Weather was perfect for our cruise. Sunny and in the high 80's. Saw a few groups of dolphins. Also saw an array of birds and a few manatees. Our speaker for the cruise was a very nice lady who seemed to have great knowledge of the area. Learned a lot about the animals and some history. I would not call this cruise exciting, more so relaxing. read more

I was very disappointed with the service provided from this business. We booked a cruise to on Wednesday for Thursday (within the 24 cancellation period). We woke up on Thursday morning and 7 out of the 8 people who were on our trip tested positive for Covid. They told us we couldn't could and they wouldn't give us our money back. We were would just be out the cost of the cruise. I could understand not refunding us if we had held that reservation for an extended period of time but we didn't even have the booking for 24 hours. The lady we spoke to on the phone was extremely rude and I would rate her customer at a -100. If you claim to be a hospitality business, you should provide hospitable service. Absolutely the worst service. Do not patronize this terrible business. read more

Took the sunset cruise. No dolphin sighting, not much commentary on wildlife, probably one of the most dull boat rides we've been on. Also, don't like the double decker boats, keeps you far away from the water. read more

Carlos was so much fun! Robert kept us safe on our trip from Captiva and back. Great day trip over to Cayo Costa State park. It's so serene here and great shelling. The island looks like a Corona beer commercial with white sandy beaches and crystal clear water. I love shelling and the sun. The weather was perfect and we had a wonderful day out! read more

Beautiful sunset wildlife cruise! Keith and Glen were excellent guides. We saw dolphins, bald eagles, ospreys and a great blue heron. The cruise ended with a beautiful sunset. After the cruise we had many excellent dinner options in the cute beach town. This was definitely worth the trip!! read more

Captiva Cruises offers a wide variety of options. We took around 6 dolphin cruises over the years when our kids were younger and witnessed multiple dolphins leaping in the boat's wake from 6' away everytime. Only once did it feel like we got nearly shut out seeing them. Be aware that the upper deck fills quick with the premium spots near the rear rail getting taken by folks sprinting on board. The fumes from the big diesel engines can get overwhelming if you spend much time outside on the bottom deck where the best and closest view of the dolphins can be had. Each dolphin cruise includes a naturalist from the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Federation who provides great narration during the trip. BUT a few years back we switched to the intimate and beautiful sunset cruise on their 40' catamaran. Yogi is an awesome captain and his mate this year, Conrad, took great care of us. They even circled back at one point with the engines and retrieved my 14 y/o son's college baseball hat when it blew over the side. He was laying with his sisters on the large net at the front which allows them to relax and watch either the sky overhead or the water rushing past below. The sail includes one complementary beverage (incl. beer or wine) which adds to the value. Be aware that it gets very cold when the sun is going down and the wind is rushing past (several days after Thanksgiving) so dress appropriately. You really can't dress too warmly. We bring shrimp from the Timbers Fish Market each year and enjoy a delicious meal on the water. As an added bonus we have seen dolphins every year (4x in total) while hanging in Red Fish Pass watching the sun set. This year we even saw the Green Flash for the first time. Do yourself a favor and add this to your event planning agenda for your next visit to Sanibel or Capitva! read more

If you're ever down in the Ft. Myers area, Captiva Cruises must be on your list. We've been twice now for the shelling cruises each time. If you're also interested in the shelling cruise, a few tips -- * Take goggles and a snorkel. * There are full- and half-day cruises available. Keep in mind that this is a remote island without shade, and the closest thing to a real bathroom is on the boat. *There are coupons available on Captiva Cruises' website. Now for the actual review -- While we've been on the shelling cruise twice, our latest adventure was a little disappointing. This was due to the weather and really choppy waves -- so completely beyond Captiva Cruises' control. But if the weather is great, the water will be calm and if you bring your goggles and snorkel, you should be able to go out a bit deeper and come home with some great, big shells. And if the water is calm like that, there's probably a good chance the staff will try to get dolphins to come out. (And who cares what my husband says...that was cool, seeing dolphins in a natural habitat.) read more

Reserved the 9am shelling trip on 7/6/21, but due to Tropical Storm Elsa the reservation had to be rescheduled so we picked 7/8/21, which was the first day trips resumed following the storm. The front desk team said it would be amazing shelling and upon boarding the boat crew also professed how amazing it was going to be, reminding us there would likely be more live shells so be cautious about our finds. After trying to get out to Cayo Costa for years and having our intended trip canceled due to the storm, we were all eagerly anticipating the opportunity on our last day of this very short vacation. We had studied every fabulous picture, read every great review, decided to travel to Sanibel even with the storm brewing just to have a bucket list shelling experience and could not have been more disappointed, it was awful! Conditions were poor at best, with zero visibility and visitors could not easily and safely wade very far with the waves still pounding. We found few intact shells after being encouraged to buy 2 'must have' shelling tools in their gift shop for our adventure. Feel so taken advantage of and we will not book anything with them ever again nor ever recommend them to anyone. Honesty and integrity is every businesses responsibility to it's customers, so buyer beware with this tour company! Save your $ and visit Lighthouse Beach. Very popular so get there early, but the shelling is amazing!! Dolphins playing close to the beach all day too!! read more

My family loves Captiva Cruises when vacationing in the Sanibel/Captiva area. Over two trips to the area, we've done the shelling cruise, the dolphin watch cruise and the sunset catamaran cruise twice. The shelling cruise is great for adults or kids as the water is crystal clear and hip deep WAY out. Our family did a little exploring, but mostly found a spot on the beach to have lunch and build a sand castle. The dolphin watch cruise is accompanied by a wildlife expert from the wildlife refuge so while the captain searches for the dolphins, the wildlife expert can point a bird out sitting in the water and tell you all you wanted to know about it. We've only done the dolphin cruise once, but we were very successful in seeing dolphins. The catamaran sunset cruise is very nice. The first time we went we were extremely lucky and there was just one other couple on board. They sorta kept to themselves and we had a great conversation with the captain, George. The second time we took this cruise it was packed, but it still proved to be excellent and we can't wait to do this again on our next trip. I will say though, this is the one cruise that is tough to hold the kids' attention. When they put the sail up, that is cool, and maybe you'll see a dolphin, but really the goal is watching the sunset, which is tough for kids. The prices may seem steep, but discounts are available on their website and the staff is friendly, helpful and knowledgable. We've had George and Conrad captain our trips and both are great and will let the kids "drive" the boat and whatnot. read more

Year 2... This business is top notch. We enjoyed the morning trip with George & Carlos. They made our trip. Dolphins jumping & playing in the wake of the boat for a good portion of the trip back to the dock. We'll be back again! read more

When visiting Captiva experiencing the island from the water is the best way to really enjoy it! Paul and his staff truly know how to create memorable experiences! read more

Captiva Cruises - Boat Charters Near Me - Captiva, Florida

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Great boat cruises from the northern tip of Captiva to other surrounding islands. We've gone on both the Useppa and Cabbage Key trips and enjoyed both immensely. The crew is professional and knowledgeable, and the amount of time given to have lunch and explore is just right. Highly recommend. read more

The dolphin and wildlife cruise was amazing the dolphins is what we all came out for. The first dolphin scared use because he flipped loudly right next to the boat. Then he put on a show for us. He jumped and flopped into the water. He was gorgeous. Then we meet up with a family of dolphins who were doing tricks along side the boat. It was amazing to see them. On our way back the same family swam along with our boat flopping and swimming side ways. It was an amazing cruise. Definitely worth every single penny! read more

Very pleasant outing to Cayo Costa. The only downside was that we only had two hours to spend on the (mostly deserted) beach. Next time I'll opt for the longer trip to Cayo Costa that they offer. The main reason for giving five stars was the boat ride itself (about 30 minutes each way) and the crew, especially the mate who spoke about the history, geography, and conservation efforts in the area. (Unfortunately I don't remember his name but I do remember his name tag indicated he was from Nashville, Tennessee). I usually don't like narration on boat rides so when he started to talk I thought OK blah blah blah I'm going to tune him out but as it turned out he was amazingly knowledgeable and was fascinating to listen to. He also pointed out lots of things I never would have noticed on my own. read more

I had reserved 2 tickets for the sunset cruise. Due to COVID, I did not feel comfortable traveling to Captiva. I cancelled everything but forgot about the cruise. When the day came for the cruise,Captiva cruise lines phoned me when I did not show. I informed them that I plum forgot. Imagine my happiness when they refunded my money. That is a class act. I will be back. Thank you Captiva cruises. read more

They charged $40 a person for what? They promised all this stuff on their website , birdwatching, kayaking etc, and what did they do? Dumped us on the beach . Not even cabanas or chairs and umbrellas. We could have just walked across the street to the beach and saved $400!! read more

4 of us took the Boca Grande cruise the captain and mates were very informative. The boat ride was enjoyable and Boca Grande is a nice experience. We rented a golf cart visited the light house and The Gaspirila Inn. read more

We went on 2 boat trips with Jorge and Rubin. So much fun! They both know so much about the area and made me feel very safe and secure on the boat. One trip was to an uninhabited island that had many beautiful shells and a perfect white sand beach. Dolphins, including a baby, followed us right in the wake and they had fun too. The sunset cruise on a sailboat was pure magic! Our daughter loved learning about sailing. Thank you so much for the perfect ending to a wonderful vacation Jorge and Rubin. read more

If I could give Captiva Cruises 10 stars, I would. They do an excellent job! I have been on the Dolphin and Sunset Cruise....also to Cabbage Key and Useppa. You can't go wrong with any cruise. If you decide on the Sunset Cruise, George is the man.....he is top shelf. read more

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Our boat ride was wonderful..The lady anouncing what was around us was very imformative and funny..The captain went out of his way to look for the dolphins. He did find them and we were all thrilled to see them..We also saw a manatee and saw an eagle in the parking lot. Would recommend this cruise to anyone.. Well worth the money. read more

I truly love shelling & was excited to see Captiva Cruises offered a shelling cruise with local shell expert Pam Rambo (of iloveshelling.com) while my family was in Ft. Myers. My two teens & I joined about 15 others (mostly families, some with school-age kids) on the 1/2 hour cruise from Captiva to Cayo Costa State Park. Boat was comfortable, and the two crew members were knowledgeable about the area & had cold drink for sale if desired. We docked at a small island, walked through a small mangrove forest to the beach -- and it was GORGEOUS. Crystal clear water and shells for as far as the eye could see. We had 2 hours to beach comb & enjoy the water. In hindsight we should've followed Pam & many of the others to the northern point of the beach where even more outstanding shells & sand dollars were found. While we didn't get as many cool shells as others, we really enjoyed the experience. On the way back to Captiva we spotted a few dolphins & an osprey hunting. Pam was an excellent hostess, showing examples of shells to keep an eye out for before we arrived and then sharing special finds of other passengers on the way back to Captiva. Captiva Cruises offers these same shelling cruises without Pam Rambo, and we'll try one of those next time. An added bonus of doing this Pam Rambo cruise was the $25 voucher for a charm from Congress Jewelers on Sanibel Island. For future visits, make sure to bring sunscreen & all the things your family needs to be comfortable on the beach. There is NO shade, so if you need to, bring an umbrella. Some people brought coolers, which was smart, but not absolutely necessary as the crew does sell drinks on the boat. There is a bathroom on the boat to use. Price for the cruise was reasonable, but the added $5 for parking seemed overkill. They should let the cruise passengers park for free but charge others to park in their lot. read more

I'm giving 5 stars for customer service even though we will not be able to take a cruise with them. Unfortunately we had to cancel our trip due to a family issue. I called to cancel our trip and they were friendly and courteous over the phone. They promptly returned the money back into our account. They are trustworthy company and we won't hesitate to book with them again in the future. read more

Went in a dolphin cruise with Captiva cruises. Their prices were very reasonable and it was a beautiful day out on the water. Unfortunately we didn't see any dolphins which was disappointing but they were generous enough to offer vouchers for people to come back for another cruise! We unfortunately were in Florida for a limited time so didn't get to use it but it was very generous of them to do. Regardless of not seeing dolphins it was still a beautiful day out on the water and a nice little cruise. While waiting for the cruise to leave we could see lots of manatees swimming around the marina which was cool. My only complaint was that it was a little difficult figuring out where to go as the cruise left from the resort so once we paid for parking and entered we were told not to venture towards the beaches bc they were for guests of the resorts only. Just kind of an odd location. Otherwise it was a great day and would love the opportunity to come back! read more

Terrible...they warn you when you get on that "they don't pay the dolphins so who knows if you'll see one"...well, $170 later, I'm wondering why they don't buy $10 worth of chum with my $170 so my kids aren't asking why we did this? Do it or don't but they really cheap out at the expense of people trying to show their kids a great experience. read more

This is the second time I have taken a cruise with Captiva Cruises. The first time several months ago I took the Dolphin/Wildlife Cruise. The guide was from the local Wildlife Refuge, and was very knowledgable. The Dolphin pods know the boat and the route and they like to approach it, so we saw maybe 5 pods, maybe 20 Dolphins in total, at least 2 babies. Lots of different birds as well. This time we took the cruise to Cabbage Key/Useppa and got off at Useppa. Based on what the others reported, I was happiest at Useppa I think. There was a very nice inn there where we had a great lunch, and there is also a little museum that we enjoyed. You have about two hours in Useppa, each thing took about 45 minutes, and then we just sauntered around the island with the time we had left . It has a very rich history, and a nice, private, almost "Key West" kind of architectural feel. The ride itself is an hour each way, and very nice just to sit in the sun with the breeze. We also had a few dolphins come to play with us on this cruise. They also have a little bar if you would like to have a drink. We especially enjoyed Captain Eric, he was a great narrator and we laughed a lot, he has a great way with words. He took the time to introduce himself to us, remember where we were from, etc. Highly recommend. read more

We had a great time on our cruise from start to finish. We took the tour to Pine Island and saw multiple dolphins popping up around our boat which was amazing! The ride was very pleasant and they do offer soft and alcoholic drinks for the trip. Our captain and tour leader were both very knowledgable and friendly. It was a great way to spend a day and I would definitely recommend it if you're visiting Captiva. read more

We went on our second dolphin cruise, leaving from South Seas Resort, and once again were very happy with the experience and the value. Larry, the docent who provided the commentary, was very personable and knowledgeable, and a pleasure to get to know. The dolphins also seemed to enjoy it, as at a couple spots, swam and jumped close enough to the boat to splash us! read more

Captain Bob and Crew treated us, our toddler and multiple grandparents to really nice cruise to Cabbage Key. It was a day with intermittent sun and downpours but the boat (Lady Chatterly) was perfect to give you options for either. We had been worried since you can't cancel without a full forfeit of the cruise fare with 24 hours or less notice and the forecast was not good. It was a very large boat (140 person capacity) so we didn't worry about sea conditions, especially since we would be in Pine Island Sound the whole trip. Most of the time on the key was dry, giving us a chance to meet the many resident turtles and enjoy a nice lunch with a quick gift store stop. Onboard the boast, Capt. Bob kept us entertained with facts and tall tales on most of the ride plus we had some Dolphins join us a couple of times along the hour long trip between the islands. Everyone in our group would go again. read more

Great cruise to Useppa! Captain and crew were informative, helpful, and made the trip fun!

We went on an afternoon dolphin cruise on Captiva Cruises Playtime. Stay away, stay far away from this floating washtub. Terrible boat, not much of a cruise. They stayed so close to shore to find dolphins we could have seen just as much activity by stolling along the shoreline. The last half-hour of the cruise took us out into Pine Island Sound, turning around, and going back to the dock. A complete waste of time and money. read more

Dolphin cruise is great! They have found Dolphins for us every time! Boat is clean, crew is nice and friendly. Make sure you're on the big boat. Double Decker with the first floor cabin downstairs with bar and snack bar. Totally worth the money! read more

Took the sunset cruise and enjoyed it. We saw many dolphins and lots of birds. Beautiful sunset. Beer and wine are $5. Soft drinks and water and $2. It was $5 if you park in their parking lot. I would say it's okay for kids, but there were none on our boat. We got there 15 minutes early and the boat was nearly full. so come early. read more

Tour was great but they allow smoking! You've got to be kidding. Is this the 1970s? The upstairs area was full and one woman smoking on the bottom rear outdoor area killed it for everyone. read more

The boat is way too big and old to provide satisfying sightseeing. The lower deck is fully enclosed, upper deck is open and set with small plastic tables and chairs. Lots of people. The staff was nice, but we would have enjoyed ourselves more had we stayed on the beach, or at the pool. read more

The sunset cruise was relaxed, simple and the perfect length. As a bonus we had several dolphin sightings.

We went on the sunset cruise and it was so nice! Service was great, they even drove us to the marina when we accidentally sent our Uber to their office. There was live music, a fun atmosphere, and we saw dolphins! It was very relaxing, and I'd definitely do this again. read more

Great crew and very knowledgeable Captain, I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to set sail on a dolphin experience. We went to Cabbage Key and had lunch, everyone in my group of eleven enjoyed it! read more

Lovey trip taken over to Boca Grande. Leisurely boat ride with a great view. The captains were knowledgeable and shared lots of interesting facts. I would highly recommend this trip if you need a day off the island! read more

Just returned from our 4th of July weekend in Sanibel, and took the catamaran sunset/fireworks cruise on Saturday. Spectacular. The 40' catamaran named Adventure left promptly at 7:30 from the marina at the South Seas Plantation Resort. The captain and his first mate were terrific, noting landmarks along the way, offering to take photos for us, and making sure we were taken care of with beverage service. The sunset was awesome, and we had some dolphins and pelicans put on a show for us. The fireworks display from the water was terrific. Would highly, highly recommend this. It's great for couples, families, everyone! read more

We cruised on Thursday from Captiva to Boca Grande for the day and thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Thursday's sometimes their are seminars on Costa Cay, a stop along the way, and we were fortunate to have one of the speakers on our cruise and along the way filled us in on the history of the barrier islands we were passing. A totally unexpected bonus. They recommended an excellent restaurant that turned out to be one of the best dining experiences so far this trip. We will be sure to check with Captiva Cruises for our next adventure! read more