St. Pete: Sandbar Party Cruise & All You Can Drink Pass

4.96

(136 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We stepped onto the big white catamaran just as a couple of pelicans glided by—honestly, I was still half-wondering if I’d remembered sunscreen. The crew joked about “surviving the sandbar” and handed us wristbands for the open bar (I’d recommend it if you’re even thinking about it). We drifted out from St. Pete, past these wild waterfront mansions—some with neon flamingos, others with old fishing boats tied up like they’d never left the 80s. Our guide, Mike, pointed out one house where a dolphin supposedly visits every morning. Not sure if that’s true, but I liked believing it for a minute.

The cruise to John’s Pass sandbar was maybe half an hour? Hard to tell—time feels weird when there’s salt air and rum punch involved. When we anchored near Eleanor Island, music from other boats kind of mixed together in this lazy way—just people laughing, radios competing, someone singing off-key somewhere. The water was shallow enough to stand in (which I didn’t expect), warm and soft underfoot, and we grabbed some floats from the crew and just drifted around with our drinks. There was this moment where a breeze kicked up and all you could hear were little splashes and someone nearby trying to balance their cooler on a floatie—made me laugh out loud.

I talked to a couple locals who come every weekend—they said this is “the real St. Pete,” which made me feel like we’d lucked into something more than just another party boat ride. Lunch was whatever you packed yourself (I had a slightly squashed sandwich), but honestly the open bar made up for any culinary shortcomings. There’s a restroom onboard too—which you’ll appreciate after your third margarita, trust me.