Puerto Plata Party Boat and Snorkeling Adventure from Cruise Port

I am literally still on the boat as I write this review, which should tell you how disappointing this experience has been. I have taken private boat charters in Turks & Caicos, Grand Cayman, St. Lucia, and the Seychelles, and this was, without question, the least professional and least enjoyable private charter I have experienced. The one exception was the photographer, who was fantastic, attentive, and easily the most professional person on the boat. I should also say that we paid $120 for the photo package as it is not included in the $1,100 boat tour but we absolutely loved the pictures and poses by the photographer. The problems began before we even boarded. We were notified that the tour would start an hour late. Despite the delay being on their end, the crew then attempted to end our charter an hour early. I had to specifically push back and insist that we receive the full amount of time we paid for. The snorkeling experience was even more concerning. Snorkeling is advertised as part of the tour, yet there were absolutely no instructions. No explanation of how to properly put on or adjust the life vests. No instructions on fitting or using the snorkeling equipment. No safety briefing. No explanation of how to enter or exit the water or safely get on and off the boat. I have snorkeled on excursions in several countries, and I have never encountered such a complete absence of basic instruction. We were so concerned about the lack of guidance that, despite some of us having snorkeling experience, we were not confident that if anything unsafe were to happen in the water, anyone on board would actually be able to assist us in any meaningful way. Meanwhile, there were four or five male crew members sitting or standing around, drinking liquor from the bar and eating food that had been grilled for our charter, appearing to enjoy themselves as though they were the guests. They were considerably more engaged with one another than they were with the people who actually paid to be on the boat. I raised my concerns directly with the captain. Nothing changed. I was later told that the crew member designated to handle the snorkeling instructions did not speak English. If you are accepting English-speaking guests and advertising snorkeling as an activity, it is the company’s responsibility to ensure that someone can communicate basic instructions and safety information to those guests. The captain’s interaction with us was also remarkably limited unless there was something additional to sell. We were repeatedly offered add-ons such as banana boat rides and hookah. If he wasn’t upselling something, there was very little engagement. Ironically, the most attentive I saw him toward the entire group was at the end of the charter, when it was time to walk around with the tip bucket. The crew did not meaningfully assist us getting on or off the boat, did very little to facilitate the activities, and made virtually no effort to create the type of experience one reasonably expects when paying for a private charter. A private boat charter should feel organized, attentive, safe, and tailored to the guests who paid for it. Instead, this felt like we had paid to provide a boat, food, and drinks for the crew to enjoy while we happened to be there. If you are visiting Puerto Plata and considering a private boat excursion, I strongly recommend spending your money elsewhere. There are other options available. Based on my experience today, I cannot recommend this one. NOTE: I have attached photos of where the crew was the entirety of our in tour. Hanging with each other, eating, drink and joking and not interacting at all.

There were so many excursion options from our MSC Seascape cruise, but this ended up being a great choice. Beautiful water, friendly crew, and just the right amount of time on the boat. We'd do it again.

We wanted something relaxed and fun while in Puerto Plata and this was exactly that. The water was gorgeous, the snorkeling was enjoyable, and the atmosphere onboard made the trip even better. A great way to spend a few hours ashore.

We were staying at a resort in Puerto Plata and wanted something different than another day by the pool. The snorkeling was excellent and everyone on board seemed to be having a great time. The few hours flew by.

We booked this during our stop in Puerto Plata and had a fantastic time. The snorkeling was fun, the water was beautiful, and the atmosphere on the boat was great from the moment we left the dock. One of our favorite excursions of the cruise.

Exactly the Vibe We Wanted - My friends and I got off Royal Caribbean looking for something fun and easy. This checked all the boxes. Good music, drinks, snorkeling, sunshine. Nobody was taking things too seriously and everyone seemed to be having a good time

The Ride Back Was the Best Part - We visited Puerto Plata on Princess Cruises and booked this at the last minute. The snorkeling was fun, but the ride back might have been my favorite part. Everyone was relaxed, music was playing, and the whole boat had that end-of-a-great-day feeling. We walked back to the ship smiling.

Know that you'll have a fantastic time. The Captain & crew were great! We had such a good time. Highly recommend!

Very fun experience - we had the whole boat to ourselves which was so nice! Captain and staff were very friendly and very accommodating. Had a fun snorkeling stop to see a reef. They served a great lunch of kabobs and hotdog on good bread. Only complaint was the music was a bit loud to our liking (though we are 60+ so we can now understand the volume complaints of our elders - LOL). Recommend to go on this excursion.

Ride from ship was too long. Other side of island. Wasted time. Also sea was very very tough. Should not have gone out. Getting from boat to shore was dangerously fast to beach. Whiplash stop!