Sunset cruise--book ahead, bring a hat, and maybe a thermos…read more We grabbed the last two seats for a late-September weekend sunset cruise--as of noon the same day--so tip #1: book ahead, especially on weekends. Our boat had two larger groups (a bachelorette and a birthday), which made for a fun, jovial crowd. Seating & comfort: Plenty of places to sit and move around--shade, sun, or rail time by the water. Nice flexibility as the light changes. Drinks: They offer drinks on board; the selection was basic beer and some generic wine. I don't drink, so I can't rate them. Even if I did drink, I would still hesitate. I brought my own THC beverage, and no one blinked, but check their current policy and use common sense. A water bottle or a thermos/juice blend is a definite yes. Crew & service: Excellent across the board. Two bartenders--friendly, efficient--and the whole crew felt professional and upbeat. Bathroom note: There is a restroom onboard, which is clutch, but it's a bit awkward to access. Go before you board if stairs/steep steps are tricky. Overall: Great time: good music, easygoing crowd, smooth operation. I'd definitely recommend. Next time, we'll try a longer day cruise to the Outer Banks (with lunch)--it looked like a solid daytime option; we just didn't have the time this trip. Bottom line: Great crew, great sunset, zero fuss. Would do again.

Our last-minute date night with Lookout Cruises was absolutely incredible. The sunset was stunning…read moreand truly unforgettable, and the entire evening felt effortless from start to finish. Captain and crew--Mike and David--were professional, kind, and attentive. A special mention goes to the captain's mom, who has served as his assistant for the past 26 cruises--she is truly a treasure and adds such a warm, personal touch to the experience. All of the staff had genuinely jovial personalities, making the atmosphere even more enjoyable. One of the most thoughtful details was having crew members walk around and take photos of each couple throughout the evening, allowing everyone to simply be present while still capturing lasting memories. It was the perfect evening to take in the stunning coastal views, watch dolphins play, and see Fort Macon from the water. The boat was exceptionally clean, and safety was never a concern--it was clear we were in very capable hands. We were so impressed that we've already booked their 4th of July fireworks cruise and can't wait!

Great experience. Captain Mark held a wonderful ceremony for my mother. He was thoughtful and…read morerespectful. We greatly appreciated his efforts and would highly recommend H2O.

I've had the pleasure to book an excursion with Captain Mark yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised…read morehe met us in the free parking lot! I felt totally safe and prepared for the trip ahead, being given a thorough safety briefing. He was able to answer my multiple questions during the entire trip, concerning the history of the horses and people who lived on this beautiful barrier island. His expertise in maneuvering the boat around the wakes let to an extremely comfortable ride. We had a fun and will definitely be back next year.

Randal and Crysta were amazing! So nice and helpful. I would recommend this outfit anytime!! In…read morefact, I want to work with them!! Lol Doreen B.

Short Version: There's a strong trend in the reviews for this vendor. Many people get their boats…read moreand have a good time. But Crystal coast Boat Charters has a problem with communication, and if anything at all goes wrong, you'll find yourself wondering what just happened and be left without a boat. We booked a boat for rental on Friday, May 28, for our family coming in to town for Memorial Day weekend. We had a couple calls with Krista over the next couple weeks, up until two days before the rental. During that call she told me the person who was bringing the boat (I think she said her husband, but not sure if I remember that right) had a broken phone, but that she promised to get me "some phone number so you could reach him." Not exactly confidence inspiring, but stuff happens, so I rolled with it. I went back to other reviews after the crash and burn and found this broken phone thing was a common issue that they still haven't fixed. The day of the rental came and I finally received a phone call about an hour before our rental time. The gentleman who called me was bewildering at best. Instead of clearly telling me what was broken and whether it could be fixed soon, I got a bizarre set of contradictions ranging from, "I have a guy in Swansboro hooking me up" (With what? A new boat? A part?), to "I'm trying to just delay an hour" and then ending with, "I'm shootin for the stars, man, I just dunno. I'm a nice guy, though, I'm an owner operator." It was difficult to get further details out of him. As we got closer to delivery time, I texted. No response. Then I called at the time he was supposed to deliver the boat. "Sorry man, I'm not 1000% sure it's going to happen today." I said "ok, if it isn't, then do you know anyone else that rents boats?" Instead of responding to the question, he said "Gimme a few minutes man, I'll call you back." When he called me back, he said, "We got it and we'll be at X launch point in 30 minutes." When I told him, "We ordered it for Y launch point," he replied, "Well that's news to me!" But we expected to meet him there in 30 minutes. 30 minutes later, I received a vague text message, "The hub is done sorry I will call you." I tried calling him and he stopped picking up the phone. Not knowing exactly what that text message meant, I texted Krista indicating what a stunning failure this had been and received a text full of excuses. Mechanical issues are out of people's hands. I get that. But communication is fully in the business's hands. Bottom line: this company is a slap dash operation who won't take responsibility for their failures, and will just stop talking to you when everything founders.

What a wonderful experience! From booking our tickets with the kindest lady to going on our…read moreadventure with the kindest men/captains of the boat. I didn't catch his name but one man was kind enough to talk to us about the horses, the island, and answer all our questions. He gave clear directions about where to go to find shells and the best spot to see the horses. The boat ride over itself does get faster then I expected so plan ahead for that. We had two small children with us, one being a baby and they enjoyed the boat ride too. The staff was very helpful getting out stroller on and off board. everyone was so kind and helpful and we had a beautiful day!

Overall good experience wait times were a little bit longer than expected but peak season …read more Everyone was helpful

First time going out, and definitely won't be our last. The Capt., and first mate are great at what…read morethey do. Made the trip fun and enjoyable, we caught around 41 Spanish Mackerel with only a half day. Our next trip will be the 8-11 hour trip to try and catch bigger fish. Couldn't recommend these guys enough.

I had an amazing experience fishing with Justin from Family Time Fishing Charters. He had us on…read morefish within minutes and we had such a great time catching fish and learning from him. Will be back!!! John

Absolutely amazing! What a great Captain, teacher and guide…read more After years of taking my son fishing with his (very well meaning) Grandpa who has all of the nicest rigs and boat, etc.. etc... and dreams of his glory days as an offshore fisherman, my little man was so sad that he had never caught something "he could eat" (really he hadn't caught anything I'd allow him to eat from the backwaters of marinas with oil and God knows what in the water). Chris was astounding. He was so patient and thoughtful with my little fisherman (age 8). He took us to several spots, knew the waters well, the fish types and sizes legal for keeping and gave so many wonderful tips and tutorials along the way. My little guy doesn't like strangers and immediately loved Chris. He's already asking when we can go back out with him!

Booked a trip with my wife that don't have much fishing experience. She had a blast and enjoyed…read moreevery minute of the trip. Couldn't recommend Chris enough.

If you are interested in learning about the history of Beaufort, NC, look no further than Barefoot…read moreWade's Cart Tours. It was very easy to book and schedule my tour with Barefoot Wade. Yes, he will be barefoot on the tour. He picked me up at the Inlet Inn, so that was very convenient, and took me around the area, sharing fun historical facts along the way. I learned about the previous names of the town, the Sandwich House, some of the people buried at the Old Burying Ground, Blackbeard's House, aka The Hammock House, and so much more. I enjoy architecture, so I enjoyed seeing the older houses. The Duncan House was one of those houses, so it is heartbreaking that so much history was lost in the recent fire. The golf cart was comfortable. It was much nicer than those I've seen before, and it was a great and fun way to see downtown. The price was very reasonable for my private tour. I expected to pay at least double. It was well worth it. Wade was welcoming, friendly and seemed to enjoy giving tours and sharing the town's history. I think he knows everyone in town, too! We didn't see any of the wild horses, but did see some dolphins. I had no idea there were dolphins in the area. So that was a real highlight as it was unexpected. I will take another tour when I am back in the area to learn of some other aspects of Beaufort.

I took my Mom on Wade's golf cart tour. He was a wonderful host and a great story teller. This is…read morea fun, affordable way to see historic Beaufort, NC and remember to ask Wade about the ghosts! He has great stories to tell!

This ferry service connects downtown Beaufort to Shackleford Banks and, less frequently, Cape…read moreLookout. Their catamaran style boats are very stable and covered from the sun. As an approved vendor for the National Park Service, you know their quality is very good. We did the trip to Shackleford (hourly service through the day), which was a great choice. We saw four of the resident wild horses, which was very cool. Lots of birds and shells too. I walked from the drop-off point to the pier (there are restrooms and an info board there), then I followed the trail across the island to reach the ocean side and completed the loop back along the shore. Super pretty and super relaxing. Please remember to pack out everything you bring and a little bit more. I picked up a small bag full of litter I found. Leave No Trace is the only way to go.