Listen up, Biloxi crew if you're just holing up in the casinos, stuffing your face at buffets, and…read morenever stepping foot on the sand or a boat, you're straight-up robbing yourself and disrespecting the good people of the Gulf Coast. Come on, y'all! This ain't what Biloxi is about. I rolled into town ready for some real adventure, and after chatting with locals (who know their stuff), they all pointed me straight to Ship Island Excursions. Best decision I made the whole trip. The boat ride out? Pure magic. About an hour across the sound, wind in my hair, and that captain man, what a character! He had us cracking up the whole way with his stories, pointing out dolphins like it was no big deal (spoiler: it was a big deal flipper squad escorted us like VIPs). The narration was gold: history, wildlife, tall tales, the works. Felt like we were in on some secret Gulf adventure. Once we hit Ship Island, it was game on. White sand beaches that look like they belong in the Caribbean, crystal-clear water way better than the mainland, and that old Fort Massachusetts to poke around in. I rented a chair and umbrella, plopped down, and let the sun do its thing. But let's be real I couldn't just sit still. Me and a couple new buddies from the boat got up to some harmless shenanigans: epic shell-hunting contests, splashing around like kids, trying (and failing) to build the world's saddest sandcastle before the tide won. One guy swore he saw a mermaid; I didn't argue. We were all just living our best lives, laughing our heads off. The whole vibe is chill but electric the crew keeps everything smooth, the people are friendly as heck, and you feel like you're part of something special. Pro tip: Pack snacks or hit the concession stand, but don't miss the ride back more dolphin sightings and that golden-hour glow over the water. If you're in Biloxi and you skip this, you're cheating yourself out of one of the top "had to do it" experiences on the coast. Casinos are fun, but this? This is the real deal. Boat cruise + beach escape + good folks + zero regrets. 10/10, do it every time you're here. Ship Island Excursions just earned a permanent spot on my Mississippi must-list. Can't wait to go back and cause more (friendly) trouble out there!

You'll ferry in and out to the island. You can set up on either side of the island, but the…read morerestrooms and food stand are on the far side of the island (not nearest where you debark your ferry). There is a considerable amount of walking and it can get quite hot hauling your cooler / bags. All sorts of drinks, beer, and food are sold at the food counter / gift store. When walking around, shoes are strongly recommended. The black sand WILL burn your feet - although the black sand is only in certain places - but, you may have to walk through it to reach your destination. We rented a chair with an umbrella. That was great! Be SURE to check what you can and cannot bring onto the ferry. There is a limited amount of space so larger coolers, carts, etc may not be acceptable. Enjoy your visit. We did!

Jim is an excellent sea captain! He runs a 1-man show and provides history and a safe sailing…read moreexperience. It's a beautiful ride from the new Gulfport marina. You can bring your own snacks and drinks and he provides water and soft drinks. 3 sailing times (2.5 hr) daily, weather permitting, and I plan to return for the sunset one in the future!

North Star is a great choice for sailing classes. Captain Chris Sharpe was an excellent instructor:…read moreexpert knowledge, patient and a clear communicator. Polaris was a great "classroom." North Star worked with my schedule and maintained communication. The whole experience was fun and I came away much more knowledgeable and comfortable. I can highly recommend North Star.

Our first booking was canceled due to high winds. I was very pleased they cancelled early in the…read moreday instead of waiting for us to show up. Our tickets were refunded quickly. We emailed to check for another ride and finally found ourselves on the boat. Great experience. Very interesting history of the coast of Biloxi as well as a deer island. The captain has a voice that is nice to listen to. A real storyteller. The bar was great. Prices reasonable.

We had an amazing time celebrating my closest friends birthday! Our entire party crews had a blast!…read moreUpon entry to the boat the hostess was super sweet and the fellas working as servers of drinks and food were the sweetest young men! So personable and quick with food and drinks. I would highly recommend. The DJ allowed us some time to sing happy birthday unfortunately our candles didn't work out while out in the ocean due to the wind! Bit forward the end he played the up to date music and the floor was packed. I had to grab my mask due to covid. He did provide a disclaimer regarding refund if anyone was uncomfortable due to social distancing but overall. We had a delightful time and would return again!

I called Captain Jay and told him I was bringing my dad to the Beau Rivage and wanted to charter a…read moresailing cruise to celebrate his 85th birthday. Captain Jay recommended a morning cruise as temperatures would start in the 70's rather than the 90's this time of year. We had a fantastic experience! The boat slip is so close to the Beau Rivage and Hard Rock casinos it's only a couple of minutes drive. We saw dolphins on the way out and back in, and were allowed to handle to ship's wheel a good portion of our voyage. Captain Jay was a joy to be with, extremely knowledgeable, and has an absolutely gorgeous yacht! Highly recommend adding a trip to your Biloxi visits!

From the owner: Custom sailing adventures! Romantic sunset cruises to full day excursions with friends! Up to 6…read morepassengers Call 228-297-3318

This was a wonderful experience. It was one of the best tours my family took in New Orleans. My…read moretwo teenagers loved it! We booked the Honey Island Swamp Tour with transport from downtown. Although the original pickup location was changed due to road construction, Cajun Encounters' customer service team made the change easy and stress-free. We appreciated the helpful communications. Derek, our bus driver, was amazing. He shared his personal experience from Hurricane Katrina with us. It was very moving and educational. It was a personal touch that we didn't expect, but was very appreciated. His knowledge of New Orleans was impressive and we were grateful for all of the information/tips he provided. We followed some of his tips and were not disappointed! Our boat captain was Scott C. He was a great guide through the Honey Island Swamp. Captain Scott C.'s knowledge was impressive. He was very informative and we learned a lot. We saw so many alligators that we gave up counting them. Also saw cute racoons, several turtles sunning themselves, a snake, and a beautiful crane. This tour was one of the highlights of our New Orleans trip. It was truly fantastic. If we come back, we would do it again in a heartbeat! That is how much we loved it.

This was the highlight of my first trip to The Big Easy. Lane was absolutely amazing and completely…read moreknowledgeable. He was funny yet extremely passionate about the ecosystem we were in. He pointed out things that seemed hidden and was very encouraging on allowing us to point stuff out to him as well. Genuinely seemed like a wonderful steward of the land and waterways we were traversing. I would ask for him if possible. I can't wait to come back!!

This is the second time we've taken this boat cruise. We got so much out of it before that we…read morewanted to take our son. This is a traditional paddlewheel boat with three levels. The top level has a bar counter and tables under a canopy. Up front there are benches so you are looking straight ahead as you travel. The middle level has a nice indoor dining room. You can order traditional Louisiana dishes. Outside the dining room are benches. We chose to sit on the top level facing forward, but it was so cold in front, we moved to the tables in the rear. There is a wonderful narrator letting you know when you pass interesting sites. The Domino Sugar factory that you pass is really something to see, and it's hard to believe it's still in use. They make a stop at the Chalmette Battlefield (you can get off the boat or stay and relax on the boat). There is a tour guide who talks about the battleground, which is pretty interesting. The best thing about the Creole Queen is the narrator. After the battlefield, the second half of the tour focuses on Hurricane Katrina. He wants that it can be disturbing and announced that if you didn't want to hear it, you can go to the dining room, as it isn't broadcasted in there. He is very candid, and I learned so much about the terrible way Hurricane Katrina was handled, as well as just how terrible the hurricane was. It was very, very sad. I highly recommend this tour. As I said, we enjoyed it so much the first time that we wanted to go back and share it with our son.

The historical tour was interesting BUT the presentation of Andrew Jackson as Savior of the United…read moreStates didn't accurately represent him as a racist, president, especially towards Native Americans. That being said, the rest of the tour was informative and relaxing. I enjoyed the New Orleans themed playlist.

We were close enough to make it here to have a cruise. I was excited that the cruise provided us…read morethe closest view of the SS United States. Being able to get this close before it became the world's largest artificial reef was the highlight of the cruise. Friendly staff and a full bar with snacks only enhanced our trip. Kinda difficult to navigate getting back to the highway, but don't let that deter you from enjoying an hour on the river

I went on the murder mystery dinner cruise with my mom and aunt and we had a blast! It truly…read morestarted before you even step foot on board. The experience was sooo immersive. Someone even ended up choosing my mom as a prime suspect! I like that it's not scripted so you can go again and it be a different experience every time. The ambiance downstairs in the boat was nice. The food was also great. There were simple salads on the table when we sat down. Later in the evening they brought out the main course- shrimp skewers, rice, green beans, a roll, and chicken with a delicious sauce. For dessert we had a berry pie with whipped cream. All of the food was good. The service was impeccable. Our servers made sure to refill our glasses of wine with a sizable pour. We loved this experience and would love to come back again!

I run culinary tours for a living and while I was in New Orleans, I went on 4 different food tours…read more This Culinary Crawl was the worst and I called for my money back. The guide had never done the tour before and was obnoxious and offensive. I wanted to leave after 20 minutes. The line-up of restaurants was not as advertised and the ones featured were nothing special. The Warehouse District really isn't the best neighborhood to experience New Orleans - it caters to the conventions and doesn't have a whole lot of soul. Halfway through the tour, the owner of the company came and relieved the horrible tour guide (thank goodness!) Unfortunately, he wasn't educated about the area and wasn't very knowledgeable about the restaurants either! I would NEVER go on another tour by this company. Please save your dollars and check out the tours with Confederacy of Cruisers and New Orleans Culinary History Tours - both were excellent.

Horrible customer service! Purchased a Groupon which have instructions to call in order to book…read moreyour tour. I left 3 messages and sent 2 emails that went unanswered before I called again and actually got to speak with someone. He quickly took my name and said we were booked. We call to confirm the meeting place the day of and are told they cancelled the tour because they had too many people sign up! Ridiculous. We received no notification either. We will still have a great time despite this fiasco. It's just very disappointing!