Sunset Catamaran Cruise On Oahu's North Shore

The boat ride was nice. They wanted to depart early (and did). They had messaged me through Tripadvisor and while Tripadvisor sent me a message stating I had a message, I was not able to access that message to know what it said. When I logged into my account, there was no message to receive. But apparently the message was that they wanted to leave half an hour early. So even though I arrived 23 minutes early, and this was over an hour from my hotel - there was a catamaran full of people waiting for me to arrive. This was embarrassing for me, even though I had not done anything wrong. I was one of only two people who had booked this through a third-party. My recommendation would be to book with them directly. The price was excellent. The staff was friendly. The sunset did what it was supposed to do and was beautiful. When we turned back to head to shore, we could see it was raining there even though it was not raining out on the ocean where we were - a couple minutes into our return and a rainbow broke out on the shoreline. It lasted almost 15 minutes, one end shining brightly, and as it faded the other end, shining brightly. The group was small (10 guests, 3 crew), so no one was crowded. They played music the whole trip. It was nice.

Chill relaxing experience. You can get a little wet depending on where you sit. The ladies were great navigators as we sailed almost the whole trip. Would recommend.

Had a wonderful experience on this cruise. Captain Mel and her small but mighty crew made us feel safe and sound and kindly took pictures for everyone when the sunset hit its beautiful peak. I wanted an intimate experience and to be able to sit on the net of a catamaran and I got all of that. Bonus was that they didn’t narrate —- they just let us have our own experience, which was appreciated. Would absolutely recommend.

Great sunset cruise! Saw a few whales, lots of waves, and a beautiful Hawaii sunset with my wife! A great time with good whale watching music!

Absolutely recommend the Ho'onanea, Captain Mark and his incredible crew! If your looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki and see the real Hawaii this is experience you want!

The captain and crew made the trip such a fun and enjoyable experience. Great music, the perfect balance of communication and time to absorb the beauty of the evening sunset.

Excellent experience...good whale watching, beautiful sunset and incredible recovery of my husband’s hat when it flew into the water. Thanks for a good time!!!

Perfect experience. Crew outstanding. At one point I think we became weary of shouting out so many whale sightings. PERFECT sunset including green flash. Thank you most emphatically. M & K.

Had a great sunset sail on north shore. Got to see a mother and a calf pop up just infront of the boat. Captain laid back and funny, very welcoming. We did 2 cruises in a few days , as wanted to see the whales again . Recommend this trip.

Sure wish we loved it as much as others claim to. Spent more than a grand to charter the whole boat for our group. Captain Mark didn't seem to care at all to find whales on a "sunset whale watch!" Went VERY slow. Turned around REALLY early. Ignored reports of whales spotted in the distance. And on top of that returned early to the dock having found NO whales. All with no explanation. Borderline fraudulent. I hope your experience is better if you choose these guys. (Deckhand Marcella was great!)

We ended up being the only two people on the cruise that evening, crew gave us privacy while also engaging in conversation when we wanted. The ride was great and on time, she took photos of us and offered refreshments. Overall, great experience and glad we booked with them!

Loved this cruise! It was amazing! Perfect for me and my family. What a beautiful way to enjoy North Shore. Highly recommend!!!

On our last night at the North Shore we at the last minute decided we wanted to try to fit one more activity in. We were lucky enough to get the last two spots for a Sunset Cruise. It was a perfect decision. The entire experience was very laid back and enjoyable. The crew was friendly and fun and we enjoyed a perfect sunset! We asked for a dinner recommendation and had the best meal of our trip following the cruise. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a very calm and relaxing way to spend an evening!

We had the best time and Mark & crew were great! The sun even cooperated and gave us a wonderful show. Definitely recommend this. Thanks Mark!!! T Crawford

We went expecting to do whale watching and did not see any. This is not the fault of the crew but it truly felt more like a sunset cruise than an attempt to really find whales. The crew was very nice, it was a fun cruise, we got beautiful pictures, complimentary soda and water, and it was fun to see the island from the sea. I think it's just important to have the right expectations.

This cruise was a lot of fun, especially owing to the knowledgeable, interesting, and friendly crew and native Captain on the ship, who gave us so much interesting information. The Captain is highly experienced, so you are in very safe hands. Lots of sea turtles in Haleiwa bay! The location is a little hard to find (the entrance is right behind Haleiwa Joe's seafood---worth a stop there for a snack!--- in the middle of the harbor). Also, they offer only water and sodas onboard, but you are welcome to BYOB if you want to bring along alcoholic drinks. If going out for sunset cruises, BRING A WARM JACKET---it gets cold out on the water! If its a sunny and hot day, you will enjoy relaxing on the forward net of the boat, and occasionally getting showered with seaspray! But if you remain on the main part of the boat, you will stay perfectly dry. it is a "barefoot boat" so you will be required to remove your shoes. This cruise is VERY worth the price---highly recommended. We had a fantastic time.

What a wonderful sailing experience. The staff of 3 were very experienced and always safety first! Soft drinks were included and there were various areas to sit and enjoy the ride. The music was fun as well! I would recommend this and will do it again the next time I go to Oahu!

Captain Mark and crew made sure we had a great time on the Sunset Cruise! It's a very relaxing ride with an eclectic music selection that made me want to dance...which is difficult on a catamaran ;) While this was a romantic sail for me and my beau, the kids on board probably had more fun than anyone as they waited on the net for waves to splash them. The net is usually my favorite spot but the water was a little too choppy to sit there on this day. Absolutely worth your time and money. It was a perfect two hours on the water. Thank you North Shore Catamaran Charters!

Excellent. Crew was professional and knowledgeable. Provided entertainment and refreshments. I would highly recommend to anyone young or old!

My daughter and I went on the sunset cruise. Unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate as well as it could have. Water was too choppy to go out as far as usual and right as the sun was setting it went behind a huge cloud. Nine of this was the crews fault and they made it fun. Very sociable. Would love to do this again. I had a very fun and relaxing time with my daughter

I did the sunset whale watching cruise. We saw a few whales from a distance, which was, of course, excellent. However, the day we went, the wind was strong and the surf was high. Many people got sea sick. Few people wanted to move around the catamaran to see the whales because the water was so rough. I wasn't a fan of a few things: they played annoying music the whole time (songs from Moana for example, which the kids loved). If you're traveling with a family, this was super family friendly. However, if you're a solo traveler, this may be a trip to pass on as there were many, many loud children on my cruise. Also of note, we did not sail, they used the motor because the water was rough and they said having the sail up blocks the view of the whales. So, if you are hoping for sailing, this isn't the trip for you. It can get chilly out on the water and most of us were cold, so bring something warm plus a windbreaker if you do go.