Speedboat Adventure to Snorkeling Spot and Natural Pool

Speed boat birthday fun

The speed boat was very fun. We will do adding. However the pick up and drop off was horrible. The communication of these guys picking us up and dropping us off is horrible.

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Family trip

Had a really fun boat ride with awesome guides. Definitely recommend it!

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No experience

Never had the experience. Was told we had a pick up at our lobby at Barcelo beach . At the time of pick up we get a text asking us to get a ride down to the security gates. Which is quite a ways from the lobby. When we told the it wasn’t possible we had to cancel our excursion. They than refunded our money..

via Viator

Traumatic Tactical training exercise!!

This was one of the worst experiences on our trip. It started out by us meeting promptly at the Capitan Cook restaurant, shuttled out to another spot further down on the beach with another couple. There were no life jackets and we were traveling with two small children, 9 & 10. He was screaming at other men in boats, asking them for life jackets while he was speeding around the shore. I was clutching my kids, while we bounced around on the boat. Someone eventually threw some discolored old life vests at us and he motioned for us to put them on while he sped down the coast in choppy waters. I panicked and fumbled my way with the life vests, quickly trying to buckle them on my kids. As soon as I finished we had arrived. He jetted us to a rally point where we had to finish paying for our excursion. We were then rushed into an old ratty “speed boat” that reeked of fuel. Immediately we were stuck because of a broken fuel pump. Shortly after spitting out some fuel all over us, he got the boat going again. The fumes of the engine made me sick, as we putted to a location further away. My daughter began to get motion sickness. Our first stop was a natural pool of water. He stopped the boat and my son and husband got out to look around the shore while my daughter and I stayed in the boat, since she was feeling so bad. After about 10 minutes, he called them back and we rushed to see “dolphins”… which I thought was going to be an area where dolphins frequently swim at. It turns out to be a floating jail that houses approximately 20 dolphins in four separate pens. It is a terrible sight to see, their fins popping out of the water as they swim in circles in these tiny cages. I don’t know how this is even legal. For an additional fee, they let you go and swim with them and take photos. We were disgusted and he drove us to the next spot for snorkeling.We arrived at another rally point where he tied us off. Someone threw him some horrible snorkeling equipment that I am certain was not disinfected whatsoever. The water was very choppy and we were too close to other larger boats as well as other speed boats… our boat kept hitting the big party boat, and we were next to ropes. He had us jump off the side of the boat, near metal latches that could easily rip someone’s skin open. My kids were thrown all over the place by the water, my daughter still sick, we kept getting pushed towards the mess of ropes and boats and pinch points… I got back in the boat after 3 minutes of struggling and I was so worried my daughter or son would be crushed. After 10 minutes, we all got back in the boat. This was supposed to be a private excursion to avoid other tourists, and there we were with several other boats, with the noise of boats, and the smell of gasoline and being thrown around by the waves. Once we were in the boat, he raced us back to the rally point, as we struggled with our vests once again, where he dumped us off for us to wait for our ride back to Capitan Cooks restaurant. After waiting what felt like forever, we decided to walk back to the restaurant by foot. This was the worst experience on our trip. Don’t be fooled by the photos or the words. The price they quote is always high, I believe we ended up paying $140 for four of us, and that was way too much!! This felt like a tactical military training exercise that was traumatic and very dangerous. Had it been a more relaxing and less rushed experience with some time to explain safety and the plan, I would have happily paid more, with a tip for the driver. But it was obvious they were in a hurry to get us in and out as quickly as possible, ready for the next victims. He even cut our trip short by 45 minutes, blaming the weather.

Response from the operator: Thank you for sharing your experience. We are very sorry to learn that this excursion did not meet your expectations, especially as you were traveling with your children. Guest safety is our highest priority, and we take comments regarding life jackets, boat conditions, and safety procedures very seriously. All excursions are required to carry safety equipment, and we will review your concerns with our operations team to ensure procedures are being followed correctly. We also regret that the sea conditions on the day of your excursion contributed to discomfort for your family. Unfortunately, ocean conditions can sometimes be unpredictable, and for safety reasons captains may need to modify routes or shorten activities when weather or water conditions deteriorate. Regarding the dolphin facility, we understand that opinions on marine animal attractions vary greatly among travelers. The visit to this location is included as part of the itinerary, and participation in any optional activities is entirely at the guest’s discretion. We are disappointed to hear that the snorkeling portion and overall experience felt rushed and did not provide the relaxing atmosphere you were expecting from a private excursion. Your feedback regarding the equipment, organization, and communication from the crew has been noted and will be shared with management for review and improvement. We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to provide such detailed feedback. While we regret that this experience fell short of expectations, your comments help us identify areas where we can improve the quality and safety of our tours for future guests.

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Couples / Family

Miguel was an awesome tour guide. He was pleasant and fun. Thank you so much for making this a memorable event.

via Viator