Considering booking an Oahu catamaran cruise in Honolulu? I’m sharing all the detail on Tradewinds Catamaran charter in Honolulu, Hawaii!
Dane’s birthday is December 18th and because it’s a week out from Christmas, I make it my goal every single year to make his day special. This can be hard to do when most people are usually busy getting ready to celebrate the holiday season!
In any case, this year, I decided to book a private catamaran charter in Waikiki. 1. Because Dane LOVES being on the water and 2. COVID birthdays mean everything you do is private.
The current limitations on Oahu mean you can have up to 10 people in any given setting, so our dear friends Max and Nate joined us, as well as their kids. Max is a tremendous photographer here in the Islands (Max Snaps Photography), so she graciously offered to take some photos during our sail.
SWOON! She did SUCH an incredible job and these are photos I’ll definitely be framing.
Oahu Catamaran Cruise
If anyone is debating booking a private catamaran charter, I wanted to share our experience in full, so you can make an informed decision. Previously, I had only been on the Mai Tai Catamaran in Honolulu. We love it, so I knew that Dane would really enjoy a private sail.
That said, our sunset sail was pretty choppy, so if you (or someone in your party) gets seasick, this is something to really consider.
Catamaran Waikiki
Like I mentioned before, I booked our charter through Tradewinds Catamaran Charters, based out of Ala Moana Harbor. The staff is incredibly helpful in determining which of their boats will be best for your charter, and even offers up snorkeling/swimming packages.
We booked a sunset sail, which worked out perfectly. We were told we could bring our own food and drinks, so we brought a bottle of champagne, sandwiches from a local sandwich shop (EARL Kakaako if you plan on doing our same itinerary!), and some cupcakes.
They also told me ahead of time I could create a playlist to play through their Bluetooth speakers, which was fun!
Tradewinds Catamaran
The good thing about having a private charter is that your cruise can be customized to what you want to see and do. Our goal was to see a great sunset and sail around the tip of Honolulu – it was gorgeous!
The downside about having a private charter is that you aren’t splitting the cost between 40-50 people like a normal boat, so keep that in mind when factoring in your budget.
Overall, the experience was incredible. We did a two hour sail, the boat was exceptionally clean, the staff (two people) were friendly, funny, and kind, and we had a great evening!
Catamaran Honolulu
Was it worth it? Absolutely! Dane had no idea what we were doing for his birthday. I always try to surprise him as best I can and this year was no exception. COVID made it a little more difficult than other years, but it’s definitely a birthday he won’t forget.
Hawaii Photos: Honolulu Sunrise
Hawaii Photos: The Kahala
Guide to Central Oahu