our 1030 cruise got canceled so they were able to reschedule us and comp us alcoholic beverages and…read moretreated us like VIPs on our afternoon cruise. We saw dozens of dolphins and the crew was very friendly and gave us a lot of history of the area.

This was our first dolphin/sunset cruise and we had a good time. Our captains were fun and had lots…read moreof stories and knowledge about the area. We had to drive quite a ways in order to find the dolphins, and we didn't see many up close, but dolphin sightings are not 100% guaranteed. The weather was not cooperating so we weren't able to see a sunset, but overall, it was a fun experience.

The Outer Banks Adventures air boat with Captain Jamie was fantastic! It was a lot of fun for our…read morewhole family and specifically for our kids. Captain Jamie was very knowledgeable about the area wildlife and history. He provided an educational, interesting, and fun experience. He was the perfect captain for the trip. Talking on the headsets during the ride was fun too! We'll definitely do it again!

James was a fantastic tour guide! The airboat was a great time, one of my favorite tours I've ever…read moredone. The boat is fast and fun with great fun facts about the area at stops! I accidentally dropped my sunglasses to the bottom of the airboat and he even rescued them (sorry, James!). Would definitely recommend!

An amazing evening boat ride. We saw dolphins within 20 minutes and followed a small pod for the…read morenext 1.5 hours and saw many more. The first mate, naturalist, was very knowledgeable and provided great information! We brought our 2.5 year old and she loved it too! A wonderful part of our vacation and recommend this to anyone looking to get out on the water. We would will go again next time we visit!

Great tour and great time today during our tour! Got to see tons of dolphins and was a great…read moreexperience. We did get soaked on the way back but we knew that was bound to happen so it was no big deal. Highly recommend Safari Dolphin Tours! (Fyi my pics are not the best!)

Bottom: A fun and relaxing two-hour cruise on a 55-foot sailboat for which you can bring your own…read morefestive drinks and snacks. Having vacationed in Nags Head for the past 40+ plus I feel like I've done it all so when my husband mentioned taking a sunset cruise on Downeast Rover I was curious. I also vaguely recalled that I had seen this excursion featured in Our State magazine earlier in the summer. With the forecast looking favorable we signed up for a Friday evening sail in mid-August. We booked about 10 days in advance and at that time there were only a handful of spots left on the sailboat so next time I'll be mindful to book earlier. Downeast Rover does daytime trips as well but I suspect the sunset cruise is the most popular. I was worried that sailing on a sailboat with 20+ people would feel cramped and chaotic but it didn't at all. The group in the stern was very chill and the group in the bow was tastefully having a good time with their cooler of Trulis. My husband and I sat mid-ship and just quietly relaxed and took in all of the sights. We probably seemed disenchanted but we were just soaking it all in. About those Trulis . . . Downeast Rover welcomes passengers to bring food and drinks. Most groups brought something festive to drink and perhaps a snack. The nature of the sunset cruise is that it squarely goes through the dinner hour. I think we had to be on the Manteo waterfront at 5:30pm and we didn't return until after 8pm. We didn't take much in the way of drinks or snacks onboard with us because we hoped to get a nice dinner afterwards but by the time we got back to the slip most restaurants we wanted to try were closed. Sooo, in hindsight, maybe we should have taken some sandwiches from Poor Richard's to enjoy on the sail. And as a side note, we encountered an epic sunset so we lingered out on the sound a bit longer than planned which is why we didn't return until after 8pm. Also, the departure time for the cruise changes a bit to accommodate the sunset time. Chris was our Captain and he diligently steered us into the sunset. Mate Ethan kept us all entertained. Ethan shared a lot of interesting history and stories about the Outer Banks. Having spent a good bit of time studying the history of the barrier islands I thought I knew a lot but Ethan's knowledge really impressed me and was shared in an entertaining way. He also sang us a sea chanty or two which was fun. Which reminds me, be sure to bring cash to thank the crew for a safe and fun adventure. Regarding the Downeast Rover, I was expecting it to be a romantic historic wooden sailboat but it is straight out of the 80s! The steel 55 foot topsail schooner has been retrofitted and certified to accommodate 25 passengers. There is a head on board but its probably not very glamourous so I was sure to skip it. We were fortunately to have decent winds so we were able to get under sail after leaving the Manteo waterfront.

What an amazing journey - we didn't realize it was the last sunset tour of the season but Captain…read moreScott and Captain Ken gave us the best night! Peaceful views, education of the area and best of all - new friends both human and aquatic! They found a pod of dolphins that ran with us for nearly ten minutes! What a bonus! We can't wait to return!

Very responsive when it came to planning the tour, helpful staff and entertaining info during the…read moretour itself. We had a large pod of dolphins hang around us for an hour including a baby and it was wonderful! Would highly recommend this tour and this business.

We LOVED our dolphin tours! We got very lucky and were able to see 40ish dolphins within the first…read more15 minutes of the tour. Our tour lasted a little over two hours and we had a great time. It was perfect weather, great tour guides, and amazing views. I would highly recommend this dolphin tour to everyone looking for an excursion while visiting OBX!

Nice way to spend an afternoon…read more After beach, sand, sun, beach, sand, sun, it was a nice break to do something different. Our neighbors at the house we rented suggested dolphin watching and recommended Capt. Stuart Wescott and his tour. Wasn't too happy that I had to travel down to Manteo (car travel in the Outer Banks can be murder - worst than the GW bridge in rush hour). Luckily, it wasn't as bad as I had feared. The quaint little town of Manteo was an added bonus. Nice seaport-esque village with nice quaint little stores. As for the cruise itself, you actually sail with Capt Wescott. He was very nice and knowledgeable. Told silly jokes to keep the voyage light hearted. Sold drinks at a very reasonable price. The bathroom was also very convenient and clean. Strangely, this seems to be a selling point compared to their competitors. Saw many dolphins. Very docile and peaceful. Don't expect any flips or spins or twists. This isn't a SeaWorld show. The captain was very patient. Kept us out there a while until everyone had their fill of watching dolphins swim. After the initial excitement of finding and seeing the dolphins, there's only so much more you can watch, at least for me. On the downside, it is a touch expensive for a ferry ride but comparable to everyone else. Overall, a nice alternative If you need a break from the beach to let the sunburn recover.

My family and I have enjoyed this particular company for several years now. We always see dolphins…read more The Captain is very knowledgable and entertaining. The boat is spacious, clean and shaded. I highly recommend Outer Banks Cruises A.K.A. Captain Johnny's Dolphin Tour.

Every year we visit the Outer Banks Vineyard, and every year the service keeps getting better! The…read morestaff is engaging, helpful, and make you feel like you are hanging out with friends. If you like sweet wines like me, you have to visit when you are in the Outer Banks.

We had an amazing time! Brian was our guide to the winery. He was so informative, friendly, and…read moremade an amazing time better. Our pourer was Emily, she was very knowledgeable answered all questions about the wine and very friendly. I think it is a must do. You are on vacation. Splurge on yourself it is worth the price. We went with a group of 6 and left with 12 bottles. Not home with 12 ;-) The Wine is so great and there is something for everyone.

One of the best nights of our vacation was our sunset sail with Jill and Ryan!…read moreThe sailboat is gorgeous and the sail itself was both fun and relaxing- they were such great hosts. And the charcuterie was delicious. Thank you so much!!

Fabulous experience! Captain and mate both did a great job making us feel very special, a…read morepersonalized trip crafted to your preferences in music, food and drink. Lovely clean boat with comfortable seating, space to move around and spread out. Smooth sail on the sound ending with a beautiful sunset. The provided charcuterie and drinks were delicious and generous. Splurge on the rum cakes, they were so good!

Wish I could read the other reviews before getting on this boat…read more.. 1st time fishing on ocean, or close-shore fishing? Like other said, it seems like the honey hole were all busted, not a lot, all small fishes; pig fish, sea mow(?)...only went to two places, then big rain came down for the reminder of the trip (1-1 & 1/2 hour). I thought the captain would check the radar and took us some brighter or non-heavy -raining places... It's a long trip back to the seaport, several kids got seasick. Near the end, boat was stuck twice! Passengers were ordered to one end of the boat, so it could be out of mud or sand bottom. Smokes were coming from the engine room. At one point, everyone on the boat was thinking about life jacket and ocean swimming under heavy rains! Finally comes the rescue, a small towboat, got us out of trouble and safely back to the shore. What an experience, almost like one of these disastrous movie scenes! The crew (Cameli and James?) did a great job, teaching us fishing, recognizing the fishes, and helping with tangled fish lines. They helped to rescue the boat, and offer some comfort to little kids and calm them down. It could be a way-better experience if some preparation were done, like reading the radar or better designing the trip route.

Canceled the ocean trip I had booked for over a month. They are supposed to let you know the…read moreevening before if they are canceling. I got a text 15 min before I was supposed to be there! Thanks Miss Oregon Inlet! My kid was super disappointed!