Isla Mujeres Catamaran, Open Bar & Optional Buffet And Pick Up

The pressure to tip overshadowed the entire experience. My partner and I booked this catamaran expecting an enjoyable trip with drinks and a buffet. The alcoholic drinks tasted like rubbing alcohol with a splash of juice, and the sodas tasted flat. The buffet was okay to me, although my partner didn’t enjoy it. Staff kept pushing us to take drinks. At the end, they said they deserved tips because they had been providing us service, even though drinks were already included in the tour we paid for. They also mentioned supporting their families. The repeated requests felt like pressure rather than a voluntary opportunity to show appreciation. When we explained that we didn’t have any more money after visiting the island, a staff member joked along the lines of, “Come on, I know you have something stashed.” Please note that we initially hesitated to tip with coins because it’s not something we’re used to doing. However, after repeated requests, we ended up giving the leftover coins we had, but being pushed after explaining our situation made us uncomfortable. I also saw another guest being pressed to tip. When another guest tried to put a 10-peso coin into the tip chest, the staff member appeared upset and pulled it away. The guest tried again, but the staff member pulled it away a second time, covered the opening with his hand, and moved the chest around his torso. After repeatedly asking for tips, refusing the guest’s smaller contribution felt disrespectful. Later, I saw a staff member shaking the tip box and gesturing toward that guest, then toward us, while interacting with another guide. I couldn’t hear what was said, but it made me feel judged for the amount we tipped. He then left the area after noticing me watching. The drink quality and staff’s behavior around tips were. Tips should be voluntary, and guests shouldn’t feel pressured or embarrassed for giving what they had. Unfortunately, the tipping pressure is what I remember most from this trip.

An absolute fantastic day out. Well worth the money. Plenty of drinks on board. The crew went around and supplied you with drinks. All equipment provided for snorkeling. Lunch was nice and we spent our free time on the beautiful white beach. Paradise is real xxx

A really good day out, worth going to. Staff on the Catamaran were excellent, made the trip fun and well organised.

Great experience Beautiful island Snorkeling part was a bitter chaotic in the water with so many people so we stayed at the back, on board the Ventus catamaran staff was exceptional, friendly and entertaining Thanks for the memories

Very disappointing — the upgrade was absolutely not what we expected. Unfortunately, our experience fell well below expectations, particularly because we were specifically sold an upgrade that was supposed to provide a better, less crowded experience with more dedicated service. We were also told that we did not need to worry about paying for drinks or toilets when we arrived at both locations as the boat would be there for us to enter whenever we needed to. We arrived at the dock at 8:30am, checked in at 9am and were given an in-depth explanation of the day by a gentleman who openly acknowledged that the company had received some poor reviews recently. As we had booked through GetYourGuide/Amigo Tours, he offered us an upgrade and strongly emphasised that this would give us fewer people, better service and an overall much better experience. Based on what we were told, we were really looking forward to the day. At around 10.15am we were finally taken out to what we though was to board the boat after waiting around for so long but we were instead lined up in the blazing heat with no suncream as per the instructions for the trip to be given a briefing about the expectations on the boat, this could of been easily done in the cool upstairs room we had waited in for over an hour. We boarded the boat and headed to our first stop - snorkelling. This was by far the highlight of the day. We saw some amazing sights and even stopped to see the underwater statues. However, the snorkelling itself was quite short and we were disappointed that we didn’t get longer in the water. We then headed towards Isla Mujeres. The all-inclusive drinks package, which had been heavily promoted as one of the main benefits, was disappointing. The bar was constantly occupied by a group ordering multiple cocktails, meaning those of us simply wanting soft drinks were left waiting for long periods. This didn’t feel like the dedicated service we had been promised with the upgrade. We then stopped at Isla Mujeres for a brief swim, which was enjoyable, before being given 2.5 hours to explore the island without any guide or real structure. While this was fine, we felt 2.5 hours was far too long and could have been used much more effectively elsewhere on the trip. We eventually returned to the boat and headed towards lunch. By this point it was around 2:30pm and we had still had no food. We had specifically been told to only have a light breakfast because of the snorkelling, so by this stage our entire group was extremely hungry. We arrived at the supposed exclusive beach club, which had again been presented to us as one of the highlights of the upgraded experience. Unfortunately, it was anything but. The buffet was extremely disappointing. One member of our group does not eat chicken and was told that the meat they had selected was pork - only for us to discover that it was actually chicken. Another member of our group does not eat pork and, due to the lack of clear information about what was in the dishes, had very limited options. We then waited over 15 minutes simply for water. The beach club itself was also extremely crowded, and the surrounding area and water did not appear particularly clean. It certainly did not feel exclusive or premium in any way. One member of our party was so concerned about the food hygiene that they chose not to eat at all. We ended up leaving approximately 45 minutes early because we simply didn’t want to remain there. We then walked back to the boat after being told that everyone needed to be back promptly for the 4:30pm departure. Despite being told we would have access to the bar and toilets, the staff were on board just watching us and another family return while we were left standing in the boiling sunshine waiting to board, instead of just letting us on. The journey back was another major disappointment. Staff were dancing provocatively with young women in front of multiple families, including families with young children, while encouraging this behaviour with provocative music and continuing to provide them with alcohol. It was not the atmosphere we expected from what had been presented to us as an upgraded, premium experience. Ironically, it was only during the final stretch back to Cancun that the service actually improved, with several members of staff coming over to ask whether we wanted drinks. By that point, however, we were already completely over the experience. To make matters worse, the staff subsequently came around with a tip box, seemingly expecting a tip despite the substantial amount we had already paid for the excursion and the additional cost of the upgrade. This was a very disappointing day and fell significantly below what we were promised and what we expected. The snorkelling was genuinely fantastic and was the one part of the experience that we really enjoyed. Unfortunately, that alone wasn’t enough to make up for everything else. Our biggest disappointment is the upgrade. We paid extra because we were specifically told we would receive a less crowded experience, more dedicated service and a significantly better overall day. That simply wasn’t what we experienced. If you are considering this excursion and are happy with everything I’ve described above, then by all means book it - but based on our experience, I absolutely would not recommend paying extra for the upgrade. We went into this expecting a premium experience and instead left feeling that we had paid more for something that simply wasn’t delivered. The trip was below our expectations, and the upgrade was, quite frankly, an absolute shambles.

We absolutely loved the Catermaran and the crew. The experience was amazing, view beautiful, crew kept everyone happy and engaged. We loved the stop to isla mujeres, view store and beautiful sites and get to swim in ocean. The only downside was the photographer on board. He took everyone picture then told us to view package. We selected 1-4 pic only but photographer disregarded that and insisted sent us to buy all 21 photos for $100 although loved the beautiful photos; we declined several times because of issues with my card on the water and no cash.. Overall amazing time, highly recommend and will do again!!

Great day out, picked up exactly on time, everything went smoothly, guys on the catamaran were great craic but very professional, island was stunning, would reccomend Amigo tours to anyone!

Fantastic day out , great guide and boat crew

Each package hs an option for VIP upgrade which is very important. This is an additional cost and worth it to avoid large crowds and a personalized experience.

My husband and I had the best time on our catamaran trip to Isla Mujeres! The snorkeling was great, our drinks were never empty, and our guide Ivett was knowledgeable and fun!! If we are back in the area we will absolutely book with them again.

Great experience. The guides were wonderful and made everything more fun. Would highly recommend this tour.

We had a great experience with Amigo Tours on our Isla Mujeres day tour from Costa Mujeres! Transportation to the marina was smooth and well managed, even with a major accident causing traffic delays for hours. Thankfully, we still made it to the pier within an hour. The catamaran ride was a lot of fun, with a snorkeling stop before heading to Isla Mujeres. The only thing about snorkeling was if you are 60 years of age and older, you cannot snorkel and us along with two other couples were unaware. That was a little disappointing. Riding golf carts to Punta Sur was definitely a highlight, with beautiful views along the way. Afterward, we enjoyed a buffet lunch and swimming at ZaZa Beach Club. Overall, it was a fun, well-organized day with a great mix of adventure and relaxation. Highly recommend!

Punctual, safe, very comfortable, very friendly

Absolutely amazing, the best day we have ever had. The staff were amazing and so much fun and the location was breathtakingly stunning. Paradise. The food and staff on the island was also amazing. Excellent value for money and a full day out.

Great experience Really liked the professional photographer

The team were fantastic and set the vibes, I’m so sorry I don’t remember anyone’s name but the gentleman from El Salvador who led the snorkel was fantastic and so was the barman. Literally my favourite trip and we have done 4 including this one up to now. If you’re thinking about it absolutely do it! The photographer actually managed to give me some photos I actually love, so grateful - amazing team. Oh and the beach buffet was nice too. Thank you

The catamaran and island were great! Saw so many cool fish while snorkeling the beautiful reef. The scenery was amazing. However the transfers, both to and from the catamaran, were poorly organized. People seemed to be using it more like a public bus, constantly getting on and off at every stop. The driver kept waiting for people that didn't show up. Ended up taking significantly longer than it should have, and left a bad taste in my mouth after an otherwise amazing trip.

This excursion was an absolute blast! The boat ride to the island was smooth sailing and the crew was awesome! We got to rent golf carts and had some time to explore the island. Then we got to shop downtown, followed by a short boat ride over to the beach club for drinks and lunch. Definitely recommend this trip!!

Overall, it was a decent experience. The snorkeling time felt a bit short, and being left on Isla Mujeres for around four hours was a little too long. That said, we still enjoyed it; the crew was fun and brought great party vibes. Please note that the open bar is only available on the catamaran.

Tour canceled due to weather, didn't refund after stating they would. Beware! Check weather, was windy and canceled tour.

No one ever came to pick me up they didn’t let me cancel the reservation and took my money I disputed it with my bank the host message me finally wanting to know why I did a dispute an they still took my money this is the only way of contact I can get

The whole experience was beautiful and fun. Snorkeling was an amazing opportunity, but at first it did feel a little crowded in the water and we weren’t totally sure what to do. A bit more instruction would’ve helped. Also, make sure to tighten your life vest before jumping in — mine was loose since we were rushing, and it rubbed my arm pretty badly. After snorkeling, we headed to Isla Mujeres, which was definitely one of the best parts of the tour. Renting a golf cart (which is an extra cost) was totally worth it — it allowed us to explore much more of the island and really enjoy how beautiful it is. The buffet at the beach club was great, and the whole crew on the catamaran was amazing! They were fun, energetic, and played great music the whole way. My only suggestion would be to offer more non-alcoholic drink options on the boat, as it felt mostly catered toward those drinking alcohol. Overall, it was an awesome experience and we had a wonderful time! Would definitely recommend this tour.

Great experience, tour was fun and everything went great. No complaints enjoyed every minute. Will do again. Thanks..

The experience was amazing. The island is beautiful. Got about 4 hours to explore the island. The only downside is, like every excursion in Cancun, they want you to pay huge tips and a lot of money for pictures they take. Other than that it was a good experience and I would highly recommend.

We opted for the "premium" experience so that we could be picked up at our resort. Once at the dock, they charged us an extra 20 dollars for the transfer, even though I kept telling them that it was included in what I had paid. They also tried to charge an extra 100 dollars for dock fees, but I refused, as this was also included in what I had paid. When we stopped to snorkel, we only got to be in the water for about 15 minutes. Once back on board, we were given a bag with a "chicken burrito" in it. This was a slice of deli chicken and some lettuce on a soggy flour tortilla. Also in the bag was a small apple. Compare this to the lunch we were promised: "a ham and cheese baguette, salad with lettuce and carrot, fusilli pasta with white cream, pepper and parmesan cheese plus crackers". When we got to Isla Mujeres, we went to the beach club, where we could enjoy "open bar". This turned out to be one hour of beer, rum punch (watered down koolaid), or margaritas (these were awful) for 5 dollars per person. After 2 hours at the beach club, the tour info said there would be another 2 hours to explore the island. This was not offered, and we were told to return to the boat for the return to Cancun. Overall, this trip was not anywhere near what we paid for it.

Ages were varied. Lots of fun! The water is choppy for the rope to see the underground in the water so make sure all fits (I lost a fin), but all was good!

Great atmosphere, the tour guides were amazing. The views were nice, the people on board were great to be around.

We had a wonderful time on board the Aquamaran with a great crew! We absolutely loved the snorkelling and the beach club! Our only criticism would be the shopping stop for two hours, unless you want to pay extra for a golf cart, there’s not a lot to do and by the time we got to the beach club at half two, we were all starving! We’d love to have spent more time at the beach club rather than shopping!

It was a wonderful tour! The crew were amazing and hilarious, made it like a party boat! The island- Isla Mujeres is absolutely beautiful. You’ll love it!

A very enjoyable catamaran experience! Surreal waters and sunset views. Great music, amazing staff! Shout out to Jose for adding so much life to the experience! He helped with snorkelling. Lunch buffet was average - pasta, salad and rice were the only vegetarian options available. Non veg options also had pork, beef & chicken tacos and, chicken rice. Overpriced rates so avoid shopping, good for exploring! Recommend Amigo Tours for booking the tour, their app is helpful and they easily in made changes to our tour when we needed to do so.

Fantastic from Start to finish well looked After staff were 10/10 great entertainment on boat drinks flowing lots of Laughter and Dancing on the Boat

Tour was very good. We did the premium full experience and would highly recommend the extra we had less than 20 people on the boat. All had access to shade and a seat. Some boats we went past had 50+ people all crammed sitting on the sides and roof all exposed to direct sun light. The provided snorkel equipment and was a very informative guided snorkel

My daughter and I had a blast! It was hot and the line was long, but the snorkeling was amazing and the island was breathtaking.

It was hot and the line was long, but it was well worth it. Snorkeling was amazing and the island was beautiful. Our captain Angel was phenomenal. The crew was so fun & accommodating. 10/10 stars

It was an amazing experience! The crew from Catamaran Cancun Sailing were incredibly friendly, and the trip to Isla Mujeres was so much fun. The snorkeling was at a beautiful coral reef, where you can explore the “underwater museum” and see the marine life. The beach at Isla Mujeres is absolutely stunning: crystal-clear water, soft white sand, and the perfect spot to relax. Truly an unforgettable adventure!

The experience and the staff were the best! From the on time pick up to the entire boat day was wonderful. The staff were fun and friendly. We did pay for the premium experience so there were only about 14 people on our boat. The golf cart rentals on Isla was so much fun! Hugely recommended!!

The boat ride is nice, we enjoyed sitting on the ropes up front. The staff were great and constantly walked around offering drinks after the snorkel stop. The view of the aqua blue waters was breathtaking. They only provide a mask/snorkel for snorkeling, no flippers. Yet, they want you to swim a good distance in open water to get to the "underwater museum" which is statues of hands in a circle. My 10 yr old was excited because he saw some fish on the swim there. I have snorkeled many reefs so I was very unimpressed. They brag about being the 2nd largest reef in the world yet we didn't really see any coral reef. It was just sea grass and a lot of swimming after the guide who did have flippers on by the way. The first stop on Isla Mujeres has the prettiest beach. However the swimming area is very small. This stop is where they want you to go shopping. We enjoyed the blue waters. The 2nd stop is the lunch buffet which we enjoyed. There was fruit, cooked veggies, mashed potatoes, cheese quesadillas, fish, tacos, hot dogs, etc. This is their private beach club area so you can snag a nice bed to hang out on here. The beach there isn't the pretty blue that the first beach is and the ground was rocky and slimy- aqua socks recommended here. My boys snorkeled here bc they brought their own masks. They give a lot of time in this stop and recommend paying extra to rent a golf cart to tour the island with them for an extra $55. We went ahead and did that because we didn't want to be bored. You follow a guide and about 6 other golf carts around the island to 2 stops. One was a lookout point and the other where a monument is. You then drive along the coast for some nice views. It was a nice little tour but $55 was way too much for what it was.

The experience at the Catamar was outstanding and wonderful but the experience once we got to the buffet was horrible , one of the we waiters was so rude to an American guest because he didn’t have any cash to tip . I had to intervene. I give the American guest 3 dollars I felt so bad and the waiter screamed at me telling me that that wasn’t my business.he was also very rude to us so we left. We went to at least 3 places there and the service was horrible . Never coming back to isla mujeres. The catamaran service and atmosphere was amazing.

Had a horrible snorkeling experience. Basically a boat ride to the island with very rushed snorkeling at the beginning. Dumped us at the island (literally they did another trip while we were there. Nothing but crowds of pushy vendors. Couldn't wait to get off the island.

Our catamaran tour to Isla Mujeres was a fun and exciting experience. The staff and crew at Amigo Tours did an excellent job!

This was such a fun experience. We opted for the option to be picked up and dropped off from our resort. No issues Communication here and on their app was good. I I highly recommend

We had a good time. I would probably recommend booking a catamaran tour with a smaller boat/tour if you really want to enjoy yourself. Pros: the crew was great and very nice! You do get unlimited soft drinks and alcoholic drinks. The photographer was AMAZING and took great photos of us. He even helped pose us and gave good direction. The lunch was yummy and super filling! It was at a restaurant at Isla Mujeres. They also give you time to explore the city center of Isla mujeres as well or just relax on the beach of Isla Mujeres. The views, the water, and the sailing was so nice and serene. Cons: too many people on board— we were a little uncomfortable and couldn’t really lay or relax well. There is a snorkeling activity included however they really stress you do the as long as you’re a strong swimmer.my husbanded was excited to do the snorkeling, however he isn’t the strongest of swimmers so he opted out , it was probably 20 mins of snorkeling and you don’t really see much. Also the large group of people made the snorkeling hard to enjoy as you’re either trying to swim around flippers and people or trying to avoid kicking/pushing other people. There isn’t a place to store your bags or personal items. I would definitely recommend bringing one, bring one you’re okay with getting wet! I would have liked more time with the photographer and had him get some photos of us during the sunset, there was a lot of people he had to get pictures of though so can’t blame him for trying to give everyone a good experience. I’d recommend booking with a private snorkeling tour group, they’ll take you to see all the same things and more. Also bring tips!! You’ll want to tip your bartender and the photographer!!

I didn't give a score too low because the guys on the boat were very nice and served us plenty of drinks in a happy and fun atmosphere. BUT... read the smallprints, as in our case sadly the snorkeling activity was cancelled due to waters being not clear and there's no compensation for that. If you come from Playa del Carmen as we did, you'll be presented with an extra bill you'll have to pay on the spot. The "lunch" on board is a meager ham and salad sandwich (no sauce, very dry), and when we asked if they had a vegetarian option for my bf they replied "of course it's vegetarian". If I could go back in time, I'd book transportations to the Isla de Mujeres (there's very cheap boats going there) separately, and then check on the island if any of the stalls there offers snorkeling. This way you're safe in case of bad weather. The island will require a cart to be explored in its entirety, take in account that comes at a price (something like $60 per hour). Otherwise, enjoy the island, it's very pretty and food is great there!

My husband and I with our two grown sons and their girlfriends had the best time on this excursion! We were picked up from our hotel in a nice van and driven about 25 minutes to the boat. The boat is a large catamaran with 4-5 crew members and a captain. The crew was so much fun and welcoming making sure we had a great time. The music was great from the minute we stepped onboard. Very upbeat. We swam off the boat right off of Mujerres in the clear crystal blue warm water and then walked around the little town and stopped for a bite to eat at a beach bar on the island. Back on the boat (which turned into a disco 😂 ) for the ride back - so many laughs with my family. Don’t go to eat on the boat - as they say in the description a sandwich is all that is offered at the swim stop. But the drinks are flowing.

Amazing and very fun crew. You have plenty of time for yourself in the island. The food was also good. A pity that the tour that was supposed to be from 9-5pm was actually from 9:30-4:30 pm. Recommend it!

Told it was a tour of 50 people max. There was at least 80-90. Picked up at hotel on time that was good, journey was air conditioned and pleasant. Got to the check in, it was a wooden shack filled with hundreds of people in slow moving queues with no aircon. Woman from the tour came up to me to tell me 'oh you should pay 60 usd to upgrade to the boat with only 25 people yours is busy busy 80 people on it" I didn't do this and contacted the tour operator annoyed I had been miss sold but they have done nothing about it. Spent over an hour in this 'shack' in unbearable heat told constantly oh 10 minutes 10 minutes until boarding. Finally got on and there weren't enough inside seats for people so many of us were out on the deck in roasting heat which we just had to run with. Staff were lovely, can't fault them. Places we docked also lovely. But I don't recommend booking with this operator they are falsely advertising the tour.

Accidentally booked while I was checking for the best rating of tours to Isla Marnie’s…did not receive any information from them so I was not aware that it was booked until I saw the changes on my card and called to inquire… I explained and attempt to cancel because I had booked the same tour with someone else… they refused to refund me so I ended up getting charge for the trip and couldn’t even attend… mistakes happens we are human… I guess I expected a bit more from their customer service and management team… at least the option for credit to do the tour in the future after all it was a booking for 5.

If i can give them 0 stars and still write a review i would. I had a medical emergency wasn’t able to get to my flight and they were very inconsiderate on a refund. I understand they have policies but it’s not something i planned.

Terrible. Not fun. The tour guide was rude, not really too nice. Other people was complaining of this as well, he was rushing the people during snorkeling. The island is not worth it. Crowed is ever. Entirely toooo much going on to even have a good time. All that traveling/boat time to only be on the beach for 3 hours with ended up working out anyways because i was so over it. Hated it.