Punta Cana: Private Catamaran Cruise with Snorkeling & Open Bar

4.92

(144 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect the water off Bavaro Beach to look quite like that—so clear it almost felt fake. We climbed onto the catamaran (I nearly tripped on my flip-flop, classic me) and were greeted by José and his crew. They had this easy way about them, joking in Spanish and setting everyone at ease before we even left the dock. The music was already going—reggaeton at first, but they let us pick whatever we wanted later. I still laugh remembering how my friend tried to salsa on deck while we pulled away from shore.

Once we got out past the first little stretch of coast, José handed out snorkel gear and gave us a quick run-down in a mix of English and Spanish—his accent made “mask” sound like “mas,” which confused me for a second. The water was warm and salty; I could hear my own breathing through the tube as I floated above these bright fish darting around bits of coral. A couple of kids on our boat squealed every time they spotted something new. And honestly? It was kind of contagious.

After snorkeling, there was this stop near an “aquarium”—not really an aquarium, more like a spot where dolphins sometimes show up (we saw two from the boat). The sun was hot but not unbearable; someone passed around cold Presidente beers and plantain chips. There’s something about salty fingers and cold beer that just hits different when you’re bobbing on turquoise water. The last stop was this shallow sandbank where everyone just sort of drifted off into their own conversations or floated quietly with drinks in hand. I caught myself staring back at the coastline for longer than I meant to—just soaking it all in, you know?