Port Waikiki Hilton | Snorkel with TURTLES
by Mariam Beard • Last Updated: April 2021
Timing
This cruise runs from 10:30am-1:00pm (10:00am check-in). It’s the perfect time for those who’d like a more relaxed morning and still have good snorkeling visibility. You start your morning off with snorkeling. Then, everyone boards the boat to go sailing. Your have lunch and 2 drinks while you’re sailing so it’s absolutely gorgeous!
Docked Catamaran
Port Waikiki Cruises (Port Hilton) is the ONLY docked catamaran on Waikiki Beach. This means that you will board the boat by walking on a pier and going up a couple steps (dry boarding). Other snorkel boats in Waikiki are BEACH catamarans – which, as the name implies, you will board from the beach (wet boarding). On beach catamarans, you walk on the sand into the water (about knee-high) and walk onto the boat.
Docked catamarans like this one are great for those traveling with little ones (who might not be as eager to walk in the water or time the waves), for those with mobility issues, or for those who would just prefer a traditional boarding via pier/dock.
Overall, I absolutely loved this snorkel cruise. It had a few nice touches which a lot of the other catamarans do not have:
- DOCKED catamaran (easy accessibility)
- COVERED CABIN (for shade from the sun) – I liked this as I was on the nets in the sun for the most part but I liked that when I had too much sun, I could take a break and be in the shade
- LUNCH – It was so nice after a lot of swimming and snorkeling to get a nice yummy turkey wrap and chips. The meal was light but after all that swimming, it was more than enough for me!
- DRINKS – Alcoholic or non-alcoholic. It includes two (2) tickets. After snorkeling, we used them for the Mai Tais and they were extra tasty!
- Reef-safe sunscreen
- Towel
- Cash for the bar (and to tip your crew!)
- Photo ID (21+ years old)
Favorite Dry Bag:
I’d also recommend that you bring a DRY BAG! There’s an area where you can stash your stuff but since I normally carry a film gear and mics for YouTube videos, I like the peace of mind of keeping everything in my bag nice and dry.
I own all three of these below:
- 35L dry bag backpack in Yellow
- 25L dry bag backpack in Mint (more of a turquoise blue than a mint green)
- 10L dry bag in Black
My Snorkel Gear
This snorkel cruise includes snorkel, mask AND fins. However, I prefer to bring my own snorkel mask and fins.
Most snorkel boat trips provide snorkel masks that are black around the face area which I find to be a little claustrophobic. I prefer to bring my own snorkel mask because I like the snorkel masks that are clear (like the one above) around my face. It’s a small change but I enjoy it so much more!
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