Tropic Star of Pine Island, Florida, United States

5fromDianne 5:00 PM Mar 29, 2022

BEST DAY OF OUR MONTH SPENT ON PINE ISLAND
We had a picture perfect day in tandem with a great experience on two Florida islands. Thanks to the office staff for taking time to answer all my questions prior to purchasing tickets. We opted to take the Tropic Star to Cabbage Key where we had lunch; then on to Cayo Costa for over 2 hours of beach time (which was just enough for us). Capt. Joe was informative, entertaining and quick witted. He had a perfect mate in Ron. Both reacted in an instant to everyone's needs. If you have the opportunity, take time to have a conversation with either one and learn even more than the wonderful commentary by Capt. Ron along the way. (Tune in and you'll learn a lot.) We saw quite a few dolphins and followed a manatee for over 5 minutes... waiting for it to surface. Expect the stop for lunch on Cabbage Key to be pricey but service was good and the cheeseburgers we had were adequate. (They advise that all are cooked to medium but ours were well done.) Tropic Star has arrangements to allow its passengers to be seated upon arrival so be sure to eat before exploring. We heard other guests being told they had a 45 minute wait. Cayo Costa has restroom facilities at the dock and near the beach loading area but don't expect much more. Plan to bring ALL your needs along (sunscreen!!! beach umbrella? towels? beach chairs? cooler of drinks? bug repellent?) There is NO place for cover on the beach but there IS miles of beautiful white sand covered with shells. MEMORABLE! You can seek shelter where the trolley loads. NOTE: You may need to walk a rather long trek (about 15 minutes) to the beach but you will get a trolley ride back to the dock. If you love to be on the water, this itinerary gives you hours of it! We passed islands, boats and yachts, and sealife. Overlook the fact the the Tropic Star is a bit warn and enjoy every minute of a day with it's crew and all this outfit has to offer! Lastly, remember to bring cash to pay for parking ($10) and Cayo Costa park ($2 per person).... and maybe some extra for a tip - because I feel quite sure you'll feel the crew more than earned one!

4Nhia Yang 5:00 PM Apr 1, 2022

Nice day on the beach
I recommend taking the ride over to Cayo Costa State Park with Tropic Star. It was easy to book with the friendly receptionist. Easy directions to their location was texted to my phone immediately after booking. Be prepared and come with food, drinks, and an umbrella since you'll be on the beach from 9-3:00 p.m. with no shade available besides one little shared pavilion. The boat ride over to the island was enjoyable and smooth' I just wish the boat was more spacious since we were fully packed. The boat was small and wish it was a newer boat or had 2 levels. The captains were very friendly though and helped all the passengers load their folding chairs and coolers onto the boat prior to departure. They gave informative information about the islands on the ride there and back. Our time on the beach was fun; plenty of beach to spread out but we found no shells with the high tide. I probably wouldn't rebook this trip again since the tickets were 45 dollars per person, plus 10 dollars to park on their parking lot. I could have just picked any beach and go for free to get the same experience, but this company was professional and I recommend their services.