Would not have changed a thing about this trip! The boat, captain, crew, food, drinks and snorkeling locations were all top notch. Captain was full of information and shared it in a very fun manner during the trip, about policies, safety, wildlife, the area, etc. Our crew, aside from the captain, was all-female and they ran a tight ship, but also exhibited limitless patience and kindness. The grilled lunch (we had hamburgers) was fantastic as were the beverages provided. The boat was full of folks, but we were happy for their limiting tours to 50% capacity as it was still easy to get around the boat, get into and out of the water and get lunch and beverages distributed without too much of a wait.
On our trip we saw a couple of humpback whales (1st week in April) and sea turtles and unbelievable marine life underwater!
We rented the optional wetsuits in early April and were pleased that we did, as they were comfortable in the water and provided additional sun protection. Not getting sunburned on our first outing in Hawaii was definitely worth the $10.
My husband has a heart condition so we did not participate in the SNUBA offering, although it looked to be very interesting and well-run by a Dive Master on board. We applied reef safe sunscreen well before leaving our stateroom that morning and brought lightweight long sleeved hoodies, sun hats and beach towels from our cruise ship to cover our legs when we were out of the water. The ride back to the harbor was very windy so make sure you can secure your goods in a bag when not being used and your sun hat has a good lanyard!
We were in Maui on a Norwegian Cruise and rented a car to get around so we could make it to this 7:30AM tour on our 2nd day in port. Even with the cost of the rental car, we saved money by planning directly with Pride of Maui over the cost of a snorkeling trip from the ship.
One more tip: make sure your mask/fins fit comfortably but snug and exchange them if there are any leaking areas or pressure points. This crew will work with you to make sure you have the best possible experience on your trip!