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!!

We have been on a variety of dolphin tours in various places along the Gulf of Mexico and the…read moreAtlantic Ocean, but NONE of them compares to this one!! We did the 1.5 to 2 hour Sunset Dolphin Cruise and had an absolute blast!! It was unbelievable how many dolphins we saw out in the bay! Five of them even swam with the boat when we were heading back!! We saw three jump out of the water and flip in the air! It was honestly like we were watching a movie instead of seeing it in real-life!! The sunset over the water was gorgeous as well!! I simply can't say enough about this cruise!! I very, very highly recommend!!! **Tips** ~ Reserve your spot online on their website to be sure the cruise/tour you are wanting to take doesn't fill up. ~ Bring some cash or your credit/debit card as there is an onboard snack bar. ~ There is a bathroom onboard, but it's similar to a porta-toilet, so you might want to make sure you use the restroom before boarding. ~ There is a Coast Guard-certified lady who shows everyone how to put on, fasten, tighten, and take off the life vests, as well as telling everyone where they are located onboard, if needed. Not every dolphin tour has life vests (we have taken a couple in the past that didn't), so this is important and just another positive about this company!

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.......

Funny and friendly people. Made the best of our outing,…read moreeven though we got soaking wet on the way out. The waves got everyone completely soaked. Kids and wife were initially miserable. Something about the currents and riding against the waves or something or other (pardon my drunken memory). Alas, as soon as we met up with flipper everything was golden. We dried out, took pictures, and enjoyed the setting sun. The person attending the crowd of waterlogged tourists in the trenches did a bang up job keeping people happy with slapstick jokes and great insight on what the locals do. Yes.. that is my wife. The only person wearing a life jacket..

Stop looking and just go ahead and book with this company right here. You won't be disappointed…read more There's only so much you can say about a business that is on point. This is one of those businesses. You are dealing with experts who know what they are doing and that's what you want. Trust me book now and enjoy! We sure did!

Austin was extremely patient with our 9 and 13 year old grandchildren! He explained what they…read moreneeded to do to reel them in! Isaiah was also great and he did a lot of work! They both helped us all have fun!! We just wanted to catch and release them, so they knew a perfect place to have a memorable day catching sharks.

We found Captain Kenny with Panhandle Charters about 8 years ago and he is the only charter service…read morewe will use. We took a party of 6 to fish for Snapper and, as always, he didn't disappoint! I tell everyone this is the best time money can buy! There is no comparison. Captain Kenny is professional, fun, and entertaining!

Great fun! Great Fish! And a Great Captain! We will be back! Thanks for a great day Captain Craig!read more

Top notch always on fish within mins of getting on the water highly recommend…read more We been using this charter for the last 6 years and go twice every year

We went on a sunset cruise on the Sapphire We had a…read morewonderful time! Rachel and Amber did a wonderful job, and I would highly recommend going!

I'll admit that a sailboat cruise on vacation wasn't my idea, but wow! It turned out to be one of…read morethe best parts of our trip to Pensacola Beach. We debated whether to go for the 2-hour option or the 3-hour option. Lucky for us, we went for the 3-hour option. We asked for a nice ride with a stop to enjoy a swim. The experts took over from there for an awesome ride. They were able to get us pretty close to a beach and we enjoyed a nice swim. Then, we cruised back to dock. Sailing was awesome. First, Riley and Rachel definitely know their stuff! They made it look so easy to sail a boat that was over 30 feet long. With six in our party, and the two of them, there was plenty of room. They really did everything they could possibly do for us to have the best experience. For us, we just relaxed and enjoyed the ride. I guess I'd never really thought about it before, but the ride was so peaceful without the roar of an engine. The cold water, beer, and wine really added a nice touch. I can't wait until we're back with our whole family for another go round!

we loved the whole experience the check in boys as well as…read morethe boat boys were super polite and helpful if we make it back this way from Texas we will do it again.

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

This was our second time renting with Sand Island Boat Rentals, and we'll definitely keep coming…read moreback. Doug and Dawn truly go above and beyond when it comes to customer service. Booking was simple, the boats are exceptionally clean, and the entire experience is seamless from start to finish. The owners were there the day of our rental to get us out on the water and took the time to recommend great spots based on what we wanted to do that day. We also had Captain Cooper, who was fantastic! He did an amazing job and made sure we had a great time on the water. Once again, we had an incredible trip with Sand Island Boat Rentals, and we can't wait to rent with them again on our next visit. Highly recommend!

Highly recommended Sand Island Boat Rental if you are on Pensacola Beach! Top notch state of the…read moreart boats, very friendly and attentive owners!! Doug and Dillon were great and took the time to make sure we had a wonderful experience!! We will definitely use them again for our next trip in June!!!

Great trip with a great captain (Tyler). We were looking to pull on some big fish and that's…read moreexactly what he got us into. Highly recommend this group!

I really hate to write this review because I've chartered a few times with Hot Spots over the past…read morefew years but today, I encountered one of the rudest guys and was really blown away by his attitude. I had a 6 hour private charter scheduled for me and my son for the 28th of this month. We come down for the PG World Series each year and close out our ball games with a fishing trip so as a mom, I plan ahead and booked this trip about a month or so ago. Because of all the rain forecasted, we decided to cancel this charter and take a trip to Tamarindo in July. I called to cancel the charter today, 9 days in advance and the guy laughed numerous times and said "that's 10 days away, but ok." I let him know I was well aware of the timeline and that we didn't want to take a chance on the rain. The possibility of storms was part of the reason but I also decided to just take a trip to Tamarindo and fish instead. The trip to Costa rica is 5 days and only $1700 more and we get a 10 hour fishing day so I thought it would be a cool experience for my son since he's already gone out with Hot Spots several times, this would be a little different. This review is based solely on the poor & rude service of the kid I spoke to today. I have had great experiences in the past but they were with Cash & Jason.

Charlie and Mike were awesome hosts. If you want to see dolphins and the Blue Angels properly,…read morethis is the boat and crew!! Great, fun experience I HIGHLY recommend.

OMGOSH Dolphins abound! They swam right up to the boat & we saw them swimming happily underwater!…read more Took 7 kids & all were engaged! They all learned something which is worth a million to the home educator! Super friendly and funny (clean dad jokes) Captain Boat Daddy and Michael kept us fully engaged and entertained. They took the time to make sure that we had plenty of dolphin sighting time. Two hour tour for a fair price. They also sell reasonably priced drinks and bagged snacks. Bathroom on deck. Clean & well run. Very much worth it!! PS PLZ TIP THE STAFF