Punta Cana Party Boat Dancehall Meets Hip Hop & Pre-Party

1 out of 10 dont recommend

There were a lot of people here. We eventually managed to figure out where to check in. When we arrived, they tried to sell us drinks even though drinks were supposedly included. I went to buy a magnet in the shop connected to check in, and the guy tried to sell me a magnet for the equivalent of $150 USD. I ended up giving him the equivalent of $18. That was the first time they scammed me. ​The alcohol on the boat was the same low quality stuff the resorts use that doesn't seem to have the effects of alcohol. It also ran out quickly, but they had name brand bottles for sale at high prices that didn't run out. I might have had two drinks before it ran out. The cups were small, so it felt like I didn't drink anything at all. There were tons of people, and it felt like they brought only 2 or 3 bottles of alcohol to be included for no additional charge. ​Now, I will say the vibes were great. But honestly, they played the same few songs over and over, and each boat was blasting music, so it really all mostly sounded like loud noise. People were having fun, though. They pulled up beside other boats, and people hopped between boats. ​I ordered a hookah, it was $60, and I asked if I could pay with my card. I confirmed multiple times, and they said yes. The hookah was tiny. When they brought the hookah, I tried to pay, but the guy said he'd collect after. I thought this was strange, but said ok. When the coals died, they never refilled them. So the hookah didn't last very long. ​After the party was over, they came to collect the payment, and the guy said it's $75 and I have to pay with Cash App. This is the second time they scammed me. I said, "Y'all said $60, why is it $75?" He gave some weird explanation about a 25% tax, then told me I can pay $60 if I pay cash. Then I explained, "I asked all of this in the beginning, and y'all said it's $60 and I could pay with my card, now you're increasing the price." We went back and forth until he said I could get cash from the ATM. I said fine, I'll do that. My card wouldn't let me take out cash, and the guy became irritated as if he wasn't trying to scam me. He ultimately let me pay with my card and charged me $75. ​While at the ATM, I saw them scam another woman the same way. She didn't know the equivalent of $75 in their pesos, and took out too much money. Ultimately after the exchange, we realized they took the equivalent of $150 from her, which her friend was very angry about. But by the time we all realized the amount, it was too late; dude left immediately after getting the money from her. ​After this whole situation, we were supposed to be picked up by the driver they sent, and they had us walking all around the area for almost an hour trying to find him. While walking around following the bad directions we were given we got into it with a crappy local driver who wanted to hit us with his car because we werent walking fast enough for him to pull into a lot. And he was upset too many folks were walking in the narrow streets which they were doing likely to avoid the sewage puddles covering the sidewalks. An experience we only had because they didn't have our driver ready to take us back. ​the party aspect was cool, but I don't really dance, so most of my experience was just smoking a dying hookah and then getting scammed. That was my $148 experience with them. I wanted to add this to Viator, but my friend purchased all of the tickets. Still, I feel people should know what they are signing up for. ​1 out of 10. Do not recommend.

via Tripadvisor

Terrible Experience

Terrible experience. The pick up was late and did not collect us until 2.30pm when we were originally told 2pm. We were also told we would be picked up from our hotel lobby but was asked to go to the main gate last minute after the driver arrived late. The lady at check in was rude and did not ask us if we needed help, she completely ignored us for about 2/3 minutes until someone else suggested that we needed her help. Getting on and off the boat was horrible having to walk through thick Sargassum with our belongings with some things getting completely soaked leaving the contents inside of our bags soaking wet. It would have been better to have us to board the boat from a dock as the sargassum is very thick during this time of year and it was an inconvenience for those of use that didn’t plan on getting wet. The music selection was also terrible we were sold Dancehall AND Hip Hop hence “Dancehall Meets Hip Hop” however the boat we were on only played Hip Hop and not good Hip Hop, there wasn’t a variety and the music was being played from Spotify or YouTube on a phone that had very limited data causing the music to cut out on numerous occasions. We were under the impression that there would be a DJ on board. At one point I even had to play the music myself as the variety of music did not cater to what was advertised and the person playing the music had gone for a swim, which wouldn’t a problem if the music was being controlled by someone else. Open bar was also advertised but there wasn’t a good selection of drinks only rum with a very sweet drink mixed with it, anything else had to be paid for. Overall it wasn’t a good experience, especially when we expected to hear Dancehall and the only way we heard any was when I asked the man playing the music if I could put on a few songs.

Response from the operator: Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're genuinely sorry that your experience didn't meet your expectations. Regarding the delayed pickup, there was unexpected road construction in the hotel zone that afternoon, which caused significant traffic and affected all transportation and tour operators in the area. We also had to adjust the pickup location to the main gate because some hotel policies and traffic conditions prevented our vehicle from accessing the lobby. We understand this was frustrating, and we apologize for the inconvenience. We're also sorry to hear about your experience during check-in. Providing a welcoming experience is important to us, and we'll be addressing your comments with our team to ensure every guest is acknowledged and assisted promptly. Unfortunately, the sargassum conditions are a natural seasonal occurrence that can change daily and are outside of our control. While we do our best to make boarding as comfortable as possible, we appreciate your suggestion about dock boarding and will continue exploring better options whenever conditions allow. We also apologize that the music and drink selection did not match your expectations. We strive to create a fun atmosphere, and your feedback about the playlist, music consistency, and bar offerings has been shared with our team so we can improve the experience for future guests. We truly appreciate your honest feedback, as it helps us identify areas where we can do better. We hope you'll consider giving us another opportunity in the future to provide the experience we aim to deliver.

via Tripadvisor

High Energy! Bring good vibes !

OMGGGGGGGGGG this party boat was lit ! The food was good - especially loved the rice . I celebrated my birthday here and they did not disappoint. My only complaint is to mix up the music with R&B, Pop, and pictures should be cheaper..Everyone was friendly. Definitely the biggest party boat Ive ever been on!

via Viator

Maybe the experience is a...

Maybe the experience is a hit or miss? Based on some of the reviews I was little nervous lol but we had a BALL! The whole process was smooth… pre pick up communication on point, staff friendly and accommodating, and then the actual boat part was VERY LIT! My vote is to book and just don’t have any expectations just in case but I can’t recommend enough!!! A great time was had!!!

via Viator

Dancehall where?! Meant to be Noah’s Ark

DO NOT BOOK WITH THIS COMPANY ⚠️ This was honestly one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had. Completely misleading, disorganised, and a total waste of money. We were put on the wrong boat and only found out at the very end when we questioned a promoter about this being Noah’s Ark — after being constantly pushed to buy extra food and drinks all day. • No pre-party at all — just standing around with crowds waiting for different boats while being harassed by vendors trying to sell souvenirs and cigars • No pre-arrival meal as advertised • Had to walk through water and get physically dragged onto the boat by staff • Music was NOT dancehall — just random hip hop playing off someone’s phone, cutting out constantly with ads playing mid-song via Youtube • Drinks were heavily watered down, yet they still charged $15 for a single shot • Hookah was $60, and when the coals needed changing, staff disappeared • Our boat had no atmosphere — we literally had to enjoy music from other boats at the natural pool • At the end, when we complained, they suddenly said food was included… and gave us stale rice, scraps of chicken and claiming the oven “wasn’t working” for pizza. No apology. No accountability. Just excuses. To top it off, they’ve refused a refund, which is honestly ridiculous given how far this was from what was advertised. Save your money and avoid this company at all costs. There are much better, properly organised options out there.

Response from the operator: Hi, thank you for your feedback. We’re genuinely sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. However, we do want to clarify a few important points for future guests reading this. We strongly encourage all guests to carefully review the full listing before booking. Our experience is not marketed as a dancehall-only party boat. While we do feature Dancehall and Amapiano music during check-in, once onboard, the DJ is required to cater to a diverse international crowd. For this reason, we cannot guarantee that only one genre (such as dancehall or hip hop) will be played throughout the trip. Regarding the boats — we operate a fleet of multiple boats that all depart together and go to the same destination (the natural pool). Guests are assigned based on capacity for safety and organization, not based on different experiences. Every boat is part of the same event. Food is indeed included; however, it is freshly prepared and served at a designated time (around 2 PM). We clearly advise all guests to eat during that time, as the kitchen does not operate continuously throughout the day. Guests arriving later or choosing not to eat at the scheduled time may unfortunately miss the full meal service. As for boarding, due to the nature of the beach and sea conditions in Punta Cana, it is normal for guests to walk through shallow water to access the boats, and staff are there to assist for safety. We take concerns about service, music, and staff attentiveness seriously and will review your comments internally. That said, many of the issues mentioned stem from expectations that differ from what is clearly outlined in the experience description. We appreciate your feedback and will continue working to improve communication so guests fully understand what to expect before booking.

via Tripadvisor