Sunset & Moonlight Private Cruise in Waikiki

Our family of 15 booked a private charter with Tradewind Charters - Aloha Kai during our two-week vacation in Honolulu, and so far, this has easily been our FAVORITE adventure of our Hawaii 2026 vacation — worth every single penny! Our group ranged in age from a 1-year-old baby to my aging parents in their 70s, including my mom, who uses a wheelchair. To make things even better, we also come in all different shapes and sizes 😂 Yet somehow, Captain Mikey and Luke made every single one of us feel comfortable, safe, included, and welcomed from beginning to end. They were even able to accommodate my mom’s wheelchair from the ramp onto the catamaran, and she was comfortable staying in it throughout the entire trip. What made this trip so special was that there were SO many different activities that catered to the varied interests, comfort levels, and personalities in our family. Whether someone wanted to fish, snorkel, swim, paddle board, relax onboard, sightsee, or simply enjoy being out on the water, there was genuinely something for everyone. We did catch-and-release fishing, snorkeling, swimming, paddle boarding, and even trolled for bigger fish at the end. Captain Mikey and Luke provided absolutely everything we needed — fishing gear and bait, snorkeling equipment, flotation devices, paddle boards, drinking water, and more. Even our 8-year-old and 2-year-old were able to comfortably relax on a paddle board in the water when they didn’t want to go back onboard but were still too nervous to be fully in the water. Captain Mikey and Luke were incredible. They both had such a calm, welcoming, and easygoing energy that immediately made everyone feel comfortable — from the little ones all the way to the grandparents. Captain Mikey was patient, attentive, accommodating, and genuinely seemed to care that every single person was enjoying themselves. At one point, when someone spotted dolphins for literally a split second, Captain Mikey actually circled the boat back around so everyone else could catch a glimpse too, which was honestly such a cool gesture and says a lot about the kind of captain he is. They constantly checked on everyone while we were swimming and snorkeling, making sure all ages were safe and having fun. And huge shoutout to Luke, who literally had to rescue my dumb self after I got too caught up in the moment while snorkeling and drifted way farther than I had the energy to swim back from. Before I even had time to panic, he was there SO fast, getting me safely back. Even the boys were impressed with how quickly he dove down and retrieved one of the kids’ lost goggles from the ocean floor like it was nothing! The catamaran itself was perfect — clean bathroom, lots of canopied shade that came in handy with both the sunshine and the bit of rain we experienced, comfortable seating everywhere, a nice onboard bar for those who drink (we’re a no-alcohol group, so we didn’t experience it, but it’s there), a Yeti water cooler with plenty of cups available (which was definitely our family’s drink of choice 😄), and the ability to DJ your own trip from your playlist of choice. My sister-in-law thought Captain Mikey and Luke were so accommodating and had done their homework by creating a playlist that seemed perfect for our ethnic background since we’re Samoan — not realizing it was actually my phone connected to their system via Bluetooth 😂 One of the coolest parts of the trip was seeing dolphins, turtles, and so many beautiful species of fish both from the boat and while snorkeling in the water. The craziest part is that the entire 3-hour trip flew by SO fast because everyone was having such an amazing time. It’s honestly rare to find an activity that genuinely works for every age group in a big family like ours, but Tradewinds Charter absolutely nailed it. Now we can go back to the rivers and lakes we frequent in the mainland U.S. completely satisfied after getting to experience Hawaii’s ocean life in the absolute BEST way possible 😄 We would book with them again in a heartbeat. Highly, highly recommend!

Open review image 1Open review image 2Open review image 3Open review image 4