Crystal Seas Adventures, Ltd.
Crystal Seas Adventures, Ltd.
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Personalized Aqua Adventures on Grand Turk & Salt Cay, Turks & Caicos Islands. Snorkel, Whale Watch, Fish, and Explore the waters & cays surrounding Salt Cay with Daniel Oselette & Tim Dunn. Experience the local knowledge, quality equipment, and personalized service Crystal Seas Adventures offers.
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Crystal Seas Adventures, Ltd.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
214 reviews
Excellent
197
Very good
8
Average
1
Poor
3
Terrible
5
kelly l
Powassan, Canada3 contributions
Mar 2023
March 1, 2023 Our family did a 2 snorkel sites and the stingray tour with this company. Before going Gibbs island to visit with stingrays our captain also too us to their site where they dive for conk. They brought up five which they later showed us how they harvest them and make them into a conk salad, which was delicious. Only my family was on the boat which was awesome as it made a personal tour. Other boats showed up to the same sites we went to on larger boats with more than 20-30 people and I know they didn't get the same personal service or the same excellent tour we got. At the time but I didn't realize that I had book this same tour with this company 10 years previously. They were excellent then and still are today. I would recommend you take your family on this excursion. We had come in on the carnival cruise ship and the captain worked around our schedule to ensure we were met and delivered back to the beach in lots of time to board our ship. It was a carefree day. The captain's helper, McKenzie was excellent as well. Kelly from Canada
Written March 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anne1326
Norfolk, VA21 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
I cannot recommend this service highly enough! Everything went as smooth as possible from our first point of contact until we were dropped off on the beach.
Donovan and his team are true professionals. Our captain McKenzie, and first mate Tyshawn really made our experience! We were a family of six ranging an age from 12-72.
McKenzie and Tyshawn were incredibly friendly, so polite, and so professional. I had not planned on snorkeling, but with their guidance and help they had me in the water and I was so excited to see all the beautiful fish!
Watching Tyshawn dive for the conch was fascinating, and then watching McKenzie carefully prepare the delicious salad on the beach was so fun. The conch salad itself was DELICIOUS! Also the sandwiches and rum punch really hit the spot!
They made the trip so much fun for our grandsons, showing them how to open the conch, leading them to all the schools of fish, and playing around with the stingrays.
All 6 of us agreed it was the best activity of our Caribbean cruise.
Do yourself a favor when in Grand Turk and book with Donovan- you will not be disappointed!
Donovan and his team are true professionals. Our captain McKenzie, and first mate Tyshawn really made our experience! We were a family of six ranging an age from 12-72.
McKenzie and Tyshawn were incredibly friendly, so polite, and so professional. I had not planned on snorkeling, but with their guidance and help they had me in the water and I was so excited to see all the beautiful fish!
Watching Tyshawn dive for the conch was fascinating, and then watching McKenzie carefully prepare the delicious salad on the beach was so fun. The conch salad itself was DELICIOUS! Also the sandwiches and rum punch really hit the spot!
They made the trip so much fun for our grandsons, showing them how to open the conch, leading them to all the schools of fish, and playing around with the stingrays.
All 6 of us agreed it was the best activity of our Caribbean cruise.
Do yourself a favor when in Grand Turk and book with Donovan- you will not be disappointed!
Written June 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wendy W
4 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
I HIGHLY recommend this business!! Prior to the tour, the communication and information was excellent.
I chartered a private tour for my family of 8. Donavan and his 2 man crew were incredibly attentive and provided such an amazing experience! From the snorkeling, to the stingray encounter on beautiful Gibb's Cay with a conch demonstration and fresh conch salad we all had a great time! A must-do for our next trip to Grand Turk!
I chartered a private tour for my family of 8. Donavan and his 2 man crew were incredibly attentive and provided such an amazing experience! From the snorkeling, to the stingray encounter on beautiful Gibb's Cay with a conch demonstration and fresh conch salad we all had a great time! A must-do for our next trip to Grand Turk!
Written August 31, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JKH
Ooltewah, TN70 contributions
Mar 2023 • Family
Cannot say enough good things about this company!! They were very responsive to my emails while planning our excursion!! The excursion itself was absolutely amazing! The guides were exceptionally friendly. Highly recommend booking any excursion with this company!!!
Written March 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bkozien
St. Petersburg, FL10 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
I was displeased with my snorkel trip as the instructors/leaders were feeding fish with water bottles full of cheerios. With this method they captured a shark and were holding it underwater for five minutes so we can "pet" it. The boats all around the reefs were speeding through. Nobody cared about all the sunscreen in the waters. With all this the reefs were nothing fabulous to look at ( it was actually sad and if they keep running business this way there will soon no longer be any reef) besides the few fish eating the cheerios! For the price and the lack of respect for the natural habit I was disappointed.
Written August 19, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carol M
14 contributions
Mar 2018 • Friends
Very disappointed, not what was advertised. This excursions description proclaims: " Cruise by catamaran to Gibbs Cay" goes on to state: "2 hr. cruise". I am sorry to state this is is not the case! We were gone for 4 hrs. on a boat which had definitely seen better days. At one point 16 of us were left sitting in a rocking boat for 45 min. while captain and mate dived for conch to be served for lunch. One of our tour group got violently seasick during this session. I personally am alergic to conch. What a waste of time and money! I was fearful of going snorkeling due to the inaccessibility of the boat. The only way to get on was an 8 in wide ladder which was attached to the back transom. We had been told that the ladder extended down, it did not. One of our party had to be literally man handed up the ladder. She was visibility shaken and crying by the time she got back on the boat. We went on to visit with one stingray. This 15 min. was the highlight and only redeeming part of the excursion. We then had to wait on the beach while Capt. and mate prepared lunch that I did not want and could not eat. Really could not have enjoyed myself less. Very best part of this excursion was getting off that boat upon return to Gran Turk.
Written March 27, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SarahRWilliams
Ocala, FL36 contributions
Mar 2016 • Family
Perhaps if I had never visited Stingray City in Grand Cayman I would have been happier with this tour. Perhaps if our guides Cale and Frankie spoke to us, gave us any information about Gibbs Cay, I would have been happier with this tour. Perhaps if there had been ice in the drink cooler, not just a few sad bottled waters and diet cokes floating forlornly in lukewarm water, I would have been happier with this tour. Perhaps if our guides had told us the stingrays would be found two boats to the right of where we all started snorkeling, rather than letting us all go in where there was nothing to see, I would have been happier with this tour. Perhaps if our guides had found stingrays and held them up for us to touch and take pictures (like the guides on the other boat) I would have been happier with this tours. But they did not. And I was not a happy customer. The end.
Written March 26, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian L
New York City, NY21 contributions
Aug 2014 • Couples
I was on the same tour as Katlin and have to agree with everything she said. Our friend Tim was nice but incredibly lazy. We got on a tiny little boat that was rocking against the waves and almost felt like I broke my back. At one point the dry container wasn't sealed tight and the lid flew off and smacked 3 people in the face. Not to his fully but he should have warned us to securely lock the bins or at least do it himself.
As for snorkeling, he just let people take life vests you have to self inflate and let us get in the water without telling us what to see or explain the marine life.
When we got to Gibbs bay to see Stingrays, he stayed on the boat and slept. Other guides on Oasis tours made stingrays come to them and had people touch them for an interactive experience. Tim didn't do any of that. He just docked and let us go off on our own.
For $60 a person through Viator it was a complete waste of money. It was the worst excursion I've ever been on.
If you have the chance, book somewhere else or make sure Tim isn't the one leading you on the tour.
As for snorkeling, he just let people take life vests you have to self inflate and let us get in the water without telling us what to see or explain the marine life.
When we got to Gibbs bay to see Stingrays, he stayed on the boat and slept. Other guides on Oasis tours made stingrays come to them and had people touch them for an interactive experience. Tim didn't do any of that. He just docked and let us go off on our own.
For $60 a person through Viator it was a complete waste of money. It was the worst excursion I've ever been on.
If you have the chance, book somewhere else or make sure Tim isn't the one leading you on the tour.
Written September 1, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are very sorry about your experience. Crystal seas adventures has always been aware that we are not immune to getting a bad review and that eventually this would happen. Please note that this is the very first time we have had a review with a 2 or a 1. We want to take this opportunity to acknowledge your concerns and apologize. Unfortunately that one critical day came to us and you happened to be on our tour. We cannot make any excuses for Tim's unresponsiveness. That day we should have made the judgement to cancel. The seas were still rough from tropical storm Cristobal, we had boat difficulties due to the storm, the boat which you were on did not belong to us, and we had been dealing with these issues fom the wee hours of the morning. By and large we aim to please and this time we fell short. In hindsight the tour should have been cancelled. We thank you for taking the time to inform us of your disappointment. As far as the handling of the String Rays, we do not do this as it actually damages their protective coating called mucilage, which can result in them getting sick. We know and understand the desire to touch these beautiful creatures however we cannot condone harming our environment. We trust you now have a better understanding of that day. Unfortunately we cannot change your experience.
Written September 18, 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Caitlin S
Midlothian, TX27 contributions
I'm not sure if it was an off day for Crystal Seas, but we didn't get anywhere close to the experience everyone else is raving about. Our boat captain, Tim, appeared to be a little lazy. He was friendly enough, but didn't really go out of his way to provide a memorable experience. He gave us our snorkel gear and had us jump in the water and proceeded to just sit in the boat. There was no real instruction or education. When we headed over to Gibbs Cay to see the stringrays, we had the same experience. We only saw a handful of stringrays and a couple fish. Groups next to us had their guides in the water with them enticing the stingrays and fish to come closer to them. This was not the case with Tim. He just laid in the boat like we didn't even exist. I talked to others in our group who were as equally disappointed as we were. At the end of the tour, Tim needed to get our credit card information to pay for the rest of the tour. He then proceeded to write all of another group member's credit card information on a napkin...not very professional or safe in my opinion! My husband and I opted to have them email us a PayPal invoice, which apparently isn't their standard practice. For the money we paid, I would have expected a much better experience! Upon returning to our cruise ship, other guests from other snorkeling groups reported having a wonderful experience and encountering a variety of sea life. Unfortunately, that was not the case for us. Given the opportunity, I wouldn't book with Crystal Seas again.
Written August 30, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are very sorry about your experience. Crystal seas adventures has always been aware that we are not immune to getting a bad review and that eventually this would happen. Please note that this is the very first time we have had a review with a 2 or a 1. We want to take this opportunity to acknowledge your concerns and apologize. Unfortunately that one critical day came to us and you happened to be on our tour. We cannot make any excuses for Tim's unresponsiveness. That day we should have made the judgement to cancel. The seas were still rough from tropical strom Cristobal, we had boat difficulties due to the storm, the boat which you were on did not belong to us, and we had been dealing with these issues from the wee hours of the morning. We always aim to please and this time we fell short. In hindsight the tour should have been cancelled. We thank you for taking the time to inform us of your disappointment. As far as the handling of the String Rays, we do not do this as it actually damages their protective coating called mucilage, which can result in them getting sick. We know and understand the desire to touch these beautiful creatures however we cannot condone harming our environment. We trust you now have a better understanding of that day. Unfortunately we cannot change your experience.
Written September 18, 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
FloridaMookster
Florida25 contributions
Jul 2014 • Couples
My wife and I went with Daniel 2 weeks ago. We were in on the Carnival Breeze. We had a spectacular trip to Gibbs Cay. Here's where Daniel separates himself from the pack of guides at stingray city in Grand Cayman.
Daniel want you to enjoy the stingrays and swim with them,in their natural environment. He's not having you holding them snapping pictures and trying to sell you a photo disc when you get back to the dock. It's not his gig,unlike the bedlam chaos at Stingray city in Grand Cayman.
Daniel loves the ocean,and he will make sure you will have a good time and love it too. Thanks Daniel see you next cruise.
Daniel want you to enjoy the stingrays and swim with them,in their natural environment. He's not having you holding them snapping pictures and trying to sell you a photo disc when you get back to the dock. It's not his gig,unlike the bedlam chaos at Stingray city in Grand Cayman.
Daniel loves the ocean,and he will make sure you will have a good time and love it too. Thanks Daniel see you next cruise.
Written August 8, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi,
Thank you for respecting the fact that we love the environment and do not like to harm the stingrays by having multiple people hold and pet them regularly. This can damage their coating and cause them to get sick. We loved having you on our boat and hope your next trip back is in the near future!
Written September 18, 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Are you guys currently operating tours?
Written September 14, 2017
I am assuming you are asking if the tour company is offering tours?? My suggestion would be to contact Donovan, the owner, and see whats happening down there since the last hurricane.
They are great guys! Most snorkeling adventures go to multiple locations, too!
Written November 8, 2017
Can you do the whale watching tour if you are on a cruise ship in port until 5:00 March 23,2017?
Written March 11, 2017
Do you see whales on every whale watching Excursion? We are coming Feb 13, 2017
Written January 15, 2017
Hello we will be visiting Grand Turk via the Carnival Glory on June 30th, from 11am - 5:30. We would like to book your tour to Gibbs Cay and snorkeling,for 2 hours. We are curious, is it 2 hours from the time we board your vessel till we return, or from the time we get to the site location? Would love to book asap.
Thank you
Sheila
Written June 10, 2016
Hello
Thankyou for contacting us! The time is 2 hours from the time you board till.drop off
The time travelling spent travelling to the location is about 10 to 15 minutes.
Written June 11, 2016
I have contacted several snorkel outfits and I am not getting responses. I am a solo mature woman traveler (coming in Jan 19 on Carnival Dream). I've read complaints about crowds and snorkel trips where there are no fish. But no one will want to book a trip for ONE person. Do you already have some reservations from the ship I can be included on? I am an experienced snorkeler, and of all the things on this island, that is what I want to do...not lounge on a beach...I want to see a real reef and lots of fish in shallow enough water to see them. Don't know if I can do that from a beach as I did on St. John. Guidance? Do you have a tour for one?
Written January 6, 2016
Don F
Grand Turk
Hi,
Unfortunately I do not have a tour you can join at the moment. I wold suggest walking down the beach when you exit your ship past margaritaville and there are many companies who offer snorkel tours and will probably have one that date.
Written January 13, 2016
We will arrive in Grand Turk, Friday, October 23rd. We are there from 9am to 5pm. Do we need to book in advance or can we book once we arrive? Do you have steps on your catamaran that let you walk down into the water and also help you get back onto the catamaran? I have a husband that has never snorkeled. How helpful are your crew in making him feel safe and comfortable? He doesn't swim, but the life jacket will be all the help he should need.
Written September 25, 2015
Hi,
You do have to book in advance as we only take pre bookings. We do have steps on the catamaran. Our crew are all dive masters/ instructors and great at helping first timers learn how to snorkel.
Written September 28, 2015
68kll
Toronto, Canada
Hi,
I noticed that you schedule snorkeling at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays. However, our cruise ship arrives at 2:00 p.m. on WED, JAN 6. Is there any chance that we could book an excursion that afternoon?
We look forward to hearing from you--thanks!
Vern and Kate Loewe
Written August 25, 2015
Hi Yes,
You can book directly though us. We can be contacted via our website. Thank you!
Written August 25, 2015
mmitchell2014
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Ok. I went on and paid the full amount. I noticed it says I need to confirm by calling you locally at least 24 hours prior to the 5th. We will be on the ship so what is the best way to confirm with you?
Written December 31, 2014
mmitchell2014
Chattanooga, Tennessee
We will be in Grand Turk on the Liberty Monday, January 5th from 7 AM - 2 PM. We were wondering if you have space for 2 adults on the stingray and snorkel adventure?
Written December 31, 2014
Don F
Grand Turk
Hi
We do have availability for a Gibbs Cay stingray adventure at 9am. We just need a 50% deposit to confirm your reservation.
Written December 31, 2014
mmitchell2014
Chattanooga, Tennessee
We will be in Grand Turk on the Liberty Monday, January 5th from 7 AM - 2 PM. We were wondering if you have space for 2 adults on the stingray and snorkel adventure?
Written December 31, 2014
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.