Page 4) Makani Catamaran Waikiki Sunset Cocktail Cruise with Open Bar & Transportation reviews, Oahu tours & activities, fun things to do in Oahu | HawaiiActivities.com

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more here

Makani Catamaran Waikiki Sunset Cocktail Cruise with Open Bar & Transportation

Overall Rating

4.64 4.64 / 5

Reviews

171 reviews
Post a review

Wonderful Night in Hawaii!

Reviewed by: Ricky, 2015/12/01

I took my friend on this dinner cruise for her birthday gift and it was very enjoyable. Every time I'm on the Makani Sunset Dinner Sailing Cruise alway over the top amazing, the atmosphere aboard was terrific with great music and great crew. The crew was fabulous! The night views from cruise were tremendous and the food was very well done too. If you want something special while in Hawaii, you should go. You can also enjoy the beautiful sunset from offshore. Only advice I would give is they start serving food almost as soon as ship pulls out of port, it is almost dark. Interrupt your dinner to go out on deck to take pictures. I feel like I did not get enough pictures of sunset because it seemed to get dark very fast.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/11/29
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Great Sunset Dinner Experience!

Reviewed by: Shannen15, 2015/12/01

I have always wanted to take a cruise in Hawaii and came across the Makani Sunset Dinner cruise and it seem like a great deal so I instanty booked it. They also offer shuttle service from Wakkiki which I took advantage of. I received a detail confirmation on the cruise, as well as a phone call confirmation. This felt very professional of the company. The cruise ship captain and crew was also very friendly, professional and made sure we were all having a great time! The weather was great and overall great experience. The food was buffet style, the offering was simple but the food was good. You get 2 drink tickets and it's good for any drinks. You can purchase additional drinks afterwards but the cost is very reasonable. I had fun and would recommend for anyone that wants a short cruise to see the island from the ocean. Thank you for great experience!

  • View of Cruise

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/11/28
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Must do for travelers to Waikiki!

Reviewed by: Happy Honeymooner, 2015/11/30

Our friends who had previously been to Hawaii, said that we MUST do one of these sailing cruises on a Friday night. They weren't wrong! This is a MUST do!

This sunset dinner sailing cruise was awesome! 9/10 I'll break it down.

The crew had charisma, they had explained everything in detail and they were extremely approachable for any questions. Excellent service! 5/5

The food was great! Island style means buffet style - my wife and I definitely weren't hungry at the end of the night! They even had cookies out for dessert! 5/5 on my books for food!

They didn't have a blender, but that didn't stop the bartender from making a mean Mai Tai! They had a wide selection of beer, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks. I tried a High Tide as suggested by the bartender, amazing! Personally I like my crushed ice. Still good though, for Drinks I gave a 4/5.

And most importantly the view of the fireworks was spectacular! Perfect view, the catamaran was right in front of the fireworks - everyone on the vessel could see the fireworks, there was no crowding. 5/5

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/11/27
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

A Fun, also on rainy days! Next time we wanna do it again.

Reviewed by: Yvonne and Chris, 2015/11/25

A Fun, also on rainy days!

We booked the firework dinner cruise a few weeks before we started our trip to Hawaii.

The transportation from the hotel to the marina (small extra fee) was on time and near our Hotel.

The catamaran was nice und clean. After entering the boat the crew briefed us about the security on board.

Due to the calm, we couldn`t sail but the engine was powerful enough to have fun.

The dinner started shortly after leaving the marina.
We had springrolls,chicken, rice and vegetables. Everything was tasty and well cooked.
We specially like the miniwraps.

After Sunset we had a nice view to Waikiki-beach.
The firework started ontime and we had a place in the first row, very close to it.

On the way back to the marina we had some cookies and drinks.

We had a fun evening and enjoy our stay an board. Next time we wanna do it again.

  • View to the marina. It was rainy the day

  • inside the catamaran

  • view to the hilton hotel

  • firework

  • firework

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/11/20
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Makani Sunset Dinner Cruise w/fireworks

Reviewed by: GVK & KJK, 2015/11/03

The crew & boat ride was great. The food not so much. On a scale of 1-10, we rate the food a 1. The food might have been better if it would have been warm & there was not enough table space to eat. The fireworks were great.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/10/30
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Bliss!

Reviewed by: Judy from Brisbane , 2015/10/24

My friend and I booked onlne before we left Australa and couldn't wait! We weren't disapppointed at all. Once we left Honolulu Harbour the sail went up. Sitting there and just chilling out was awesome. Dinner was served and was really nice with more than enough food for everyone. The crew were really friendly as well. We got two free drinks and believe me, their signature Hai Tais are a must have!! Seeing dolphins slice through the water beside us was just magical. Thanks to the mate for pointing them out to us! Everyone onboard had a really great time and I would thoroughly recommend this as an absolute must in Honolulu. I could have stayed on board all night but all good things must come to an end. I would definitely go again!

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2015/10/21
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Don't miss!

Reviewed by: Chris Grieder , 2015/10/10

We decided to do this on our honeymoon and we were really glad we did !! They picked us up at our hotel and then dropped us off when it was over. Make sure you add this option as you will enjoy a few drinks and don't want to be driving back and it's far better than a cab!

The cruise itself was fantastic. Calm waters and a leisurely pace out and back all the way past diamond head watching the sun set over the city and Waikiki it was amazingly beautiful. The dinner was very good and the bartender and crew were all friendly fun and professional. I would do this every time I visit Waikiki without question!!

  • Sunset on the cruise

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/10/07
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Most Beautiful Sunset in Hawaii

Reviewed by: Sam Falandes, 2015/10/07

It was a great experience, from our pick up at Waikiki to the Pier.
Everything was better than I expected, the bus had plenty of space, and the ride was smooth.
When we got to the pier we only waited for 10 minutes in order to be inside the boat.
My wife and I wanted to have a good time, since we are newlyweds and we were spending our honeymoon in Hawaii.
The food was delicious and the bartender was one of the best in Hawaii, will never forget the High Tide, it really made my night better.
It was a romantic night and the crew made the best they could in order to make us feel comfortable.
I wish to go back again in my next trip to Hawaii.
Aloha!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/10/04
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Great Time on our honeymoon!!!

Reviewed by: Savy2929, 2015/10/03

We spent an evening aboard the Makani during our honeymoon... What a great decision it was!!! The staff was very friendly, you truly can tell that they enjoy their jobs and want to have their guests to have the best time possible. Our cruise may have had 20 other guess on board. They could have easily fit 2x that many so it was not crowded. The Bartender named Stretch mixes some delicious drinks, and they are STRONG :) Food was much better then expected. We enjoyed a beef stir fry, sushi wraps, egg rolls, teriyaki chicken, salad, white rice, cookies and more. The scenery was extremely romantic and a perfect evening during our honeymoon!! Special note: Bring camera and selfie stick. Alot of people aboard our boat didn't have one and said that is one thing theyd bring next time

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/10/01
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Good trip.

Reviewed by: Lisa, 2015/09/21

My husband and I were on our first trip to Hawaii and decided to book the Makani Dinner Cruise for our first night in Oahu. The weather was beautiful and the boat was very comfortable. The crew was very fun, polite, and helpful. It was a little confusing though about the drink coupons, or maybe it was just me, but I thought that you got two alcoholic drinks with the coupons and then the nonalcoholic drinks were free, that wasn't the case tho, anything after the two were at a cost. I will say that the drinks were pretty strong. We didn't see any dolphins and I was disappointed about that, but I can't blame them for that. All in all we enjoyed ourselves very much and the sites were great. I would have given five stars if just water would have been included after the two drinks.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/09/08
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Lovely Cruise that i ever had! Beautiful Sunset !

Reviewed by: Andy, 2015/09/17

This sunset cruise is very amazing, we book this trip as part of our honeymoon special memory. We got picked up from my hotel(Marriott) @3:30pm with nice Benz shuttle bus, got port @4:45 and start trip @5pm on board the lovely Makani ship.
The dinner start after 30 mins leave port, and really delicious(especially the chicken, my wife look a lot).
During the trip, we saw the nice Waikiki beach view and diamond head mountain, the sea is so deep blue and so pure. it feel different from what you see at the beach!
The exciting moment for this cruise must be at the sunset moment! and we are able to see it!(we stay there several days, but most sunset blocked by cloud, and we are so lucky that able to see the sunset!), in the attachment i attach few pics that i took at the sunset moment! Then we head back, we got back to port @7pm and ride shuttle bus back to hotel @ 8pm with nice memory.
At last, the Captain looks very nice and professional and thank you give us a nice sunset cruise!

  • Sunset moment

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/09/08
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Great experience!!!

Reviewed by: Judy Zhu, 2015/09/14

My husband and I love the sailing cruise!! The rain was pouring down the day before and we were worried about our cruise, and it turned out the weather was just perfect on our cruise day. The staff are very friendly and make everybody comfortable. Dinner and two drinks are also delicious. We saw a very beautiful and amazing sunset in our life. The sailor girl is pretty cool when she pulls the two sails in wind. She also caught a large tree(not a big fish!) on our way back, which added to our trip another deep and funny impression. All in all, everything is great and we will definitely recommend this trip to our friends and probably try a second time!!!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/09/05
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

A great experience!

Reviewed by: Geets83, 2015/09/09

My husband and I booked this cruise for my birthday and were pleasantly surprised. I was a little apprehensive as the yacht looked quite small compared to the number of people waiting to board. But once we were on board, there was plenty of room for everyone. There was a bar on board with a wide range of drinks to choose from (both alcoholic and non alcoholic). I wasn't too crazy about the food; it was too bland for my taste and because I do not like BBQ chicken. Some normal American food (bread, grilled chicken, mashed potatoes) would have made me a super happy camper. The ride was smooth for the most part and I loved the fact that the captain turned the yacht around when we spotted Dolphins and we were able to get a up close and personal look. Overall, I would recommend this cruise to anyone looking for a good time on the water and a beautiful sunset.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/09/01
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Can't be any better

Reviewed by: Sazzad Hossain, 2015/09/02

As my review title highlights, it is pretty much self-explanatory what I'm going to describe about this event that took place on August the 28th, 2015. It was one of the most exciting moments of our lifetime. Since we booked this event we have been looking forward to it. Finally when the time arrived we boarded Makani Catamaran with a wonderful reception from the crews. They were all very funny and knowledgeable. The boat was clean and well organized. We sailed on time and were at the fireworks at the right moment. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner with beautiful music. On the top of that we were also given a free drink. Had a nice opportunity to view the sunset as well. It was everything that you can expect on your first event in Hawaii!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/08/28
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

great value for money

Reviewed by: Vancouver Visitor, 2015/08/28

This sunset cruise is well run, offers a good cruise out beyond Diamond Head and a great view of the Hilton Fireworks. Food is good but not luxurious. Very family friendly. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2015/08/21
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

superb activity - do it!

Reviewed by: Vancouver Visitor, 2015/08/28

We booked this with our 3 girls, ages 8, 8 & 10. This is a very family-friendly activity, and the girls interacted with other kids on the boat to make the experience better. The catamaran is comfortable and sails extremely well. We went all the way around Diamond Head before sunset, really good views! Dinner was salad, tofu rolls, chicken, beef, and extremely tasty. Not luxurious (if you want that, take the Star of Honolulu...for much more money!). The bar was well stocked. Sunset was beautiful. We had front row seats for the Hilton fireworks. The kids stayed interested and engaged the whole 3 hours, and adults had fun too! Transportation to and from Waikiki was efficient and on time.
Great value and highly recommended.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2015/08/21
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Sunset Dinner Cruise

Reviewed by: sam, 2015/08/18

We loved the dinner cruise!!! The staff were awesome. Very friendly, willing to talk and answer questions. First captain was probably sick of taking pictures for everyone by the end :) The food was great also. There was plenty for each person and then some. The buffet style was great so everyone could eat when and where they wanted not to formal. Relaxed and casual just like we wanted. Timing was perfect to see the sunset and the view was beautiful. Everyone was good about rotating on the nets to make sure everyone else got time. The only thing I would change about this experience is make it an adult only cruise. Everything else was great!!! Thanks :)

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/08/05
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Fun Evening

Reviewed by: JasonBeers, 2015/08/08

The food was enjoyable, the view was beautiful and the crew was fun and inviting. The food was buffet style with chicken and broccoli and some rice, as well as some cookies. They had a bar with some nice mixed drinks and non alcoholic beverages for people as well. The ship was a little smaller and more crowded than we expected, but the crew did an excellent job of keeping everyone serviced and attending to guest needs. They were friendly and made sure to check on everyone to ensure no one was sick. We were out at sea for about 2 and a half hours, which is a good amount of time and there were a lot of waves out making it fun for many.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/08/07
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Dinner cruise

Reviewed by: the harts, 2015/08/06

We booked this cruise online, requesting a hotel pickup. The day before the booking we were contacted at our hotel to confirm day and time of pickup. On arriving at the boat all the guests were debriefed with safety instructions while on board (this was good to see), we were introduced to our crew, Johnny , stretch and Amy, who were all very approachable and friendly. We headed out from the marina and hoisted the sails. Not long after leaving the marina, we were all invited to get our meals. The food was great, tasty, light and plenty of it. As part of the package we each received two drink vouchers. We cruised from the marina right out to diamond head and back again. The sunset on the way back to the marina was just beautiful. We had a great evening and enjoyed meeting a number of people - if you like sailing and enjoy meeting new people, then I would recommend this activity.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/08/04
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Wonderful Time!!!

Reviewed by: The Battles, 2015/08/03

It was my husbands first time to Hawaii and on a catamaran. He loved this excursion and everyone made him feel safe and comfortable. It was a beautiful evening. We had a beautiful time on the dinner sunset cruise! It was our honeymoon and this made it very romantic and special! The food was delicious and we went back for seconds! There wasn't a lot of seating on the boat so that was hard sometimes. The workers were friendly and Stretch really knows how to make the drinks! There were a few annoying girls that flirted with the workers and were loud, two people got sick, but these things are all uncontrollable. Overall, it was great and I have already recommended this cruise to family and friends! Thank you!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/07/28
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Amazing night

Reviewed by: Gen, 2015/07/18

It was an amazing experience and it was the best way the finish our trip. It was our last night and it was very romantic. The music was great and people were having a great time. I recommend it to everyone who want to experimence a nice cruise and watch breathtaking firework. I already have recommended it to my best friend going in October. The food was great and they offered a good variety. The cocktails were fantastic and there was a good selection of beers and spirits. I only have great comments about that evening. Watching the firework on the water was just magical. The service was very nice and the staff were very thoughtful. I will do this cruise again next year when we come back.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/07/03
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Best views in the harbour.

Reviewed by: Ann, 2015/07/14

A great way to ensure a good view of the sunset and fireworks.A bit of a wait at the start and problems with me not producing a receipt, despite them reassuring me prior that it wouldnt matter.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/07/10
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Do it again!!

Reviewed by: Oliver Holmes, 2015/07/13

My wife and I have taken two Hawaiian dinner cruises in the past. This was our first dinner sail. At first we were concerned about the size of the boat compared to the number of people waiting to board, but we quickly realized that there was room for everyone. If you are wanting a choreographed dinner show, this is not the activity for you. This was a fun, relaxing sunset/fireworks sail. The crew was very nice, and walked around to check on the guests to make sure they were doing alright and even gathered up the guests' garbage. This was appropriate for families, couples, and groups. The crew even cast out two fishing lines to see if they could catch anything during the evening and caught a fish on one of the lines. We drove from the North Shore to go on the dinner sail, and it was well worth the drive. Parking was convenient and reasonable. I would recommend arriving at least 15 minutes before check in to get a close parking spot. The only thing I would suggest would be to serve a dessert option without nuts, as some people do not like them or have nut allergies. I would definitely recommend this activity and would do it again on our next Hawaiian vacation!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/07/10
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

ocean dining

Reviewed by: R. Holmes, 2015/07/11

We vacationed in Hawaii about four years ago, and the dinner cruise we went on then suffered in comparison to this one. The food could have been better, but the overall experience was fantastic. The crew was extremely polite and funny, the food was decent, and the view was amazing. I got beautiful pictures of the island, ocean, sunset, and fireworks. We were even able to spot dolphins a couple of times during the cruise. Unlike the other cruise we have been on, we were able to walk around the boat and did not have to stay inside the cabin the whole time (if you did not want to). We could sit in the fresh air and enjoy the view rather than watching from a window. I highly recommend this dinner cruise.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/07/10
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Awesome sunset cruise!!

Reviewed by: Amanda, 2015/07/05

My husband and I chose to do this activity as part of our honeymoon after friends bought us a voucher for Hawaii activities. Although it was a little choppy going out (your fine if you stay out on the boat in the fresh air) we had the most amazing time!! The food was fantastic, the sunset was beautiful and the fireworks just topped off a perfect evening. We had so much fun meeting people and having a few drinks. Even if it's really hot make sure you take a jumper as it does get a bit chilly out on the ocean as the sun goes down. We would recommend this activity and the makani crew to anyone looking for this kind of activity!!!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/07/03
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Catamaran sunset cruise with fireworks

Reviewed by: Jordon dann, 2015/06/19

I booked this cruise as a surprise for my girlfriend and she absolutely loved it! Every friday the Hilton hotel has a free fireworks show and this is a great way to view them and to make the evening that much more special. I would recommend this activity to couples but it is set up so anyone can enjoy.

Our catamaran cruise started off with their driver coming to pick us up. He was on time and very friendly. We arrived at the dock early and had our first look at the Makani. It was very clean and was smaller than all the other catamarans in the area which was exactly what I was looking for. The boat held roughly 30-40 people. The only complaint we had while waiting to board was nobody came to talk to us about what was going on. Our group stood there for half an hour and as other groups showed up, we then found out we had to redeem our tickets. By this time there was a large line but thankfully they got everyone through quickly. Before we left the dock, the captain went over the features of the boat, introduced the crew and went over everything we needed to know to keep us safe. Once out out on the water, the crew invited us to take part in helping run the ship with their supervision. I thought that was great to make the experience that much more personal. We sailed for an hour then they stopped the boat so we could have our dinner. It was a buffet style with plenty of food to go around. We then found our spot in the water over looking the Hilton. The fireworks started at 7:45 and lasted five minutes. It was a great show and they used quality fireworks that were exciting to watch.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/06/12
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Dinner Cruise?

Reviewed by: Smith, 2015/06/19

Great idea - poor execution! It was a beautiful night and we were ready for a relaxing and delicious dinner cruise. Perhaps we misunderstood what was being offered. First, our pick up was scheduled for 4:10 pm but didn't arrive until after 4:45 pm. After signing in and another short wait, we were invited to board. Even though we knew this was on a catamaran, we thought there would be tables for each diner. This was not the case. Maximum guests (60 - 80) were crammed onto the vessel. This included some young children. Food was very good for the most part, but dinner was a "serve yourself buffet". Not the best option with children on a moving boat. Also, it was impossible to enjoy the meal with the catamaran moving at a fast pace, wind blowing aggressively, and no good place to sit while eating. We still enjoyed ourselves but the price was a bit high for the event. Perhaps just a sunset cocktail cruise would be better. Some drinks and delicious hors d'oeuvres. P.S. The sunset was magnificent!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2015/06/11
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Underwhelming

Reviewed by: Jeff Chartier, 2015/06/18

Our family of 4 did a Thursday night cruise. The weather absolutely gorgeous, scenery spectacular! The crew were extremely capable and very pleasant. We like what was trying to be done, but possibly too much is trying to be attempted. The food was a little disappointing for what we paid. There was only one table to eat on, otherwise you had to eat on your lap. Fighting the boats movement, the wind and everyone else on board was a challenge.We also felt like portion control was a must as the food supply seemed to be limited. I would suggest maybe not doing a full dinner, but maybe drinks and appetizers, and maybe some live entertainment.Also maybe a little more staffing would be helpful. Overall I would give 2 and a half stars. I liked what was trying to be done, but a little refinement is in order. But hey its paradise, nothing is that bad.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2015/06/11
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Dazzling Sunset Cruise

Reviewed by: webstersway, 2015/06/13

Wow, what an amazing cruise!!! The weather was perfect, the sunset was dazzling, and my wife was stunning. With the sun setting in the west, Diamond Head looming in the east, and just the wind in our sails, we couldn't have asked for a more memorable experience. To top things off, there was a rain shower on Diamond Head that resulted in a rainbow, absolutely gorgeous!!! The crew was great and the food was delicious. We were given 2 drink tickets each, my recommendation is to purchase the Makani insulated tumbler, twice the drink for only $8. We opted for the Makani signature High Tide, quite tasty. This was our second adventure on the Makani, both were awesome!!! Highly recommended. A special Thank You to Mikiko at Veltra for keeping me on track!!!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/05/31
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Perfect way to end our week in Oahu!

Reviewed by: K Hubbard, 2015/06/06

We wanted to do something special to end our week in Oahu and after reading some excellent reviews we booked this cruise. We booked it the same day with only about 4 hours before it departed...the phone staff were so helpful and patient as we selected a cruise. We had some challenges accessing the website to print our voucher but the reservation staff was so patient and assured us there would be no problem.

We used the pick up option and the driver was so pleasant and helpful, he made us feel like we had known each other forever.


Every member of the staff we came in contact with from reservation, shuttle driver, cruise staff..everyone made us feel so welcome and didn't hesitate to extend that extra effort!

The cruise was amazing with views of Diamond Head and Oahu..music was enjoyable and the food was delicious! The Cruise was a perfect amount of time as It is still early enough to continue your evening when you return.

We would definitely recommend this cruise and look forward to sailing with them again!

It was the perfect, romantic end to our amazing week in Oahu!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/05/30
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Oahu Categories