Half-day Private Catamaran Trip With Snorkeling

I booked a private catamaran excursion with Bia Travels for my brother and his fiance and a joint bachelor/bachelorette party of 26 guests. We chose this company specifically because they guaranteed "Music & good vibes, plus a private party atmosphere" during our initial WhatsApp conversation, and the owner reassured in writing that he had a "fleet of boats" and would provide celebration details (decorations, cake, and champagne). He definitely promised a lot, and he was really friendly at first. But regardless, the one-pager he sent us specifically states it includes “DJ & Music dancing - HIGH ENERGY BEATS” Unfortunately, our experience fell completely short of what was advertised: *Blown Sound System: After our trip, I just sent a simple debrief WhatsApp message to the owner mentioning the broken sound system and he acknowledged on the message thread, that the boat’s main subwoofer had blown the day before our trip. Despite claiming to have a fleet of boats, they knowingly assigned our party group a vessel with a broken sound system. The audio was completely flat, muffled, and treble-heavy (zero bass). While every other boat around us was playing great music, our group spent the excursion listening to the sound systems of nearby charters, and asking “why are we all partying to the other boats’ tunes?” We’d turn the volume up, but that just made it annoyingly loud/high pitched for folks in 1st floor deck, but when we turned it down, you couldn’t hear anything from the roof deck. Non-Existent Add-ons & Poor Service: None of the promised party decorations were set up. Furthermore, when we asked the captain to help adjust or fix the sound setup, he pretended not to understand English—even though his English was clearly fluent in subsequent interactions later that afternoon. Part of the trip included a "dolphin viewing" stop that ended up being a depressed, dreary captive dolphin facility. Additionally, we paid an extra $6 per person for food, which turned out to be a single, tiny skewer per person. We came to the Dominican Republic expecting to see pristine ocean views and enjoy a high-energy ocean party, but the depressing atmosphere and lack of working basic amenities made it feel more like a crowded, low-budget tourist trap. We paid a $1,110 cash deposit in good faith. When I reached out to the owner to request a resolution for these clear failures, he dismissed our concerns and stopped responding. Save your money and book with a company that actually delivers on what they promise.

The crew was awesome. The day was beautifulBest day ever thank you

It was a great time and a lot of fun. Stanley was great did a photo shoot with us and had a drone to capture what we couldn't. Would definitely book another trip with him. Catamaran had a slide and a bathroom toms of room. Staff was terrific. 💞

Picked us up at our resort on time 35 people for the one hour drive to Bayahíbe to board our catamaran. Good driver, AC on the bus. Got to Bayahibe and it was definitely a small coastal city with vendors walking the streets. Once on the boat it was free flowing cocktails and beer. The boat was beautiful with plenty of shade, and a restroom (bring toilet paper). We went to the natural pool where pictures were taken and also a drone. Then went to Saona island where we had food. Food was good. We were going to go snorkeling but some of us drank to much so we ended up going back to the natural pool which I was happy about!The 3 man crew were AWESOME! We had a great captain!! I had an amazing day and enjoyed it. Highly recommend.

We had an absolutely amazing day from the minute we walked on the boat until we stepped off. Highly recommend! Stanley was the man!

From bookings till the actual excursions communication was an A+! Even when things on my end did not go as planned Matt was very accommodating. I was celebrating my 60th with friends and family and they even thought of bringing a birthday cake and Champagne for me, something that was not expected. Our Team leader for the actual trip was amazing, friendly, accommodating and very focused on details!! Very happy with my choice to use Bia Travels! Would recommend to everyone!

we had a great time we were celebrating arilys 60th birthday and it couldn’t have been a better week and that day, especially was awesome -the crew was fun and The weather was gorgeous.

From the moment of pick up to drop off the party was set. I didn't know what to expect and amazed at how much fun we had and how the staff were absolutely AMAZING! We were a group of 40 for the private boat and SO worth it! Definitely recommend booking, our pre wedding celebration was one to remember. Thank you for great communication when booking and to all staff! I'd do this again in a heart beat

Excellent time with our group of high school seniors and their parents on Spring Break. We had a great trip - snorkeling, relaxing and enjoying the amazing crystal waters around Punta Cana. Our crew was fantastic start to finish, picked us up right on time and were so friendly and helpful. Highly suggest!

We had an absolutely amazing experience with Bia Travels on our catamaran trip in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic! From start to finish, communication was exceptional—they made everything so easy and stress-free to plan. Once we arrived, the crew took incredible care of us. Everyone was friendly, attentive, and made sure we were having fun the entire time. The whole experience was a blast—beautiful views, great atmosphere, and just an all-around perfect day on the water. On top of that, the price was very reasonable for everything you get. We truly felt taken care of the entire time. Bia Travels is also a full-service travel agency, which makes it even better. After this experience, we’ll be booking all of our future trips through Nathan, the CEO—he and his team are that good! Highly recommend booking with Bia Travels—you won’t regret it!

honestly don’t even know where to start. We booked our family trip with Sabriya and Nare from Bia Travelers, and we were really excited about it. This trip meant a lot to us. But things started going wrong very quickly. What was promised to us during booking was not what we actually received. There were sudden changes, poor arrangements, and when we tried to contact them for help, the response was either delayed or not helpful at all... Instead of enjoying our vacation, we were constantly stressed and trying to fix problems ourselves. It completely ruined the experience for our family. I’m not writing this out of anger, just sharing our honest experience so others can be careful before booking

Great day. First vacation and this was a great add on. Overall great day. Downside was rain on the island but great views.

Thirty of us booked this catamaran for a three hour excursion. The staff was wonderful and attentive. They made the day so much fun. Highly recommend booking them for your next excursion

We rented a private boat for 8 of our friends. We were at 2 different resorts and they scheduled for us to get picked up and brought down to where the boat was. We had an amazing time. The staff were personable and friendly. They took great care of us, with music, premium drinks and great entertainment. We took full advantage of the on board slide, which was a lot of fun. If you’re looking for a fun time, this is definitely the place to go. I highly recommend this company. Nate and his wife went above and beyond to create a very memorable experience for us. We will definitely be using them again on our next adventure.

Absolutely fantastic catamaran trip. They took care of everything. My kids had a wonderful time. Orlando took care of everything on the beach, and then Anna and the team took care of everything on the boat. Was a fantastic trip with all smiles.

Booked as a birthday treat. Staff were very helpful and patient. Helping with the snorkel gear. Enough time to relax and party. They even took us to have a look at some dolphins. Loads of drinks and a birthday cake

We had a private boat for the 3 hour boat tour which included snorkeling and relaxing at the natural pool. Firstly the pre-trip communication was good and all our questions were answered promptly. The boat was top class, the built in slide was great. The crew were the best bit of all, they did everything to make our trip fun - even bringing drinks to us when we were relaxing in the natural pool. The snorkeling was good - the fish were being fed to ensure they were around and the water was quite clear. The last hour was spent relaxing at the natural pool, which was just lush. I recommend.

Wonderful service, excellent attention to detail . We were kept up to date on every excursion we did with them . On time pick up with a/c transportation. Jose was very attentive to our needs. Orlando was a great guide as well !

Orlando was our guide and our family had such a blast! We had a group of 19 for a wedding party and I’m so happy we booked with

Orlando and his staff were AMAZING! They provided not only great fruit and drinks the whole time, but went above and beyond for my bride and I as the groom. We brought 42 of our closest friends and family on the boat with us the day after our wedding and they pulled out all the stops. The staff even surprised us with champagne and a wedding celebration cake to top it all off! Pictures below.

The entire staff on the catamaran was amazing! Orlando was a fantastic host definitely catered to our group and made sure we all had a great time. It was a private tour with the friends and family of the wedding we were there for they even had champagne and cake for us to toast the bride and groom. Would definitely recommend bia travels

We had a pre-wedding Catamaran tour with Orlando and it was amazing!! So much fun with Bride and Groom being treated to Champagne pop and Cake sparklers ,Group shots and dance party ..so much fun Highly recommend!!! Photos are amazing too!! Memories made...

Orlando was an awesome host. I appreciated his hospitality and how well he looked after us. He genuinely cared about us having a good time but still took the time to make sure everyone stayed safe. Definitely an awesome time

We had an amazing time! Had about 40 people on a private catamaran the day before my destination wedding. We even got the boat with a slide on it and that was so amazing! The whole trip was SO much fun!! Orlando did an amazing job and even got us a cake and champagne to celebrate. He even decorated the boat with balloons for us. It was an amazing time and I would 1000000% recommend this to everyone. Great time. Great people 💕

Highly recommend!! This was a fantastic trip. Orlando and his staff took great care of us. The music was fabulous, they had us all dancing. The water slide was fun and the snorkeling was so cool. The staff was super attentive to every need. The drinks were flowing, the snacks were yummy. Book it!

The owner of this company will block you on platforms so you can’t leave a negative review. Most of these reviews are paid for. We went on the speed boat tour. His drivers were drinking while driving our boats, we asked to leave early and were refused, they watched as a local woman threatened us for $40 on Samoa Island. The guide kept all of the tip money and the other drivers were furious we wouldn’t give them more money. My nephew was flung upwards on the boat and hit his head. No medical assistance was offered. I have about 30 minutes of audio from the owner asking us not to leave a bad review yet offered none of our money back on this horrible and dangerous experience. The photos are over edited, this is not the color of the water. We spent a lot of money on this crappy tour. This tour is not meant for overweight guests although he assured me it was. One boat had four cushions and the other boat had none. He told me he fired the tour guide, he did not. Other than “firing” Casanova, he didn’t attempt to make this right. Go with another company!

The trip was great. The workers helped out with every need you could ask for and was always willing to help. Orlando was a great leader and driver and got us there at a great time. Would totally recommend to anyone wanting to snorkel and relax and eat some great food.

it was an awesome experience really good service our driver was awesome did a really nice job would definitely do it again and would recommend to others

Orlando was the best. We had a great time and would definitely do again. The boat was awesome and we felt safe the entire time.

It was Awesome! Had a great time! Loved it along with all 25 of us! Cat was excellent! Will go again! Plenty of cocktail that were excellent!

We went with a group of 45. Orlando was our guide and he was phenomenal. He had a rough morning getting rear ended on the way to the boat, but showed up and was ready to make sure we had an amazing time! Good snack, booze, and great time with friends. Would highly recommend this trip!

The best one day private charter experience to date! Amazing private ocean front family style lunch with our favorite cocktails. Saw caves, Survivor set, star fish and more! Excellent photography by Casanova, drinks, snorkel gear and expert captain. Picked us up on time with perfect communication prior to pick up. We knew what to expect and it exceeded our expectations! Great people!

Orlando got us to our destination on time and made the whole experience worthwhile. The snorkeling was so much fun and the slide into the ocean was great

The boat trip was amazing!! Awesome dancers and great music!! The driver and boat leader was so nice, funny, and knows how to have a great time!!

Amazing experience!! We were there to celebrate our friend’s wedding. We drank a lot, ate snacks, popped bottles of champagne, and ate cake in celebration for the newlyweds! Orlando was an amazing tour guide. We will definitely be back!

From resort to boat back to resort! Everything was amazing and taken care for us! All the sights were amazing!

I planned this trip for my husbands 50th bday. Overall it was a good trip. They decorated for his bday and got a cake which was amazing and the crew on the boat was a lot of fun and very attentive. I booked a private excursion for 23 and it was amazing to have just our group. That said, there were a couple of things I was not happy with. Orlando, the driver of one of the vans talked about politics the whole trip and could not be redirected; they forgot the snorkeling gear which we were all excited for; I requested tequila because two of my guests only drink tequila (I was told no problem but they didn't have it); and although I told them I was paying for the trip and the tip, they mentioned it to the whole group more than once and then asked me for it before we left the island (the whole thing was awkward). Still, we had a lot of fun and would recommend the trip.

We went to many places that were so beautiful. Many stops and we were allowed to take our time. Caves, survivor show, beach and everything was beautiful

We booked the private Punta Cana 🏝️ trip for a group of 12. There is not 1 thing that I would have changed. The captain, hosts, transfer drivers were all wonderful. You will not regret spending this money💲for this level of private service!☀️☀️☀️ We already can’t wait to book again ‼️

Amazing trip! Private beach, lunch, fish feeding, turtle sighting, drinks, shallow water and starfish sighting where you can hold them and the funnest staff! Got to see where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed and Survivor. Definitely recommend for your trip to DR! Orlando and Stanley delivered and then some!

So So disappointing, we booked a private boat ride that was supposed to be on a newly refurbished boat with customized drinks, a number of stops, floating mats, floating bar area, a butler, snorkeling a beautiful private beach and swimming with stingrays, and turtles. Ha, it was marketed as not the cheapest but the best with the best service……completely far from it and let me tell you not inexpensive. We were willing to pay extra because we are a group of 12 over 60, and one of us has ALS. All of this was told to the company two months ahead when we booked! What a joke. Boat not in good shape, not enough life jackets, not enough pads to cover the hard seats. As for the drinks, I sent a list in the week before the trip and was told a team leader would pick everything up. OMG- 1 bottle of run, 1 bottle of vodka and 1 jug of water for 12 adults! We stopped at the side of the road to get it loaded into our van, very creepy! No snorkeling, no bar, no floats we were told afterwards it had been stolen! Humm no swimming with rays or turtles. Quick drive byes of a couple of nice scenic areas, private beach was definitely deserted! No chairs, no bathrooms. Holy crap! Then the most unbelievable part, the captain of the boat gets on a motorcycle at the beach and drives off! Yes folks he left us! And didn’t come back! We were stranded, after about an hour there…we kept telling the guide that was remained that we needed to leave, remember no bathrooms, no chairs, ran out of any drinks…..! He can’t drive the boat! OMG, is the captain leaving even legal! Upon finally a young kid from the island drives the boat back 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦‍♀️, who knows if he had any kind of a license…I contact the owner with my thoughts and he makes up every excuse in the book…stuff was stolen, captain got sick, some areas that were supposed to be visited were closed…..horrible customer service! Remember we’ve paid over $1,600 for this excursion and lost an entire day we can’t get back! My opinion, don’t use this one folks!

this trip was amazing and orlando driver was great we even booked another 3 hours i would totally book this again!

This day was absolutely everything you dream your honeymoon in paradise will be like, AND BEYOND. We booked a day to Soana Island. Our hotel was pushy to use their agency but getting filed into a bus that stops a dozen times before the actual excursion starts wasn’t our vibe so we booked this instead. WELL WORTH THE UPGRADE. Orlando picked us up from our hotel at 8:30am (we watched people from our hotel leave for the same type of excursion hours before us. He gave us a wonderful overview of the Dominican culture on our drive to the boat. It took 40 minutes but felt like 10… When we arrived to our private boat I could see herds of people on each side of our dock getting piled into boats shoulder to shoulder. But not us! We met our guide, Casanova, while Orlando iced down our full bar onto the boat and gave final directions to his staff. We stopped 8 times…to see beautiful things, cool off, etc. It was magical. I felt so sad for those that took alternative excursions through other companies that only stopped once or not at all. So many personal touches were made to make this really feel like a honeymoon…. —surprise beach lunch in a decorated cabana —full bar for whatever we wanted to drink all day —snorkeling in a gorgeous honey hole fish cove —champagne toast on the island —REAL mamajuana to end the day Honestly this review doesn’t even do it justice. From 8:30am to 7:00pm we were doted on and cared for. It was worth every penny. Book this!!!

There are two ways to vacation....like everyone else and then like this. From start to finish we were treated like celebrities while loads of others were piled into boats like sardines. We stopped at 8 different places and got out to enjoy at our pace. We were stunned with the most romantic lunch in a private cabana with the most delicious food. It felt remote and authentic every second of our time together. Full bar, cold drinks, fun music, full hearts. You get what you pay for. Call Orlando immediately. Book this, it's worth every penny.

This company highly exceeded my expectations! We didn’t want to tour with others so we chose the private Saona Island 🏝️ trip for the 6 of us (aged 77, 73, 48, 42, 12 & 7). We were picked up at our hotel and whisked away for a day of Caribbean adventures. We stopped at the natural pool to hold starfish, saw some sea turtles 🐢 poke their heads up, had a private lunch (which was fabulous), relaxed on the beach and saw some beautiful fish 🐠 snorkeling. Orlando, Stanley, Casanova, the transfer and boat drivers were all AMAZING! 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I highly recommend this company if you are looking for a private tour and I promise you will not be disappointed 💯

We had 18 people in our trip. Age range was 3-75. Orlando was our tour guide. The whole crew made our trip so special and went out of their way to make sure everything was easy. Would definitely recommend this company.

Beautiful day spent with Orlando and friends!! 18 people on our private excursion- ages 3-75. Very accommodating to all of our needs, beautiful ocean views, swimming with starfish and seeing the beautiful scenery.

Great private little tour. The excursion picked us up by our hotel with welcoming service. Host was very active and cheerful making the experience a fun time along with the other staff. Water, soda, and alcohol were provided on the boat along with music. Great experience with seeing sea turtles, caves in which Pirates of a Caribbean was filmed along with the show survivor. Canals of sea turtles and stingrays, starfish and snorkeling. Such a fun, full day experience with a buffet at the destination island. This is an experience recommended as a party boat you don’t get as close to the island. 10/10 recommend.

We did a Private Full day speedboat tour with a group of 8 to Saona Island. Communication was great via messenger when booking, explained everything that was included in our tour. Please see in parenthesis what we were promised : (Just to let you know We are an American speaking team that can speak 7 different languages and are a very trust worthy company. We are certified and registered in the USA! We will make sure your guys trip is the best one you will ever take! Also we will cater to all of your groups needs and wants! Our saying is “we do not sell the price we sell the service”! We do not have the cheapest price on the island because of the amount of effort we do put into making your vacation Amazing! ) ((Okay perfect! So for a group of 8 doing our private Saona island trip, it would be $140 per person! This is completely private, and all inclusive from start to finish! 😁 Here is our speedboat trip explanation: Embark on a one-of-a-kind adventure to the stunning Saona Island with our private speedboat tour! Our comprehensive package offers everything you need for a memorable excursion, including private land (most of the busses have Wi-Fi and tablets available) and water transfers (we have just acquired new speed boats that are getting redone!), a customizable selection of beverages, champagne to add extra sparkle to your experience, natural pool where you can relax on our three in one floatable beds and our floating bars to hold your ice cold beverages, a private beach area with a delicious buffet and comfortable seating, and snorkeling gear. As you cruise along the stunning waters of the island on our speedboat, you'll get to visit some of the most beautiful and unique locations, including driving by turtle beach, the Reservoir, Powder Beach, Pink Lake, Starfish Bay, Clearwater Beach, and even sail by the setup of the popular TV show Survivor! Our knowledgeable tour guide will provide insights into the fascinating aquatic wildlife and you'll have the opportunity to get up close with the starfish, sea turtles, stingrays, & even manatees. At the end of the tour, we'll stop at an all-natural pool where you can relax with a drink and enjoy the sounds of music. You'll have an incredibly educational and enjoyable day with our team and who knows, you may even win some money from our pop quiz at the end! Don't miss out on this unforgettable experience, book your Saona Island speedboat tour today! Pick up at your resort would be around 9 AM, and drop off would be around 6 PM. We were so excited to go on this excursion. )) Day of Excursion, we were picked up in private van with a driver that could not speak English and it must have been his first day on the job, who then took us to a liquor store to get provisions, we thought ok great as we were promised drinks we would like, well that was not the case. We got what they picked out which was water, rum, coke, and presidente beer oh and maybe a juice of some sort which was already purchased when our driver got there to which we met another van with a group of people in it. We then met Orlando our "guide" who told us the two vans were going to take us to our own boats, on the way we stopped for gas (4 gals). We get to the boats and they are not new, not refurbished and definitely not luxury or what was expected. Our group was in one boat and the other group was in the other boat, Orlando then explained that Stanley and Casanova would be taking us on our trip, his guides and professional photographer in which we could purchase our photos for extra.... Then we had the Capitan of our boat and a kid they called Weesle... neither could speak English. The tour was not what was expected especially being private. They did take us to some BEAUTIFUL locations though. First stop was a swimming area with the starfish. This was amazing, Weesle kept our drinks full. The starfish were amazing. This is where Casanova took some photos of our group and then went on to the other group. So not really a private tour. There was also no three in one floatable beds and floating bars to hold our ice-cold beverages... We then went to lunch and on the way, we passed the set of Survivor Saona Island (not stopping, just looking), once we arrived at lunch was more of a family style lunch vs a Buffet, and location was in a gazebo. It was nice and the food was good. Then onto snorkeling, which was right there as well, our group opted not to partake as it was not what we expected and there was no way were putting the snorkels provided on our faces, take it for what it is worth. Snorkeling was at the lunch location on a pier that must have been swept away with a storm. The guided threw in a few pieces of bread and we got to see some striped fish which looks like perch... so we passed. Then we went to the mangrove where they pointed out the color change of the Atlantic vs Carribbean and we got to see a sea turtle or two then onto another Beautiful beach where again we swam, there were a coconut and pineapple drink "vendor" there, was neat but definitely go with the pineapple if you do. After a while they then took us back to the Pink Lake, and it was definitely not what we thought it was, lol. That may be our bad.... it is a bacterial lake where nothing lives. After that a few more minutes at the beach in which Casanova wanted to talk to us about our photos and the fee. He told us $50 and we repeated it 3 times and he said yes yes yes, so I purchased our photos for $50 and he airdroped them to me. After a bit he approached another woman in our group and told her it was $150. I then asked Stanley if all was good and we were all square with everything and he said yes. A few minutes later after Stanley left Casanova approached me again and said he was mistaken and it was $150. I then gave him another $50 and told him we were good as it was $50 for each family he took photos of, so $100 total and then gave me a thumbs up. We then headed back to Bahiabe where we ran out of gas before getting into anchor. Once in we got out and got back into the van and headed back to our resort. All glad to be back and all said it was beautiful but would not choose this company again sadly as we had such high expectations from the beginning.