Bliss - Boat was not overcrowded, food was really good, variety of drinks and happy to serve them. We went to a great cove and had plenty of time. I could have done without the dance music but that was what the other people were into. Very well organized and safe.

Highlight family Sailing Trip. - Super friendly crew well organized and fun. The boat was well outfitted and clean. All the crew played a key role in ensuring we all had a fun time.

Wonderful Catamaran Experience! - Blue Dolphin Crew was amazing! The drinks and food were very good and plentiful. This trip requires you to get in a small boat on shore and then climb a ladder a few steps onto the catamaran. The crew assists you in this. You also have to jump off the catamaran to swim in the calm ocean. Beware that quite a few people including myself got seasick even in the calm waters. Bring anything that will help with motion sickness. The experience is very fun and exactly as advertised. My family loved it and will return!

Great family trip - Great trip. Staff was excellent. Good and drink were good. Well worth it! We saw dolphins and sting rays.

Great trip for a group of friends. - I had taken a sunset catamaran trip with Blue Dolphin last year out of Coco Beach, CR with my family (husband and two younger teens). The boat on that excursion was considerably larger (with more people) more comfortable and definitely a mixed age group. It was great for my family. In Tamarindo this spring with my sister and some girlfriends, I went back to Blue Dolphin knowing it was a good experience. This boat was considerably smaller (max 36 - with only 23 aboard) and thankfully was primarily 25-50 y/olds ready to have a good time. Fun, attentive staff, good food and music on both boats. But this one felt a bit more like a party boat - nothing crazy, drinks not strong enough for stupid behavior, but I did appreciate that I was there with girlfriends and NOT my family for this one.

A really fun way to experience the gorgeous Tamarindo sunset! - Hands down, I was able to witness the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever see through this boat ride! I enjoyed the opportunity to take a swim off of one of Tamarindo’s quiet little coves, but I will flag that the current can be a bit strong. I wish we were able to swim for a bit longer (I think we were allotted about an hour and a half, but it felt shorter). The ride to the cove was also a little choppy so folks sitting towards the back of the boat got splashed quite a bit—just something to keep in mind!

People watching experiment - Our sunset cruise was very interesting. Between the really drunk and obnoxious Brits and the hired companions (ahem) of other guests on our boat, the 6 children with us got a new perspective on life. The crew did a phenomenal job of managing the situation and apologized to us multiple times. We did appreciate that. The food was delicious. They did a great job of spotting dolphins and sharks feeding. The snorkeling spot was nice. There was only one kayak and one paddle board though. Was expecting more. The Blue Dolphin’s gap is with their schedulers. We would recommend them trying to put families together on the same boat. When we arrived we saw the group of British guys and could already tell that they were going to be a problem. We asked to go on the boat with the other families we saw but our request was denied. If they had assessed the situation ahead of time and matched people together better our trip would have been very different.

Disappointing - We loved being on the water but the trip was disappointing. The boat was crowded and not as nice as pictured. Getting in and out of the boat and catamaran was challenging in the rough water. They ran out of tortillas and food for those at the end of the line. Would make sure you ask questions before booking and make sure you are getting what is advertised.

Too long in the heat - The staff on the boat were great and the open bar was free flowing. As a vegan, I was worried I wouldn't be able to eat but I was pleasantly surprised by the tortillas, rice, black beans, salad, and fruit I was able to enjoy. It was easy for this gluten-free person to eat, too. I found that the excursion was boring (not much happening, mostly waiting and going to and from the swimming spot). In previous experiences, someone would come in the water and point out fish for those snorkelling but that didn't happen and the water was super muddy so saw nothing. The whole thing was supposed to finish at 5 which I was already finding long in the heat, but we docked at 6:15. I also wish the staff had communicated more next steps and what was happening, it felt like a lot of waiting around and it was hard to find the guide at the beginning because there was no sign or signal like a colourful umbrella you often see at walking tours. Wouldn't recommend, unfortunately!

WARNING - DO NOT BOOK! This was a bait-and-switch. - WARNING - DO NOT BOOK! This was a bait-and-switch. We booked the Blue Dolphin and got an old catamaran with bad seating, only 1 kayak and 1 paddleboard. Snorkeling was not an option and the crew had difficulty handling the boat. We did this excursion with a group of family ranging from 20-70 (the majority in their 40's). I specifically booked the Blue Dolphin due to the photographs which showed great seating, shade, a nice boat, and "paddle boards and kayaks". Instead, we were loaded onto an old, rusty, catamaran whose only good seating (like chair-type seating - not sitting on the foredeck or trampoline) was in the back of the boat. Shade was available if you went inside the boat where there was limited seating. There was only 1 kayak and 1 paddleboard. They did have pool noodles that they offered to everyone. Even in the foredeck seating, there was limited space and we were crammed together. There was no opportunity to use the trampoline area because the boat was so packed. When we anchored, they allowed people to jump off the boat to swim to the shore (a distance that even a strong swimmer would have difficulty with) and/or float. Just after people were jumping off, they lost the anchor. They started the boat to move it forward, while people were right in front of the boat and a man and his small daughter were at the back of the boat preparing to get back in. They gave no warning to any of these people. My group (most of whom are experienced in boating) gave them warning and instructed them to wait while the boat was moving. Upon returning to the shore to disembark, we were loaded onto a small boat (same boat to get to the catamaran). It was rough, people were getting wet (just like on way to catamaran) but that was to be expected and not an issue. Getting off the small boat was an issue for the majority of the passengers. They had two crew members assisting but they could not hold the boat well enough because they were not close enough to the shore. People unloading were getting hit by the boat and/or motor as they unloaded, some getting knocked down, others literally falling off the boat into the water. Several people in my gourp assisted people offloading because it was dangerous. Many of my group wanted to shop in town after but most went back to the house because we were all soaked from head to toe. One of our ladies was hurt when she was hit by the boat. With regards to the food and drinks... the lunch was good. They have the basics for beer and all you had to do was ask. They definitely catered to the young women and it was more effort for the men and older (45+) ladies to get service. I also heard complaints that they ran out of tequila. I also had to cancel one of our reservations due to illness. I got confirmation that we were moved from 10 people to 9 people. I was still charged for 10. This excursion was the only disappointment my group had during our 12 days in Costa Rica. I requested a refund and was denied. I asked that my request be elevated to a supervisor. I received another response about 10 minutes later, saying that Viator did a thorough investigation (I'm not sure what/how they investigated) and denied any refund. I rarely write any reviews but I felt that this was needed as a warning to others who assume that what you see in an advertisement is what you get.