Worse experience, do not recommend
Unfortunately, this excursion was nothing like what was advertised, and I would not recommend it based on our experience. The driver was the best part of the day. He picked us up on time, the vehicle was comfortable, and on the way back he was kind enough to help us stop for coffee and water because we were hungry and thirsty. The actual excursion, however, was extremely disappointing. We arrived at the boat around 8:00 a.m. and did not leave until well after 9:00 a.m. because we were waiting for other guests, and even the lead guide arrived very late. We booked and paid in advance for an excursion that included Utopia Island, lunch, and drinks. We later learned that we had apparently been sent to the wrong trip by mistake. That was obviously not our mistake, yet we were the ones who lost out on what we had paid for. We were never offered lunch, water, soft drinks, or hot drinks. The only food we received was a few slices of cantaloupe around 1:30 p.m. The “island” portion was also very misleading. We were taken to what was essentially a small sandbar with no shade and nothing there. This was not what we believed we had booked as Utopia Island. We were then told we would need to pay an additional $20 per person to go to the other island. Since we had already paid in advance for Utopia Island to be included, we refused to pay again. Because of that, we had to sit on the boat during the time we were supposed to be enjoying the island. At another point, we also had to wait around while the crew tagged a stingray. This was not an activity for the guests or something being shown to us as part of the excursion. It appeared to be for their own purposes, while guests simply waited. The most unacceptable part happened during snorkeling. The guide instructed us to hold onto his buoy while he showed us the reef. While we were far out in the water, he asked if we wanted GoPro videos for an additional $50. My husband declined. His attitude immediately changed, and he told us, essentially, “You think this is easy? Then you go,” and sent us away to swim back toward the boat by ourselves. That was completely unprofessional and, more importantly, unsafe. Other guests onboard were also visibly unhappy, including a group of Russian travelers near us, so our experience was certainly not one of universal satisfaction. I was in communication with the company from that same morning, starting when we were first told that we would have to pay an additional $20 per person. The company contacted the boat and told us we would be taken to Utopia Island, but that never happened. They also tried to help by offering to pay for our lunch that day. I appreciated the attempt, but by that point the excursion had already failed to provide what we had paid for, and having lunch much later in the day did not correct the experience. When I later asked for a refund, I believe a full refund would have been justified. However, I understood that some legitimate expenses had been incurred, such as the driver and transportation, so I only requested 50% back as a reasonable compromise. That is when the tone changed. Instead of continuing to acknowledge the problems and trying to resolve them, I was told that a refund was unacceptable because they had expenses, that the boat crew said everything had been perfect, and that we had simply “chosen” to stay on the boat and not participate. Apparently, according to them, it was our fault. That is not an accurate description of what happened. We did not choose to miss an activity we had paid for. We refused to pay extra for something that was already supposed to be included, and we were left sitting on the boat as a result. A booking mistake between the tour operator and the boat company should not become the customer’s problem. We paid a significant amount of money in advance with high expectations and did not receive the excursion that was advertised. Between the late departure, wrong trip, missing food and drinks, misleading island experience, extra charges, long periods of waiting, and the snorkeling guide’s behavior, this excursion fell far below what was promised. The driver deserves credit for being professional and helpful, but the excursion itself was extremely disappointing, and the way the complaint was handled afterward only made the experience worse.
Kriscia_B · sep 2026 · via Viator