Dolphin Star (Hoku Nai'a)
Dolphin Star (Hoku Nai'a)
4.5
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About
Meet wild dolphins on a Hawaiian eco-tour for all ages aboard the Dolphin Star's Wild Dolphin Watch! A world away from Waikiki, West O’ahu provides the once-in-a-lifetime experience of seeing playful dolphins and other marine life with the stunning backdrop of the Wai’anae mountain range. Panoramic decks and best dolphin activities, with crew of Certified Naturalists, narration, video presentation, keiki program and Dolphin Guarantee year-round! Plus, bonus opportunity to see whales in season (December – April). All aboard the Dolphin Star (Hoku Nai'a), an eco-friendly catamaran custom built for wild dolphin watching and snorkeling in paradise.
Waianae, Hawaii
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Dolphin Star (Hoku Nai'a)
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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.
4.5
409 reviews
Excellent
342
Very good
43
Average
10
Poor
4
Terrible
10
George V
San Antonio, TX13 contributions
Oct 2021
A search of Dinner Cruises yields many Companies. My wife doesn’t like seafood and she does not like to be around the smell. Dolphin Star hosted a Chicken and Steak dinner. Their price was lower than the other companies, all you can eat seafood and drinks, so I worried about quality. Upon boarding we were given our complimentary drink, with or without alcohol, the meal was the best we had eaten in 2 weeks while on the islands. The ship’s Captain was very personable and the crew attentive. The seating is COVID mandated, the Captain positioned the boat for optimum viewing. I highly recommend the best Dinner Cruise for the price.
Written October 6, 2021
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.
Katherine S
Yakima, WA7 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
My husband, three teenage daughters, and I did the Sunset BBQ cruise for my birthday and we had the best time! They were efficient in boarding. We were greeted with a Mai Tai upon entrance (our girls got juice). High quality dinner with a tenderloin that was actually very tender. We were invited to meet the Captain and our middle daughter got a chance to help the Captain man the ship. He was so friendly and informative! Great crew that cares about providing a memorable experience for all and also gorgeous views of Waikiki at sunset. It we ever get a chance to go back to Oahu, we will definitely be doing this again and would recommend this experience to others.
Written July 22, 2021
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.
Kathleen B
Roseville, CA9 contributions
Aug 2021
We took the sunset cocktail and bbq dinner cruise. Lovely!! We enjoyed the food (menu was just as advertised) and the free mai tai was quite a large amount! Captain and crew were fun. Most of the crew grew up on the island or had been living here for several years. They were a fountain of knowledge on places to go that were not the usual tourist locations. The cruise was specifically designed to get the right pictures at the right time. Beautiful views of Diamond Head, Waikiki skyline and, of course, the sunset. We will definitely make this a repeat activity when on Oahu again!
Written August 6, 2021
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.
vbdarsh
Santa Ana Heights, CA53 contributions
Sep 2021
The staff was what made this sunset cruise excusion worth the $60 my wife and I spent on it (we used our $100 Costco-Aloha VIP credit). We were promised a vegan friendly meal and they did not deliver. However, they offered us fruit and were kind enough to look up the ingredients to see all of the things on our served plates that we could actually not eat.
The sunset was ruined by the weather, but the captain was hilarious and the staff was very attentive. They offered to take pictures and made a lot of small talk to make the experience memorable. Would we pay full price for this excursion? Probably not. Put at the price we paid for it, we enjoyed our time!
The sunset was ruined by the weather, but the captain was hilarious and the staff was very attentive. They offered to take pictures and made a lot of small talk to make the experience memorable. Would we pay full price for this excursion? Probably not. Put at the price we paid for it, we enjoyed our time!
Written September 27, 2021
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.
OahuJoshua
15 contributions
Nov 2019 • Couples
This was by far a fantastic experience for me and my girlfriend. The food was amazing. The service was Five star and most importantly the music from the start to the amazing finish was worth every moment. Thank you so much for the time on the Pacific!!!
Written March 13, 2020
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.
Harvey P
5 contributions
Jul 2021
Dolphin Star is owned by Star of Honolulu. I purchased tickets for the 2021 4th of July cruise several days ago. As I followed the instructions and even arrived 15 min earlier, just in case parking was an issue.
How is it possible that this company sends a confirmation email, with the wrong address for departure? Did not call, did not email.
When I called to find where the ship was, I was told that I was at the wrong location. Obviously I was extremely upset at this statement, which ruined my mood and the evening that was very carefully planned. Instead of apologizing to me, I was told to forward the email I received. I was told I was left a message, but they couldn't confirm that a call was even placed. Then I was told they sent an email, which they again could not confirm.
Somehow, the alleged manager Kaori was unable to offer any sort of compensation, and suggested I write a letter. Seriously a letter. What year are we in 1980s? She did not offer any sort of compensation, and did not say anything about someone calling me to correct this horrendous error. No reimbursement for two hour round trip drive, parking, or even a true apology in my opinion.
Since this company seems to be operating in the dark ages, I'm left to go to the corporate office, to hopefully get someone who will take care of this issue. I will be taking my time to find every review site to leave this review, and reporting this issue to the Better Business Bureau. Feel free to take a look at the screen shot of the address I received below. I will be calling first thing in the morning to confirm they are open before heading to the corporate office. I hope that this will be handled with the phone call but I am fully prepared to arrive 15 min before they open.
How is it possible that this company sends a confirmation email, with the wrong address for departure? Did not call, did not email.
When I called to find where the ship was, I was told that I was at the wrong location. Obviously I was extremely upset at this statement, which ruined my mood and the evening that was very carefully planned. Instead of apologizing to me, I was told to forward the email I received. I was told I was left a message, but they couldn't confirm that a call was even placed. Then I was told they sent an email, which they again could not confirm.
Somehow, the alleged manager Kaori was unable to offer any sort of compensation, and suggested I write a letter. Seriously a letter. What year are we in 1980s? She did not offer any sort of compensation, and did not say anything about someone calling me to correct this horrendous error. No reimbursement for two hour round trip drive, parking, or even a true apology in my opinion.
Since this company seems to be operating in the dark ages, I'm left to go to the corporate office, to hopefully get someone who will take care of this issue. I will be taking my time to find every review site to leave this review, and reporting this issue to the Better Business Bureau. Feel free to take a look at the screen shot of the address I received below. I will be calling first thing in the morning to confirm they are open before heading to the corporate office. I hope that this will be handled with the phone call but I am fully prepared to arrive 15 min before they open.
Written July 5, 2021
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.
Clare S
7 contributions
Dec 2019
We were with an alternate group who respect the marine wildlife. Then the Dolphin star arrived with their 60? people on board, blasting music and totally destroyed the beauty peacefulness of the waianae coast
I would never go with this group. It is not eco friendly at all
I would never go with this group. It is not eco friendly at all
Written July 10, 2020
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.
Nahibi K
1 contribution
Feb 2021 • Couples
My husband and I booked the Whale Watching tour and it was amazing! I was afraid we were going to miss the ship as we were running 5 minutes but they were very kind and waited for us as my husband found parking. All of the staff were very welcoming and knowledgeable. I also felt very safe as masks were reinforced and the ship was operating at a 25% capacity. I would definitely recommend this company to my friends and family and I would go again.
Written February 13, 2021
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.
Hawaii 808
Honolulu, HI481 contributions
Mar 2021 • Friends
Amazing whale watching cruise. We were greeted with Aloha from start to finish. The crew was excellent and extremely knowledgeable. The Dolphin Star boat was a double deck catamaran which made it easy to spread out and even easier for everyone to see whales from anywhere on boat. The crew knew what they were doing and were able to locate whales about 20 minutes after departure. After the whale sighting, we found a pod of Dolphins that were jumping out of the water. The views of the island are also amazing! Will definitely to this tour again.
Written March 16, 2021
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.
Jeanine C
2 contributions
Apr 2021
Everything about this cruise was wonderful! It exceeded our expectations in every way. We were warmly greeted by the staff and captain, served a delicious, bountiful meal, treated to a complimentary Mai Tai, and taken on a two hour cruise along the outer bay of Waikiki. We were even lucky enough to see a whale on our sunset dinner cruise! I highly recommend Dolphin Star!
Written April 7, 2021
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.
我が家はコオリナに滞在しておりハーバーへも自分のレンタカーで行ったため送迎バスの事は詳しくわかりませんが大型バスで胸にステッカーを張った人達がいたので何らかの送迎はあるはずです。ただ国籍も客層もばらばらだったのでホテルのレセプションで紹介する混乗ツアーではないでしょうか。アストンだとホテル前からはないようにも思いますが確認されてみてはいかがでしょうか。送迎+ドルフィンツアーのセットだと思います。イルカがずっと一緒に泳いでくれて可愛かったですよ。
Written October 30, 2018
Where is the secret spot they advertise for the Wild dolphin barbecue and snorkel watch,
Written September 16, 2018
Unfortunately, I do not know as I am not good with maps.
But it was worth the tour
Written December 1, 2018
My husband uses a wheelchair and had help getting on and off the boat but he is able to stand. There is no way a scooter will get on board. Not the cruise for you.
Written November 24, 2017
Hi, is there free parking available near the departure point if we make our own way there?
Written May 11, 2016
Stars_of_Paradise
Honolulu, Hawaii
Yes, there is free parking in the harbor lot. For those arriving via own transportation, please check in 15 minutes prior to departure at the Dolphin Star. After entering the parking lot, drive toward the ocean and park on the right hand side near the restrooms. Look for the Dolphin Star, which will be at the pier by the yellow pole about 20 minutes before your cruise’s departure time.
Written May 17, 2016
When I went, there were little children and toddlers. I don't know how old your kid (s) are so you may want to call them directly if yours is a newborn. Hope that helps.
Written January 31, 2016
Divya S
Sydney, Australia
hi, Just wanted to know whats the best time to go on this Dolphin Watch Cruise trip? Mornings or Afternoon?
Written February 4, 2015
Stars_of_Paradise
Honolulu, Hawaii
Aloha Divya! Both are great for dolphin watching, but the afternoon sail features snorkeling (equipment, instruction and reef tour included). Please call us at 1-800-334-6191 if you have any other questions. Hope to see you soon!
Written February 4, 2015
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