Listen up, Biloxi crew if you're just holing up in the casinos, stuffing your face at buffets, and never 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! read more

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The trip over to the island was super smooth and they whole way there an the whole way back thet gave us the history and ar brief background of the island. When we finally got there there were wascone main spot to eat and drink and it had a little concession stand as well as vending machines. The time that we were given to get back on the boat just enough to be able to eat lunch, explore the island and even relax a litte before it was time to take the ferry back. I highly recommend it to people who want learn more about the are and people who are just looking for something to do. read more

You'll ferry in and out to the island. You can set up on either side of the island, but the restrooms 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! read more

very accommodating and knowledgeable crew! so much fun! A must try for residents and visitors!

I just didn't like the fact that I expected the schedule to be that we depart back to Gulfport from Ship Island at 2:30pm but right when we arrived to the island, they announced that we can only depart 5pm. If only we were given that information sooner before departing Gulfport, I would've canceled or got a refund. The island quality wasn't that very great. Too many love bugs flying around. Smells bad. Food was unnecessarily expensive. Beaches weren't that great either. Didn't even see dolphins either. The whole "dolphin watching" is highly exaggerated. read more

This group of people running Ship Island Excursions were super great all around. From the ease of buying tickets to their handing of a need to reschedule due to weather, everyone was really nice and easily access able to talk too. Even better was the trip itself. All the staff--ticket agents, snack bar workers to Captain and his assistants made the whole day pleasant. It's these these days to encounter businesses with people who seem like they care. Highly recommend. read more

It was a great adventure!! We loved the ride to the island! The beach and area was so pretty! the staff was amazing ..We will be back read more

Ship Island Excursions - Boat Charters Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

Fantastic trip! Saw dolphins within 15 minutes of leaving harbor and continued to do so throughout the entire trip! Several even swam alongside the boat. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Will definitely do again!! read more

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The boat is nice restrooms on board The staff did excellent very informative The price is great/such a good experience Food on board boat and on the island A lot less people on Ship island The fort is a nice place to tour the gentleman was very informative also Don't miss this trip read more

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super kind crew and saw a lot of dolphins! my kids and us had a great time! We felt very safe and taken care of.

We had a great time. We seen dolphins hermit crabs..stingrays... Very nice trip. Captiian was very freindley

The staff/owners are so kind helpful and friendly. Great trip get the chairs and umbrella ! Bring a floaty was a great day

It was the most amazing tour and was big fun! Our guide, Trey, was amazing and introduced us to several alligators. We will definitely return! read more

Ship Island Excursions - This is Man in the Hole! - Boat Charters Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

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The best part of this excursion was the beautiful weather - full sun in the mid 70's with a light cool breeze. Uneventful 1 hour cruise each way with open air upper level seating and A/C in the closed area on the main level that was too cold to sit in! Disappointed that the Fort was closed due to staffing shortages. There were 2 large dead turtles on the beach, that was disconcerting, and should have been removed. We brought our own beach chairs and umbrella, but can be rented for $30. Friendly, knowledgeable crew, but I felt I could have had a similar experience at the beach in Gulfport and not paid $89 RT for 2 after senior and military discounts. read more

Went on the sunset cruise on 2025 memorial day weekend!! It was great..glad my wife and I could get on board. Booking was easy. They have an onboard bar and snacks to purchase. The upper deck had the DJ for dancing, etc. read more

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What an incredible experience going to Ship Island! The customer service and top notch crew at Ship Island Excursions aim to please. The ferry ride round trip experience is amazing on its own. When you get to the island that's when the trip goes into over drive. Beautiful beach and very peaceful. Definitely recommend that everyone needs to book a trip today! read more

Ship Island Excursions - Boat ride back - Boat Charters Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

My husband, our 3 small children (ages 7, 5, and 2) and myself took a dolphin watching cruise this evening. It was fantastic! The crew told us they guarantee people will see dolphins and they weren't lying. We were maybe 20 minutes into the boat ride and they were already spotting dolphins to point out to all of us. Then, they spotted a shrimp boat a little ways out from us and got us positioned over by it, because as the shrimp boat would throw their "trash fish" overboard, the dolphins and seagulls would hang around. We saw easily 50+ dolphins. They did say meeting up with a shrimp boat like that isn't the norm, but it certainly worked in our favor and our kids were so excited to get to see that many dolphins! We would definitely cruise with them again in the future! read more

Ship Island Excursions - Boat Charters Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

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This is our 2nd time taking this cruise and I know it won't be our last. The ferry ride to the island is the best.

The first time that I went to Ship Island was a few weeks before Hurricane Camille hit as a child. Last week I returned for about my 4th or 5th trip and not a lot has changed since then. The island and fort are still there and Ship Island Excursions has taken me there every time (except for one visit on a private boat). All of those visits were pleasurable. This company does a very good job of transporting patrons to the island for the day. Their boats offer plenty of room onboard for the 55 minute trip each way. They offer outside seating and air conditioned inside seating with a snack bar that sells food and drink at reasonable prices. The crew is friendly and on my trip last week I talked to Captain Doug frequently as he was very personable. Unless you have a personal boat, they are the only way to get there. Here is some info and tips: When you reach the island the fort is right there but you have about a 400 yard walk to the gulf side beach. That walk is all on an elevated wooden walkway. Remember this if you are going to carry a lot of stuff or pull a small cooler on wheels. Travel as light as you can and read their website for what's allowed and what isn't. The island is about 12 miles offshore and while on the island you can barely see Gulfport and Biloxi but only by their tallest structures. You will be out of cellphone range but they have a short range booster at the snack shack. I think it reaches to the part of the beach where the recliners and umbrellas are and the fort so you will have connectivity in that area. Your best bang for the buck is to catch the morning departure (9 am) and if it's during the busy season then you will have two options on when to come back (2:30 or 5 pm). Don't bring your chairs or umbrellas and instead rent theirs. Bring a towel or beach blanket to lay on if you want. They serve food there (burgers, hot dogs, chicken wraps) and snacks and drinks. Bring your own food to save money. Drinks can be heavy to carry so consider buying theirs. They also sell hats, t shirts, sunscreen, bug spray, etc. Bring your own. At least visit the fort for a walkthrough (15 minutes) but better yet attend one of the two NPS ranger led tours (one when you arrive and another in the early afternoon) which are interesting and educational. That little fort has seen a lot of history. They have outdoor showers to rinse off with and two covered pavilions if you need to get out of the sun or if it rains. The snack shop is air conditioned but is small with no seating inside. Your best protection from the weather if it gets bad is inside the fort. Ship Island is really a cool and different way to go to the beach. Being so far out from the mainland is a different experience which makes it a fun day time activity. Remember you have to be on that last boat that leaves. If not po po comes looking for you. read more

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Went on the sunset cruise. Music and service was 10/10! They do have food and drinks on board too.

we had a Fantastic day , the staff was pleasant and very accommodating, We will definitely do it again read more

The boat ride is very pleasant. It takes about an hour each way. The staff members are fantastic!! Yes, there is a pretty long walk to the Gulf side of the beach. Yes, sand and the boardwalk are hot during the summer so wear shoes. Yes, the ocean has critters. We have done this activity twice and loved it immensely. There is food and AC on the boat. There is food and shelter at the beach. There are showers to rinse off the sand. There is an option to rent chairs and umbrellas. It has everything. Everyone is super accommodating and very friendly. We have also met a lot of nice people on the boat ride. I can't recommend it enough. read more

Had a nice sunset cruise/moonlight cruise BUT we missed the sunset. Guess because it's October and the sun sets earlier but by the time we got moving it was pitch black. They offer a DJ, drinks and light snacks which is cool. Our boat was filled up with party people and they had a great time. The DJ sound was off. Some songs were loud and others so low you could barely make out the words. I wish I was able to see something. That's not reflected in their score though. It was a great experience and I would probably do a daytime trip next time. read more

Everyone was very friendly and glad to have us there on the boat. I saw dolphins surfing in the wake of the boat They left right on time and the return trip was just as timely. It was very hot but the Ocean breeze made it quite comfortable. read more

even though a storm shortened our exploration and beach time, there was beer, snacks and a pavilion- still had a great time. The staff and the ride out and back were great! read more

we really enjoyed this excursion. Very laid back and a great island. I do think the chairs and umbrellas were too congested. Really need to clean up debris on the island prior to gusets arrival. Might want to have shuttle service across the island or have carts to haul stuff in available. It was a long walk hauling stuff. The boat and staff were excellent read more

Nice boat, nice staff. Ship Island is worth the visit. You can see an Island in its natural setting. The cheeseburgers in the snack shop were surprisingly good. The only negative was it's a long walk to the other side of the island and no shuttles for older folks. read more

Departs on time, crew is friendly, knowledgeable and professional. The ride is beautiful out of Gulfport Harbor and dolphins sightings are icing on the cake! read more

Went to Biloxi & Gulfport for my birthday weekend. Ship Island Excursions was so fun! My aunt & I had a great time. read more

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Had such a great time. Chairs and umbrellas ready and waiting for us. Crew was so pleasant and we loved every moment.

Yelp! We are a party of 5 girlfriends. We loved the Dolphin watching ship excursion. The crew was Amazing. Especially the sweet lady working concessions. POPCORN was so fun and good. This is one of the many things to do in Gulfport! Y'all already know, I'll be back. read more

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The dolphin watching was fabulous. Enjoyed the day. The crew was terrific. Thank you.

I had an amazing time. Myself and my best friend. The crew was very knowledgeable and kept us informed. true beachside crew was amazing as well!!! We also went into the snack bar, where we found everything that we forgot to pick up! I will definitely be back with my grandchildren!! read more

I go on this excursion at least few times a year . The staff/crew is always welcoming, informative, and friendly. Kane on the beach is really great, and somehow remembers everyone's name- - he should run for mayor :) read more

This was an awesome High School Senior Outing. Ship Island Excursions was so easy to work with from the time we booked until our trip was completed. The ferry ride was wonderful. We saw dolphins and enjoyed snacks from the snack bar! The snack shack on the island had our pre-ordered meal and drinks ready on time and was so accommodating! Our students swam and played all afternoon and our chaperones enjoyed watching them from the comfortable chairs and large umbrellas. We loved it and will definitely come again!!! Thank you! High School Senior Sponsor read more

We had an amazing time! The boats' schedule was on time to and fro! All crew members were happy and were greeting passengers! The boat was nice, clean, and kept in great shape. The ride was a nice, smooth ride. We were able to see dolphins on the way to the island as well as back from the island. Highly recommend for all ages! read more

I had heard that Ship Island was worth checking out, but I must say it surpassed my expectations. We were there at 9am am- 5pm with our two kids. Packed lightly per advice and was grateful we did, lots of walking. Plus, they had food and drink there. We swam, fished, relaxed, and explored. It was cool to look as far as you could see and not see another human! My only suggestion for improvement would be to sell live bait there as the fish seemed to prefer live bait. It's amazing fishing.... with the right bait! The fort is really neat, and I recommend doing the guided tour (free) for the info. It's really just a history lesson and FAQ, and then you can explore on your own. The company was super accommodating, on time, friendly and professional. Take sunscreen seriously and enjoy your time. It's a special place. read more

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This was a great destination to Ship Island with lots of sea life including crabs, dolphins, red fish, sheepshead etc. Traveling in July does provide some challenges since it is quite a distance from the drop off to the south side of the island. They should provide a disclosure of walking distance required and heat of the intense black sand prior to booking perhaps. It was a good time tho. read more

We took a dolphin tour on a Friday evening, and it was absolutely fantastic. My kids are 3 and 8 years old, and I was worried that the youngest wouldn't be engaged enough for an hour and a half - but I was worried for nothing! The captain did a great job pointing out all of the dolphins, and we even got to see a couple up close when they were swimming alongside the front of the boat. The snack bar inside is very reasonably priced, which was a relief. A great value for an unforgettable experience. Will definitely be back, and would recommend to every family that visits the Gulf Coast! read more

The whole experience was amazing. Best part of or trip to NOLA. Hour drive away, but the boat, beach, food, and staff were all simply amazing. Diamond in a rough! read more

Ship Island Excursions - Beach area - Boat Charters Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi