Such a fun day and great experience overall. Communication was great the entire time. We got there…read morea bit early, maybe 15- 20 minutes before our reserved time. They were very speedy cleaning up from the guests that just finished their charter and let us on a little early. Plenty of space for our group of 4 adults, definitely room for more. Loved that they had some snacks and drinks provided - such a nice touch, though we did bring our own since it was a birthday celebration. The cruise itself was great, gave us options of how we wanted it to go, and let us out to swim for a little. The wind wasn't in our favor so no full sailing BUT the weather was great and we were still plenty happy cruising on the water - even got a little extra time on the end. They were honestly great overall, checking in on us during the cruise from time to time while also just letting us be to enjoy ourselves. Highly recommend and would book again!

I do not know where to begin. We signed up for a three hour cruise and that was exactly what I got…read moreand more. Jonas and Greg were the most hospitable hosts that made us a beautiful charcuterie tray for 6 people. Fresh cheeses, meats and fruits. They offered wine but but we decided we didn't need to drink. The ride to the Skyway Bridge was beautiful and the water and weather were all working in our favor. It was a relaxing ride and we saw a couple of pods of Dolphins. We felt we could reach out and touch them. As we got to the skyway and turned towards shore, the captain asked if we would like to sail, which we did for a while. It was spectacular. The catamaran was beautiful, clean, comfy and cozy. We were briefed on where to find the lifejackets and there was a small raft on the aft. I cannot say enough about this truly wonderful crew and Boat "Sweet Escape ". I highly recommend and will use them again! Thank you guys for a truly amazing time. My family was blown away.

Good enjoyable cruise around the St Petersburg part of Tampa Bay. Captain Christian, the skipper,…read moregave informative descriptions of the bay, its wildlife including the dolphins. Sarah, an environmental studies intern, handled the docking ropes and refreshment sales. We did see several dolphins early in the cruise. The group of dolphins included a very young one. The cruise is not just about dolphins. We also got a close up look a a mangrove island that is home assorted species of water birds, including pelicans and cormorants. Onboard refreshments are available. The assortment includes a couple of beers, hard seltzer and lemonade, some non-alcoholic beverages, and bagged snacks like crisps. Will go again on this cruise when we are in the area.

We enjoyed this cruise. Cpt Christian had such a good sense of humor. Had us laughing several…read moretimes. We saw a baby dolphin. The captain said that is a rare occasion. He also gave us history of the homes on the water. We saw so many birds and the views were amazing. It was Father's day. So the Father's got their first drink free. They sold snacks such as chips and candy. Also sold alcohol refreshments as well as non alcohol. My advice is to use the restroom prior to boarding. The restroom was on the lower level and those steps looked treacherous. Even for me. I was glad I went beforehand. The boat did do a lot of rocking so you have to be very careful. His first mate was helpful in getting everything for everyone. This was very affordable and definitely worth the price. Parking can be a challenge so I recommend paying to park. So that you won't miss the boat. We departed at 1pm. The ride was a total of ninety minutes. Highly recommend. Hold on to your hats and get ready for a good time.

Wow! What an experience! We took a 9am tour to Shell Key on Cap'n Dalton's boat. There were only…read moresix passengers on board, which meant there was plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the sunshine. Dalton provided expert commentary about the area, even pointing out a few celebrity homes and yachts along the way. It was a gorgeous ride over to Shell Key, and we even saw a few dolphins along the way. Once on the island, we had about 45-50 minutes to explore the beaches and do a little snorkeling and shell-hunting. The island is aptly named, with rows and piles of shells along its white, sandy beaches. The water was warm and perfect for swimming. Soon enough we were back on board and heading back to the harbor. And that's when the magic happened: dolphins! Following along in our wake, and no doubt attracted to the enthusiastic squeals of one of our dolphin-loving fellow passengers, the dolphins put on quite a show. Even Dalton, who I assume sees a LOT of dolphins, was impressed by how long they followed in our wake and performed jumps and flips for us. It was truly one of the most remarkable experiences of my life! Thank you Dalton and Island Ferry for an amazing and memorable tour and one of the true highlights of our vacation!

Lovely tour! Our guide was very nice and chill, she definitely wanted to make sure we had a good…read moretime. Obviously its never a guarantee, but we saw dolphins and a manatee on our tour. Groups are small and the boats are very comfortable. They use pontoon boats so you have shade, which I definitely appreciated. The beach they took us to to snorkeling was gorgeous.

I think the best way to review the Pirate Adventures of Cortez is to compare it to Captain Memo's…read morepirate cruise in Clearwater Beach. Captain Memo's is on a much bigger ship, and though my kids had fun on it, I would call it "manic fun". There were an insane amount of people on board and all the kids were running and screaming everywhere (my daughter ended up getting elbowed in the eye), and we felt like we were dying of heat stroke because the ship has very poor ventilation and not enough shady seats. For the Pirate Cruise of Cortez, we absolutely LOVED it!! It was 1000% worth the hour drive from Clearwater. It's a decent sized boat with just the right number of people on board and shady seats with great breezes to keep us cool. It was extremely engaging and they had a very fun itinerary. My kids were wildly entertained and they did a great job keeping the kids' attention and keeping things under control. The staff put on an awesome show full of magic and wonder and did a fantastic job engaging with the kids. I could've sat back and watched the whole time from a comfortable and breezy bench in the shade, but it was so much fun that I found myself getting involved and having a great time. We went first thing in the morning and the weather was perfect. I can't recommend this place enough!! ‍

Such an amazing cruise! The staff was fun and hilarious and our kids loved it! I would recommend…read moreit for sure.

My family and I took a beautiful boat ride with Captain Dennis and his first mate Dennis Jr. They…read morewere pleasant, professional and fun! We saw all the gulf beaches and Dennis pointed out attractions and restaurants to enjoy during our visit. Their rates were fair and the scheduling experience was easy. We will be back for sure!!

From the owner: We offer private boat charter trips to Egmont Key, Shell Key, Passage Key and Intercoastal…read morecruising. We also offer inshore fishing charters , Captain Dennis is a master captain who has been boating the area for over 40 years.

Took a nice ride and saw many dolphins and seabirds. We stopped at a little island for those…read morewanting to collect shells or take a stroll on the beach. We took friends and my Pugs, we all enjoyed the ride. The staff was attentive and friendly as well.

So my family and I were on vacation and we loved going on this adventure! Thanks so much for an…read moreamazing time! Dolphins, sea shells and a smooth cruise made for some great memories!