We LOVED our Sunset Private Dolphin Cruise !! Captain Matt was amazing and so fun. Would 10/10…read morerecommend if you're on the fence about booking.

We had the absolute BEST time on the Jolly Sailing & Dolphin Cruise!! I serve at a hotel restaurant…read moreon Pensacola Beach, and I can honestly say I will be recommending this to every single guest from here on out--it was THAT good. Mary was our tour guide, and she was truly something special. I wish I remembered the captain's name because he was so kind and welcoming too, but Mary completely made the experience unforgettable. She went out of her way to connect with every single group and person on the boat, and especially the kids. You can tell she genuinely loves what she does, and it shows in every little interaction. My son is 3 and usually stays to himself, but Mary picked him up, let him ring the bell, and everyone cheered for him--it was such a special moment that I'll never forget. As a mom, that meant everything* to me. The whole experience was so fun and interactive--we were waving or dancing every time we passed another boat, laughing nonstop, and just genuinely enjoying every second. The vibe from start to finish was so light, happy, and comfortable. The boat itself was super nice & spacious with comfortable seating, plus you could see everything from every angle, which made it easy to catch every encounter! Pro-Tip: come prepared with your best dolphin puns and your "dolphin call" because they WILL put you to the test This was hands down one of the best experiences we've had on Pensacola Beach. We will definitely be back, and I truly can't recommend it enough!!

(May 22, 2024) I highly recommend this 2 hours dolphin and…read morebay cruise excursion. If you're staying on Pensacola Beach, it's a super easy drive and park situation. Park near Felix's restaurant and enter downstairs under Felix's. There is a little ramp that takes you to the bay side where you catch the boat. No signs mark the area, but you will see others waiting in the area. These are most likely your fellow boaters. They suggest you arrive 45 minutes prior to departure. Our tour was scheduled for 10:00 AM; we arrived at 9:20 AM. The wait is easy with the beautiful scenery are lovely breeze. There are tables and chairs to sit at while waiting. The boat came out of the bay to get us, so don't be surprised if you don't see a boat when you first arrive. You will walk in the sand for a short distance before taking the pier to get onto the boat. A gentleman will take your last name that you made the reservations under, so you don't need tickets to show the reservation. The guys can help you on the boat if needed. The boat is a double decker. The lower area is shaded with large 3-3-1/2' port type widows which are open for a great breeze and maximum viewing. The captain will briefly go over safety instructions and what to do in case of an emergency. This is standard procedure on any chartered vessel. Don't be late! We had a group of 4 board at the last minute so all the instructions they missed had to be restated. Very annoying and rude, so don't be THAT person/group. You must stay seated while leaving the pier, but after you leave, you are free to roam the vessel. All seats are around the perimeter of the boat and each side of the boat has 7 windows. There's plenty of room for viewing. The captain does a great job of turning the boat so everyone gets to see the dolphins no matter which side you are seated. They sell canned sodas, bottles water and chips; no alcohol. There are plenty of grab bars to steady yourself once the boat gets going. It was a very smooth ride. Even when fishing boats went by us and created wake, we didn't feel much at all. I don't think anyone would have trouble with sea sickness. There is plenty of room for strollers, adult walkers, etc. No restrictions on purses. Several people had diaper bags for the kids and backpacks. There is a restroom onboard. We saw several pods of dolphin. It was a so neat how they come very close to the boat. Dylan/Dillion, of the boat hands, was so good at engaging with our group. Though he is young (born in 2001), he has been in Pensacola all his life and is very knowledgeable about the dolphins and the history of Pensacola. He was a pleasure to meet. After the dolphin viewing we took a cruise around the entire bay. We saw Ft. Pickens, the haunted lighthouse, million dollar homes, the military base area and so much more. I wasn't expecting the cruise to be as much fun as the dolphin viewing. They played reggae music while we cruised. I'm so glad we decided to do this tour! We were returned to the same area we left originally. For only $30 (plus taxes/fees and not including cancellation insurance you can add), this was a great deal! The vessel staff work for tips, so please remember to take care of them.

Great Experience. Little confusing finding the dock where we board. Had a great time. Saw plenty of…read moredolphins. Crew were super laid back and chil. I would recommend.

We had such a good time with Capt. Bruce playing with dolphins, exploring a deserted island,…read moreclimbing white sand dunes, swimming in a turquoise lagoon, and discovering tiny shrimp and pipe fishes in the sea grass. All of this in a 4-hour morning cruise limited to 6 passengers. The dolphins were out and about, frolicking, playing, and jumping. There were mamma dolphins and their babies swimming along with our boat, even swimming upside down. I highly recommend Capt. Bruce. We couldn't have had a better time.

The most personalized dolphin tour I've taken. We had a very up close encounter with several…read moredolphin that came right up to the boat. Highly recommend Captain Bruce as a tour guide for this area.

We had the best experience with Pensacola Pontoons. Boat was in excellent condition and super…read moreclean. Charlie was great to work with! Gave ideas on where to go with the pontoon that wasn't overcrowded and more where locals went. Our 3 year old grandson had a blast! So much so we rented it again the next day! Just remember to turn at the light blue restaurant. The marina is right in the back. They also provide carts to haul your stuff right to the boat. This will be our go to for our pontoon rentals when we come to Pensacola

I have never rented a boat but have owned and been around boats since high school. I was worried…read moreabout renting a boat because I've got a disability that makes it hard to move around but after reviewing pictures of Pensacola Pontoons' boats, I convinced myself that I could do it. I reached out and talked to Charlie, asking him questions to make sure I understood everything before reserving a boat for the whole day. He has answered all my questions and is quick to respond to calls and text messages. Reserving the boat online was very straight forward and easy. The day of the rental, I met Holly at the boat ramp, which they had the boat in the water before I arrived. We went over the paperwork, including options for getting renter insurance. She then showed me all aspects of the boat and answered all my questions. After everything was completed, I took the boat to go pick up my family as they weren't ready at the pickup time. The boat was a tritoon and easy to handle. It was in great shape with no tears in the upholstery and the engine was a quiet Suzuki four stroke. We had toddlers and an infant on the boat and the boat came with more than enough life vests to meet our needs. It was a great day on the water and the kids really enjoyed it. The boat felt really reliable. When we were about done. I sent a text to Charlie that I was heading back to the boat ramp. He replied quickly that he would be there in 10 mins. It took me 30 to get there and Holly was on the pier ready to greet me. I pulled the boat up to the pier, tied it off. They asked how everything went and was there anything they needed to know about. I told them that everything worked great with no issues. That was pretty much it. They were loading up the boat when I was driving off. It was a great experience and I highly recommend Pensacola Pontoons if you were want to rent a pontoon boat. Thanks Charlie and Holly!

On time, safe and responsible crews, and fun ride. Cool area to hang out, overall a fun little…read moreenvironment. Staff isn't difficult to look at either

the crew was outstanding and the music was awesome! We will definitely come back again.read more

We had a great experience on our sunset dolphin cruise. It took us a bit to find them but when we…read moredid it was worth it. The boat crew were great!! They were funny and made sure everyone onboard had a good time. I would use them again!

Very disappointed, boarded the boat that I was reserved with, then was told that it was a private…read moreBooking. The Thompson's . They went out but we did not on the back up boat. We went upstairs to have dinner at Shaggy's and that was even more disappointing. Skies cleared and it was obvious that the private boat was more important . Stopped here on purpose for the great revues. Makes me so sad. Please do better! We live close enough and are asked for recommendations . I understand that safety is imperative. But when other ships sailed and we didn't.......

I have been waiting over two months for a small repair. I was told last week he was working on it…read moreand it would be ready that day. Today they said it wasn't ready and they said he had other things he was working on. I am a pretty patient man, but this is the worst customer care I have ever had anywhere. Save yourself some frustration. I picked up my trolling motor today. I am not upset that he couldn't repair it. I am upset that it took over two months to realize it. I was given false info many times. I suggest they waive the $45 diagnosis for the way they had treated me. He said he would if I gave him the trolling motor. I picked it up. Never again.

Well below average business. Initially Charged for work that was not done. Then upcharged for…read morework that was not requested. Did not fix the main original problem that I brought it in for. Planned for annual maintenance, trim seals, and slightly hard to shift into gear. ~1800 est. The shifting issue I was assured was a rubber engine mount issue on the port engine. When I went to pick up the boat, the owner informed me that they installed mounts on both engines, and my bill was now $2600. I complained that I specifically only wanted work on the port engine. He replied that the work was already done and I had to pay for it. He then took me out back to show me the "remnants" of what was left of the old mounts and explained that there was no way to put it back together so I had to get new ones. Now, in walks the mechanic. Hears my complaints and says "We only fixed the port engine--starboard was fine". Owner has no response to the "remnants" he had just showed me. Should be obvious that they will now remove the double charge for the work. Nope. Now I'm told that during the oil change they resealed the props (owner and mechanic can't agree if it was one or both props), but because of that, the bill remains the same. Remind you, the original bill was all-inclusive for work done. Apparently the props were pro-bono work they didn't originally charge me for? So I'm told it's a coincidence the pro-bono prop seals would cost exactly the same as the engine mounts, and the bill will not be discounted. Thankfully I was able to get him to remove the "parts cost" for the starboard engine mounts that were never installed. However, he refused to remove the labor cost for the work that was not performed as he said he saved me $ by resealing the props which would have blown. He did give me two gallons of free oil. Best I could get. At least I have my boat back... Bottom line: Terrible communication between mechanics & management. Will charge $ for work that you did not ask for or authorize, or that wasn't even performed. Does not care if you're military or anything else. He did say he would be happy for me to bring the boat back in for another shot at fixing the original problem (for additional fee). No thanks Read other online reviews about work performed that was not requested.

Very great! Ron is super professional and a great Captain. Had a great time and even saw some…read moredolphins

Our family had a wonderful experience with Viking. Captain Ron will make sure you learn everything…read moreyou need to safely dive. Our daughter is only 12 and he taught all of us to be self sufficient divers. The Viking crew feels like a family. All members were knowledgeable and friendly. We are looking forward to more dives with Viking!

BLUF: I simply cannot recommend the team at Pensacola Sailing Academy highly enough. Thanks to all!…read more I'm not typically one to write reviews, but I had to share how good my experience was with Pensacola Sailing Academy (formerly, "Lanier"). Even though I did my ASA 101 in another state, the PSA folks were willing and able to provide a "refresher" sail while I was on vacation to the Gulf Coast with my family. Braxton was thoughtful and responsive throughout scheduling on the phone (following up without a hitch several times on my many questions); Kathy was at the marina early, had the boat ready before I arrived (which is no surprise given her 20+ years in the business), and got me on the water fast; and my instructor, Bryce, was an absolute pro! Bryce was super-knowledgeable and systematic in approach; both patient and encouraging as we got my sailing muscles working again; and a lot of fun to sail with for a few hours! (Remember, Bryce, that you BETTER have the last words in any future arguments with your lady!! ...and those words should be, "Yes, dear.") ;-) My only constructive criticism for PSA is to give your students/renters a bottle of water (or even two) rather than charge for it. Not a complaint! But I imagine that providing that comfort/safety essential for "free" will come back to you (in goodwill, at least) by orders of magnitude. Look me up if you ever sail through San Francisco Bay. It would be my privilege to crew for any of you!

We had a great time, went out on the pontoon boat had a great tour seeing big pod of dolphins, Fort…read morePickens, light house, and Coast Guard ships. Highly recommend.