I found this trip very exciting. We saw two sets of competitive pods (males fighting for the female). Crew was great. We went on the 12:00 noon boat. There were only about 15 people on the boat so we didn't have the crowds like the earlier boats. Great trip. Would highly recommend.
Great captain and plenty of opportunities to see active humpbacks in January...even watched a mother teaching her calf how to splash its tail. A little disappointed that we were "upgraded" to a larger boat due to the fact that a cruise ship had docked and off loaded a huge amount of passengers. Regardless, the larger boat was still able to get us out and among the whales quiet well.
We had a great time on the boat and got to see whale come right up to the boat. The guide was very informative and the boat was top notch. This is a must see trip when in Maui during Whale season.