Catamaran Snorkel & BBQ Sail (cruise friendly)

Just got back to our cruise ship after our 3+ hour excursion booked thru viator/TripAdvisor. Our snorkeling catamaran trip was epic. The vessel was well maintained and clean and comfortable. There was a nice balance of sunny and shady places to sit or lounge..used the head( restroom )and all was in order. The boat took off on time and immediately put the sails up. We sailed for about 45 minutes along the coast. Captain Luke was knowledgeable and a skilled sailor..the 2 women who helped the guests, served a variety of alcohol. And non alcohol drinks and plated the delicious BBQ lunch(grilled shrimp, chicken and beef skewers, homemade potatoe salad and grilled garlic bread w àioli) were patient kind and very service oriented. The women also hopped in the water to help the snorkelers and pointed out a turtle, and identified some of the other fish). Rode back to the dock full sails, mellow reggae music playing and more of whatever drinks anyone wanted. So happy it was not at all crowded( as have other cat trips i have been on!) Loved it and would highly recommend!!

One of the best excursions we've done on a cruise! There were 6 people total and we enjoyed lounging on the front net sipping cocktails. The snorkeling was amazing and the guide pointed and told us about the different coral and fish- amazing! And the lunch was delicious- a must do!

Epic Tours was easily one of the highlights of our entire cruise, and if we are ever back in Bonaire, I would book this excursion again in a heartbeat. No research. No comparing 37 different tours. Just take my money. 😂 First things first: the catamaran was spotless. And there was ROOM. There were probably about 12 of us onboard, give or take, and everyone had space to spread out. Nobody was practically sitting in a stranger’s lap, guarding a seat like it was the last lounge chair at a resort, or wondering where they were supposed to put themselves. After spending several days on a crowded cruise ship, I cannot adequately explain how lovely this was. 😂 Captain Emily and Ryan were wonderful... friendly, knowledgeable, attentive and, best of all, wonderfully CHILL. Nothing felt forced, overly scripted or like we were being herded from Activity A to Activity B. At one point I stretched out on the cushion near Captain Emily, talked with her about Bonaire and what life is like there…and then eventually fell asleep in the Caribbean breeze. Listen. If I am comfortable enough to fall asleep while you are sailing me around the Caribbean, we have established a pretty significant level of trust. 😂 Ryan led the snorkeling portion and actually went into the water with everyone who wanted to follow the guide. I really loved that, especially for anyone who might be a little nervous or not completely comfortable snorkeling on their own. He pointed out things to see along the way, and there was plenty... colorful fish, coral and even divers below us. We also learned more about Bonaire’s famous shore diving, which was really interesting to see firsthand. I am not nearly as committed to snorkeling as my husband, so another BIG plus for me was that this excursion was just as enjoyable if snorkeling is not your entire personality. 😂 I got in and swam for a while, relaxed in the sea hammock extending from the catamaran, climbed back aboard when I felt like it, had a drink, lounged around and generally enjoyed my best Caribbean life. Perfect. Now. THE FOOD. I need everyone to understand that when I say the food was excellent, I do NOT mean: “Excellent…for excursion food.” I mean excellent food. PERIOD. Everything was cooked right there on the grill and then plated and served with care. We had shrimp that were absolutely delicious, plus steak and chicken kabobs that were SO flavorful. At some point I genuinely started wondering what kind of witchcraft Captain Emily and Ryan had going on back there. HOW are you getting this much flavor out of food cooked on a grill while floating in the Caribbean?! The shrimp? Sooooo good. The steak? Delicious. The chicken? Ridiculously flavorful. Honestly, Captain Emily could very easily add “Chef Emily” to her title as far as I am concerned. And then, because apparently Epic Tours decided they were going to excel at EVERYTHING, there were the drinks. They were great, the refills kept coming, and nobody had to wave an empty glass in the air like they were trying to flag down a rescue helicopter. And I must specifically mention the wine. I like wine. Therefore, when an excursion says “wine included,” I proceed with caution. 😂 There is “wine”…and then there is wine I actually want to drink. This was the latter. Good wine, freely flowing drinks, fantastic food, beautiful water, plenty of space and a crew that somehow managed to be incredibly attentive without hovering over us. THAT is my kind of excursion. It was also incredibly convenient for cruise passengers. The meeting point was only about an eight-minute walk from our ship, so there was no complicated transportation situation or worrying about how we were getting back. The entire experience felt relaxed, personal and effortless. People who wanted to snorkel had a wonderful guided experience. People like me who wanted to swim a little, lounge a lot, eat extremely well and sip wine in the Caribbean were ALSO very well taken care of. 😂 Epic Tours absolutely nailed it. Beautiful, spotless catamaran. Plenty of space. Wonderful crew. Great snorkeling. Flowing drinks. Shockingly good food. And absolutely no chaos. If we return to Bonaire, I would not hesitate for a second to book with Epic Tours again. Highly, HIGHLY recommended.

This was our third time with Epic and we have our fourth excursion already booked for next week! The crew is awesome and the food is ALWAYS amazing…be it brunch or dinner, simply the freshest and tastiest food we have found! Today was brunch and after snorkeling, we quickly devoured the French toast and fresh fruit before I could photograph. After a second picturesque snorkel stop, chef prepared a huge and delectable spread which, by the way, accommodated our vegan, our vegetarian & our pescatarian! We were all, once again, thrilled with the glorious Caribbean setting and the delightfully charming service! We highly recommend and will always book with Epic!

Had a fabulous time in this tour. Staff were excellent. Wasn’t too full. Everyone had seats. Swimming was terrific. Sites and guide was terrific. Lunch was excellent. Seeing Corfu from the water was so beautiful. Highly recommend this tour.

What an amazing snorkeling experience! The water was so beautiful and clear. We saw the prettiest tropical fish. The grilled lunch was the best meal we had on our 8 day cruise. Highly recommend this experience to others! Enjoyed a smaller setting versus the larger ones offered by the cruise line.

Booked coming from cruise ship. Easy 10 min walk to cat. Never a crowded feel like some snorkeling tours I've been on. Staff extremely friendly. Plenty of drinks including alcohol but can't comment on alcohol selection since I don't drink. Great snorkeling spot. Lunch was also prepared fresh on ship and the best I've ever had on a snorkeling trip. Would definitely book again if I come back to Bonaire.

The walk from the cruise port to the excursion was pleasant right along the water! We got to the office to check in and found out we had been upgraded! We were a little excited as this never happens to us! The boat was amazing, staff was hands down the best staff I have ever had on an excursion! The captain cooked a wonderful meal and the first mate got into the water and told us everything we were seeing! All the equipment was top notch and we even got some pool noodles to float I nth Caribbean Sea while we waited on lunch! Hands down will book this and will tell everyone I know to book this when they visit this magical island! I feel bad that I forgot the names of the two working this day!

+2

Fabulous snorkel trip with Captain Finne and Mike. We came off a cruise ship. Beautiful snorkeling, wonderful bbq meal with chicken, beef and shrimp. The crew was fabulous.

The crew of Mike, Emma and The Captain (congrats on your upcoming twins!) were so amazing! They were knowledgeable of the best area to snorkel, made us a beautiful lunch of steak, chicken and shrimp kebabs potato salad and grilled breads. Above and beyond our expectations. Thanks for a great day!! (Also, thanks for the info on the full face mask. I won’t be using that anymore!) Rachel and Jim Oldani