!!!!!
Reviewed by: TimL, 2014/08/04Absolutely AWESOME!!! The staff where very friendly with a great sense of humor. They knew what they were doing. Always checking in with every person on board to see if they needed anything. We saw tons of dolphins. The SNUBA was fantastic!! We saw so many fish and 2 turtles!! The food and drinks were great as well!!! Will do this again when we come back!!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2014/08/01 |
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Beautiful Day in Ko Olina
Reviewed by: Marisa, 2014/07/11Get ready for a fun time on this catamaran! The dolphins are a plenty and are in their hibernating season so they stay close to the coast. While you don't get in the water surrounded by dolphins, it keeps them safe, so it's good for everyone. There were so many kinds of fish and it was fun to swim through them. It was a nice cool day, and the dolphins were definitely out there. They got nice and close to the boat! The snorkel was amazing. By lunchtime, I was looking forward to food. The Captain is a fine cook and knows his way around a boat so it's double bonus for us. We had the tasty teriyaki chicken sandwich, which I can proudly give 5 stars! Try the Naked Pirate drink. It's awesome! The crew on the boat was friendly and managed to keep it fun for everyone even with a bunch of little kids running around. It's family-friendly and they made sure those kids stayed safe. This catamaran sail is worth every penny and then some. I highly recommend!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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KO Olina
Reviewed by: Just, 2014/05/03Excursion shouldn't be called Dolphin watch as it is misleading... No Dolphins! Just snorkel and deli lunch.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2014/04/30 |
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Snorkel and Snuba
Reviewed by: Rosie Posie, 2013/09/15The catamaran is in great shape! The crew was FANTASTIC and very accommodating. They really like their job and appeared to be so happy to be on-board with us. We were very lucky to see Dolphin Pods and giant sea turtles!!
This was my friend's first time to do SNUBA. The instructor named Cameron did an incredible job in encouraging and supporting her through out the entire SNUBA portion of this excursion. She dived about 15 feet below the surface and now she wants to become certified diver because she CANNOT wait to get back down there!
Overall it was a great experience! I would definitely suggest this excursion to everyone who visits Hawaii!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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Bella Esperienza
Reviewed by: CLaudia, 2013/09/14Abbiamo fatto questa escursione durante il nostro viaggio di nozze ad Honolulu ed alloggiavamo all'Hilton Hawaiian Village.
L'escursione è stata nel complesso molto bella, ma il servizio navetta per portarti dall'hotel al porto dove partiva il catamarano è stato veramente scadente, all'andata non c'era posto per tutti e due ragazze si sono fatte 40 minuti di strada in piedi, al ritorno abbiamo aspettato circa 40 minuti perchè la navetta ha ritardato.
l'escursione invece è stata molto bella, abbiamo fatto 2 immersioni, abbiamo visto 3 tartarughe ma di delifini neanche l'ombra.
A bordo c'è un bel pranzo e i ragazzi sono gentilissimi e carinissimi!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2013/08/23 |
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AMAZING TRIP !!!!!
Reviewed by: Kathy Gove , 2013/08/27We loved this Snorkel and Snuba Sail . The crew was AMAZING, the fish were friendly, and the sun was shinning. We had a blast!!! I would totally go again!!!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2013/08/24 |
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Will repeat!
Reviewed by: Karmine, 2013/08/06I highly recommend this activity!! We did the one for lunch but should have don the whole day! My husband loved it, we paid the extra $$$ for Snuba because we love snuba! The food was delicious also!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2013/07/20 |
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Ko Olina Snuba Sail
Reviewed by: Reena, 2013/07/25Our group of 17 took the afternoon sail. The crew wants to have as much fun as their guests so they do their best to create a memorable experience. One meal, snacks, non-alcoholic drinks and complete snorkel gear is included in the cost.
There are two locations where swimming among sea turtles is likely. For $5 you can get a quart size of fish food and it is suggested to feed the fish at the last location. Divers don't mind diving to the bottom and up close to the marine life with your waterproof camera to get some amazing shots - just ask them. A photographer comes along to capture all the beautiful moments both on board and underwater. A dvd of 500+ photos of your trip for $65 is worth it.
Served during the last snorkling location, our family style lunch of kalua pork and teriyaki chicken sliders with all the trimmings was plentiful and satisfying. Alocholic drinks are $4.
Great first-time deep sea snorkling experience. Would definitely go again with these guys! Mahalo!
Thanks for joining our newer product- the Catamaran Snorkel and Sail- we love the stylish snorkeling experience we can offer on this tour and that the boat can accommodate both food and a bar. We also offer a mini dive called SNUBA on this trip. On your next trip out, we'd love to show your group. Thanks again for joining us. We look forward to your return visit!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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Good experience, but not amazing snorkeling
Reviewed by: User038575, 2013/06/18I gave an ok/average rating because this was an expensive excursion and the snorkeling was not up to par. The staff was incredible---- friendly, fun and courteous, but this seemed to be a boat ride geared toward hanging out and drinking on the boat rather than seeing awesome fish, coral reefs, etc. We had 2 snorkel stops and fish/turtles were average. But the crew made sure we saw dolphins from the boat, which was cool.
As far as snorkeling, it was nothing too interesting especially because my husband and I have done amazing snorkeling in Maui and Bora Bora. If you want to drink and relax for an afternoon, this is a top choice. But, a little too expensive for what you get if you are really into snorkeling and seeing different kinds of underwater life.
Thanks for your feedback. We definitely understand that our reef is hard coral- so not the soft fanning coral you get in warm waters, but we strive to do a great job showcasing what we do have to offer on Oahu. One of the sites is Oahu's second largest living reef, though due to weather/water conditions we can't always go there. Perhaps next time you can join us on our other tour- the Dolphin Snorkel Tour- which offers THREE snorkel sites (not two that the Sail offers) including a chance to snorkel view dolphins in the wild. It sounds like you are seeking more adventure and that is what that tour offers. Adventure! We hope to see you again. Thank you!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2013/06/15 |
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Great Experience and Great Staff
Reviewed by: Alicia & Francis, 2012/11/16My husband, 7 month old son, and I had a great experience with this activity during snorkeling and snuba. We got lucky, and one of the guest/crew members watched our son (who mostly slept) so we had the opportunity to both go together for the snorkeling and snuba. The catamaran we took was a great ship. The crew was very accommodating, nice, funny, and took care of everyone, including a woman who lost her camera in the water, and when my hubby got a little overwhelmed in the beginning during snuba. The food was okay, but definitely helped after a good amount of time time in the water. I would defintely do it again. The great crew actually made a huge difference too!
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
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Best tour ever
Reviewed by: Peter b, 2012/08/22My friend & I had the pleasure of this tour on 6th August 2012
Would recommend to anyone ..
Friendliest staff I have ever dealt with !!!
Clean comfortable boat !!!
Made our trip to Hawaii a fantastic experience
Thanks guys :)
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| Attended as: | Couples |
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Had a great time...
Reviewed by: MrsL, 2012/08/22Ko Olina is a gorgeous area, very picturesque with manicured grounds and on the early morning tour it's just lovely to drive through here with the sun shining. First thing I was really impressed with was the Catamaran, it's very large and luxurious, I couldn't wait to get aboard! They make you take your shoes off before boarding and they store them for you until you return, you can tell this keeps the vessel from wear and tear... it was lovely inside.
Seeing the Dolphins was amazing - they do get close, the boat wasn't moving and they would come quite close to us, we didn't have to follow them. A few were jumping out of the water less than 100 yards away, such a great experience.
The staff were polite, knowledgeable and helpful - they would offer to grab you a drink - you didn't have to ask, which was really nice for a change. On the first snorkeling outing, we all had to wear life vests. I'm a pretty confident swimmer but this was nice, I could actually really relax and enjoy the
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| Attended as: | Couples |
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Do the Snuba!
Reviewed by: Jim from Dallas, 2012/07/28Staff was excellent!! Todd, Larry and ALL staff were extremely helpful & courteous. Highly recommend doing the Snuba, well worth the extra $. Larry got my wife and daughter-in-law underwater in a short time. Both were very hesitant at first and I had asked that they only try. The whole gig was GREAT!
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
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Excellent experience, well run
Reviewed by: Thomas, 2011/12/31This was an excellent half-day experience. We went out on a large, spacious catamaran with a crew of 4, and in the course of 2 guided snorkling drops we had multiple sightings of dolphin, saw a giant turtle moving along the sea floor and another (or possibly the same one) pausing to breathe at the surface, and encountered countless colorful (and near-fearless) fish. We saw coral, too, with coral arches (our guide dived down and swam under one) and a "coral garden" area.
After the second dive we were given hot BBQ sandwiches and mixed fruit, with a choice of chicken or pork sandwhiches. There was plenty of room for everyone to find a spot in the sun (when it shone), and cabin shelter when we felt chilly.
The crew were friendly, safety-conscious, and proactive in large and small ways. Everyone was encouraged to wear a lifejacket for the first snorkel drop, and there were 2 crew members in the water with us, one as a guide and one to stay with the first-timers (he brought a surfboar
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| Attended as: | Couples |
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Ko'Olina snorkeling
Reviewed by: Charlotte Elopre, 2011/09/30We had a great time during our trip! The service we received from the whole staff was exceptional! Everyone was very helpful and fun! They made sure we were comfortable and enjoying ourselves. I was also impressed that they gave extra attention to my dad who is a senior and took care of him. I am so glad I took my friends and family on this adventure and will definitely recommend this excursion to friends visiting Oahu!
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| Attended as: | Families |
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Thank you for the review! We're glad you had a great time and can appreciate the high quality equipment we provide for your snorkel tour. Hopefully we see you again, until then, we hope you enjoy Hawaii and Aloha! Your friends at Ko Olina Ocean Adventures