Nauti-Cat Cruises Review

I enjoy the nauticat very much and have never heard of a "Captain Jack" as the above comment mentioned. Always a friendly crew! This is a "must do" event in downtown traverse city.

My gf and I had a lovely date night experience from beginning to end on this cruise! I had passes and wasn t sure how to reserve tickets online so the employee on the phone was great and handled that for me. Check/load in was quick and easy, I recommend getting there early to get the front of the line to pick your desired seat! There are hammocks you can lay in up front or benches all around the boat. The captain and bartender were fun and friendly. The catnip signature cocktail was yummy if you like pineapple! Views were great and relaxing. I was impressed with how smooth the ride was. Reggae music grooving the whole time. On our way in, there was a girl who was swimming at the dock but couldn t get back up and we saw one of the Nauti Cat employees help her up! Would definitely recommend this covid-friendly experience. Book early if you want the sunset cruise!

Always a great time, fun people, and good tunes. The drinks are delicious, too!

The crew was professional. They engaged the children. It was an outstanding experience.

The boat ride was surprisingly relaxing to me and it was exactly what we needed after a day of wine touring the day before. We went for the noon ride and it worked out perfect because it was long enough to relax and get your moneys worth but no too long to where it cuts into the rest of the day. So we were able to enjoy the rest of the afternoon on the beach and then still have our evening. The staff was friendly and helpful. They do have Covid restrictions that you have to follow which the website covers, the staff when booking, in the email confirmation and the staff communicates again before boarding the boat.
What they didn't do a great job on is explaining what to bring on the boat. Most would say it's common sense but if you're not used to going on a boat a "what to bring" page on the website would be helpful. For example, a towel or blanket to fold and sit on. There's no cushions so if you're sensitive to sitting on hard surfaces for long periods if time, you'll want to bring that. Dress for warm and cool weather. It was supposed to be hot while on the boat but we got hit with clouds and that tied with wind made it chilly. Didn't predict that. Duh! But that's where I think a helpful list could be handy. You can bring your own snacks, which is cool, and they do communicate that point. Also, if you want to sit in the cool hammock style nets, get there and be first in line because there's only two and they would fit a decent amount of ppl pre Covid. Other than that it was a cool experience. Not sure if I would go out of my way to do it again but if I was with a group that wanted to go, I wouldn't be opposed to it. Its not a bad price for 2 hours of water cruising.

Love love love this experience.
One of the best things to do in Traverse City

Went on the Noon Cruise: pretty great weather, only rained for about 10 minutes. More of a party boat with music & a bar. Their signature drink is delicious! Masks were required if moving around the boat.

Great guys. Funny as hell and beautiful view of the sunset. I like em

Had a cruise with them today and it was fantastic. Very nice crew and beautiful waters to sail in. Thanks for the experience!

My wife and I had a great time, and everyone else on the sunset cruise seemed like they had a fun time as well.

Booked the kids cruise, weather was perfect, kids were excited talking about this for days, cruise was cancelled because not enough kids booked. They offered us an adult party cruise later in the day for the same price.... Kids are devastated.

Was expecting more of a tour and less of a boose cruse.

Had a great evening aboard the Nauti-Cat. Friendly staff, good company and perfect weather! Would highly recommend to locals as well as visitors to the area.

Been on many cruises and it is so much fun.....we even chartered it for a cruise after our wedding and it was so much fun and the people are so great!

Absolutely the best time I have had in a while. Beautiful. Captain and helper were very friendly and it was a great sunset. I would recommend it to all.

The Nauti-cat is so much fun , the crew , the ship , all is top notch . It is a super place to bring your family and friends , I try and take quite a few cruises per summer . I absolutely love it.

I went on the Happy Hour Cruise last Friday and had a great time! The cruise is fun, staff is very friendly and upbeat, they have a full bar and the drinks are very reasonably priced, and they have a shot ski! I highly recommend going on one of their cruises! They also have a great cancellation policy, one of the people in my group couldn t make it and I was able to get a full refund on his ticket by giving them 24 hour notice.

Staff is really nice. The views are great and drinks aren't bad. It's a great way to get out on the water and do none if the work for a couple hours. Be prepared for the winds with a ligh jacket. I wouldn't wear a hat but definitely some sunscreen and sun glasses. I went on the noon cruise and the champagne evening cruise.

It was a nice little cruise around part of the bay. I would not recommend it for elderly people. The elderly people on the cruise were complaining about the music being too loud and people partying and drinking, not to excess, everyone was nice and orderly. Nice for less than 40 crowd.

Great sail but not the best staff. It was basically a floating bar and not a tour. Not the most family friendly.

Had my first outing last night with these guys - what a great trip! My girlfriend and I really enjoyed it. Capt. Shane was fun to chat with. The scenery was superb and the whole experience totally relaxing. Highly recommended!

This is a must on your summer bucket list! "Mitch" was fantastic and the Cat Nip is out of this world!

Boat was clean and neat. Staff friendly, drinks affordable. Sail itself was pretty boring as we tacked east and west on Grand Traverse Bay in the same spot back and forth. Good views, just always the same one.

Used to go on the Nauti cat all the time. This summer I went and the shots were so small, and so expensive. Bartenders were rude, and it was not an enjoyable experience.
I tried going another time with a big group of friends (about 15 of us) and they cancelled due to weather . Even though there wasn t a cloud in the sky and it wasn t windy at all. No sign of rain in the future of the night either. We were literally walking up to the Nauti Cat when they called my cell phone to tell me that it was cancelled. 25 minutes before it was supposed to set sail.

The nauti Cat has caused one too many disappointments for me to ever go back. I do not recommend the nauti cat. There are way better things to do in Traverse City.

Do it every year at the end of the summer. Always a great time.

Great way to get on the water if you're visiting Traverse City! For a reasonable price of $35-$45 per person, you get 2+ hours on the West Grand Traverse Bay, with a fun crew and relaxed atmosphere. This is the 2nd time I've done this cruise and have enjoyed both times very much. Having a full bar on board is a huge bonus (and there's bathrooms too). My favorite part is sitting in the nets between the hulls and watching/feeling the waves splash below :) It would be so much fun to rent this out with a large group! Highly recommend if you want to go beyond the shore.

Excellent time on the water. Crew was great. Very relaxing time! Beautiful day!

Watched the 4th of July fireworks on the boat. Great experience. The staff is so friendly. Cant wait to go back.

This was a anniversary surprise from my husband. I have always wanted to go sailing. We live 4 hrs away and made the trip there to go sailing to get a call stating they need to cancel my Thursday appointment due to inclement weather. Which I understood it was is was very choppy water and rain that day. Not to mention another issue when she called me she stated the boat ride was only 2 hrs not 2.5 hrs like there website states till this day and they argued with me about that. ANYWAYS...So they rescheduled me to the next day Friday, Just to get a call after I called to verify my time not even 20 mins before that they are cancelling the 1:30 boat ride. Due to high winds. Not to mention I called around to other places and everyone was still out on the water sailing fine. But It was too late I couldn't get booked with anyone else because they were packed. I asked them if they could put me on a later time and I was told they were all booked up for the other times. SMH...Thanks for nothing. I wasted my time, my money on hotels for two nights, gas to get there just to be told sorry there's nothing we could do. I asked to speak to a manager and no called me back. SAD TO SAY I WILL NEVER BOOK WITH THIS SAD EXCUSE OF A COMPANY!!!!! IF I COULD GIVE THEM A 0 STAR RATING I WOULD.

SO MUCH FUN. I've gone on a day cruise and a night cruise and they are both such a great time. Good music, great views, great drinks (tip your bartenders!) and just a fun boat ride. Sam and Jason helped us have a terrific time.

Awesome and fun thing to do in TC. We have been coming to the GT area for 30 years and now live here - just discovered Nauti-Cat. The crew are super friendly and the cruise was great.

The registration process was easy, you can park for free by the dock and have drinks before or after at the outdoor hotel patio adjacent to the dock. We went on the cruise during COVID concerns in early July. The Nauticat team was careful. They cut capacity on the boat so everyone can physically distandce. They insisted that people wear masks when boarding and walking around - and provided hand-sanitizer on-board, so we all felt very comfortable.

If you are visiting, you HAVE to see GT Bay from the water and the Nauti-Cat is a GREAT option.

Had a great time with the family on the noon cruise. Reasonably priced and friendly crew. Can t wait to do it again someday!

Wonderful leisurely cruise with awesome cocktails available. Captain Shane and his crew are laid back and always helpful. Our 4th cruise with them, will be back next year!

Captain and crew were very nice. The shot-ski is a fun addition to cruise, although the "shot" should be larger for the price. We had a great time and would like to cruise again!

One of the best, relaxing experiences I've ever had on vacation!!! Loved it!

i booked a 6 PM cruise for Saturday Oct.13, 2018. Due to it being a 6 PM , 2 1/2 hour cruise we decided to stay in Traverse city instead of heading straight to Petoskey to enjoy the fall colors. At 5:45 PM my daughter and I arrived at the address given. I saw no sign of the Nauti Cat. We dialed the phone # and a girl answered. I asked where they were located because we had booked a cruise. She said that she saw that we had reservations but their season had ended and I should have been contacted. I had no calls on my phone, in fact the day before I received an email from nauti cat confirming my reservations. She apologized and said that she would refund my credit card. If this cruise wasn't planned we would never have stayed all day in Traverse City and would have gone on to Petoskey. This is poor management. We were more than disappointed , we were pissed!!

Great time! Very mellow music, tasty drinks, chill crew. A great afternoon in Traverse City.

They cancelled our trip three times and then told us "we" made to many changes so we could not get our money back.

The boat day made our trip to traverse city. It was SO fun and just the right amount of time and passenger number so you wouldn t feel crowded. Would highly recommend spending an afternoon on their boat! The strawberry margs were delightful.

The ride was awesome! We cruised back and forth across the south end of the West Grand Traverse Bay.

Great experience - the captain, the staff, the drinks and the views all came together for a perfect cruise in the bay. Highly recommend for anyone looking to get on the water in a safe and fun environment

Always a smooth ride and a cash bar on board. The crew makes sure everyone has the best time on the boat.

Had a great time. The passengers, staff, weather, and drinks were incredible. We will be back next year!

Like to cancel an hour before you're supposed to be there and blame it on the weather even when it is not raining or windy, and sun is coming out.

Have taken Nauticat cruises many times and it is always a great experience. This is a staple if you are in TC during the summer. Incredibly friendly staff, excellent customer support and beautiful scenery. I recommend to friends and family whenever anyone is in the area.

Both the owners run the cruise and were super laid back. We sat up front in the nets which was by far the best seat on the boat. (But be prepared to get a wet butt if it s choppy) We really enjoyed our time on the sunset cruise and would definitely do it again!