Breakaway Cruises

We did a dolphin watching tour. Our crew were very knowledgeable.
We saw lots and lots of dolphins and great, big pelicans.
The tour had a net to pull live sea life up to show and release. Unfortunately the net got caught in the propeller.
The crew dropped anchor and the captain jumped in the water to try to cut it loose. The ordeal took up the majority of the cruise and we did not get to see any sea life at the end.
I still give the guys four stars as they were very professional about resolving the situation. They took ownership of the issue, apologized and worked as fast as they could to resolve it.
Surprisingly, the kids on the tour enjoyed watching the captain dive in the water and try to cut the propeller free. I think some of them didn’t realize what they missed as a result.
Overall, the warm weather was pleasant. The dolphins were amazing.

Bought parasailing tickets for 2, the night before my scheduled time they called me (around 8pm) to reschedule and then 2 hour before the rescheduled time they told me they wouldn’t be ready to go at that time. I had to get a refund and wasn’t able to go parasailing.

We enjoyed watching the Dolphins! The staff was very friendly and very informative! There is a 10% discount if you book other excursions with them! Family friendly!!! Wilson and Courtney were great!

Long slow ride from one end to the other. The only reason it’s getting 3 stars is because of the price… cheap 23.00. We stopped in the flats… jumped off and swam around. I say save your money and go buy your own snorkeling gear…
It possibly could have got a better rating had the guides given some History of the island, species of fish, Ect basically they handed out your stuff said jump in and don’t get eaten by a shark.

Started off with snorkeling trip for husband and daughter. Daughter saw a small sea turtle and husband saw some small fish. They mostly came back saying how bad the water smelled!
Next, our 2 boys were to go parasailing. 30 minutes before the trip the company called to cancel due to no wind. They offered us other times to go but we already had plans for the times they offered; we were refunded our money.
We were supposed to go bay fishing from 6 to 10pm. We showed up to check in at 5:45 and they could not find our reservation. We showed our boarding pass that we received the day before. After a few minutes of employees scrambling to figure out what to do they finally squeezed us in. Being so upset that they cancelled parasailing and then «squeezing us on the boat» 3 of the 5 of us had our money refunded and found other activities to do. Our boys went fishing and caught about 4 fish each.
While this company did reimburse us and tried to make things right I believe we will book with another company the next time we visit SPI.

Snorkeling was a lot of fun, great crew, ect. The staff at break away cruise how ever was misleading. The caption of the snorkeling boat told his passengers that we got 10% off anything. So since coming to the SPI we wanted to go parasailing. We made reservations prior to snorkeling for 4, after we went snorkeling the staff pushed back our reservation to 5pm, which was fine at the time bc our family had to rinse off. We informed the staff member that we got 10% off bc we went snorkeling earlier that day and the staff member did not want to give us 10% off (granted its a small amount but parasailing is $ 75-​$ 100 a person) so finally we got 10% off. Then the staff member had mentioned that they were running a little behind, she failed to clarify that a little meant 2+ HOURS. Honestly we’re on vacation just for the weekend, meaning time is precious.

Wonderful time! Great crew! Beautiful dolphins. We did jet skies and dolphin tour. I recommend both! Complete blast for the family!

We were referred to Breakaway Cruises by a friend of ours, and were very pleased with everything. The ship itself was very spacious, and we weren’t cramped like other cruises, the crew was excellent and were right on top of making sure we had a great experience. The evening tour was awesome and the fireworks were a great way to end a day at the beach… it is also very inexpensive and totally worth the money.

My family of 4 booked all our water activities through this company for our vacation. First we did bay fishing, 4 hours long at 3 locations, no one caught anything but it was still a relaxing time.
Secondly, we bought a package for parasailing and jet ski. We thought the price was a great deal comparing to buying each activity separately. Parasailing was a blast. The crew was fun and informative. Jet ski was also fun. However the guide person was very strict on following the rules, which is understandable. They don’t want you to damage their stuff or other boats around.
Lastly, we went snorkeling. They took us out around 4 miles in the bay. Provided us the equipment, there were much to see underwater. It’s not as pretty like Hawaii coral reefs. I still had fun just swimming around. Overall we all had a blast. Everything went smoothly. I would definitely use them again if I go to SPI.

I purchased ten tickets for friends and their family and for my entire family. We were told that the boat was going to be leaving at 4:30 so we cut our site seeing to rush over to their loading dock by 4:15 (as was asked by the guy who sold us our tickets). When we got there, we waited and waited and by 4:50, I attempted to catch the attention of the man who was walking by (and had sold us our tickets) by saying «sir? sir?» Maybe he didn’t hear me but IMHO, he was completely ignoring me. A very nice, young lady that was walking with him turned around and politely acknowledged me and answered my question. She had very short hair and my little boy chastised me for calling her a «sir» — it took me a while to explain that I had been trying to get the MAN’S attention (and that I didn’t accidentally call a young lady a «sir»).
With that said, we finally boarded the boat a little after 5:00 p.m. We were able to see the dolphins splashing in and around the sea! My children and our friend’s children were excited to see something that we don’t get to see every day. However, the water was extremely choppy. The waves were relentlessly splashing up against our boat and I am more than sure that the captain (or skipper?) took notice of this and decided to head back towards the dock. When he attempted to do this, he made a SHARP turn… so sharp that my 8 year old son and I clung onto each other for dear life because it really looked as if the boat was about to capsize and/​or a wave of water was going to pull us in. People started screaming on both the upper and lower decks and the captain slowed down significantly. My husband, our other two kids and our friends were sitting on the other side of the lower deck and it took a few good minutes to walk over to them (as our legs felt like they were about to give out from shock).
Soon thereafter, the captain took us right back to the dock. We didn’t go under the Causeway (as other have claimed that they do on their Dolphin Watch Tours). We were back on the dock in under an hour. I’m sorry but we didn’t leave a tip. We were simply grateful to be on dry land and out of that boat!

This tour company does not respect wildlife. They ride directly over dolphins with nursing babies, causing harm to the animals. Stay away.
Apparently the owner, once informed of this practice, has taken steps to mitigate the practice of harassing wildlife. I will watch and see if they have truly changed.

Avoid this place. Deceptive. Have to pay online before booking events then you call to schedule time. If they decide not to set sail then you need to reschedule. The problem is most people here are on vacation and have things planned and may not be able to make changes. P. S. No refund policy. The only reason they get one star is Unilocal won’t let me choose zero stars. I wish Unilocal had negative star ratings.

Went on the Sunset Cruise this past weekend. The only thing keeping the experience from a 5 star is that it was supposed to take off at 6 but took off late due to them having to restock the boat. Not a huge deal but we were requested to arrive 20 mins early so would have liked not to wait so long but the actual experience was nice and informative with a tour of the bay area. The staff was also very nice. We saw 2 of the staff at a restaraunt we went to after the cruise and my nephew noticed them and they were super nice to him and really made his day with how cool they were with him. We got vouchers to take this cruise and a few other excursions with our condo rental. We only had time to do the sunset cruise but plan to take another trip to SPI to do the other things since this was such a great experience.

review about PARASAILING:
every time I’ve been to SPI, friends and I always go parasailing, and we always go here. They’ve been nothing but courteous and helpful in every aspect of the adventure. From making a reservation, to ensuring the safety and comfortability of all on board, they make even a scared passenger at ease.
I’ve seen dolphins while parasailing with this company, and breathtaking views of the island. If you’re in SPI, you MUST use this company for all of your water needs. They’re the best and I love them!

I never got to experience any of the actual parts of the package I purchased.
First, I bought the Bronze package online. It was to include the Dolphin Eco Tour, Snorkeling and Parasailing. I called into Breakaway a few times, trying to get more of an idea of the time frame for each part of the package and to figure out how to schedule it. The website says you have to call in to schedule your experience within 24 hrs of arrival.
I’d already talked to a woman a few times, letting her know I was flying from Seattle to Austin, then driving to SP from Austin and gave her the run down of what we wanted to do. She was the one who recommended the Bronze package to me. Now, to be called by Colby who left me a VM (after I bought the package online), stating their Snorkeling option wasn’t in season yet-​sort of took me aback. Why then, was I able to purchase said package online?
After several calls back and forth, we finally solidified our plans and changed the snorkeling portion of our package to include wave runners instead.
Setting the scene, it’s the day of our plans to do the excursions we planned for. I get a call, it’s Colby. Their motor has some sort of malfunction and they need to push our appt back. Well, I have a 6 hr drive back to Austin and then a plane to catch. That’s right people, I live it up to the last minute! That’s how I roll.
Colby was cool. He said he would try to figure out something and call me back. Finally, I just asked him to refund me. We didn’t get the original snorkeling in that we wanted, now the proposed Parasailing trip was delayed because of equipment woes. It just wasn’t in the cards. I showed up in person, the front desk gal grabbed Colby and it took just a few mins. They were pretty cool about the whole thing.
OH btw, they are located right next to the Coast Guard. Which, as confusing as it is… turns out, is NOT the gateway to MEXICO. FYI. That’s correct, there is no border entry into Mexico anywhere near Breakaway Cruises. Thanks for clearing that up for us, Colby.

There fishing equipment is wore out put 32 people on boat supposed to only b 25 only 2 deck hands but we did catch fish

We signed up the day before with them to go parasailing and on wave runners. We were given an appt of 12 and told to be there 15 minutes early. We showed up for our appt at 1130, and after a lot of waiting, the girl at the desk told us they were running behind and to come back at 1. An hour wasn’t long enough to do any other activity so we waited around for another hour. When we came back at 1, the girl at the desk said they had a large group out and to come back at 2. At this point we had already wasted the majority of our day. The girl at the desk was rude and apathetic. Don’t book with them! It’s a waste of your day and money, especially if your a small group or couple. They will always prioritize large groups even if you signed up first, so they can make more money. Horrible experience!

We booked a parasailing trip for 2 for $ 80 which was set for 1pm. We arrived there at 12:30 to check in and paid, as we sat there we watched the crew prepare the boat after about 30min it seems we were ready to take of but the boat would not start, We could see some confusion happening and they were trying different things to start the boat. So after 1 hr of sitting and watching this we decided to cancel because we did not want to waste more time AWAY FROM OUR FAMILY. We go up to the desk and the girl is like ow no its just gona be another 10min. we kindly said we would like to cancel and get a refund since this is a failure on your behalf YOUR boat is not starting, then she stats we have a no refund policy. SO WE WASTED 2HRS OF OUR FAMILY VACATION. DO NOT WASTE TIME WITH THIS COMPANY.

Review for DOLPHIN SUNSET CRUISE, PARASAIL, and SNORKELING!
Loved all three!
Bought the tickets online and used a summer discount code so saved a few dollars here and there.
Dolphin Sunset Cruise:
There was no sunset due because it had rained a few hours before and it was cloudy. Started out with only a couple of dolphin fins popping up here and there. However, we got lucky! The dolphins like riding the bow of big, strong ships and luckily, there were 2 big gulf coast ships nearby. For a good 10 minutes, 10 – 15 dolphins jumped in and out of the water without rest.
The only con was that it was 30 minutes too long. I think an hour and a half would have been perfect but they dragged it out to 2 hours and it wore me out a bit!
Parasail:
Service was great. The guys in charge were funny throwing subtle jokes here and there. They explained what to do in detail so that we don’t end up dying. My dad and I were up in the air for a good 10 minutes while being dipped in the water every now and then. The guys were very experienced knowing exactly when to slow down and speed up so that we go and in and out of the water.
Snorkeling:
Don’t expect Hawaii. You won’t find Nemo or Dory or a vibrant, colorful coral reef. However, it was still fun to see the grass, a few different types of fish, hermit crabs, and shells/​clams. Chips, oranges, and water were provided. The only con was the equipment/​gear. The goggles leaked every few minutes. Bring your own if you have any!

As Jim M mentioned, this is a review for the tandem parasailing alone. I wasn’t sure we were going to get our ride, because it was too windy when we got up. They called and asked if they could push back our !0am appointment to 1pm. Then they called and asked if they could push our 1pm back to 4pm– again because of the wind.
Thankfully we did get a ride, because this was an AMAZING must-​try experience. It was like floating in an invisible chair high high in the air. We could see the entirety of South Padre Island, and back to Port Isabel, and the whole bridge we’d driven across connecting the two. This is definitely not for those who have the slightest aversion to heights, as you’re basically just a human kite.
The young guys running our shift were, well, kinda party guys. Or at least one of them was. He was beyond disappointed in Jim and I when he asked what our Saturday evening plans were and I didn’t include «bar hopping» among them. He apparently DJs at one of the local clubs, and offered everyone on board a free first round of drinks if we came out that night.
His, um, personality also meant that he thought it was a bit funny to tug on the ropes while our boat companions were taking their turns in the sky «just to freak ‘em out». I thought that was a bit uncalled for considering how nervous those ladies had been.
Anyway, they did know what they were doing, and we had a safe and amazing experience. Interestingly, though we showed up in bathing suits the other two pairs on board apparently knew that getting wet wasn’t part of the experience, and they were in jeans. So yeah, it turns out that you don’t get wet! But I’d recommend you don’t bring anything up in the air with you that can fall off of you or out of your pockets. My sunglasses were fine.