Unforgettable reefs, but poor time management for cruise guests
The Good:
Stunning Locations: The water, reef, and sandbar experience is truly one of a kind. We saw nurse sharks, starfish, stingrays, and vibrant coral reefs.
Great Amenities & Logistics: Prompt initial pickup, accurate directions, and thoughtful snacks and drinks on board.
The Areas for Improvement:
1-Hour Delay Departure: Our tour had 15 cruise passengers who arrived promptly at the marina by 9:50 AM. However, the operators delayed our boat departure by nearly an hour to wait for just two non-cruise guests.
Unfulfilled Logistics Request: Ten days prior, I emailed to request a drop-off at a nearby resort after the tour. They confirmed this in writing, but on the day of the excursion, the boat captain refused the request. Although the owner apologized and arranged a taxi back at the shop, we had to pay out of pocket.
Takeaway:
Between the departure delay and the missed drop-off, we lost two valuable hours of our short 8-hour port window. While the natural sights and crew on the water are fantastic, cruise travelers with tight schedules should be mindful of potential delays.
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Name_H
June 27, 2026 · via Viator
Great time!
Great tour! Only one small hiccup where they thought we did not have a reservation with the tour, but they eventually found our ticket! The boat was amazing, the tour guide was friendly! They had soda and waters for people who don’t drink like me! We were able to see a nurse shark and sting rays! Beautiful time! Definitely an excursion worth booking!
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michael_d
May 6, 2026 · via Viator
No mas tequila!
Very confusing where to actually meet. We were advised to meet at two different locations, which created a lot on anxiety for us, and a lot of extra walking. We did see a stingray at the sandbar, but very few fish on the dive. The snack, drinks, and boat crew were terrific!
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Gaetan_L
April 12, 2026 · via Viator
Nice.
Serious claimant. Good upfront care. Area of improvement: another reef site compared to what we have already been able to do
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auam2026
March 29, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Crystal Clear Waters & Great Crew
This tour was exactly what we were hoping for. El Cielo is absolutely beautiful—shallow, calm, and full of marine life. The crew was attentive and kept things organized without being too strict. Snacks and drinks were a nice touch. Overall, a relaxing and memorable experience.
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kimberly_w
March 11, 2026 · via Viator
Beautiful Water, Kind Staff, Disorganized Start
started off bad... the meeting place was far from the dock. stood at meeting place and nobody there... finally saw people were about 15 feet away. that made us late. just seemed unorganized. the trip itself was great, though... beautiful water and nice staff. more food than we expected with guac, chips and ceviche. they definitely over served some people (who had kids with them) which wasn't good to see.
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Yara_P
March 10, 2026 · via Viator
Excellent tour, recommended!!!
It was an excellent tour, not a refined tour but effective, and on time. They fulfill what they offer you to see. Our boat was EL CHOMBO. The super-stack crew, they are very young but they know what they do and dominate the sea, the sites and the animals. They took some amazing pictures! And the big striped blanket experience was the ultimate! The very good ceviche and the very cold drinks!
Super recommended !!! 10/10
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JohnNurk
February 27, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Snorkeling tour
We had a very good experience. Would do again. Like the small group. The staff were always helpful and nice.
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Travel597558
January 29, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Great snorkeling, sketchy company
I always try to book excursions through trip advisor vs the cruise line. Excursions are significantly cheaper to book this way. This was our first stop on our cruise, and it was an experience. First, after getting off the ship you have to make your way down a long dock and into a walled off area full of shops, restaurants and other things. You have to find the taxi stand because there is no way to walk to this excursion. The taxi ride was about 15 min. Make sure you have cash, for the taxi both ways, for the tip, and for the docking fee (which I didn’t understand) after taking a taxi to the ferry terminal we easily found the anchor. Our text message said to meet at 930 but the tour person didn’t show up until close to ten. Once she showed up she needed to collect the dock fee (which was close to the same amount as the excursion 50 dollars) She checked us in and we paid the dock fee, you can use a card but they prefer cash. She took our pictures and then we walked to the dock, I’m not sure why we didn’t meet at the dock. The dock was sketchy, behind a chain link gate. Once we got to the dock we signed our waiver, we waited and watched as boats were loaded with food and drinks. Our tour was supposed to start at 10am but we were asked to get on at about 1030 am. To get on the boat you have to step down from the dock a good distance and stand on the boat, then step down again to get on the floor. They didn’t have a step stool or provide assistance. This is where I started to struggle because I knew getting off was going to be worse. If you have any knee, back issues or are older this is difficult. Once on the boat we were handed bright orange life jackets to keep on for the ride and the first snorkel. We were also given masks and snorkels, they didn’t hand out fins? I’m not sure how you snorkel without fins. I bring all my own gear so it wasn’t an issue but it was for my sister. This is a long ride to the first spot but well worth it. I saw a shark, lots of rays, live coral and lots of sea life. After a good amount of time in the water you have to climb back in the boat, the latter didn’t have skid or rope on all the rungs so getting in and out was a challenge, luckily we had two helpful gentlemen on the trip who held the ladder for us as we climbed in, no support was given from the crew. We made it to to our second spot, I saw lots of conches and a few starfish, this spot was not as good as the first. I also wondered if the starfish were real because I have never seen that kind of starfish. I saw rays, sea grass and lots of conches. We loaded the boat and were off to our third spot. The third spot was waist deep and lots of rays floated past. There were many boats in the area. The second and third spot were touristy I preferred the first spot and would have been happy to just stay there. At the third spot the made ceviche and guacamole it was amazing.
The return trip was hard the weather had started to change and the boat was being thrown around, we were soaked and it was bumpy. Long ride back, once we got back the dock was not safe, our boat was being tossed around, we unloaded one person at a time and waited for a gap in the waves. Two people from shore started helping people up and out of the ship, this was unorganized chaos. I knew this was going to be rough but I felt extremely unsafe and was thankful that I was not injured. I would not use this company again.
Jesus was our guide.
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Jiri_L
November 27, 2025 · via Viator
Top experience
Top experience So far, people Are great And crew too, the best boat La Reyhna*****. El cielo, El cielo to the best😀👍😍❤️