★★★★★Viator review
Dolphin cruise gone wrong
john_m, October 2026
My wife and I are repeat customers-last year we took your sunset only cruise, and it was an amazing experience. The captain and his crew were professional throughout the entire cruise, and we returned this year expecting the same experience but were badly disappointed. We have lots of fun photos from our experience last year to share-see below.
Upon our initial arrival onboard, my wife and I sat directly in front of the bar area, due to the fact that my wife just had two surgeries (hip and shoulder) so her mobility was limited. We were the only guests sitting in this location. This didn't take away from the fact that we wanted to enjoy this event.
The crew/captain introduced themselves, and we departed. Initially, as we approached the bar for drinks, the ship mate, TRAVIS, tended bar and asked each of us "where are you from and what do you do?". I responded that we are from Northern Virginia/Washington DC. He immediately responded "You're not a Fed, are you?" and I replied, "yes, I am and my wife is a teacher". "i explained that I work with trains."
As the boat sailed, TRAVIS immediately catered to certain guests on the boat that were drinking heavily, offering them fast refillls and taking their photos. . He was patronizing and catering to everyone around us, except myself and my wife. When the small snacks were served by TRAVIS, my wife and I were skipped/ignored- my wife was upset and went up to TRAVIS and let him know that we were ignored and my wife told him aloud "we are sitting right in front of you, and you are serving everyone else, so how can you miss us?" He left the remaining scraps of food at the bar, and my wife served us. TRAVIS went about patronizing the other guests.
Once my wife called him out, he apologized and began to pay us attention, although it was forced and over an hour into the cruise. At this point, neither of us were enjoying ourselves, and we wanted to return to the dock.
Did TRAVIS have a problem with me being a Fed? Mind, you, I was on vacation with my wife, in no official capacity, just as a paying passenger. I am Italian American (i wore my Italy hat), and my wife is Black American- was this the factor that caused our limited service?
Did TRAVIS think that we did not have deep pockets like the rest of the guests?
At the end, the ship captain announced that based on her calculation of average fees paid, we SHOULD ALL tip TRAVIS at a minimum of $20 each. My wife and I were appalled at the gall of your crew to demand this or even suggest this. Mind you last year, your crew never asked us for money or even suggested it. It was because of our great experience last year that we returned in the first place.
We paid over $150 for this cruise, plus paid $24 for parking, and we did not feel any sense of the same fun we experienced last year. Still trying to figure out this morning what it was that we paid for- watered down beer and morsels of food that wasn't served to us.
Based on this experience, we cannot recommend this cruise to anyone and we both feel cheated, and angry. You need to hire better people and provide them diversity training (if inded this was the issue), especially in this day and age. And really, with the price you charge, your crew should not be demanding extra money or judging people based on their appearance, profession, or possible wealth.
Response from the operator · Emily J
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We were made aware of what happened onboard, and we're truly sorry that you and your wife were accidentally missed while one of our appetizers was being served. We understand how upsetting that must have felt, especially as returning guests.
Travis is one of our most valued crew members, and he did apologize multiple times and bring the situation to the captain's attention. We take our guests' experiences very seriously and want to be clear that we welcome and respect everyone onboard, regardless of their race, ethnicity, background, profession, or appearance. Our team is made up of people from many different backgrounds, and treating every guest with kindness and respect is something we stand behind.
While mistakes can happen during service, we never want anyone to feel overlooked or unwelcome. We're sorry again that this affected your evening, especially after such a wonderful experience with us last year. We truly value our returning guests and hope you'll consider giving us another opportunity to provide the experience you've come to expect from us.