While on vacation in the area, my wife called and inquired about parasailing for our three kids. The Viator rep on the phone said the price would be $200 including everything. Our appt was at 4pm but they called us and recommended arriving at 1pm because of the weather. We gave up a relaxing afternoon by the hotel pool, drove from far away but the weather was cloudy with occasional drizzle (it would have been better not to bother us to come earlier).
They provided a voucher for parking nearby, which was helpful. The place is well organized and equipped, they have several attractions and exciting watersports for those who can afford the high prices.
The kids were wearing dry clothes since we were not advised to wear swimsuits. No one mentioned they would get wet, although the operators knew they always lower people into the water before they get back on the boat. Our kids were wet and cold the whole afternoon after the parasailing, in the car and in the air-conditioned restaurant later.
We do not have any pictures of that expensive excursion since the boat was far from the shore. Having a parent join the trip would have cost an additional $35, which is not reasonable when you're already paying $270 for three kids. The boat operator could have offered to take a few pix on his phone and text them to us, but they do not offer such service (which could have been a nice gesture of good will).
But the most frustrating and annoying thing was that the sales rep on the phone said the bottom line price would be $200, but we were charged another $66 on-site, for fuel fees (?!?) and other shenanigans. We wasted half an hour on the phone with Viator.com, complained and asked to escalate it but did not get a satisfactory reply or resolution.
Our kids had fun and memorable experience, albeit short. About an hour on the boat overall, for less than ten minutes up in the air. Miami Beach is expensive, and watersports are a luxury, that's understood. Yet it is very not cool to feel cheated and ripped-off. The full bottom-line price should be disclosed honestly before booking. Vacation is supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable, not aggravating.
I got a follow-up email from Miami Watersports, I indicated that we were not happy and described our experience. They could have offered to refund that $66, which is peanuts for them, but they chose to tell me that the fuel fees are mentioned somewhere in the fine print on the Viator website (Huh?!?). No hospitality or kindness, even with the holiday spirit. Apparently, they do not care about their customers satisfaction, it's all about money.