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Trilogy Excursions
Categories: Active Life Boating Hotels & Travel Tours Boating, Tours [Edit]
180 Lahainaluna RdLahaina, HI 96761
(808) 874-5649
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8:30 am - 7 pm
Sat-Sun 9 am - 5 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
150 reviews for Trilogy Excursions
150 reviews in English
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Review from Suz C.
Santa Barbara, CA
1/15/2012
This was my second time with Trilogy and they were again 5 star all the way. The boat was clean and comfortable. The food was great. The scenery was incredible, including lots of whales escorting us home. We had a super time snorkeling in a beautiful little cove. The the difference is really the crew - they were friendly, knowledgable and fun. They stepped in to help them needed, gave a great naturalist discussion and made us all feel extremely welcomed.
We had small children with us (youngest 3) and he had a blast. I wasn't sure how he would take to the open sea, but we found a floaty on board and he loved floating around with the snorkelers. I would recommend bringing a float ring of some type if you have small children.
All in all, it was one of the most memorable days of our trip. Well worth the money. We hope to return soon! -
Review from JJ C.
San Mateo, CA
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Another 5 stars from two happy customers :)
We went with Trilogy for snorkeling just two days ago.
We booked the 6:30am one like another yelper recommended and it was great, not crowded at all when we got to Molokini.
All the crew staff are super friendly and we really had a great time.
If your'e going in winter months like us when it's still dark at 6am, make sure you leave a bit earlier because it could be hard to find the location they asked to meet. It was so dark when we went there and it took us a long time to find them. We booked the tour night before so our names were not on the printed list and they almost left without us!
But overall we still like Trilogy a lot and we highly recommend them :) -
Review from Dan R.
12/29/2011 3 photos
Do not bother booking an adventure with Trilogy Excursions if you despise the following:
- An entire pod of spinner dolphins (including totally-not-cute-at-all baby dolphins) coastin' in the stream of your speeding catamaran. I'm talkin' straight-up surfin', chillin', doin' flips and shit. Super annoying.
- Snorkeling with sea turtles, parrot fish, coral, etc. in a picturesque underwater seascape cove setting. I mean, this is a joke, right?
- Humpback whales breaching on the horizon. Total snooze fest.
- Blue water rafting alongside the shore-cliffs of Lanai. Double-yawn.
- Cinnamon rolls for breakfast, chicken, corn, and ginger ale-pineapple juice for lunch, and ice cream for a mid-afternoon snack, all under the hot Hawaii sun in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a sailboat. Yes, as unappetizing and uncomfortable and unluxorious as it sounds.
Anyway, if you can't readily detect my East Coast sarcasm, the Ultimate Seafari we booked with Trilogy was the highlight of our trip. A day out on the water includes all of the aforementioned activities, plus the indescribable submersion into absolute paradise. The ride out from Lahaina Harbor sports jaw-dropping views of Maui, Molokai, and Lanai - not to mention the potential to see some dolphins and whales if you're lucky. The snorkeling at Shark Fin Cove (named after a rock formation, not the underwater predator - don't fret) features dazzling marine life at a depth that allows you some diving room as opposed to shallower reefs where you are in constant fear of kicking coral. The blue water rafting was reminiscent of Capri, with Blue Grotto-esque sea caves burrowed into the cliffs. And the food was delicious, served by an all-star sailing crew that was professional, personable, entertaining, educational, and fun.
I will admit to docking a star for the on-land Lanai portion of our excursion, however. As nice as it is to check another island off your list, the van tour we took was pretty depressing. Our guide, a Lanai native, harped on how poor they are, how hard it is to get by, how half the kids get into meth, how all of their favorite spots in town had been shut down, and the list goes on. For as much as we were paying to spend the day with Trilogy (a pretty penny, but worth it), and how little this woman probably had to her name, this whole leg of the journey really threw the privileged guilt card down hard on us. As charitable as some people may be (and please, still tip her), it was a little unnecessary to blind-side well-to-do tourists who are enjoying themselves like that.
Regardless, take my advice and book with Trilogy, whether it's the Ultimate Seafari or one of the other tours in their boat-load they offer as well. You will have to dedicate the majority of one your vacation days to the high seas, but since when is time really an issue in Hawaii? Especially when a good portion of it is spent snorkeling and swimming and rafting and sight-seeing and yeah, having the time of your life. All in all, it's a can't-miss mix of relaxation and adventure that is, trust me, time very well spent.Listed in: Aloha, Mahalo, and A Hui Hou
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Review from Mason I.
San Diego, CA
1/29/2012
The best activity I did on Maui. One of the highlights was a whale swimming underneath the boat!
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Review from Roxanne R.
Chicago, IL
12/21/2011
My husband and I did the molokini crater tour excursion and we chose Trilogy because of all of these 5 star reviews. The yelpers got it completely right.
The snorkeling itself was great. I've snorkeled in Puerto Vallarta and Cozumel and this was by far the best snorkeling I've done between the 3. Molokini is as clear as a fish tank. We saw a good variety of fish in that area. We were also lukcy to see about 5 sea turtles at the next stop. One of the tour guides went out on a surfboard and helped us find the turtles, he was pretty much a turtle whisperer if those people exist.
Onto why Trilogy is the best, they are entertaining, accomodating, friendly, helpful, and anything a good tour guide should be. They politely escorted us to he boat, gave us some helpful tips, made sure we were fed well, took pictures and were just all around super helpful. Our captain, Captain Casey was really entertaining. He gave us a few chuckles with his instructions and was so lively and helpful.
We would love to do another excursion when we go back to hawaii and we won't think twice about booking another trip with Trilogy. -
Review from Brandon D.
North Dallas, Dallas, TX
1/27/2012
What a great tour. Seeing whales, blow fish and sea turtles is great, but the crew and the boat make all the difference.
We were greeted with early morning coffee, homemade cinnamon rolls and fresh cut fruit. The crew was constantly at work to make sure we had a fresh cup of coffee or juice and were having a good time on the trip out. Our trip was in late January which is humpback whale season. We stopped the boat several times to see whales jumping and splashing from less than 100 yards away.
We had two snorkel stops and got great guidance on where to go to see fish and turtles. Getting out of the water, we got fresh pineapple salsa, chips, fresh fruit and a chicken and rice lunch. Again the crew went way out of their way to make sure everyone had plenty of food and drink.
For the trip home, the captain turned off the motor and we sailed all the way back to the harbor eating ice cream and watching whales. It couldn't have been better. I forgot to tip the crew on my way out, so to make up for it I'm writing this and telling you this is the best $100 you will spend on Maui. And when you go, don't forget to bring a little tipping cash. -
Review from Adrienne H.
Palo Alto, CA
12/27/2011
My family and I did the 6:30 am snorkel to Molokini and Turtle Town on December 24, 2011. We chose it because of the excellent reviews and because it had a few things we specifically wanted, including an early morning departure, a smaller boat, a significant amount of time in the water, and 2 dive spots. We all loved our experience on Trilogy and agreed it was one of the best snorkeling excursions we've ever done. What really set the trip apart was the fantastic staff and their enthusiasm and attention to every single person on the boat.
MOLOKINI - My biggest concern at Molokini was the crowds, since I had read quite a bit about them. Since we took the early tour, we arrived at Molokini before most other boats and we didn't find it very crowded at all. We had our own area (on the right inside of the crater, which is were the best snorkeling is, according to the guidebooks). Since Trilogy is much smaller than a lot of the other boats (I believe our trip had 34 people, some other companies have 100+) I didn't feel crowded at all and was rarely running into people. The water is crystal clear and although its about 10 feet deep, the fish are very friendly & swim up to you. We didn't see anything particularly exotic (no turtles), but we did see a nice variety of fish, and the water & coral are just beautiful. We had about an hour in the water at both spots.
TURTLE TOWN - As you'll see if you pick up a guidebook, there is no one particular place called "Turtle Town". It's just a name the tour companies give their second dive stop where there tend to be turtles. Our was 5 Graves/5 Caves, which is also accessible from land. This stop was a bit of a disappointment, but not because of anything Trilogy did. We shared the space with a huge Pacific Whale Foundation boat and anytime someone would see a turtle they would yell "turtle!!" and hundreds of people would make a mad dash for the turtle, inevitably scaring it away. I tended to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time & ended up only seeing 1 turtle. I have enjoyed my previous snorkeling experiences with turtles much more because I could just kind of float with them and they seemed calm, whereas these turtles seemed really scared (rightly so) of all the crazed tourists chasing after them. The guys on the boat actually said that they sometimes drown themselves trying to get away from humans, which is just awful :( There were also decent fish here too, so even if you don't see turtles its a pretty good snorkeling spot.
FOOD - The food was adequate, but not great. We all agreed that the cinnamon rolls that are much discussed on Yelp were really dry and not very good. The plate lunch (chicken teriyaki, fried rice, salad, roll) was not really my kind of food but was perfectly ok for what it was. There's also vanilla ice cream on the trip home & chips & salsa between snorkeling stops. There was certainly no shortage of food. No alcohol, which may be a minus for some, but was a plus for us.
TRIP OUT & BACK - We saw a bunch of whales on the trip out to Molokini, which I understand is fairly common during whale season (late December - March). As advertised, they sailed a fair amount of the way back, which was a highlight of the trip for my sailor mother.
STAFF - As I mentioned above, the staff is phenomenal, and the absolute best thing about Trilogy. Our crew (Captain Dan, Nick, Brandon & Jordan) were all friendly, knowledgeable, enthusiastic guys. Not only were they service-oriented and dedicated to making sure everyone was having a good time, you could tell that they truly enjoyed their jobs & weren't just going through the motions. I also appreciated that they seem to really care about the environment & maintaining the sea life - they encouraged us not to feed the fish and "to take only photos, leave only bubbles."
DIRECTIONS - By far the worst part of the trip was finding where to go in the morning. The directions on the web were to meet at a restaurant at 6:15 and when we got there a little after 6, no one was there. They finally showed up at 6:20-ish, which was less than ideal, because we worried we were in the wrong place. Their directions to the parking lot were not terribly clear and we drove around very lost in the dark for awhile, which was not fun. After that though, everything went very smoothly.
I almost ignored this company because of the lukewarm review in "Maui Revealed" (they say "We were very critical of them in the past, but they have systematically fixed nearly all their flaws", and not much else that's particularly positive) but ended up going with them after reading all the glowing reviews here & on TripAdvisor. In general we found "Maui Revealed" a decent guidebook, but this is one area where they seriously got it wrong. I would highly recommend Trilogy to anyone looking for a snorkeling or boating excursion on Maui. Thanks again to our great crew for such a memorable trip!Listed in: Maui 2011
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Review from Catherine L.
New York, NY
9/21/2011 4 photos
Trilogy. The highlight of my Maui trip. Extremely caring crew, made you feel welcomed, an instant sense of ease when you get on the boat. Crew came over to make us feel welcome, spoke to us (we're definitely not used to that, coming from stinky NY) haha. The crew wasn't just the crew...they were our waiters, lifeguards, comedians, servers, entertainers, and gave us a lot of interesting facts about our destination without being overwhelming. Our capt was so funny and made sure everyone was having a great time. The boat was beautiful and I was just awed that the crew served us food and took our plates, I don't expect anyone serving me like that in my life ahhaa.
Went on Labor Day Monday, so there were a lot of people out in the sea. The capt decided to do it "backwards" to avoid the crowd, and it worked! We had the whole Monokini to ourselves, a rare site! When I saw the other boats that were "cheaper", it was loud, cheap, filled with people.. I was so happy with this type of personalized service, and the price was way better than what I expected for this. ($90/per)
Only thing negative I can say is I got sunburned on my behind. :) What a great trip, I will definitely return again and recommend to all my friends. -
Review from Dee C.
9/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
The day trip to Molikini was amazing! We had two great sites to snorkel and the second site was turtle town we went to we saw a great deal of turtles! The snorkeling experience was much better than the one I had in Kauai because the water was not murky. The water visibility at both Molikini and turtle town was very nice.
If you have a good underwater camera then you should be able to get great coral shots. I wish I had bought one, but I did ok with the disposable underwater camera.
The crew was very friendly and kept us entertained for the day. The captain was great and even did a little bit longer trip than planned and showed us other parts of the island before we finished off.
The food was much better than I had expected. I booked last minute so I was not able to tell them I am vegetarian, but I still felt it was a pretty good amount for me. They even ended with desserts: ice cream! They also had chips and salsa and fresh fruit during the trip and coffee since most of us arrived at around 5:30 am!
This is a great trip well worth the money! The staff is wonderful. The food was good and the company was great. I don't swim because I have panic attacks and I still felt safe and under good hands with the staff! Need I say more!?!?! -
Review from Michelle S.
Roseville, CA
1/25/2012
First class all the way, and I am a tough critic. Book on line to save a fee dollars, we used part of what we saved to tip the crew for all their up beat attitudes and attentiveness to our every need.
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Review from Scott L.
San Diego, CA
10/17/2011
The snorkeling was probably a 4-star (more the hype of being out at Molokini and the turtle spot than seeing unique sea life you couldn't get driving to some good locations) but everything else about the Trilogy experience was 6-stars. The staff were incredible from start to finish--every last detail. They remember your name, engage in conversation about your trip, make sure you're comfortable with your gear, etc. During the snorkeling, they're out there with you on large surf boards in case you need to dock up and take a break or come ask for some local knowledge of other fun spots to check out. Back on the boat they're waiting on you, hand and foot, with incredible food, coffee, or sodas.
Bring an underwater camera if you have one... definitely some good photo ops out in the water and on deck. And bring a towel!!! But the bit about the trip being cold in the morning is kinda off... it was a typical Maui morning, nice and warm and only got hotter as the day went on. Of course the afternoon gets windy and if you're wet, it's a typical chill that can be combated with a towel around you.
Fun crew, great experience. -
Review from Sarah T.
Seattle, WA
8/19/2011
Everything about our day trip to Molokini was great. It was beautiful snorkeling, SNUBA was great. The crew were fantastic. Cynthia got me through my minor freakout when my brain couldn't understand how I was underwater, but breathing. Everything was top-notch and comfortable. An unexpected surprise was the amazing sailing we did at the end of the trip. I usually get motion sick, but had an absolute ball sailing around on Trilogy.
They could make it better by offering adult-only trips. It was a little watching a unsupervised five year old hanging off of the front of the boat, despite protests from crew members. It was also annoying finding the same kid hanging off of my SNUBA tank like it was a raft. -
Review from Michele J.
Thousand Oaks, CA
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Awesome!!! We have gone out with these guys several times and we are never disappointed. They always have the most friendly crew and high-quality equipment on-board. Great food and drinks, too! Love that they actually SAIL their boats, not just motor. Love them!!!
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Review from Tu-Quyen P.
Ladera Ranch, CA
9/9/2011
One of the highlights of my trip despite my propensity for sea-sickness and recovering from a cold. That is all due to the crew of the Trilogy! They made every moment as comfortable as possible and led a fun, adventurous trek from Maui to Molokini to Turtle Town and back.
The food on board was better than some of the restaurants on-shore and the crew served it with a giant smile, serving as waiters, lifeguards, photographers, captains/first mates, tour guides, entertainers and doctors (at least for me) and any other role that you can think of. If you are going to snorkel in Maui, you must go with this company. The super-friendly and professional service make all the difference! The tour includes breakfast, lunch, coffee/soda/water, fresh fruit, dessert and all the snorkeling/snuba gear you can imagine.
The water was so clear that day, you didn't even have to snorkel to see the reef below. Saw some of my favorite sights while on this boat ride.
I cannot say enough good things about Trilogy! Do yourself a favor and go with them, especially if you have kids or people who can't swim and are a little nervous about snorkeling. The crew is SO patient with everyone and makes sure everyone has a fun time. -
Review from Lan N.
4/29/2011
Did a snorkeling tour to molokini and turtle town. Got to the dock and they were a little late in checking everyone in. Seems like there were a lot of people so they needed two boats. The first boat filled up and we were on the 2nd boat. I believe we got Captain Brett.
He was a cool dude and made the trip enjoyable. Since we went in March 2011, it was around whale watching season and we saw a few on the way to molokini crater.
Crew: The whole crew was awesome. Everyone was helpful and friendly. They went out in the water during snorkeling to make sure people were safe. I found myself watching the crew as I was wondering how they were able to balance themselves on the boat as the water was pretty rough at times. It looks so effortless. They were walking around the boat a lot to pass out drinks/food/snorkel gear.
Food: We got sticky buns/cinnamon rolls on our way to the crater. There was fresh salsa and chips for snacks during snorkeling. For lunch it was grilled chicken, rice, and salad. On the way back we got ice cream.
Snorkeling at the crater was a fun experience. There are a lot of fish at the crater and we saw some sea turtles at the 2nd stop. They are a lot bigger than I thought. I had to stop in my tracks so I wouldn't get too close.
Everything was safe and everyone was well taken care of. I even bought a tshirt at the end.Listed in: Honeymoon in Hawaii
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Review from Chris P.
Gilbert, AZ
7/4/2011 1 photo
I'd give Trilogy 6 stars if Yelp would let me. Unbelievable snorkel tour of Molokini island. We went the day after the tsunami on 3/11/11
They did a great job keeping the entire crowd entertained with whale watching, and other fun facts during the trip.
You have to do this to see the reefs, lava tubes & sea turtles! The captain cooks you a nice lunch, and serves ice cream after a hard day of snorkeling. -
Review from Charlie P.
Livermore, CA
9/25/2011
Such a bummer that they operate the shack at Ka'anapali Beach Hotel. At first, we thought they were great! And actually, the guys who were there the first few days were! Super knowledgable, friendly and just gave great customer service. The guys after that seemed like they could care less about working and really just wanted to chill all day....which i GET! I mean, HELLO, you work on the beach in Hawaii! BUT....
Our last day there (a Friday), we wanted to take surfing lessons. We went to the Trilogy shack (which offers surf lessons 3 times daily) at about 11:45 and asked when the next lessons were...the guy in the shack hollered to another guy "what's left for surfing?" (2pm is the advertised daily offering), the kid came over, said : "you wanna go now?", h didn't seem very excited. Then he told us that we should go see his cousin down the beach who gave surf lessons somewhere else. We asked if he didn't want to take us and he hemmed and hawed, then said "No, I'll take you, it's just that it's our Friday and we like to get out of here early"....HELLO! It was our Friday too! and our last day on Maui.
Finally he said he'd take us and we were stoked! I paid, filled out the paperwork then jammed to our room to get changed. We were in our room for about 2 minutes- just heading back out the door- and the phone rang...it was the Trilogy shack calling to tell us they were cancelling the lesson.
We really wouldn't have minded that much if the kid had been straight with us from the beginning. If you don't want to give the advertised surf lessons just tell us that...don't drag it out for 30 minutes. -
Review from Rob T.
San Diego, CA
11/9/2011
These guys run a tight ship! Professional and fun crew, great boat, good food, and very detail oriented. Friends recommended them to us and we are very glad we listened. Do not hesitate to book your day with them. We did the Lani Tour and it was one of the best choices we made on our vacation.
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Review from Mel P.
3/21/2011
Wow, I forgot to write a review for this. Thank you Yelp for the friendly sidebar reminder.
My sis and I went to Maui last July and decided to take a sunset sail on the catamaran, so romantical.
The boat picked us up at the beach right outside of our hotel, the Kaanapali Beach Resort. We had a lot of fun. You get unlimited drinks and appetizers. I should have written this review while everything was fresh in my memory but I remember really enjoying the food.
I wish I could give you more information but if you're in Maui, you should check out a sunset sail. We booked our excursion through our hotel and I believe it was $60/person.
If you can, sit at the front of the boat, it's a fun ride when the waves are big. -
Review from Sophia C.
5/19/2011
Being on my honeymoon, the man and myself decided to spoil ourselves and book a trip upon Trilogy after much research on companies to take one out snorkeling in the great waters of Maui. This company goes above and beyond what is noted on their brochures and websites.
We booked the 1/2 day tour that started off at 8am. We were on the newest Trilogy vessel and seated everyone comfortably and roomy for all. We LOVED! the cinnamon rolls here were delicious! As were the fresh fruit, coffee, juice and lunch and snacks that came along throughout the entire trip. One thing this experience didn't scrimp on was the deluge of food they have as you're burning calories from all the snorkeling and swimming you do all day.
It was not whale season, so no whales (or dolphins for the matter) spottings, but we were not expecting that on our trip. We did see a fair amount of tropical fish and of course the sea turtles! To be honest, 2-3 turtles in the ocean shouldn't be labeled "turtle town"-- you're way better off seeing turtles literally parked on the beaches or everywhere you see water in the big island of Hawaii or in North Shore in O'ahu than in Maui from my experience. Nevertheless, the snorkeling at Honolu Bay, Molokini Crater is an experience you have to see for yourself and doing it on this sailboat (yes, we actually did get to sail and coast for a bit) is well worth it.
Great crew, great crew, great atmosphere, really can't beat that. We had a very memorable experience! -
Review from Mark H.
Ames, IA
12/30/2011
My daughter and her fiance, who were vacationing with my wife and I in Maui, gave us a snorkel tour with Trilogy as a Christmas present, and it proved to be one of the major highlights of our trip. (She has, I see, wrote her own extensive review of this trip, so I won't go into quite so much duplication.) We took the early morning sail (leaving the harbor at 6:30) on Christmas Eve and would recommend that to people who don't mind an early start-- I think it makes for a less crowded excursion, and it's full daylight by the time you arrive at the first stop. The boat stops at two places, Molokini crater and "Turtle town", which seems to be the name of any place where turtles can be located. My wife and I had snorkeled Molokini many years before and I remembered it vividly: the snorkeling back then was so great that I booked another excursion for the very next day. I was pleased to see that the snorkeling was still fantastic-- incredibly clear water and lots of fish; the underwater pictures that we took, even with a cheap disposable camera, came out bright and clear, even though the water was a bit choppy (it being winter, this was to be expected; an added benefit of doing this in the winter, by the way, was that we got to see whales enroute to the site). The stop at Turtle Town offered less stellar snorkeling but all of us did see turtles there, which is always nice.
What I really liked about the trip was the professionalism and friendliness of the crew and the fact that this was a genuine sailboating trip (some boats hoist a sail for appearance and then run on a motor; here, we really sailed). Every single employee went out of their way to insure a memorable time for the guests. Food was also plentiful-- the cinnamon rolls for breakfast were OK but nothing special, but there was also a mid-morning chips and salsa snack, followed by lunch (a very tasty teriyaki chicken and rice plate) and ice cream later as a final snack. Non-alcoholic beverages were served throughout (the fact that the drinks were non-alcoholic was a big plus for us).
Since the trip was a gift I can't comment on the price or the price of competing trips, but my wife and I have done a lot of snorkeling excursions like this all over the world and I can confidently say that this was one of the very best, if not the very best, that we have ever taken. I don't know when I'll get back to Maui but when I do I will book this trip again with Trilogy without hesitation. -
Review from Brad A.
Ladera Ranch, CA
10/15/2011
What can I say. What an AWESOME Company.. It was the Highlight of our Maui Trip!! Brian Really Made our Day!! Thank You Trilogy!! WE have some Great Memories thanks to you.
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Review from Jim L.
Hazlet, NJ
9/11/2011
Great fun with my son. The crew was so friendly and helpful and the food was pretty good too.
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Review from Sandy T.
San Francisco, CA
9/27/2011
So impressed with Trilogy. For a Molokini trip the hotel recommended we book with Alli Nui, but they were full, so we booked Trilogy the day before. I'm so glad we did. The beautiful catamaran, Trilogy II, was only a year old, so all the spaces (benches, decks, galley, trampolines, ladders in and out) were very nice. The staff were jovial and helpful and the meals were decent. Highly recommend!
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Review from Yinbo L.
Sunnyvale, CA
2/19/2011
Had to get registered on Yelp to write this review. Yep, Trilogy is that impressive.
My angle might be a bit different from most of the reviewers here. I booked the Snorkel at Molokini 6:30 trip for two on Feb 2, 2011 online. That's the 4th day we spent on Maui. Unfortunately my wife caught cold along the way, and it took a turn for worse the night before the snorkel trip. She's coughing and having a low fever. So she decided to bail and I went on by myself.
By the time we lined up on the wharf to register, Captain Jeff noticed that I was coming alone and asked what happened to the wife. I told him she's sick and could not make it. As I was about to go ahead and take my shoes and socks off by request then put them in a bucket (surprise surprise, seems nobody mentioned this:)), Jeff told me he's gonna call the company to see if the ticket can be refunded. To be absolutely honest here, the idea to argue for a refund never crossed my mind since it's the last minute change of plan.
Anyway so we went on the cruise, watched some whales, snorkeled at Molokini as the first group to the scene then at Turtle Town, sailed a little while on the way back when there's no wind at all :). The crews (Daniel, Kyle, Dave, Jeremy etc) were extremely curteous serving food and drinks and attending everyone; but very professional guiding people while they were snorkeling or snuba-diving. Many yelp reviewers have better covered all these, so I won't go into details.
On the way back, I got a chance to chat with the Captain, expressing how memorable the whole trip is. Then Jeff told me the issue has been taken care of. I was like "what are you... oh, that", I almost forgot about the ticket. I thought it was a pretty nice jesture for him to say that in the morning and wasn't taking it seriously. When we got back home from Hawaii, I checked my credit card account, my wife's ticket was refunded on that exact same day, no hustle whatsoever.
This is not about the money. I can survive pretty well without this one hundred bucks. It's the way Jeff and Trilogy handled the whole thing. They don't have to do it, they did it anyways, and I wasn't even asking them to do it. From that you can get a taste how the longest family run business on Maui survived and thrived.
The snorkel trip by itself could be better, had my wife been healthy and with me the whole time. Still, it's one of the highlights on our vacation. Highly recommand it. -
Review from Melissa M.
San Marcos, CA
3/22/2011
We went with Trilogy based on their fabulous Yelp reviews so I am just adding to that! We were not disappointed in any way.
We chose the Molokini Crater and Turtle Town snorkel excursion. We arrived right on time and signed our waiver. We left our shoes on the dock and boarded the boat! We sailed half way to the crater while snacking on our cinnamon buns and fruit. We saw a ton of whales, even one that breached half a dozen times close to our boat! pretty amazing.
We spent about an hour at each location and saw a ton of fish! At turtle town, we saw two sea turtles that came pretty close to our group. Incredible experience for sure. We jumped off the side of the boat once for fun and settled in for a yummy lunch.
The crew was incredibly helpful and friendly!
This excursion was hands down our funnest thing we did on vacation!!! -
Review from Jim R.
1/3/2011
We've been on several whale watching tours in Hawaii, California and Alaska. Your day always hinges on your luck at seeing some whales. On our most recent trip, we were very lucky with a family pod surfacing several times just in front and beside our boat.
When luck isn't with you, the quality of the excursion crew really comes into play. This rating reflects the skill and friendliness of the 3-person group. On our 2-hour, afternoon cruise we began seeing whales off in the distance almost right away. The crew provided fun and interesting info on the area and whales and they fed us a great salsa with mango - YUM.
We really enjoyed the smaller catamaran-style boat with only 30 passengers. -
Review from Emily B.
Hartford, CT
6/26/2011 1 photo
To boil it down to what you are wondering.. Yes, it is worth it. The boat, crew, food and trip are all top notch. We took the malakini snorkel trip with a stop at turtle town (makena area).
We had captain Brett and crew Jason, Nick and Cody (who had pineapple juice duty) were all great and made the trip mug more than just good snorkeling (which it was).
The food was better than 90% of the stuff you can get on front street.
The trip finished with a relaxing short sail up the coast after a wind blasted trip back from the south coast.
I would recommend to anyone. I even bought a t shirt which I never normally do. A+ to all involved. -
Review from Johnny M.
Concord, CA
5/27/2011
CAPTAIN AND CREW IS AWESOME!!!!!!
It was my first time snorkeling and I was nervous as hell but Tim, Brendan, Cynthia and The Captain (I dont remember his name but he was hecka cool) took care of me. I will never forget this experience. I highly recommend Trilogy because:
1. The crew is nice and super welcoming (not snobby at all, which I was expecting for some reason)
2. Its not crowded
3. They feed you so much
4. They are all knowledgeable
5. The crew is down to earth and very personable! Just good vibes all around. I will definitely choose Trilogy next time I go snorkeling. Very much worth it!!!
Thanks Trilogy!
Sione -
Review from Moto M.
Burbank, CA
1/6/2011
We went on the Whale Watching tour from Kaanapali. Trilogy 4 was our ship.
Incredible experience is all I can say. We were very lucky that day. The sun was shining. The wind was minimal. Waves were calm. The whales showed up in a big way.
According to the Trilogy crew, the whales rarely come this close to the boat. They were 10 feet away. From one side of the boat, swimming directly under the boat and showing up at the other side. The whales did this several times. They seemed to be enjoying our company. I don't think anyone on the boat was expecting this kind of encounter with these magnificent creatures. The whales were all over the place actually. There was no time to relax. I was on my feet with my camera pretty much throughout the ride.
Even without the luck, you're bound to have a great tour as the super friendly crew will take care of you from the moment you check in at the shore until the moment you leave the boat. Service is top notch. They know a lot about the whales and the surrounding environment. It was very educational as well as it being entertaining. Hats off to the guys at Trilogy.
I would love to go again, but I'm afraid it won't be as good as the first time. The tour was that good! -
Review from Tomy T.
San Francisco, CA
12/29/2010
I booked Trilogy based on the reviews on Yelp and also a friend's recommendation who went with them to Molokini. I booked the Molokini trip online (highly recommended to do in advance to get a discount) and I'm glad I did. The service is 5 star and the crew go out of their way to make you feel welcome and comfortable.
We sailed on Trilogy II which was their newest boat (only a few months old) and it was spectacular. Once you arrive at Molokini, you understand the value of what you paid for. The other boats to Molokini are packed with people and the guide has to shout at everyone over a loud speaker. On Trilogy, the group is small (we only had 20 people) and there is no shouting or feeling like you are part of a herd.
The food on Trilogy is GREAT! It was more than I expected with homemade cinnamon rolls, chips and salsa, and BBQ chicken. Yes, no alcohol is served on this trip and if this is a priority for you then I recommend you take one of the other boats with the loud speaker. I heard the guide announce that there were Mai Tai's available. But who wants to drink at 10am?
As a separate review that is of no reflection on Trilogy, I have to say I was a little disappointed with the snorkeling at Molokini. I've dived in the Great Barrier Reef and once you've done that, the coral in Maui just doesn't compare. It's not as colorful and there aren't as many fish as there was in GBR. However, if it's your first time snorkeling I think it will be a great experience. What made it worthwhile for me was the second snorkel location at Turtle Town where I saw a number of big turtles. I was happy!
Great job Trilogy team, keep doing what you're doing! -
Review from Goshen F.
San Francisco, CA
10/22/2010
Just like all the reviews say, the customer service is AMAZING! They are too nice! We arrived at 615am, and the cute captain was smiling with sleepy eyes telling us where to park in the nicest manner. I mean, he has to do this 15 times plus, and yet, he was super friendly. But really, he was asleep....
I cannot say enough about this company. After we started the motor, they stopped it and set up the sail. We were sailing! We went to Molokini and Turtle Town. Didn't see much turtles...and Black Rock (right beside our hotel) is just as good as Molokini.
But really, this is about the whole experience. And it was terrific. I booked this place based on Yelp reviews. And please take my word, they are terrific. Small number of guests...not crowded....
I saw the Pacific Whale Foundation boat (more like a ferry), and they were jammed packed with Walmart looking shoppers.... They didn't know how to swim, obese Midwesterners with their neon noodles, loud and crass, chased all the turtles away from Turtle Town. Boo to them.
They served a lot of food. The bbq chicken meal with salad and rice was great after two snorkeling stops. My dad is a huge critic of food, he is in the chicken business. And he raved about the chicken, saying it has authentic flavour, etc... I found this shocking. I cannot believe a couple of guys on a catamaran in the middle of the Pacific made chicken that my Dad thought was out of this world.
Other reviewers say the bbq chkn is great. But I never really truly trusted it. But once my Dad says it's great, believe this review, it is really terrific. -
Review from Kristina O.
San Ramon, CA
9/19/2011
I have been on many cruises but this is by far the best one! EVER!!! It was their sunset cruise filled with laughter, delicious delights and music with a sunset! What more could you ask for? We had Jordan Tolentino playing at sunset, which you should check him out online. We were a loud and crazy and bunch and they just laughed right along with us! What a delight of the whole trip.
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Review from Abbie A.
Concord, CA
1/9/2011
This is a review for a whale watching 2 hour cruise.
Great crew. Our Captain (Riley) was great. The crew was open to answer questions. We saw some amazing breaches. One was about 50 yards off our right side. A baby whale and its parents. Lots of activity. The boat was not packed. I walked around with ease. The jokes did seem scripted, but what can you expect with the number of groups they take out. Love it and will do it the next time we are back. -
Review from Elizabeth W.
Los Angeles, CA
5/14/2011
Really enjoyed this tour! I'd never been snorkeling before, and was nervous when we got there, but everyone was so knowledgeable and nice that it was impossible to stay nervous. We did the Molokini & "turtle town" tour, and were lucky enough to see tons of fish at Molokini, an octopus, AND a giant turtle at the second site. An unforgettable experience.
The fact that the crew sailed back into the harbor (rather than just gunning the boat's motor the whole time) was also an awesome highlight. Couldn't have asked for anything more! -
Review from Alisa M.
1/24/2011
I'd have to give them a 4 since I don't have any other tours to compare to, but I loved them! They offered drinks almost the entire time while we were on the boat were also very knowledgeable about the whales. We did a 2 hour whale watching tour and the tour exceeded my expectations!
The amount of people on the tour was a good amount. Everyone always had a good view of the whales and it was too crowded. I would recommend them for others who are trying to figure out which tour to go on. Had a great time and hopefully will take another tour with them in the future! -
Review from Marc M.
11/23/2010 1 Check-in Here
We rode on the Trilogy II, which is only a few weeks old. The crew can be different each trip, but our crew was wonderful. Captain Brett (he has a beard) was awesome, as were Dave, Kaylail (sp), Jonathan, and Nick - our snuba instructor.
This company has "customer service" down pat - from the great crew to the abundance of food they serve. Note that you do NOT need to eat before this cruise. We departed at 8am and had cinnamon rolls & juice, then fresh chips and salsa and soft-drinks, lunch was chicken breast, rice and caesar salad and finally ice cream with chocolate!
We did snuba, which is probably a bit better than just plain snorkelling. There is no point doing scuba diving here, unless it is your first time. The time in the water is just way too short and you see just as much snorkeling. They took us to Molokini and the Turtle Island. We saw a ton of cool fish, rays, and sea turtle -
Review from Noelle J.
The World According to Noelle
Allergic Girl's Guide to Life
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Maui Honeymoon Review Series
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Trilogy Excursions has been in business for over 30 years. I remember going on my first Trilogy Excursion when I was ten years old. When ever we vacationed in Maui the family always picked Trilogy for our snorkel trips.
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Current Experience
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My husband and I were on our honeymoon recently in Maui. This is my husband's first time to Hawaii. We originally booked the Molokini trip but changed it to the Lani tour. The husband and I arrived early so we parked in the appointed parking lot and met the Trilogy representative. We boarded the boat, had introductions to the crew, started off to Lani. For breakfast we had the most amazing homemade cinnamon rolls. For a light lunch- sandwich wraps (turkey, tuna or veggie in a tortilla). Free soda and juice readily available. We spotted dolphins and were watching them for a fair amount of time- it was beautiful. When we finally arrived on Lani we docked, boarded a bus and headed off to the Hulopoe Beach. We were instructed where to snorkel and how to fit our gear.
The snorkeling was disappointing. It was cloudy and not many fish as in years past. We only snorkeled for an hour then headed back so we could go on the Lani bus tour of the island. The island tour was great and informative.
The guides were friendly, knowledgeable and kind. After the tour we had dinner. Dinner was decent except for the swarm of flies we had to fight off while eating- not fun!
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TIPS
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1. Pack light snacks (crackers, fruit cups, bottled water) - this will tied you over right before or after snorkeling.
2. Be sure to reapply your sunblock!
3. Wear your flip flops to the green umbrella when you get your defogger, then toss your flops when you get closer to the water. My husband and I almost burned our feet from the extremely hot sand.
4. Bring extra money if you want to purchase a t-shirt or hat.
Noelle's Notes
The Lani snorkeling is not as good as it used to be- there are less fish and its cloudy hence my 3 star rating.
The crew is definitely informative, personable and kind- 5 stars all the way.Listed in: Noe's Maui List
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Review from Alex L.
San Jose, CA
2/10/2011
Yup, the Trilogy tour we took mostly lived up to the zillions of awesome reviews.
The service is great; truly friendly, thoughtful people nurture you through the day. The highlights for me were easily:
1) The whale watching. We went mid February and there were whales every where. We saw maybe 12 jumps in to the air by whales. Awesome.
2) The beach/snorkeling. A beautiful beach with truly top notch snorkeling awaits. The beach was not crowded and Trilogy supplies chairs, mats, and snorkeling equipment.
The one downside is that the food is only ok. Cinnamon buns are tasty, but were cold and ran out fast. The lunch and dinner were good, not very good, just good. Also, had to swat away flies constantly during dinner.
Overall - definitely worth it. An awesome experience. -
Review from Anita I.
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
8/31/2011
Thank you Trilogy staff. We were fortunate enough to experience both the sunset cruise as well as the day trip to Lanai. Captain Yoshi is hilarious. The rest of the crew was excellent. The food was delicious (especially on the Lanai trip). We will return!
