This was a sunset cruise on a night where there were thunderstorms 2 hours before our departure and we didn't think we would even go out. There were only 27 passengers, so we had lots of room to move about. Right out of the dock, we had dolphins swimming behind us, which was awesome. The sun finally came out of the clouds and we got some nice views. Lastly, we went under the Skyway Bridge which was lit up and beautiful. The staff were super helpful the whole trip. They offer beer, wine, soft drinks and water for purchase as well as a few snacks. There is seating on different levels, front and back. The Captain did a great job piloting the ship so we all felt comfortable. read more

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Great crew, Nice boat an a really fun time. Looking forward to going out on another cruise with them again.

We had a good time on The Pelican. We will definitely try again. The captain and crew were the best! read more

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What an AWESOME experience ! The boat ride was fantastic, and the crew even more so! We could not have ordered up better weather, and the water was even 71 degrees. Beautiful island ! And, did I mention that the crew was fantastic ? (Lou, Ann, Brady) All Top Notch. I am local, living in St. Pete and I will do this trip at least monthly, probably more than that. This is 6 out of 5 Stars ! read more

Highlight of our vacation! Crew was incredible and island was breathtaking. Never wanted to leave!

Very nice cruise! We had bad weather and no sunset but the ride was great! Took about an hour to go to the Skyway bridge. Perfect for gorgeous pictures. They sell reasonable beer and wine onboard. It was Mother's Day and they gave all the mom's a free drink. The crew will bring you drinks wherever you're sitting. It rained and we all ran inside! We hung out where the captain was for awhile. Had a nice conversation with the crew. Boat was very nice, indoor and outdoor sitting areas, bathrooms. We enjoyed it very much. read more

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Boat was easy to find on the pier. We left exactly on time. The crew was professional and offered to take photos and pointed out dolphins in the area. The views were stunning! read more

The Pelican - Skyway Bridge - Boat Charters Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

We really enjoyed the sunset and skyway cruise. The weather was beautiful and fortunately calm. As we were heading to the skyway a pod of three dolphin swam along the side of the boat. The crew was very nice and attentive to everyone's needs including picture taking. The guests on the trip we friendly and I think everyone was enjoying a shared great experience. I would go again to one of their other excursions. read more

It was a cloudy day and the trip was spectacular! The staff was attentive, knowledgable and friendly.The boat was clean abd well maintained. The afternoon on the island was so fun, we must have see 15 gopher turtles, various birds and found some cool shells. The structures were interesting to walk through. The water was clear and calm. Definitely would go again! read more

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Excellent tour by the company, both Vinny & Evan were attentive, as Capt John too! We had signed up for the afternoon tour... however the night before, we had received a text message from Capt John letting us know that the afternoon tour was not available & whether we would like to go for the morning tour instead. We decided for the morning tour & no regrets... the boat left on time... cold bottled water was provided. When it was about to rain, the crew advised us to go inside to avoid getting wet. A great tour, the boat was nice, interior was air-conditioned if you decided to cool off. Interior was nicely decorated & clean with toilet facilities to allow you to change after the nice dip in the ocean. They provided a stairway for you to get down safely ashore, consideration for your safety was well thought. They do require you to sign a waiver form but not to worry, they will take very good care of you! I highly recommend this tour to anyone who decided to check out Egmont Keys. read more

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this was the 4th time I have been on the Pelican. fantastic service, friendly and attentive, beautiful view, love the lights on the bridge. highly recommend!! read more

Great experience and great staff. Clean, well organized and on time. Had fun exploring the island and swimming in beautiful waters. read more

The Pelican - Lighthouse on the island - Boat Charters Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

I live here in St. Pete and have walked by the Pelican dozens of times and always wanted to try it. My sister and friends were visiting from NY, so I booked the ferry to Egmont Key. The crew was beyond outstanding! Lou greeted us with a smile and reviewed our waivers (which were easily signed online prior) and welcomed us aboard. The boat captain and the galley crew showed us around and made us feel most welcome. We opened a tab in the galley and never had to go back again to order drinks. The crew checked on us the entire day, whether we were on our way to/from Egmont or while we were enjoying a swim in the Gulf near the boat. The ride was gorgeous. What a great way to spend the morning! We saw a handful of dolphin and the views of the Sunshine Skyway were amazing. We had an amazing day with The Pelican!! read more

It was great we will Definity go again. The guy playing guitar was awesome and the crew amazing. Boat was very clean. This tour on the 65 foot Pelican boat was the highlight of our quick get away to St Pete. We lucked out with perfect weather and enjoyed the amazing view crossing under Sunshine Skyway bridge with the perfect sunset. read more

Mahalo to Capt. John and Crew for a wonderful 4hr trip out to Egmont Key Very skilled Capt. And knowledgeable crew , no worries abord The Pelican they will take very good care of you. They had Full face snorkels for use , that was nice since we didn't have ours with us, also they had ice cold bottle water and even some beer in the Cooler that was free to drink on the Boat , as ur not allowed to bring alcohol on the island . Don't forget to bring some food for lunch . Can't wait come back to St. Petersburg Capt. John to go out with you guys again . See ya soon !!! read more

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The crew was attentive and engaging. The lights were spectacular. A very relaxing end to an active day.

Beautiful and Awwhhh Inspiring experience I really loved the experience the crew was very nice and sociable and very accommodating read more

The Pelican - I recommend this view to everyone this was a beautiful experience - Boat Charters Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

We had a great time! The crew and Captain were amazing! We couldn't get the dolphins to jump but not due to lack of trying. The Captain gave it the ole college try! Thanks for a great adventure! read more

Just went in the sunset cruise to celebrate my friend's anniversary and we had an amazing time. The crew were extremely attentive and fun. They kept good music playing and kept track of drinks we ordered and would proactively bring them up to the top deck. read more

It was an awesome boat ride over to Egmont Key, my wife and I would do it again. The crew was amazing, and knowledgeable. We saw some dolphins on the way there and back. They have cubbies holes in the boat to store your belongings. They provided us with snorkeling gear so that was an added bonus! The two hours on Egmont Key is just not enough time to explore everything but we had a fantastic time. The tortoises on the island were beautiful. The step off the boat is a bit rough so this isn't the ferry for physically challenged individuals. read more

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Such a perfect day on the boat. The crew was so much fun and incredibly nice. Can't wait to do it again. Highly recommend it. read more

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Definitely recommend! The captain and mates were very kind, accommodating and entertaining! Music playlist was perfect! The ride is gorgeous and the island is beautiful! Be sure to wear your swimsuit, take your cooler with drinks and snacks! The boat is nice and very clean and plenty of room! read more

Our family had such a great time on the Pelican. The crew on the Pelican was the Best in the nation! They were professional and gracious. read more

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This tour on the 65 foot Pelican boat was the highlight of our week long vacation to St Pete. The hour trip across the water to Egmont Key State Park was beautiful. We lucked out with perfect weather and enjoyed the amazing view crossing under Sunshine Skyway bridge. The boat was immaculate and the staff very friendly. We had 2 hours on the island to visit the historic light house look at wildlife, collect shells and at our picnic lunch. In the return, we saw dolphin jumping in the boat wake. I definitely recommend the excursion. read more

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We really enjoyed this trip! It was a great activity to do with our one year old. The boat was very large, and there was a lot of room for her to roam, as littles like to do. We felt she was safe wherever she went on the boat. The ride was nice and smooth! there were lots of seating areas, inside and out! We got to see dolphins on our way in, and the captain let our daughter drive the boat. On the key, we walked all around, seeing the old buildings and also went for a swim on a secluded beach. Overall, this was a great trip & we would definitely go again. Thanks Capt. Pete & crew!! read more

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We went on a Fantastic Sunset Boat Tour and the captain was incredibly nice! Got some snacks and wine on the boat as well which is always a plus! read more

website said nothing about it being "adults only". We purchased 6 adult tickets and were refused boarding as we had a 3 year old and 7 month old with us. Not a penny reimbursed.... read more

My mother and I had an amazing experience in the Pelican boat tour. Captain and staff were so kind and thoughtful and really helped with everything! I highly recommend this tour boat and will be bringing my family again. read more

Terrible experience with the owner. Cruise went out when the weather was iffy and there ended up being brutal storms. The crew didn't assure us we were OK. Ended the trip early (we shouldn't have gone out), and then offered us some made up coupon for another trip. When we reached out all week via email to get a refund, they never responded, and finally we got ahold of them over the phone 5 days later. The person we spoke with ended up being the owner, which was shocking because of how poorly he talked to my fiance and his general lack of any customer service. Apparently, he's been doing this for 30 years, but never learned once learned how to approach or talk to a customer. We didn't get a refund, we had a terrible experience, the weather was extremely bad and we shouldn't have gone out. Happy to leave all of that behind if the OWNER didn't talk down to my fiance the way he did. Poorly managed and would highly recommend looking at any of the other cruise ships in St. Pete. read more

Great fun! The Pelican crew really took great care of their passengers making sure we were safe and hydrated. Would trip with them again!

Great crew, comfortable boat restrooms on board clean and available both during the ride and when on the island. Most other boats to the island don't have restrooms. read more

Nice tour staff but horrible customer service. Our last day in Florida we paid for the 2.5 hour sunset cruise. Due to weather conditions, the cruise was cut to 45 minutes consisting of going around to the other side of the pier and back to the marina. The captain explained the weather conditions and told everyone on the boat that we would be refunded l...except that never happened. I applaud the captain for keeping us safe but they should follow through with the expectation. I played phone tag for a week straight with customer service and they finally told me that I would get a gift card for another tour instead of a refund. I live 12 hours away. Not acceptable. read more

Worst experience I've ever had with a business. I am not one to leave bad reviews but I would never want someone to experience what we have. My husband and I were on our short honeymoon (2.5 days) and we booked and paid for this excursion in advance. This is the only excursion we planned. Honestly, this was what I was most excited to come to clearwater for. We were staying at a hotel in Clearwater which is a 45 min drive from this excursion meeting point. We got up early on our 1st day here to take the $50 Uber to the excursion only to find out that we weren't being taken out bc they didn't have enough customers to make the trip worth their while and had to take another $50 uber back to our hotel, not including tips. When speaking with the owner, Dan, and expressing my valid frustrations he was one of the most cold hearted and condescending people I've ever spoke to. He was instantly defensive and interrupting saying "how you get to me isn't my problem." Yes my transportation isn't his problem but I paid for a service that he did not provide which in turn cost me over $100 in Ubers, disappointment and hours wasted. Instead of apologizing he was insulting saying "listen young lady.. not my problem.." etc. he claims they called to notify me, but I never received a call. They did email me however it was AFTER they sent me a confirmation reminder that our trip was the next morning. The email was obviously looked over bc it was sent at 3 pm Thursday when our trip was scheduled for 9 am Friday. Again I received confirmation that the trip was still on so why would I be looking for a cancellation email. If the trip was getting rescheduled for weather or maintenance I could understand but this was purely for their convenience and no one can say they spoke to me up until that phone call. No one was even at the dock to speak to, just a locked up entrance. After getting no where with the owner, him interrupting me, insulting me and not being an ounce of compassionate I got beyond frustrated and told him I would be leaving this review. He then proceeded to say he was recording our conversation from that point and would post it in response to this review, how childish. After again getting nowhere with him I hung up. He then text me "trying" to act nice that he was sorry and accommodating which he was not in the slightest throughout our ENTIRE phone call, just so he can respond to this review with his screenshot and maybe the call of me being understandably frustrated. Which btw, he did not have permission to record me. Moral of the story this was the most disappointing, unprofessional and disrespectful experience I've ever had with a company. I would not recommend anyone spend an ounce of their well deserved vacation supporting this business. If I could leave negative stars, I would. read more