My husband and I went on the full-day snorkel, water-sports trip this past Tuesday. Thankfully, we lucked out with the best weather of the week. The wind was light and the temperature was great. Tip: check the weather forecast before booking and try to land on a good day. The rest of the week was very windy...I imagine that snorkeling would be tough.
I was a little hesitant about the number of people that would be on the boat (was told it was booked 'full,' so there were 50), but it was pretty comfortable. Tip: we grabbed the seats toward the stern facing forward. So underway, we could look ahead comfortably, and there weren't people tripping over our bags, feet, etc. all day.
The captain and crew had great positive energy and were super welcoming. As soon as the captain (wish I could remember everyone's name) gave his introductory 'talk' and I watched the crew get everything ready with skilled confidence, I knew that we were in good hands.
We left at 10 a.m. and were taken out to a reef 7 miles from shore. Underway, the crew set out what looked like a delicious breakfast, but we weren't hungry just then. Once we got to the reef, Von (can't say enough about what a great employee / PR expert he is) gave some instructions about the snorkeling equipment, protocol, etc. Lots of people waited in line to take the stairs down into the water, but jumping off the side of the boat was super fun. Visibility for snorkeling and the water temperature was perfect. We had a great time and saw many colorful schools of fish. I had swallowed a bit of salt water =} while snorkeling, so I was glad that there was still some fresh fruit left over from breakfast. It was just the thing to feel refreshed.
After snorkeling, we were taken back toward Key West to tie up to a barge for the afternoon. For the ride back, lunch was served. The crew member in charge of food and drinks did a great job.
At the barge, there were a variety of things to choose from, kayaking, paddle-boarding, rides on a 'banana boat,' a trampoline and huge float that the kids loved, and parasailing. We kayaked over to a really cool sunken ship, and saw a barracuda about 3' long. We thought maybe we'd just go along for the speedboat ride when it was our group's turn to 'watch' others parasail. Again, I wish that I could remember crew members' names, maybe 'Dom?' Anyway, he was the nicest young guy and when he learned about our plan, he talked to us so sincerely about what a great experience it is to parasail, and he really encouraged us to try it. We did. And we are super glad that we did! We probably would not have tried it w/o Dom's little pep talk, so there's another example of it's the "people that make the difference." It was a great afternoon in the sun, we got back to the dock around 4:00.
The only negative on the trip was a family of other guests. Two women in particular who were impressed with themselves and paraded around in bathing suits that barely covered their ample bods. They spent much of their time posing provocatively along the railings, taking pictures of each other's rear ends. When they weren't doing that, they were cutting people off in the food or drink line, and at one point threw a profane hissy fit when they believed someone had a ride on a jet ski when it was 'their turn.' It was offensive to hear, and completely inappropriate, especially with families and kids on the boat. So, there's the problem with large group activities when you are captive in the space for the day. But again, it was the crew that made the difference. They gave 110% to smooth over every situation. They were everywhere on the boat, spreading positive energy, engaging everyone in conversation, refilling empty cups with water, pop, and on the way back, beer and wine.
Overall, this trip was a fantastic experience. We definitely recommend it for many reasons. But, first and foremost, it was the employees of Sebago. We would book again.