On the whole a good trip and it’s enjoyable. It is pretty much exactly as advertised on their web site, so you definitely get what you expect. For my part, I think the boat is beginning to show its age. Definitely needs some “sprucing up”.
On our trip, I perceived the captain did about 85% of the work… he was the on picking up stuff and checking in with guests. The crew did come by with equipment and breakfast, but didn’t really interact with guests or ask how we were doing. There wasn’t the service I remember from the last trip where the crew took drink order and worked to ensure you had a great time. It was missing the “fun” factor from the crew.
The lunch is disappointing. They’ve switched to an all vegan lunch and it just isn’t the same as grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. I brought my own water and gatorade.
We did do SNUBA and that was awesome. Joe was so good with the guests who had never done it before. He really ensured everyone had a great experience. I would rate him and the SNUBA experience 5 stars without hesitation!!! Totally worth the extra money.
So to sum up, it is a good trip and you get what you pay for but it doesn’t knock your socks off or anything. It’s a 1/2 day out to Kealakekua and back - the snorkeling is good (lots to see) and you come back. It just didn’t have that wow factor it used to - and I blame the crew for the lack of the festive atmosphere. The captain tried his best.
My tip - take the time to look at the web site when booking. You can see how many spots are available so you can avoid a full boat. Sundays are often a day when the boat will have less guests. They do have parking.