Was pleasantly surprised at how easy and awesome our tour was. The crew and captain were super friendly and helpful. We had a few young children in our group (4 kids under 5) and they made the experience easy and fun (love the glass bottom window to keep them entertained while adults took turns snorkeling) Would definitely recommend. read more

we had a great time the crew was amazing and so nice the ocean was a little rough for my liking but I would do it again and again

Nice laid back excursion! I would recommend to anyone. The crew was very helpful and assisted my husband who has some limitations do to health issues. They were fun and informative in their presentation. We had a great time. read more

They are pretty nice people, very patient. 60% of my family are not comfortable in the water and they took the time to let them go at their own pace. It seems a little pricey for what you get but it's worth the experience. read more

Had a blast. Took the 1/2 day trip to buck island. I've done many similar trips in Hawaii, etc and this was the best snorkeling I've ever done. The captain and his first mate Tommy were great. I hear the full day trip has food and drinks. The half day we did was byo snacks. Didn't bother us at all but FYI. read more

I must say love Big Beards and have used them many times but this last Monday Feb 17th had one of the worst experiences ever. After having booked with friends 8 other guests and advising I was a local to STX, indicating I had also been there before (its half price if you have) I was told I was not in the system they say they dont keep records which they once did (Its not the first time I have toured). They charged me full price provided no options knowing the people I was with (local as well) they provided the worst service. As a repeat customer I not only Tip Crew and Refer friends I looked forward to other tours! However at this time I cannot refer BB or even go with them again since this seems to be an issue. Customer service failed this time around and its very disappointing the treatment revived. read more

Great service. Reasonably priced. I can't say enough good things about Big Beard's Adventure Tours! Our son uses a wheelchair and this was the first time we tried taking him on a snorkeling trip. We called ahead and were assured it would be fine. The crew couldn't have been more helpful and accommodating. Gabe, Tito and Tommy were all outstanding in terms of their knowledge of the sea, local history and lore. We did the half day snorkel to Buck Island and retuned the next day and did the sunset cruise. Two perfect journeys. I wish they'd bring the pontoon boat trip back. Thanks so much!! read more

This is a must if you come to the island. The snorkeling is outstanding and buck island is beautiful! The crew is fantastic! We took our 2 year old and they were great with kids. Rum punch is awesome for the ride back! Would definitely go again! read more

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Had a lovely time on the half-day tour. Boat is clean and in good condition, the snorkeling equipment is newer, and the crew took excellent care of us. We saw plenty of tropical fish and more varieties of coral than I have seen on any other snorkeling trip anywhere. Very nice trip, worth the price. There was plenty of fruit punch to go around, with rum or without, on the trip back to dock. Thank you Tito, Carlos, and Capt. Mack for a good day. read more

you know what i love about these caribbean day-sail operations? all you can drink rum punch. you know what i hate? having to wear those damn vests when you snorkel. probably something about keeping everyone alive or whatever. we did the full day excursion to buck island which i definitely recommend. if you're staying at the buccaneer, you get a baller pick up at the dock on mermaid beach (no cab ride in to christiansted for you!) in the huge cat. the wind is usually coming in that time of day, so you'll probably motor out as we did to a nice little beach where people can practice snorkeling before hitting the deeper, choppier, open waters of this mostly-underwater state park (thanks jfk!). let the air out of your vest, take a few dives, and swim with the schools of fishies. watch out for 'cudas and sharks because they're there. ok, it was a nurse shark so, not exactly jaws, but it counts dammit. head back up on deck and off to beach #2 for the bbq. as others have mentioned, it's burgers, dogs, and incredibly fresh fish. or, you can try your luck catching one of the mongoose (mongooses? mongeese?) that will get very close if you feed them (and who wouldn't?) and go native. back on board for more rum punch on the voyage home. if you're recently married or engaged - snorkel shots! protip: it's a snorkel, but don't try to inhale the rum - it will work out poorly - roll your head forward, then around to the left and back. as others have said, bring sunscreen. i'd also suggest a hat and t-shirt since there's no real shade to speak of on the boat. ideally you will be in the sun. all day. plan accordingly or be miserable. friendly crew. nice guys, made it a point to talk to everyone a bit, and there to help if you need a swim lesson, a picture taken, or (in the case of one woman who got a bit too close to the coral) a bandaid. none of them had a big beard, though. read more

This was the best thing we did on our vacation. A half day tour takes you on a 20-minute (?) boat ride to Buck Island. First the boat brings you to the most picture-perfect white-sand beach you can imagine, where you can get familiar with your snorkel gear in calm water and see a few fish. Then the boat brings you to the other side of the island, where there is no beach; you climb off the boat and explore an AMAZING coral reef with hundreds of fish of all kinds. We saw a sea turtle too. We almost did the trip again the next day, we loved it so much. read more

We used this company for a trip to Buck Island. The sailed on a large catamaran sailboat. Our crew was very friendly and courteous. Captain Michael, Gabe, Andy, and Michael answered all our questions and made sure we enjoyed our experience. Considering what you pay, this option provides the most bang for your buck. We received a brief snorkeling lesson on the beach, enjoyed a wonderful time at the coral reef park preserve, and enjoyed a hot lunch and rum punch. The crew grilled mahi mahi hot dogs, and hamburgers over a makeshift grill (a 55 gallon drum) along with chips and drinks. read more

Offered great instruction for new snorkelers, as well as the option to go out while the newbies were in training. The fish were plentiful, though the living coral was pretty weak. The rum punch was rum punch. read more

We took the adventure tour from the Big Beard location in Christiansted, and stopped at the Buccaneer to pick up a few more folks for the trip. We did the full day Buck Island Tour - and would strongly recommend to anyone! The tour went to the west side of the island for snorkeling, then to the coral reef on the east side. The reef was beautiful...we even saw a small shark!! After the snorkeling, we had some rum punch, and stopped at the NE side of St. Croix to grill some hot dogs, burgers, and fish. The tour was a lot of fun and we really recommend Big Beard's to everyone! read more

We took my parents on a trip to Buck Island with Big Beard. We did the 1/2 day trip. The motorboat was in the shop so we got to go out on the big beautiful Sailing Cat. When we signed up for the trip (the day before) there were a total of 8 people signed up to go. When we go to the boat the next morning there were almost 30 people - so that was a little overwhelming. But, the crew was great and the day was beautiful. We used our own Snorkle gear, but my parents used Big Beards and gave it a big compliment - we did not expect such good quality gear because of the wear/tear with a big tour company. When arriving on the West end of Buck, the tour guides provided a snorkel lesson to those who needed - and gave those of us who didn't, time to explore the beach a bit. When we went over to the East side, we took the underwater "trail" around the coral and it was absolutly beautiful. Some on our boat saw lobsters, we saw a few baracudda. and on the ride back to Christiansted we had a Dolphin swimming alongside the boat. A great day in all. And Locals get a discount after the first trip. read more

Big Beard's Adventure to Buck Island was FABULOUS! Captain Michael and first mate Adam were the best! The boat, the water, the snorkeling, the people, the BBQ lunch and the rum punch were all PERFECT! I recommend that anyone who visits Saint Croix to take the Big Beard's adventure! It was a day I will never forget! Thanks Guys! read more

Loved the all day snorkel trip! Captain Michael and First mate Andy were great! Very helpful and entertaining! Captain Big Beard himself is a great man! He married us at our resort before we went on the trip! Everyone was helpful all the way through, and helped keep everything stress free! If we had more time, we would have went on the all day snorkel trip again! Great memories! read more

Amazing trip! Wish we could have done this every day while we were down here (too bad it rained). The crew was very down to earth, yet very professional. Buck island is breathtaking! Had an amazing time read more

We loved it! Very courteous crew, knowledgeable, friendly and professional. The cook out was fun (to include the island animals). Wonderful experience! read more

Michael, Mike, and Tommy took us out for a full day snorkeling trip to Buck Island. They were very kind and helpful... and fun! It was a beautiful trip and we'll worth the money. The food and rum punch at the the end of the day was icing on the cake. read more

Had such a great sailing trip that we booked a second (half price) sail when we got back! My friend and I went on the full day sailing trip to the gorgeous Buck Island. We sat at the front of the catamaran on the mesh and had a great time getting some sun and riding the choppy waves to the island. The full day sail was worth it since it includes a great beach BBQ with some delicious grilled mahi mahi (along with burgers & hot dogs) and plenty of rum punch. Buck Island was gorgeous- I can see why it was named one the most beautiful beaches in the world by National Geographic. The reef itself was a wonderland of exotic corals and bright schools of fish. The rare staghorn corals created strange alien landscapes that were different from other tropical reefs I've experienced before. The trip is great for experienced and novice snorkelers alike (and family friendly too). The snorkel gear was pretty good and the tour starts with a snorkeling lesson in gentle waters before going to the reef (or you can explore the beach). read more

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Awsome experience!!! had a blast. the Crew was very knowledgeable and professional will recommend A+ you will not regret it. best tour for its price, Keep up the good work Big Beard's Adventure Tours!!!!! read more

Fantastic trip out to Buck Island. Capt. Michael and the crew were excellent. They were especially good at entertaining the kids on the way back to the docks. They were quite knowledgeable about the island and snorkeling. Food was good at lunch, mahi was delicious. It was a particularly rough seas day, but they did a great job helping everyone at the reef. read more

I took the half day morning tour out to Buck Island. The excursion was amazing. I had such a great time!! But even more so was the way that the crew worked with me once we were out at the snorkel point. I got extremely sea sick. They were so patient and made sure I was taken care of both in the water and back on the boat. I can't say enough about them and how awesome they were! Thank you to the captain and his crew! read more

We heard so many great things about Big Beards, especially since it's one of the 3 people who do tours to Buck Island. We were staying here for a short 4 days and booked an afternoon half day tour and were told that they needed 6 people in order to go out and we were only booking for 3 but they assured us they would give us a call the day before our appointment by the end of business hours to let us know if they were going to cancel on us. End of the day rolled around and we didn't get a call so we were super excited that the day was still a go! We packed all of our snorkel gear and woke up the following morning to head to Christiansted to do some shopping before we arrived for our excursion. While souvenir shopping, we got a call letting us know that no one else signed up and that they had to cancel. This was AN HOUR BEFORE the time we were supposed to leave. This was super frustrating not only because this was our last day on the island and gave us little time to find other plans, but also because they require YOU to give 24 hour notice to cancel for refund yet they didn't have the courtesy to do the same for their guests. Luckily, Caribbean Sea Adventures right down the boardwalk had openings and the customer service and experience was amazing. Highly recommend them if you are looking for an amazing experience at Buck Island. They too were astounded by the service we received from Big Beards. Unless you are staying here for weeks and have ample time to reschedule at the convenience of this business, I would suggest you go to their competitors. Buck Island was amazing and a must see!!! read more

This Buck Island snorkeling trip is so amazing! My boyfriend and I went last year with some friends when we were visiting St. Croix so we wanted to go again this year. We were a bit concerned because we are traveling with my 6 year old this time. We decided to go for it and book the full day trip. It was so much better than we expected! Captain Mike and Gabe were super patient and encouraging the entire time. When it came time to snorkel, my daughter wasn't having it. Captain Mike got her out of the water and took her back on the boat for us. He hung out with her teaching her about fish until I got back on board. They greatly exceeded our expectations in every way! We can't wait to come back and go again! read more

We had a great time on the Adventurer with Tom and Mike. They explained everything to us and we had an interesting and informative day.

I've been on a number of snorkeling excursions...but this takes them all down! The full day excursion we took was so informative and the coral you see is exquisite! They also feed you on the all day excursion and the mahi that mike made was exquisite! read more

Best way to experience Buck Island. I would always recommend the full day trip. Get there early, get on the catamaran and sail away to Buck Island. You dock off the Christiansted Board Walk so its convenient. As you sail away, pay attention to the water you may catch a glimpse of large sea turtles and maybe a dolphin or two. Sting rays float by also. Once you dock at Buck Island you get a short snorkeling tour of the underwater national park where you see giant coral, rainbow fish, barracudas (yes I know), and even under water plaques that mark where you are and what your actually looking at. Once everyone gets a fair share of the crystal clear waters and white sands they sail off to a private beach located back on island called Coakley Bay where they have an area set up with make shift grills. They prepare easy to cook meals for everyone on board and offer you rum punch for the smooth sail back into Christiansted. The crew is highly knowledgeable but still laid back enough to make you feel comfortable and let you have some good ole fun. Highly recommend. read more

This was the best snorkeling tour to Buck Island as it included a lunch and unlimited rum punch which other packages lacked. I couldn't imagine taking a saling tour without a cookout and unlimited alcohol -- it's just wrong! But this seemed to be the only company I found that offered this package for essentially the same price ($99). Everythiing was great and we only managed to get mildly sunburned after it was all said and done. My only beef (and I made it known while I was there) was the bazillion people all at the onset of the snorkeling. We had a dumbass in our group who couldn't swim or snorkel or something which slowed us down and backed us up so the group behind us was hurrying us up and telling us to swim two by two through the coral when our guide said single file (trust me, there's a lot of coral to swim in between). It seems there should be a way for it to be less congested when everyone starts the snorkeling -- it's no fun to get pissed off right at the onset. I got over it and saw barracuda and other great fish. The beachside BBQ was really nice and those rum punches catch up with you, don't be fooled by their fruity deliciousness. read more

We had a great time! Buck Island via Big Beard is a must for anyone visiting St. Croix. A message for pale northerners like ourselves: You'd better wear a long sleeve shirt while snorkeling or you'll get a terrible burn! read more

It was a really choppy day so we did not want to go of the boat. But since they have rings so we got out and we were able to enjoy some snorkeling. They were a lot of fishes and corals. Rachel was very helpful. read more

This tour was loads of fun! My husband and I came for our honeymoon the water for snorkeling was beautiful we saw so many fish in the reefs. The lunch and the rum punch were amazing! Definitely suggest doing this tour while visiting st croix! read more

Last week we had scheduled a Buck Island tour with the "Adventure" and the captain was scheduled to pick us up at the dock at The Buccaneer. We were waiting on the dock with about 8 other people when the Captain roared up -- this boat has a motor, no sail -- and attempted to dock on his port side. He didn't time the ocean swell property and "surfed" into the dock area. He appeared to be overly excited, and he ordered a middle aged woman carrying a camera to "jump". She attempted to do so and fell into the water between the huge pontoon of the boat and the dock. All the men on the dock attempted to fend the pontoon away from the struggling woman and luckily she was able to swim to shore before being crushed by the pontoon of the boat. I have never seen such poor seamanship from a person who is supposed to be a "professional" Captain. We cancelled our tour and used another tour service to go out to Buck Island the next day. read more

We booked the full day sail with lunch - what a perfect day! Since we arrived on a cruise ship, we took a relatively short cab ride over to Big Beard's. After boarding the boat we sailed over to Buck Island for about 45min-1hr on the amazing beach (the best beach we visited on our whole trip). After testing out our snorkel gear we went over to the snorkeling "trail" area on the other side of Buck Island. The water was very wavy from the Christmas Winds, but we enjoyed seeing the coral and fish and the staff was helpful in terms of guiding us and showing us the best parts of the reef. After snorkeling we landed on another beach for a cookout. The beach was really nice, sandy with lots of big waves and lots of great food. We had burgers, hot dogs, and fresh grilled fish (our favorite) and LOTS of rum punch! The staff were all very very friendly and knowledgeable. This was definitely a highlight on our trip! Visited December 2011 read more