china_cat

we're going to book one of the Na Pali tours that leave from the north shore of Kauai, and I'm still having trouble deciding between Napali Catamaran, SeaBreeze, and Captain Sundown. I'd like to hear opinions from folks who have been on them.

luvtravel, I think you said you were going on SeaBreeze in July, and could compare with Napali Cat. Are you back yet? I'd love to hear what you think of them.

My main questions are with regard to basic comfort and view:
how are the seats, are they padded at all? is there shade? is there a bathroom on board?
Can you see from all seats, or move around if you can't? (I ask this, as this seems to be one negative for Napali catamaran reviews. People say if they were on the right side of the boat, they couldn't see the scenery very well and they couldn't move around).

thanks for any info .

china_cat

ttt -- anybody??

HawaiiVirgin

Hi chinacat. We'll be taking the SeaBreeze cruise this Thursday. Will let you know about it when we get back (not until the 27th at the earliest - I will be "unplugged" til I get home).

china_cat

have a great trip HV. I look forward to your review.

Why did you end up choosing Seabreeze?

HawaiiVirgin

I read a lot of reviews on a lot of companies from a lot of people. Everyone has a different opinion. But, I heard enough times that cruising from the North is the better route, especially this time of year. Plus, the UKG lists SeaBreeze as their favorite. I think that was what finally helped me decide (plus the fact that only a few companies go out from the North Shore). I will be sure to let you know how it goes.

jojuice

I took the SeaBreeze cruise to Napali Coast. Captain Bob is full of information and his crew are very accommodating. The sandwiches were wonderful and you can go scuba diving if the seas permit. We saw huge turtles. It was a beautiful scenic cruise and takes off out of Anini Beach. I hope you enjoy yourself if you choose to go with this cruise.
Jo Jo

Barbara5353

HV: Be sure to book towards the beginning or middle of your trip. I booked a cruise off Anini Beach towards the end of one of my vacations. It was cancelled due to ocean conditions and I had not allowed enough time to re-book.
I can hardly wait to read your trip report! Your enthusiasm jumps right off your keyboard.

HawaiiVirgin

Barb, we are doing the cruise on our first day there. Gonna take our chances with sunburn. Just thought, since we'll still be on East Coast time, it will be easier to get to the North by 7:00am on the first day, since we'll probably be up before the sun. 32 hours to liftoff!!!

china_cat

jojuice, what was the SeaBreeze boat itself like? my husband is a big guy, so is concerned that the seating isn't too cramped. were the seats padded? benches? these are the questions that I can't seem to get answers too. Thanks so much for any info you can share.

jojuice

The benches are not padded (if I remember correctly)but they are comfortable. The day that I went there were about 8 other adults and there was plenty of room. He only allows a certain amount of passegers.Captain Bob sits on the upper level of his boat and his passengers are a level below him. You are exposed to the sun but there is a small section up front with shade. You can go to the front of the boat if the seas are calm. He is very cautious and will take no chances with your safety. You do not have to go scuba diving if you do not want to. Your husband should be fine. Mine is 6 feet tall and he was more than okay. Again, if I remember correctly there are poles you can hold on to if you get tired of sitting. I took the trip about two years ago. The sights are breathtaking and Captain Bob is very informative since he has lived on this beautiful island for many years. If I can help you with anything else let me know. Wear a hat and use sunscreen. Also, be careful getting on and off the boat. It can be slippery. I would suggest no flip flops. Try to take the earlier cruise since it will not be as hot.

luvtravl

Sorry I just now saw your post. My friend's husband passed away and I haven't been keeping up with the forum the past few weeks.

SeaBreeze was good. Although they are very similar I thought that the boat was more comfortable than the one Napali Catamaran used. Lunch was good - sandwiches and wraps from Foodland Deli, fresh watermelon, pineapple, cookies, chips, drinks. Definitely take the morning trip as it can get very rough in the afternoon.

HawaiiVirgin

Hey, cat! Just got back tonight and boy, am I tired...and SO, SO sad to be done.

Will be posting a detailed trip report soon, but just to let you know, we took the Seabreeze cruise last Thursday. We had a ball!! The boat is a power-cat (no sail). I think they max out at 16 people. They had 4 on the bow to go out & about 10 of us on the back. There are storage benches with padding that are pretty comfy, tho not enough room for 14-16 to sit. To be honest, I didn't find it an issue, since the seats are in the middle of the boat & I wanted to be at the railings the whole time. You can sit around the unpadded edges of the boat, too. Plenty of room this way.

On our way out to NaPali, we were surrounded by dolphins a couple of times. There were so many, and they got so close, it was magical. The snorkeling was great, too. Other things to look for are sea turtles (tho we only saw a few,) brown boobies nesting in the rocks, and crazy goats all over the NaPali cliffs. Unbelievable!

On our way back, the waves & swells were HUGE! My DH & I spent as much time as we could on the bow, going airborne a few times, then moved to the side where we got soaked! I was squealing like a little girl, it was so much fun. This was an unusual day, tho. The seas were rough enough to cause Capt Bob to cancel the afternoon tour. I totally agree with jo about the early tour. We had a very overcast day and still came back with a burn, even tho we sunscreened several times.

My only disappointment (and that is too strong a word) is that I was looking forward to more from Capt Bob. His PA wasn't carrying well (possibly due to winds), so on the way out to NaPali, he only spoke with the family on the bow. We in the back got all our info from Piper, the first mate. Piper is a great guy with a lot of knowledge, but he's young, so he doesn't have quite the experience that Bob has. That being said, I still enjoyed this trip immensely. Piper did a great job & was a pleasure to deal with. I don't want to take away from him. I was just hoping for more of the old salt's tales.

Well, I'm sure all this & more will be in my trip report. But, for now, it's time for bed. It's been a loooonnnggg day (actually, 2 days, since travel started on Wed.) Aloha.

china_cat

thanks both of you, for the reviews. I've just called and booked the Sea Breeze morning tour. I was leaning that way already, so went for it.

I kind of hope the swells aren't quite as large as you experienced, that might be a bit much for me.

we leave on Sunday for 4 weeks/4 islands, I can hardly wait!

HawaiiVirgin

I realize I forgot to mention a few things. There is a SMALL overhang where you could conceivable get out of the sun, but there's not much room there. They have a head, if you REALLY need it. You can move around the boat, but they will remind you to try to keep both sides balanced. People were pretty good about trading sides.

The boat didn't go into any sea caves. We got really close to one, then got cut off by a zodiac. They went in and stayed for a bit, so we just left. I'm not sure if we would have gone in all the way, but it sure seemed like a possibility.

Hope you have a great time. Wish I could be there with you!!

china_cat

We had an absolutely awesome time. There actually was a bit of shade under the overhang, but I was fine sitting in the back of the boat in the corner where I could get good photos off the side. My husband was the one more concerned about the sun and he was fine.

We got partway into one of the caves, but there were some moderate swells, and it was pretty clear we couldn't go in any farther. I didn't see any of the zodiacs going in either.

ksucat

Just did the Captain Andy's Napali sunset tour that leaves around 2pm.
Couple people got sick and its pretty rough but crew did a good job but the food is awful.
Views are incredible along the coastline.
drinks are ok but the stick to the beer and wine..not the tiki drinks.
Would I pay $125+ per person again..probably not.