We got to do everything the tour offered, but for the money paid, it should have been a better experience. I believe the company wants patrons to have the best time and I hope my comments can help them in the future.
Our bus driver was incompetent. I knew things would be bad when he was driving over tree curbs in the parking lot. During the ride, the tour guide was giving his spill when he looks out the window and realizes we are going the wrong direction on the interstate. The poor guy struggled explaining to the bus driver where we needed to go. We passed the entrance to the park and he had to do a u turn - which the bus was too long to make. Traffic had to stop to allow for him to back up and get oriented where he could continue straight. The time lost cost us time on our tour - more about that later
There were about 30 people taking the manatee boat tour. There was one family that had an unruly child with a mother that did nothing but provoke the child to worse behavior. The whole trip comes to a stop while we wait for the mother to convince the child to try on his wet suit. Also, there was only one restroom. And prudence is that everyone needs to use it before putting on their wetsuit. You can imagine the time that took. Also, it was unknown to us that we would have to walk 1/2-3/4 a mile to the dock. For most that was no big deal. However, one lady who was obviously obese and impaired could do no more than a hobble, much less walk. And while everyone patiently waits on the bus for the lady and her husband to arrive, we get to listen to the dueling child and mother continue their fighting. Not only for us to hear, but probably those three boats over. All of this took so much time that it felt we spent more time preparing to board than we actually spent on the water. After our first attempt to see a manatee failed, the boat captain said he hoped the next attempt was successful because we were almost out of time. It didn't seem we had been on the water even 30 min. We did find a manatee mother and her calf that we were able to view. But this is something else that should be made known to people. During the summer months, the manatees are few and far between. It is only in the winter when there is an abundance in the springs as they return from other waters to stay warm. So we had 30 people trying to swim around a manatee and its calf. It was really too many people - and almost comical to sit back and watch. You can imagine the elbowing and kicking each other that was going on. But in fairness, we did get to see the manatee up close and it was an amazing sight. But if that attempt had failed, the captain had already said we would have to go back. Even though we hadn't even been on the water an hour. I believe that was the case because we had arrived so late because of the bus driver and then were so late getting on the boat because of all the other.
When get back to the dock, there was a ride this time to take the lady back so she wouldn't have to walk. I could tell by the look on the guides face he was concerned about the time everything has taken. We get our lunches and have to eat on the bus since we are already so far behind schedule. On the way to the wildlife park, this is where the driver passes the exit and cost us more time. Then the guide tells us we need to be back on the bus by 3:00. It is 2:30. The park has two pathway loops to see the wildlife, we spend 15 min. almost running through each. We are promptly back on the bus by 3:00 and then begin waiting on the fighting mom and son - who arrive by around 3:15.
We do arrive at the air boat ride just in time for each group to get a 30 min ride. It was a neat experience. We all load the bus and head back.
The bus has to make three stops to drop everyone off. After the first stop, it becomes noticeably hot on the bus. We ask the guide to have the driver turn the air up. The driver tells him it is on high that maybe we should pull the shades down on the windows. I point out that the air is barely trickling out the vents and so the guide relays that to the driver who says working likes it's supposed to. I know better and I go to complain and my wife ask me to just let it go. After the second stop, someone else tells the guide this isn't right, the ac is not working. At that point the driver says that is correct there are red lights flashing and something is wrong. And a few minutes later he pulls over on the side of the road and the bus dies. So we wait for another bus to come get us and take us to our drop off and our day is done.
Bottom line, we did get to do everything offered on the tour, however, I feel our time on the activities was cut short for the money we paid to participate. We would have been better off booking the individual items ourselves and driving ourselves than taking the tour. I didn't mind paying the extra to take the tour as a matter of convenience, but for what we experienced, I feel like we were robbed.