The crew was fantastic! On a recent outing to Useppa, they really watched out for my elderly mom and me. They really wanted to be sure that we were having a good time and that everything met our expectation. Useppa was gorgeous and we saw dolphins just about the whole way there and back! Great value, good fun, nice folks, lovely destination. read more

We are so thrilled to have made a last minute decision to take the Dolphin Watch cruise. The dolphins did not disappoint; they put on quite a show for us! The crew was pleasant and our tour guide, Linda was exceptionally knowledgable. She provided our tour group with non-stop interesting information about wildlife and the surrounding islands. read more

We did the trip to Cabbage Key. Nice big boat with plenty of room. Crew was friendly and knowledgeable. Great info about the history of Sanibel and Captiva. We saw lots of dolphins too! Cheeseburger in paradise! read more

As always when our family comes out to South Seas for a stay-cation, we made sure to visit Captiva Cruises and head up to Cabbage Key! We have been coming for longer than I can remember and since day 1,their staff from check in to the captains and guys helping on the boat, are all so nice, cheerful, and full of knowledge! We love Captiva Cruises! read more

We took the shelling cruise. We came back with TONS of shells, and saw lots of live shells as well. There were dolphins just off the beach the whole time we were there. If I had to do it over again I think I'd stay mostly on the bay side. We walked around to the gulf side and it was MUCH rougher water, I was hesitant to let my daughter in the surf, but it was BEAUTIFUL. It was nice to hear some history of the islands as we sailed up and would go again in a heart beat. We took the 1/2 day, and while I could have stayed longer I think 1/2 a day was more than enough time, especially considering the only real bathroom is on the boat. Be sure to bring plenty of liquids & snacks, but other than that it was WONDERFUL. read more

I took Captiva Cruises to go to Don Pedro Island- a barrier reef isand off the coast of Florida ( only accessible by boat). Our tour guide Ralph and Captain Michael, were so friendly and gave a lot of interesting g information and advice! I will be returning many times and will be telling many people about Captiva Cruises! read more

Great 9 AM cruise to Cayo Costa! The captain and and the host were very friendly and the host shared some great info about the islands that we passed. Not many large shells on the island, but I would definitely book them again. read more

I was on the Lady Chadwick again last weekend. Still an authentic Florida mini-adventure. The Dolphins were on queue, the dialogue was surprisingly a different mix of stories and the views were even better than before. Of course I chose to stop on Useppa Island instead of hopping off on Cabbage Key. It's a choice and Useppa has depth on so many levels. But back to the boat ride which is eye-candy from every angle. The only aggravating thing about this beautiful mega-ferry trip is the piped music in the background. Otherwise the Ship's Captain was like Captain Kangaroo with the kids on board. He let them steer the boat, pointed out areas of interest and made jokes. Again if you are local and alone or an out-of-town visitor with family, this trip is worth every penny of the $40 per person ticket. read more

We went to Cabbage Key and Boca Grande. The staff is incredible. Very cordial and friendly. Two great days trips from Captiva.

Really a top notch experience with great crew, nice boat, and Useppa island is worth the trip- skip Cabbage Key. Second time with the organization and could not have been more impressed! i think they have upgraded the boat and the staff was really great when i interacted with them; one of the bartenders, with propellers on his lapels, signifying that he was the guy in charge of maintaining the vessel, was great. Asked about local fishing, particularly tarpon fishing, he even gave me a friends number to find a great local guide. Useppa Island is a private club, the entire island. Only way on/off is by boat, pretty cool. These guys have the exclusive right to bring a tour boat onto the island. The place is pristine with lush everything; homes, vegetation, restaurant and walking paths. Really worthy seeing. very nice little museum with over 100 years of local history don't miss it. I didn't pay buy i think it was $40, and you buy your lunch in the restaurant. read more

The crew and boat were fine. We went on shelling cruise to a "remote beach" in search of exotic sea shells. The cruise 25 mins each way was fine. Saw a couple of dolphins. However the selection of sea shells was horrible. Nothing of note was found by any member of our family or anyone else (about 25 people) on the cruise. Same shell selection as we have on the beaches around Boston. Do not spend $150 (including $15 coupon) for a family to make this trip. Just go to an accessible beach and collect the same shells. The dolphin or other excursions may be worthwhile, but the shelling adventure was a waste of money. Do visit the Bubble Room restaurant that is 100' around the corner. read more

Went on sunset dolphin cruise. there was a small crowd. We saw approximately 10 dolphins. They follow the boat for quite some time. We also saw a bald eagle,white pelicans, brown pelicans and other sea birds. The boat was clean and the crew was professional. Good value for the money. The boat was the Santiva which was newer and well kept. read more

My boyfriend and I wanted to camp out on Cayo Costa and it was our first time so we did not understand how to book everything. We knew that the major company to send campers out to that island was Tropic Star but they ended up being booked so we ended up finding Captiva Cruises and found out that we were the first campers to be sent out there. On our way to the island we were accompanied by a few Other tourists; however, on our way back we were the only two on the boat so it felt like it was a private boat just for us. This boat ride exceeded our expectations with the service they provided. Captain Michael gave us his phone number so that we could call him if we wanted to be picked up at the island earlier than the original time of 3:30. The next day we called up Captain Michael and the First Mate Susan to pick us up and they came at 1:00. Since we were the only ones on the boat it was easy to aboard compared to Tropic Star which was very crowded. Captain Michael and the First Mate Susan were very friendly to us and provided us with a vast amount of knowledge of the wildlife and information about Cayo Costa and the islands surrounding. On our ride we saw dolphins and manatees swimming and they even slowed the boat down to let us take pictures. All in all we would definitely recommend using this company if you want to try camping out at Cayo Costa or experiencing any of the Florida islands and tours their company provides. read more

I am a 4 time repeat customer of Captiva Cruises. I most recently took the cruise to Cabbage Key with 7 friends. While I enjoyed the cruise some of the pleasure was diminished by an unpleasant encounter with the ticket agent on duty on 4/4/16 at 9:30 A.M. She was extremely rude, confrontational and definitely not someone who should be representing a respectable business. They would do well to replace this rude individual with someone more customer service oriented. Regretfully I was unable to contact Captiva Cruises directly from their website to report this incident. read more

The cruise was good. The only negative I need to suggest they try to find better soundtrack/music to accompany the "sunset cruise". Country western music works for the crackers and Hicks, but come on guys! You're clientele is far more sophisticated than this. Classical music or something more relaxing. The jimmy buffet music is cliche, too. You can do better. read more

We took the cruise to Cayo Costa for the second of the lecture series planned by CC. It was a cold, windy day but the captain and crew kept us cozy and comfortable. Paul provided a very informative narration and as an "almost local" even I learned a lot about the barrier islands and Pine Island Sound. The lecturer was an internationally known ornithologist. He kept his talk relevant and took questions with great patience. Very casual for such a great educational experience. The entire day was well-organized, pleasant, and a total bargain! Gas for our boat to Cayo Costa costs more than what CC charges and a nice lunch was included! Love this option for seeing beautiful water and beach! read more

We took the cruise to Useppa Island today. Great trip. Staff on the boat was very informative and entertaining. Enjoyed the lunch at the Inn on Useppa. Beautiful place! read more

Took the sunset cruise and found it very enjoyable. Crew was polite and competent, pointing out and describing various sites. The crew, thankfully, was not overbearing or loud, more low key but very professional. Catamaran boat was plenty big and clean. Saw various dolphins and birds. Sunset obscured by clouds but still beautiful scenery. Understand the charge for beer but they could have had water and soft drinks included in the price. Definitely recommended. read more

I've been on two of their cruises and will say that the first time that my family went on their dolphin cruise we loved it. The second time we had even more family with us and had hoped to have the same experience, however they had a bunch of private charters booked and only had availability on their sunset wildlife cruise and we were not impressed. The staff was very polite and accommodating, but the captain went on and on about hurricane Charlie and stopped to look at a bald eagle - not exactly what we were hoping for. I recommend the company but be cautious as to what tour you book! read more

We did the trip to Cabbage Key. Nice big boat with plenty of room. Crew was friendly and knowledgeable. Great info about the history of Sanibel and Captiva. We saw lots of dolphins too! Cheeseburger in paradise! read more

My husband and I went on the sunset cruise 1 week ago. It was better than I had expected. The ship director was great, he was familiar with the area that we were traveling through. We saw a couple of dolphins which was a nice added bonus. The drinks at the bar were good. The music that was being played was also good. We were able to catch some great pictures of the sunset. We even saw a green flash which isn't very common. Very happy with the cruise overall. Would definitely recommend. read more

We went on two trips with Sr. Captain Bob Rando and his very experienced and attentive crew. From buying our tickets from Bob's wife Jenny in the office, to the boarding, sailing, and disembarking, every aspect of the process is high touch and intended to make you comfortable, with a smile. Captain Bob is incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the area, and how things evolved to where they are today. The Dolphin watching cruise was a couple of hours of close up and fun interaction with these incredibly acrobatic sea livers. They play, jump, ride the wake and respond to our enthusiasm. We saw females and their young, pods of females, and smaller or singular groups of males. Bob and his crew did all the could to keep the Dolphins engaged with us. The Cabbage Key trip was a chance to see natural beauty and to understand how the area was discovered and became habituated. The breakfast/lunch on this charming and small island was wonderful and we also encountered a manatee at the dock who was willing to play with us. On the return trip we had a bonus as we encountered a couple of Dolphin pods. These trips are well worth the time and cost. Say hello to Captain Bob and his team. read more