Schooner Eco Tour

We had a great time exploring the water near Key West via sailing, snorkeling, and kayaking. Our captain and shipboard staff ensured that we understood safety measures, and guided us toward a great adventure. Even our brief "pause" in the mangroves (because of a storm) provided us an opportunity to learn more about this beautiful area. Truly a "must return" option, if we are in Key West again.

My husband and I enjoyed this tour, and appreciated the emphasis on safety as we explored the area. During our kayak experience, a storm arose, causing us to take a break in the mangroves. Our guide was able to provide more details about that region as we awaited a safe return to the schooner. A great day!

This beautiful schooner can take 22 passengers, but our group of 4 was still able to go. It wasn’t windy enough to use the sails, so we motored out to an area where we snorkeled and kayaked. Lunch was good, and the scenery was lovely. The Captain gave us a little talk about coral reefs which made the experience all the more interesting. We had a fantastic time, and I highly recommend this excursion.

We were only a group of 4 (out of a possible 22 passengers), but the trip went off as scheduled, and we were so happy to have had this experience. Captain Jeff and Eric are both experienced sailors who educated us about the coral reefs and took good care of us. We snorkeled and kayaked with Eric as our guide and saw different types of coral, sea turtles, fish, birds, and Portuguese man-of-wars. This is an excellent value for the price.

My family took this tour when we were in town with Holland America. The schooner was unavailable due to maintenance, but we were contacted promptly and offered a substitute that was identical except that we sailed on a catamaran. There were only eight guests on a boat that could easily accommodate 16, allowing everyone ample space and time to explore the reef and mangrove forest. We saw various fish, jellyfish, birds, and even two nurse sharks. A couple of people saw a sting ray and dolphins. Captain James had the perfect blend of humor and professionalism; first mate Maya made everyone feel at home. The boat dock is an easy walk from Mallory Square. Our ship was docked at the Naval station; we informed the office staff of our "all aboard" time, and our captain made sure that we were back in Key West in time to make our way back to the ship. Overall, this is a well-run tour that allows you to see a lot of the natural beauty that Key West has to offer in one short day.

We did this tour off of Celebrity Equinox on September 8. The schooner is a short, ten minute walk from the dock. Our crew was truly outstanding and attentive. We were treated to a wonderful breakfast while sailing to our first stop. There we boarded kayaks and toured the mangroves observing wildlife with an excellent guide and commentary. Lots of fun. When we returned, there was a generous lunch awaiting and we motored off to our snorkel spot. There were great fish and beautiful scenery there. On return, the crew served generous libations. There were only four of us onboard the schooner for the trip even though could accommodate 16. Even if it were full, it would have been great compared to the large groups through the cruise line. This is a wonderful was to spend the day—HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Thank you for a great day!!