Full-day Cruise To Saona Island - Natural Pool And Lunch

It was a terrible excursion to Saona Island! I booked the earliest time, 7:00 a.m., to get to the island before the big flow of tourists. The day before, I received a message that the tour would start at 7:30, but we didn’t get to the island until 4 hours later. We were picking up other people from different hotels along the way, which was okay, but then we drove in the opposite direction to pick up another large group. There weren’t even enough seats on the bus for everyone! I booked the tour in English, but it was in Spanish. A guide met us and gave us yellow wristbands, saying we had to follow him all day. When we arrived at the place where we were supposed to transfer to the speedboat, we were handed over to other people and given wristbands of a different color. We were supposed to go see starfish, which I never saw. From 7:30 a.m. until 7:45 p.m., we only got 20 minutes in the natural pool where the starfish were supposed to be, and just 2 hours on Saona Island itself, where it was already very crowded. Out of those 2 hours, we spent 20 minutes standing in line for lunch. In the end, you get almost nothing. There wasn’t even enough time to walk along the beach. On the way back, we were again handed over to another driver. Instead of going straight to the hotel, we stopped somewhere and were transferred to yet another bus with different people. We were the last to get off the bus. Our journey home took 4 and a half hours. The island itself is very beautiful, but the people who organized this trip do not know what good service is. On the catamaran on the way back, there was a “disco” where they offered to sell you a hat for $5. If you refuse, they tell you it’s a tip for the workers. But it should be my choice whether I want to leave a tip or not.

Great time very well spent good vibes a load of fun. I went solo and still enjoyed it as if I had someone with me

Saona Island is absolutely beautiful! It’s one of those places that really lives up to the attraction and stays with you long after you leave. The water is unbelievably clear and the beach is quiet and relaxing.

All I have to say is beautiful clear blue sea water. Good experience for couples,friends, families or even solo. They also take to a natural pool No Regrets.

If you're looking for heaven on earth, let me tell you: it exists, and it's called Isla Saona. My excursion to this corner of the Dominican Republic wasn't just a trip; it was an experience forever etched in my memory. The magic began at dawn. The journey by catamaran (with bachata music in the background!) offered views of turquoise water I thought only existed in postcards. The sea breeze and the group's excitement created a vibrant, joyful atmosphere, perfectly capturing the Dominican spirit. The moment I stepped onto the island's fine, white sand, I felt like I'd walked into a dream. Palm trees swayed over hammocks inviting you to relax, and the sea… the sea was a natural swimming pool of warm, crystal-clear water! Being able to walk meters into the ocean and still see my feet on the sandy bottom was surreal. The excursion included a delicious buffet lunch with authentic Creole flavors, which we enjoyed at a table right by the water. The moment with the grilled lobster, freshly caught, was an absolute treat for the palate. But without a doubt, one of the highlights was the stop at the Natural Pool. Standing chest-deep in that water, surrounded by hundreds of starfish, was a unique connection with nature. A spectacle of biodiversity that makes you feel like a privileged witness. The staff was exceptional: attentive, fun, and always smiling, making us feel right at home. The organization was impeccable, allowing us to relax and enjoy without a single worry.

This tour was extremely disappointing due to serious safety concerns and poor organization. While we were on the beach, a masseuse approached us without consent, forcibly pushed us into chairs, and attempted to give a massage. Despite repeatedly saying no, she aggressively demanded payment, refused to leave us alone, and caused a public scene until we were coerced into giving her $50 USD. Even after this, people continued approaching us multiple times on the beach despite us clearly saying no. We immediately reported the incident to our tour guide and asked for help and de-escalation. Unfortunately, the guide did nothing, did not intervene, and offered no support, leaving us feeling unsafe for the remainder of the tour. The tour itself was also poorly organized. Multiple people had to be moved from one bus to another, causing confusion and delays. Additionally, the tour was conducted mainly in Spanish and was poorly translated into English, making it difficult to follow and fully enjoy the experience. Guest safety, clear communication, and organization should be basic responsibilities of any tour operator. Unfortunately, this tour failed on all of those fronts and did not meet reasonable expectations. Pictured below is the lady who assaulted us.

Saona island and the natural swimming pool were so beautiful! On the island, you get to eat from a buffet, swim in the water, buy a pina colada, or get a massage. The transportation took a little long to figure out at the beginning but the island was worth the wait. The catamaran on the way back was also a blast.

Great hospitality was amazing. Would definitely do again. They made us very comfortable and provided everything outlined in description.

The actual island is very beautiful but getting there is a lot . I was picked up at my hotel first and then we arrived at the second resort to pick up a group of about 30. My husband and I were told to get out of the van . The driver told us to wait for another ride . At this point it’s 8 of us left who can’t fit . A taxi pulls up and they cram us in like sardines. We then head to another spot to get on a bigger van finally everyone has a seat . Once we got on the speedboat we were sardines once again. After you leave the island we got back on the speedboat for about 10 minutes to take us to the catamaran. They pulled us to the side of the boat like pirates and we had to jump . The catamaran was already occupied by so many people there was barely any where to sit .

Highly recommend this as a beach day! We had Nicholas as our guide and he was hilarious! The boat ride to Isla Saona was fun! Once we got to the island we skipped the food line to get massages on the beach and to play fútbol with the locals- don’t do that! Make sure you get food first because when we came back there was none left! Nicholas was kind enough to find us some fresh pineapple to hold us over! The drinks were strong and complimentary. Everyone was dancing, even the staff! Such a great experience! Saona island is a dream, such a scenic island to explore and swim!

There were alot of moving parts to this experience which included the vehicle to transfer you to the location not being big enough, no proper communication regarding the transfer to location, it seems liked everything was rushed and the workers were sexually inappropriate with me and my friend. I would not recommend this company they have alot of work to do to make this experience more enjoyable.

We had an amazing time at Saona island. Special thanks to Yenni our coordinator. She is always AMAZING. Yenni is alway making sure that everything run smooth. This is our 3rd years booking with her. Our photographers were great also. Will definitely keep coming back and recommend.

All good the Beach, the people, the food and everyrhing. Next time we go back to the island. My dream its to live in saona bause All is incredible. We Hope to conserve this paradise forever.

The island was beautiful. The catamaran boat ride back was nice. The trip was very unorganized! It took a long time to get on the speed boat once we got there. I didn’t have back problems but I may now from the wrecked driving. Got to the island and be prepared for A LOT of people pushing products. I was at the end of the line for food, and there was barely anything left. Got back onto the bus and sat on it for over an hour before we left to go back to the hotels. I am still on the bus 10 hours later… It was supposed to be a nine hour tour at most! It’s supposedly started at seven I got picked up at 8:30. If people did get picked up at seven it’s almost a 12 hour tour for them right now.

Fun experience with all and individual attention when needed on the cruise. The team was entertaining and educational.

Amazing experience!! All the trip was fun and the views was beautiful! The catamaran and the natural pool was wonderful!

Saona Island, an island to have a good time, rest, my family and I had the most fun, we did several tours with this company and we really recommend it. Mr. Santos is very fun and attentive to every detail. It is a full day trip so be prepared

Bus trip, too long from the Westin Hotel. Area at the boat was congested. The bathroom attendant was selling toilet paper wipes, the stalls don’t provide any! The catamaran trip was too loud with music blaring. The only drink provided was coke and rum. Saona is beautiful nut crowded with tourists, The lunch was not good.

I was extremely disappointed in this excursion. The "snorkeling" consisted of no more than 5 minutes off the side of the boat no where near a reef. Some staff were extremely rude. My snorkel gear that I never used fell from the bag as I was leaving the boat and I got nothing but"vamonos, vamonos and no help. This I found very surprising because of the gracious, attentive treatment I got everywhere else in the DR. They say this excursion is suited for up to 90 years old, absolutely not. You are expected to exit and board a boat in ocean waves. They were more interested in doing pictures for money than helping people who don't have their "sea legs" on a rocking catamaran.

We had a blast! The crew was great. The staff was well organized and I felt safe the entire time. The island was beautiful. I would do it again in a heartbeat! (With extra sunscreen!)

The water and beach. Watching all of it as we sailed The pictures with family were really fun The snorkeling was not snorkeling, that was disappointing. The food was satisfactory.

Manuel the tourgide was amazing, the trip worth it 100%! We started the day at 7:30 am and finished at 6 pm.

Quite unorganized trip, “bus” is actually a van that definitely makes adults feel crammed, two of us (party of 4) had stomach issue after having their provided lunch, on-boat snacks are free only for DR residents, other ppl need to pay. Dancing with the bartenders on the catamaran comes with a price tag afterwards as well. NO stop at the Starfish sandbar, not enough goggles for snorkeling so each person gets probably 30 seconds in the water. Their partner photographers ask for a ridiculous amount ( $210!) for the pictures they take of you with no printed price list or agreement, so that they can end up scamming you with even more extra ($30 more in our case) if you pay US dollars with a credit card. Gratitude is “optional” but collected by someone with a bag at every step. Good luck.

Generally it was good but I can not give it 5 or event 4 because of: 1.it says it comes with snorkelling, but our tour guide told me it is deep and it is good for people who can swim. It was on my package, but with his explanation, I had to forget about it. 2. It started around 1 hour late due to gathering all the people. 3. The tip is not mandatory, but they treat you so that you have to pay it. On the return, they stopped the boat and asked for a tip, and it took about 20 minutes. I don't have a problem with paying a tip, but it was very unusual. They should change the title to "Transportation to..." instead of tour. Apart from all these things, the island is stunning.

It was a fun and organized trip. Manuel, our tour guide, was friendly and informative. I would recommend taking this tour.

the island is really pretty and the beaches and sea pristine. it is a long day so prepare for that but well worth the journey as the coast here is untouched and protected.

It is truly a magical spot, you will enjoy the scenery,and the wxpariemce on the see and the catamaran; however, the beach and the island is not going to be too much different than your resort and with less amenities. I suggest to do this if you are here for > 1 week. The buffet is only 2 - 3 variations. If you are here for relaxation, don't go.

It was an okay experience. We were a group of 4 friends and we made the most of it. The travel time is more than you get to experience. It took 2 hours to collect from other hotels in Punta Cana and get to the place to take the boat, even though it was a 50 minute drive on Google Maps. It says there’s an open bar but they only serve you rum and coke. The photographers hound you to pose for pictures all day without prices and then complain if you don’t want to pay for the pictures at the end of the day ($180 for your set from the day). The speed boat back was a pretty violent ride, prepare to get soaked. Being on the island itself is quite nice and there are loads of photo opportunities, the food there was good also but just more rum and coke. They also offered the local liquor mamajana but it was the worst we’ve tasted all trip. I think for the length of this experience (12 hours door to door) it’s worth paying more with your travel agent for a more premium experience. Only take what you can carry as you change boats about 4 times.

Just want to thank you guys for the amazing experience, my Girl and I went for her birthday and decided to take the tour with them. I had ulcers attack while I was at the Saona Island me and my girl thought it was going go away soon just as before. Long story short they immediately called an ambulance to take me to a nearest clinic and they even drove us to a hospital and Jenifer and her staff waited until my situation was stable. Solo quiero agradecerles por la increíble experiencia, mi novia y yo fuimos por su cumpleaños y decidimos hacer el tour a la isla saona con ellos. Tuve un ataque de úlceras mientras estaba en la isla, mi novia y yo pensamos que se me iba a pasar pronto como antes. Para resumir, incluso me llevaron al hospital solo porque no conocíamos a nadie solo para saber que yo estuve bien. Lugo Jenifer y su equipo fueron para corroborar que estuviéramos bien en el hospital. Thank you guys.

Manuel was amazing as a guide. The island was beautiful and the whole trip was well organized. A great experience from beginjing to end.

The tour was great, I loved the dancers and our group leader Manuel was really helpful and took good care of us. Unlimited coke and rum on the boat with swimming sessions in between. Transportation was great from the beginning to the end. One of them went out of their way to come get us 20 minutes farther than we were supposed to be. I would come back here hands down one of the best experiences!

They took us with a car then we didn’t know how to get back. Had to find a different way back and theres people at the docks bothering for money all the time then on the boat asking for tips, the boat ride back was super unsafe and super scary, the island is only 1 hours, DONT EXPECT THIS TO BE THE BEST TRIP, try another charter because this one won’t leave you satisfied.. also snorkeling is not what it seems like, you have over 35 people waiting in a small boat for u and it’s like 5 minutes

Absolutely beautiful it really is a Caribbean paradise we'll worth the money food was good also the drinks are unlimited 👌

Really nice tour. Highly recommend, super nice staff. Just wish we could have stayed just a bit longer on the island as it’s gorgeous.

Manuel was an excellent tour guide and made all the tour feel welcome, with lots of opportunities to swim, he made the tour engaging and was always made sure everyone had drinks in hand! Only thing is make sure you say no to any offers of personalised photos as the photographers charge extortionate prices (several hundred dollars which will only be announced after the shoot is completed) and can be quite aggressive if prices are questioned.

The speedboat trip out and catamaran back were superb! Staff were amazing and great fun. Food and drink fantastic. Tour guide fantastic. We didn’t see many fish though. Island was beautiful. Bus transport from hotel and back was v disappointing, not well planned resulting in trip taking 11 hours!

overall, great experience. timely pick up, good food and ample time to explore the island. make sure u take photos from photographer. very good communication throughout the trip with the tour via whatsapp. Nicholas the tour guy is awesome.

I thought the island was beautiful and the food that was provided was great. However the transport was awful. We were picked up at the time stated then put on an another bus at another resort then came back to the hotel next to our hotel. We kept going back and forth for about an hour before setting off and making more stops along the way, in total it took 2 hours to get there and the same on the return journey, this should have only taken 1 hour. In total it was just under a 12 hour day not a 9 hour day. In the description of this trip it states we will get 3 hours on the island. We only had 2 hours. It also says we get to snorkel. There were only a few snorkel masks for around 40 people so most didn’t get the opportunity to experience this and those who did it wasn’t for very long and hardly any fish in the area we were taken too. Our bus driver only spoke Spanish so didn’t make any effort with us to tell us how long the journey would be and what hotels are going to be first but was happy to to chat and laugh with the other people on the trip who did speak Spanish. I am appalled with this. On the return catamaran we were harassed by the girls working on the boat to buy bandanas which we didn’t want and wouldn’t leave us alone which was very uncomfortable when trapped on a boat! I wouldn’t book this trip again.

The part where we went inside the water. Also when we reach the island. Beautiful time will do it again

Amazing tour love the island. And the party boat. Driver was very friendly. Would highly recommend.❤️🇩🇴 This was paradise

It seem like safety is no concern at all. On the way back from the island, we asked for life vests and were refused putting all in the boat at risk. I will send this complaint to Expedia and to the minister of turismo.

Everything was great service! From the driver picking us up, the boat trip to the island and everything in between. Right up to the very end when the driver was waiting and taking us back to our hotel. Thank you again and GOD bless all of you

The tour and tour operators were exceptional (although i saw zero snorkelling, which was my reason for booking this particuliar tour over the other options) however i feel compelled to say something extremely clearly that has bern overlooked in all if the literature available about this trip: you have to wear flat shoes or no shoes. I spent hours researching trip preparation, and in one of these reviews the person said to wear water shoes. The only water shoes that i own are platforms, and it was so impossible to walk on that boat that i fell in them. This leads to my next point. I am asymptomatic for multiple sclerosis mobility issues x 30. Years of active disease, but even with an asymptomatic disease profile you cant take this trip because there is nothing to hold onto anywhere whether you have MS or not. The back injury that i sustained on the 2nd day of my trip ruined the rest of ny trip. That boat is dangerous at the best of times. Be careful. Thanks Everything else about it was ok

We had a great day on this excursion! The catamaran crew was so fun and Diego took some amazing photos of our family! He also went out of his way to make our experience extra special with a stop to see some starfish. I would highly recommend this excursion!!

The trip to Saona Island was amazing, my family enjoyed the trip so much. People make you feel like you are part of their family. On the way to Saona Island we party on the boat, it was an amazing experience. If you come to Punta cana in Dominican Republic 🇩🇴 I recommend you to visit Saona Island it’s a most, trust me you are going to love it. The Crew that was in our boat 🚤 was amazing, also there is a Gentleman that takes photos of you and your entire family all the time, photos are so professionally taken. They Take you to an amazing natural pool and then to the amazing beach in Saona Island. Family and friends you won’t regret it, every second that you spend on Saona Island is worth it. Visit Saona Island in the beautiful Dominican Republic 🇩🇴. YOU GOING TO LOVE IT, I GUARANTEE IT !!!!!!!!

Really nice and beautiful beach, but to less time there. Even if already to much tourism there, the island and the beach was able to give a nice and beautiful caribean feeling

This excursion was by far the best excursion I booked for my week stay here. They offered transportation from my hotel(free) and picked us up early. It was a pretty good distance of a drive to get to the catamaran. On the catamaran they offered open bar but no free food. Make sure you eat breakfast before or you will be hungry since it did take 2 hours to get to the island. Boat ride was fun, they played good music. Once arriving to the island you get a buffet and open bar. You swim on the island for 2 hours then leave to snorkel for maybe 15 minutes. Overall it was awesome! I highly recommend you buy the pics they take, they edit them really great and teach you how to pose! I attached a pic for reference.

The bus to the loading dock was fine. The party boat was fun! Two stops. The first is at a beach to view star fish and enjoy the chest high clear water! The second is at a different beach which the main part of the excursion. That beach was nice! The speed boat was fun! Snorkeling was fun! Make sure to bring your own snorkeling set just in case.

Trip was nice, beautiful scenery and El Hindu from our boat/catamaran was very nice and funny. Only thing was getting to the speed boat took forever and it shorten our experience significantly