We had a great time with Captain Shay! He recruited another captain with a boat so we had plenty of room for all 13 of us! We stayed side by side all day. He took us out to the gulf and we got to watch dolphins swim right next to our boat! Then we spent the rest of the day at crab island with tons of floats, toys and fun! Highly recommend.

Great experience! Captain Shay was the best captain I’ve ever had. Went to see dolphins, then to crab island, and took us to a nice private spot. Was really cool, couldn’t have asked for a better Experience. So much fun.

Shay made our party experience amazing!!! He catered to us and made our pick up location convenient so we didn’t have to drive or Uber!! Shay took us around the beautiful waters. Shay knows the best spots at crab island. Pulled us up right in the middle of the party around the perfect boats. The drone footage is an amazing amenity and was perfect for our group! If you are planning a bachelorette and want a captain for crab island this is the best option!

Not reliable!! We booked with Shay months ago for a bachelorette trip. He called the day before the trip, not even 24 hours in advance to let us know he couldn’t accommodate 10 people when originally he told us he would be able to. He then said we would have to take separate pontoons & the price would change. THE DAY BEFORE. Please do not use Shay or this Company. Unreliable!!!!!!!

We had the most amazing time yesterday ! Captain Shay made sure we had an amazing experience on his pontoon boat. We went from 2pm-8pm, He took us to crab island, to see dolphins, to get sand dollars and all of the most beautiful spots across the emerald coast that he could find! He let us play the music we wanted, was kind, professional, laid back and just an overall comfortable & good (perfect) time ! Book Captain Shay & I promise you won’t be disappointed!

This was an awesome experience!! We booked this just to go to Crab Island but we got so much more than we bargained for. Captain Shay made sure we saw tons of marine life and even attempted twice to get us a sand dollar. He dove straight off the boat which was beyond nice! We saw a mana ray, sharks, dolphins and even a HUGE loggerhead turtle! Then, we went to Crab Island for the remainder of the day where we hung out on the floats with music and enjoyed good vibes with all of the people. Captain Shay was hospitable and made sure we were taken care of the entire time. I would highly recommend booking with Captain Shay and we are looking forward to doing it again very soon.

This past weekend my son rented a pontoon from Paradise Adventures. What can I say about Paradise Adventures? They are just awesome! Everyone that works there is friendly, helpful. Make sure your next rent for a pontoon boat will be with Paradise Adventures

Best captain! He took my group and I to see dolphins, and dive for sand dollars. We even got the chance to pass by a few sharks on the way to crab island. He was full of knowledge about the oceans history and loved to educated us. He took a bunch of picture and videos for us on his drone for free. The prices are very reasonable, can not beat them. All around an amazing experience. Thank you captain shay!!

Captain Robert was very accommodating & fun!!! He helped with the HUGE duck float that we purchased on Crab Island without any hesitation. He answered every question we had. He got us very close to 2 beautiful playful dolphins. We had a great time.We will definitely use Paradise Pontoon on our next visit to Destin!

Captain Shay took my family and I out today, very professional and the price was great! We saw dolphins everywhere and a few sharks. We went to Crab Island as well. Captain Shay was great, fun, knowledgeable. Would definitely recommend this charter service and will be doing it again! He also took pictures and a drone video for us. One of my daughters has a service dog and Captain Shay took this in stride, stopped specifically for us to allow the dog potty time, and was very accommodating. If I could give 10 ⭐️, I would!

My husband booked a captained pontoon for Crab Island for a group of 8. We had great communication with Angela and Captain Shay initially. Our group showed up to our designated pickup spot 15 minutes prior to departure time as requested. We got a text from Captain Shay 10 minutes before our pickup time telling us to “get comfy it will be about 20 minutes yet.” That was literally the last we heard from him. We traveled 30 minutes via Lyft to this pickup location with coolers/drinks/food etc. Tried COUNTLESS times to call and text both Captain Shay as well as Angela (whose number is left in Shay’a voicemail recording). We never received any response. Completely ghosted. Luckily we were able to find another Captain who was able to not only pick us up, but take us out to Crab Island and quiet literally saved our day (his name is Captain Sean with Cajun Jack 2 and he is absolutely amazing). While waiting for Captain Sean, we encountered another group who were waiting for Captain Shay and they mentioned that he is notorious for no showing people. Here’s a red flag- Angela appears REAL quick to respond to negative reviews, but has literally zero interest in answering the phone when her stranded clients call/text/email looking for answers. This is a scam and truly the worst business model I have ever encountered. ✌🏼

Loved Capt Shay! Super accommodating, huge perks of a float, cooler, and access for music. 10 of 10 would do it again! Thanks for showing us Kansas girls a great time!

We had this trip booked and had a confirmation email and was ghosted the day of. Captain Shay called the day before stating we could go out the next day if the weather permitted… It ended up being a sunny afternoon. I called twice and texted with no response. Highly disappointed and would not recommend this company. After talking to a friend who lives down here, the same thing happened to her.

The booking process with Angela was seamless. Our outing with Captain Shay was awesome! He was easygoing, extremely accommodating and was able to sprinkle in his knowledge about the history of the Destin area.We got on board and he let us customize our experience. He took us out to see dolphins as that was our primary purpose for the charter trip. It was AMAZING!!! Crab Island and seashell hunting were the cherries on top! Our sunset return to the dock was breath taking!If you’re looking for a great experience for your family, Paradise Pontoon is it!

We had a great time! Captain Max was an absolute pleasure! He was so unbelievably attentive, timely, and sweet. Thank you Cap Max for an unforgettable day:) !!

We had the BEST experience with Capt. Shay! He went above and beyond to make our trip to Crab Island a fun experience. There was just one hiccup that was quickly worked out for the best. I would recommend him to anyone and plan on coming back!

We hired Capitan Shay and had an AMAZING time! He was right on time and even offered to keep us out past the scheduled end time. We ran out of alcohol and he actually took us to get more!! (Not that we needed it, lol!) I’d recommend him for sure!!

Absolute worst. Don’t waste your time or money. They didn’t show up the morning we were suppose to take the boat out. Didn’t answer any phone calls. This is a joke of a business.

We had the best time yesterday with Capt. Shay!!! He is very professional and so much fun!!! We were treated like queens and his new boat was fantastic. If you like to dance and have a good time this is pontoon trip if a lifetime!! Will be booking again!!!

My friends and I just went on a bachelorette trip and tried to use this company. They put us on the book for Friday 7/23 when we called Thursday 7/22 and sent us a confirmation email. Then Friday morning 2 hours before we were supposed to leave we got a text that said the boat we were going to be going on was having “issues” so our trip was being cancelled. Friday afternoon we get a call from Captain Shay and he was apologizing for cancelling our trip, said he didn’t realize it was a bachelorette trip and would make it up to us by taking us out Saturday. They contacted us Saturday morning around 11 and said they were cutting us a deal because of all the trouble they had caused and they were taking us out and our captain would be Tyler. The girl I spoke with said she would send me the location of where they would be picking us up at Joe’s Bayou. We get to Joe’s Bayou at 12:30, we call numerous times and no one answers. I send texts to the number that had been texting me all morning with no response. We then wait until 1:15 and finally leave because we didn’t want to waste our last day of vacation waiting around on them. At 4:00 that afternoon they call and ask us where we are and where we wanted to be picked up. I then pointed out that our trip was supposed to be at 1 and we waited and called multiple numbers 30+ times and no one would answer so we left. I then asked if she really thought we waited 3 hours on them to pick us up. She then comes up with an excuse that they “lost the boat key” and kept claiming they wanted to make it up to us because they knew they had wronged us. I kept explaining it was our last day of vacation and there was nothing they could do. We were hesitant to even book with them after the other bad reviews we had read and unfortunately we tried to give them the benefit of the doubt which was a mistake. Would absolutely not recommend them to anyone they are a huge waste of time.

Captain Shay was in contact with me a week before arrival and when we arrived in Destin we spoke the morning of our trip and he explained where we were meeting. He made the boat trip fun for the whole family. He was very knowledgeable with the area we were visiting. The kids loved him and so did the adults. He took photos and videos of our group with his drone-great memories that we ourself would not be able to capture....5+ star!

We had such a great time with Captain Shea! He took us to a great place to see dolphins and we saw tons of them. We even saw them jump into the air.He took great photos and videos and provided them to us. He had lots of flotation devices and a cooler to store our drinks in. For lunch he showed us to a delicious place along the water. It was easy to get to the dock and find him. A super fun day. I recommend him highly. You won’t be disappointed!

Captain Shay was very knowledgeable, fun, and accommodating. My family and I had a blast. Many of us had never been on a boat and we felt very safe.

Book ANYWHERE ELSE! We got stood up. We booked from 3 to 8:30pm on a Saturday for a friends birthday. Captain Shay never showed up and would not answer calls or texts. We have never been more disappointed in our lives.

I came down to Destin for a Bachelorette Party and we booked a charter with Captain Shay months in advance. After reading several negative reviews, we were nervous. However, Saturday came and Captain Shay was on time and ready to show us Destin! We had a great time at Crab Island and seeing dolphins so close was a highlight of our trip! We ended the day with a beautiful sunset and a happy bride! Captain Shay went out of his was to accommodate us and make sure we had a great time! Highly Recommend!

Capt. Shay….. I truly Had “The Time of My Life!” During our Ladies Trip to Destin for the week, We all Loved it so much that we went TWICE that week! May 5th & May 7th, 2019. Capt. The services you provided to all of us Ladies were Exceptional! We couldn’t have asked for better service, hospitality or attentiveness. I do thank you on all our behalf, Especially Mine, for the most wonderful excursions I have ever encountered. On top of the awesome drone videos and pictures you provided us, I got some pretty good videos of the dolphins myself. Would love to cruise with you again sometime! Keep in touch. I will definitely be sending my family and friends your way to charter with you when they visit Destin. Take care, Nelda

We had a great experience with Captain Shay!!! We had 7 adults 52 and older and he made us feel like young kids !! We saw Dolphins, manta ray, spotted ray, loggerhead turtle and spinner sharks. Then crab island and an awesome float! Great time and will definitely call him again if we are in Destin!!Thank you !! B.Higgs and our Texas Crew

This was a great experience! Captain Shay made it fun for the kids! Highly recommend this for anyone looking for a fun boat trip.

We absolutely had a blast with Paradise Pontoon! Captain Shay was THE BEST! Ive raved about his business and customer service to friends and family and would recommend him to everyone. Ive been to Crab Island many times but this trip was special. Captain Shay brought us cruising around, showed us Holiday Isle and the celebs that lived there plus Crab Island. We ended the day up close and personal with dolphins at sunset! It was something Ill never forget. On top of that he brought his drone to take photos and videos of us so we didnt have to keep up with our photos AND he provided all the water bottles, ice and the cooler space that we needed. The service was amazing, he was so easy to communicate with and we had so much fun! An experience Ill never forget! Will never go back to Crab Island without Captain Shay being my chauffeur! Dont miss out, book with Paradise Pontoon!

I booked this for my upcoming trip to Destin via a booking service that takes a small deposit. The week before the trip, I’m calling to get info and come to find out, there’s no record of my booking, I send the Capt Shay my screen shots, call him and text him. A quick “got it” text back and instructions about a “google calendar invite” for confirmation that never arrived. I called and text and received zero response. I called around to other boat companies in Destin only to find out that this business is notorious for “standing people up”. No wonder this guy wanted cash for payment. Unbelievable. I’m glad I was persistent in trying to gather details because if not, I would have ended up with no boat for my requested time. Please save yourself the unnecessary headache. I read the previous bad reviews and tried to give it the benefit of the doubt but clearly, not everyone is good.

Not professional AT ALL. Very rude in how the communicate with customers. Do NOT recommend!!

It was such an amazing experience! Captain Shay made this experience a really wonderful one! We saw the dolphins, enjoyed the music he played for us, went to cute little private islands and he cared for us like family! We just loved it! Highly recommend this experience!

We had a great pontoon experience captain, Shey was excellent and really catering to what we wanted for our family experience . We got to see dolphins , sharks we got to go fast and ride the waves and visit some tropical spots . Angela from the office also did a great job as well !! From beginning to end so I would definitely book with them again . Pam

Captain Shay was FANTASTIC! Very responsive when booking our outing and only cared about providing us the best experience!He was very informative, great with the kids, we had an AMAZING experience!My family and I did a water burial for my mom and he made it a special experience!We will book again! THANK YOU CAPTAIN SHAY!

Had a great day with my wife and her parents out on the water with Captain Shay. We visited crab island and floated around on floats he provided, saw SO many dolphins, and got some local seafood from one of his favorite places.We had a great time hanging out with him on the water and it was so nice to have a captain who knew where to go and what to do so we could drink and relax. Highly recommend for families or adult groups. GREAT tour and one of the best values we found after calling around.

My kids and I had a great time with Paradise Pontoon Rentals. Capt Shay makes your time out at sea fun and knows where to go. You could rent a pontoon for a couple more hours for the same price, but believe me when I say this, you will not see the things you will see if you go out with Shay.Capt Shay makes sure you are getting the experience you were looking for whether that be diving for sand dollars, hanging out with dolphins or having some fun out on Crab Island. We had a BLAST!!! He even films your experience with his drone so that you have something to remember your vacation experience with Paradise Pontoon and Captain Service!!!Thank you Shay, well be back next year!!

My family and I decided to try this out while on vacation and we do not regret it one bit.. This was one of the best experiences weve had thus far. Captain Shay was so knowledgeable about the area and told us some really great stories about Destin. This was the highlight of my family and I vacation. I would highly recommend to anyone visiting the Destin area to give this a shot. We even saw dolphins up close! Not mention, Captain Shay was one of the nicest, sweetest, hospitable people we have ever met. He was so accommodating to everyones needs! If I ever visit Destin again, Ill definitely be going back out on the pontoon boat with Captain Shay!

This past weekend I went to Destin, FL for my 40th birthday. I went online and made the reservation in Feb 2021 and called on Monday before the weekend to confirmed everything before we left for the weekend. I was told the captain would reach out to me on Friday. Friday came and it was 3 pm and I never heard from anyone. So I called and spoke with Angela and said she he call you in the morning. I never heard anything on Saturday Morning and our reservation for 6 adults was at 11 am. So I started to call and text at 9 am and still no response from either the captain or Angela the booking agent. So we had to scrumble to find something else to do. We never heard back from the Captain until 1145 am which was 45 mins after the reservation was supposed to start. Worst experience ever.... especially when you plan your whole trip around this experience. I would not recommend this experience to anyone.

We had an AMAZING pontoon tour of Destin with Captain Shay! He was friendly, fun, and provided excellent service. By the end of the day he felt like one of the family. It was the BEST day of our entire trip.We saw SO many dolphins, floated on crab island, and he took us to eat at a great place by the harbor. We can’t wait to book with him again on our next trip. Highly recommend!!!

My girls and I had an amazing experience with Captain Shay!! He knows all the great spots to see dolphins and so much more!! Captain Shay went above and beyond to accommodate us in our trip! I have went on multiple tours around Florida and this private tour was the best I have ever experienced!! He has a warm welcoming personality, I HIGHLY recommend him as your captain. I will definitely be booking him as my captain for all of my Destin trips!!!

A girl on my trip, Emily, had booked and confirmed our boat ride with this company the day before. We had texted and called at least 5 times to confirm the day of because there was rain. He told us “rain or shine, it’s up to us” the night before. We show up to the destination after spending 100 dollars on a taxi on an hour commute and he is nowhere to be found. Has not called or texted to explain or cancel. 11 girls plus a bride were stranded in Destin with no ride back expecting to be on a boat for the day. I have never seen with a more unprofessional company and I am so disappointed. We still have not received any messages or calls from the owner. Take your business elsewhere. Absolutely inexcusable.

Our appointment was for 2 o’clock today July 31st and no one has yet to snow up. We have called 1000 times and no one is answering. What kind of business is this???

We Chartered with Captain Shay for my sister’s 50th birthday party and had a blast. Captain Shay was very knowledgeable and tons of fun. He made the outing so much fun! We saw tons of dolphins and did lots of dancing! I would highly recommend Paradise Pontoons for a special event!

Our family had a blast with Captain Shay! Took us to some awesome spots to snorkel, see dolphins and get some great lunch! The day flew by too fast, so we will definitely be back for another trip. He was a fun Captain and interacted great with us and our kids, from our little ones to our teenagers. It was their favorite part of our week long stay in DestinSide note...we had to reschedule due to weather and he was very accommodating, in constant communication and very punctual

Captain Shay is the BEST! We came for a Bachelorette trip Labor Day weekend & we had a blast at crab island!!!! He was so welcoming & helped us celebrate our sweet friend! I’m going to be using him again in a few months for another bachelorette trip! I highly recommend using Captain Shay!!!

DONT BOOK WITH THIS COMPANY!!!! This is completely a scam and my friends and I were completely disappointed that The Captain was a no show. After booking with him thru his website, and taking my deposit, and getting the email confirmation, he did not call, text, or email us back. He finally found the time to answer us back later that night to only blame his heavy workload and how he needs to hire office staff to help him. He did have time to jump on Facebook live to promote another charter he was doing....he sucks. I had people in from all over to help celebrate a birthday and he ruined it.

Negative 10 experience. DO NOT BOOK WITH THESE PEOPLE! Captain shay is who we spoke with on two different occasions booking our day!!! He sent us pictures confirming everything! Today we get a call from his rude “booking manager” saying he should have never told us we could have that many hours at that price and that they’ve booked over us and don’t have a pontoon for us! KEEP IN MIND THIS IS ONE WEEK BEFORE MY BACHELORETTE PARTY and our reservations were made before MARCH! My trip was scheduled for 4.17.21 and now I am scrambling to find a boat and captain!After this so called booking manager called us we text and called captain shays personal number twice and no answer or text back!!!!!What a joke!!!!Also while frantically calling places in seating today trying to find a boat and captain a week before my trip I tell the places what happened to me with this and they all said he and his business should be taken off the internet that this is something that happens regularly!!!And it won’t let me respond you you’re response!!!****so I’ll add in here that we contacted you about putting a despiser down!!! And YOU SAID WE DO NOT NEED TO, THAT WE ARE IN THE BOOKS AND YOU THEN SENT US A SCREEN SHOT OF US ON YOUR CALENDAR!!! You’re excuses and a liar. Yeah? 8-2? We have a huge group going with another group that all planned around 11-5 so no your last minute 8-2 choice didnt work!!!

Wasted a day waiting on a captain that never showed up or who would not respond to call or text beware the person you do talk to is just like a dispatcher they can not help you if you no one shows up but thanks for wasting are day!!

Captain Shay is absolutely AMAZING!! This was my first time on a pontoon boat and I truly enjoyed every minute! His professionalism and concern for my family was truly off the charts! pI can beyond excited to use his services again next Spring!!!

**DO NOT BOOK RENTAL WITH CAPTAIN***If I could give zero stars I would I booked this company a month and a half ago and was supposed to have a rental for this upcoming Friday 4/9 with a captain, go to text the captain today and she just responded saying I know nothing about this, Ill call the booking service and tell them to refund your deposit. Absolute rip off!

My girls and I rented a boat from Paradise Pontoon and Captain Shay did NOT disappoint! Captain Shay made us feel very comfortable and he was VERY knowledgeable about the area! We were really interested in seeing dolphins and he found us a gold mind of 12 dolphins! I was very impressed with the service and the value. We cant wait to do it again!

Our group went out with Shay to celebrate Rockin’ Robin’s 50th and it was the highlight of the trip! That is saying a lot, because there were many!!! We had an absolute blast and loved seeing all the dolphins. Shay was awesome and made our pontoon boat ride so fun!

As an avid traveler, my experience with paradise pontoons is the worst I’ve ever had with a company selling an experience in 15+ years of traveling both domestically and internationally. While there are numerous reviews citing great experiences with captain shay’s and his service, mine WAS NOT ONE OF THEM. After Captain Shay confirmed our private trip, he STOOD US UP day of, never to answer texts or calls when the time came to depart for our boat. To this day, we have not heard back from him. After intensive review searching, I’ve found this is NOT a rare occurrence for this company and often patrons are stood up, left stranded, show up to an agreed upon spot / time and disappointed as Paradise Pontoons does not provide the agreed upon service. Long story short, maybe you’ll have a great experience with this company as the five stars reviews reflect but there’s also a high likelihood you’ll be stood up day of and have to scramble to find an alternative during your beach getaway. I would NOT RECOMMEND taking the chance when there’s so many other great companies that can provide these services with more reliability.

We booked with Shay months in advance and received confirmation. On the day of our trip per his instructions we arrived at the departure location where he never ended up showing up at. We called and text but never got any response. Do not book with this man. He is unreliable, not responsive, and is illegitimate. We learned from others this is a regular occurrence with him. He shows up when he feels like it. I would not recommend ever using Shay.

CAPTAIN SHAY IS THE MAN!!!I went on a gut feeling about choosing this service and my gut never lies. The skipper called to tell us where to meet up and when we got there on time he was in the water ready and waiting to go. He took care of us and made sure we had a good time from then on. As we headed towards crab island the dolphins swam with us as if they were showing us the way and the sound of freedom could be heard overhead from the fighter jets passing by. The skipper pointed out cool landmarks along the way and was very informational about the history of Destin. We anchored down in crab island and had a blast while the captain took some aerial photos with his drone “which is included at no additional cost”. I hadn’t had that much fun in years. After leaving our mark on crab island we departed to Noriega point where we got to spend some time on the beach and hang out like rockstars. It was a day well spent and I can’t wait to come back next year to book again. Do yourself a huge favor and call the skipper today for a experience you won’t forget and memories you won’t regret.Trust your gut feeling and party like rock stars with the skipper .Thanks again cap!!!

Shay was an excellent Captain providing us detailed information about the area, history of Destin, sites of the area, professional boatmanship, pictures, videos from his drone, entertainment, music, laughs and plenty of dolphin & shark sightings. He provided plenty of hospitality and allowed our crew of four to enjoy “The Gulf”. 😎I’d highly recommend his services to you and your party for a fun day on the Gulf and bay waters. Land sucks, but a day on the water is always a great day!

We couldnt have been more happy with our day on the water and its very much because of Captain Shay! He was accommodating, knowledgeable, hilarious and kind. He was very flexible with the content of our tour. We stopped at two delicious restaurants, a beachfront and saw so many dolphins. He knew so much about the area. He also took such great care of us! I highly recommend him!

All I can say is that Captain Shay was one of the most fun, personal, and knowledgeable experiences in Destin that we’ve taken. If you want to go to see some amazing ocean wildlife and see something besides the bay, book this tour. You will not regret it!

Captain Shay and Captain Britt took us on an amazing day of boating and fun on crab island, our bachelorette party of 13 had a wonderful time, they were accommodating, fun, and knew what we needed before we even knew!! We even got to see dolphins on our way home! I highly recommend booking Captain Shay, we will definitely be returning customers!

Great time with Shay! Can’t say enough great things about our trip. Would highly recommend to others!!

We had an amazing time with Captain Shea, so happy he was able to book us a trip with such a busy schedule! Would definitely recommend! We saw many dolphins up close!!

We had the most amazing time with Captain Shay! We set sail for a bachelorette party and all the girls had an amazing time. We saw manatees, jelly fish, and dolphins, and got to experience crab island. I highly recommend Captain Shay. We will definitely be booking again!

Captain Shay saved our day when he texted me back that we could leave within two hours the SAME DAY! I was hesitant based on reviews but shame on me ... Shay picked us up and took us out for a great day ... crab island, gulf, sand dollar diving, and even saw a few dolphins (and a harmless shark)! We ended after sunset and lots of great memories! He so obviously loves the water and wants to show his guests the good spots and experiences! We got to do a little drone searching and left with a fun video! I would definitely recommend Shay and he will provide you with the best experience!

*Do not book. Do not pay any deposit.* We had booked a trip with Captain Shay just recently for a surprise for a bachelorette party. He confirmed via text and phone call the Wednesday before. But day before, we texted with time for departure as requested and received no reply. We showed up morning of at the departure location and he was a NO SHOW. Thankfully we did not pay anything up front, which should have been red flag #1. The guys at the neighboring company informed us that this is a regular occurrence and was surprised this guy still gets bookings. I would highly highly recommend you never book with him.

Take this advice:Skip the overcrowded Harborwalk area and the tourist trap big yellow boat dolphin cruise and treat yourself to a personalized experience. Paradise Captain Service will let you fish, show you the area, and take you to the best dolphin viewing areas.Captain Shay loaded our gear onto to his boat, had a cooler full of water, and took some awesome video with his drone.On a pontoon you are much closer to the water which allows you to see the individual characteristics of each dolphin.The most important thing I can tell you is that Captain Shay is laid back and more fun than watching the drunks trying to ride scooters on Old Highway 98!I could not have hoped for a trip that was so much fun. Thank you to God and Captain Shay!The photo attached to this review is one of most curious critters we encountered during our trip.

Captain Shay was great with our group! He was very knowledgeable and willing to take us wherever we wanted to go! Very prompt and even helped with a surprise for the bride by picking up her mom who just flew in at a restaurant and giving her the best surprise! Took us to see all kinds of dolphins which was one of the best parts in my opinion! Definitely highly recommended!

Captain Shay was a fabulous captain. We got to do so much and learn so much about Destin. We saw dolphins, took drone shots on the beach, and had some amazing tuna. Captain Shay’s service was top notch, and we got the opportunity to do so many things that a normal pontoon service would not. And it was very affordable compared to other This is a hidden gem, hopefully we can do it again some time! Thanks Captain Shay!!

Captain Shay of Paradise Pontoon should be named captain Shady! We booked with him well in advance and spoke with him about details in depth the evening before about pick up location. He simply NO SHOWED. All 8 kids were disappointed and sad. CAPTAIN MAX saved the day!

We had a great day with captain shay! We booked my bachelorette cruise with him and were super impressed with his knowledge about the area and he gave us a great time! I would 100% book him again and am so thankful for having him to host us :)

So glad we found Captain Shay!!! This was not only a crab island trip, but he took us to see dolphins, took high quality, amazing drone pictures of us all (you get the pictures at the end of the tour) and so much more!!We have rented boats to crab island before, but this is the way to go! After year as of hearing us talk about Destin, our parents decided to come along. They specifically wanted to go to crab island and I was getting concerned after ALL boat rentals were booked!! I somehow found Captain Shay and I can honestly say it was meant to be! 🤩He took us to crab island first, he provided floats, ice chest with ice for our drinks/snacks, loud speakers for our music and the COOLEST part....he has a drone that took pictures AND videos of us from up high and up close and the pictures look like professional quality!!! They came out way better then we could have taken on our own and show so much of the water and background, we were amazed at how he flew that thing!! He also took video of us all waving from up high, so cool!We asked him if he could take us to the jetties and he happily did, we saw dolphins up close there and the sun was getting ready to set it was beautiful 💕 he also let us get off at the jetties and you can snorkel there if you choose (lots of fish to see there of you snorkel).Overall I would reccomend him 100x! Awesome experience for us, way better than renting our own boat which also is stressful with all of the wavers and worry about damaging it etc. Captain Shay took the stress out of all of that for us, AMAZING TIME!!👏🤙

Had an amazing experience with Paradise Pontoon. Shay took my group of friends out for the fourth of July holiday to watch the fireworks over Destin Harbor and it was such a great experience. Hes very knowledgeable of the area, professional and was very welcoming to our group. I will definitely book with Paradise again the next time Im in Destin.

I had a trip booked 2 months in advance with this joker. We got dropped off at the pickup location per his direction. He never showed up and would not answer. Come to find out, he stood another group up as well that morning. We were saved by another captain service - crab island cruises. DO NOT BOOK WITH THIS LOSER

DO NOT BOOK!!DID NOT SHOW UP.Made plans all week and sent an official looking Google Cal invite. Then the day of did now show up to the marina and turned off his phone so as not to be contacted.Alternatively definitely book Crab Island Cruise!!

Our family boat excursion with Captain Shay was the highlight of our trip! We wanted to see the sights without being on a crowded boat of strangers. Captain Shay customized our experience, going above and beyond to make everyone feel comfortable. We had a whole lot of fun seeing many dolphins, a sea turtle, playing at Crab Island, sand dollars, and snorkeling. We didn’t want to get off the boat! Afterwards, he sent us drone footage of incredible clarity for us to treasure. Shay, we’ll be visiting you again!

Wow! “Special” does not adequately describe our excursion with Captain Shay today ! We were looking for a private charter for a family of 5 to see dolphins and dive for sand dollars. Captain Shay was on time, easy to communicate with and very knowledgeable about the area and navigating the waters. Since it’s mid-March and only in the 60s, Captain Shay recommended that we dress warm and bring jackets for the 3-hour ride. He anticipated that we would show up in summer clothes and he had heavier jackets waiting for us. He was also very helpful in getting my 72-year old mother on and off the boat since she’s in a wheel chair with a hurt leg. She is terrified of water and Captain Shay immediately put her at ease with his great sense of humor! My 12 year old daughter had the time of her life watching over 30 dolphins play around our boat for well over an hour! As if that wasn’t enough, the icing on the cake was when Capt Shay anchored the boat and dove in with my daughter so she would feel safe enough to find a sand dollar on the Gulf floor. Capt Shay took high quality pictures and videos from a drone and downloaded them on my phone before we got off the boat! Occasionally, we get lucky with some great experiences when we travel! Today was one of those days. My family will talk about excursion forever! Thank you for taking such great care of us!

Had reservation at 8. Showed proof of reservation and receipt. Says he was not told about the appointment. Their company took the money without giving us the refund. Apparently this is a regular occurrence.

Captain Shay!!! Can’t say enough about our trip! He did an amazing job skirting us all over the ocean. We got a history tour, dolphin and flying fish tour as well as some chill time in crab island. He used his drone to take photos and video of our crew!! He has ice and water on board along with a cooler big enough for all of your drinks and food! He offered to take us to the local drive up food places as well as rest rooms! He was so fun and such a nice guy we will be using his services from here on out!! You will not be disappointed when you choose Captain Shay!!

One of the coolest experiences ever. Captain Shay is very accommodating. Takes you to the best spots on the water. He helped us carry our stuff and even played with the kids in the water. Can’t wait to come back and go boating with Captain Shay again. Everyone must try this experience 👍👍

Shay is the best on the emerald coast!! He has taken my family on multiple excursions and always knows where to go. Everyone knows the mainstream places to go, but Shay knows where all the hidden spots are. I’d book with him a thousand times over.

We were quoted a price weeks in advance when we chose this company. Days before our trip, the price doubled due to “supply & demand“- aka a busy Memorial Day weekend which was noted in the reserved date weeks ahead of time. We had 11 people show up at the time and place that we received the confirmation email for on the day of, after agreeing to the doubled price (because at that point, no other charters were available) and the captain’s phone was went straight to voicemail as we set there for an hour. People in our party drove from 2+ hours away, others had flown in from out of state for this and it was a complete now show. Do not book this person- total scam. Our weekend was ruined and he went rogue.

Captain Shay is great with kids and all about giving customers what they are looking for (within reason). We wanted to see Dolphins; that was our main goal. Shay knew where to go and we saw many right close to our boat! Crab Island is beautiful! We let our kids do the obstacle course there, relaxed and looked for hermit crabs and shells for a couple hrs. Shay took a video with his drone for us to keep too. Communication is key in getting what you want and knowing your options ahead of time. Be sure to ask questions and plan out your boat tour. We had a great time! Shay was great to work with despite how busy his schedule can be doing charter services. Be sure to tip the Captain.

We went out with Captain Shay and we had a great time! Captsin Shays main priority was that we had fun doing what we wanted to do. We got to snorkel with fish, ride right next to dolphins, and my son even got to go tubing. Next time we are in Destin we plan on booking a couple trips.

Captain Shay’s boat tour will not disappoint! He clearly loves being on the water and goes above and beyond to make sure you have a great time! We were lucky enough to see a sea turtle, dolphins, sharks, and even find some sand dollars. We ended the day chillaxing at Crab Island. Our day with Shay was definitely a highlight of our trip. We will use him again!

You haven’t lived until you’ve taken a pontoon boat tour with Captain Shay! He greeted us with a smile, a helping hand and obliged us by taking us to the typical tourist spots that we read on google we “must see”. Our highlight of the trip was actually the spots that he took us away from the tourist. Our 3 preschool aged kids had the best time searching for sea creatures. The Captain provided us with with water, float toys and he even captured our adventure on his drone camera that he downloaded to our phone at the end of the trip. This was a once of lifetime opportunity that Our family look back on with fond memories.

DO NOT BOOK A TRIP WITH THIS COMPANY...YOU WILL NEVER ACTUALLY GET TO GO ON THE BOAT TRIP. I never write reviews, good or bad. I never take the time to write them. However, in this case I want to make sure that no one else experiences the same thing we did. I contacted Shay on Monday, July 27th inquiring about boat captains for a boat I had booked for my best friends bachelorette party. He was very helpful and responsive and sent me some people to reach out to. When no one was available I asked if he had availability on Friday, August 14th and he said yes so I booked his services. I received an email confirmation a few days later with the details of our trip (we booked an all day cruise), he even customized it with the bride and grooms names. He mentioned he offered a shuttle service so I reached out to him a few days prior to our trip to book the shuttle service in which his roomate/ex girlfriend, Jamie was to pick us up at 9:00am on Friday morning from Seaside. He called to discuss confirmations with me that Tuesday before and as you can see from our text thread he confirmed that Jamie would be there at 9:00am sharp...if not a few minutes before! on that Thursday evening. However, JAMIE NEVER CAME, CAPTAIN SHAY NEVER RESPONDED, answered my phone calls, emails, etc. We sat at our house for 2 hours waiting for him to respond to let us know what happened and WE NEVER HEARD BACK. I left 3 voicemails and as you can see from the texts I never heard from him again. We found several reviews buried deep under all the 5 star reviews that encountered the same situation as us. These groups were either stranded at the docs, lead to a strange house or never heard from Captain Shay again. Apparently, this man who runs this business is known as Captain Shady and I can see why. He shows no remorse for what he does to people and does not deserve to be running a business. As an entrepreneur myself, it sickens me that someone could just leave a bunch of girls stranded with no other options. His prices seem great, and almost too good to be true. BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. Do not book paradise pontoon or you will surely be stranded like us. Luckily an incredible company heard what had happened to us and offered us a spot on their boat. Book CRAB ISLAND WATER SHUTTLE instead. Captain Q showed us an amazing time and made up for the 3 hours we sat scrambling trying to put our day back together. If you are a betting man/woman, then do not place your bet on Captain Shay and Paradise Pontoon. He will let you down and not care if he is doing so. DO NOT GIVE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY TO SOMEONE LIKE THAT.

DO NOT BOOK A TRIP WITH THIS COMPANY...YOU WILL NEVER ACTUALLY GET TO GO ON THE BOAT TRIP. I never write reviews, good or bad. I never take the time to write them. However, in this case I want to make sure that no one else experiences the same thing we did. I contacted Shay on Monday, July 27th inquiring about boat captains for a boat I had booked for my best friends bachelorette party. He was very helpful and responsive and sent me some people to reach out to. When no one was available I asked if he had availability on Friday, August 14th and he said yes so I booked his services. I received an email confirmation a few days later with the details of our trip (we booked an all day cruise), he even customized it with the bride and grooms names. He mentioned he offered a shuttle service so I reached out to him a few days prior to our trip to book the shuttle service in which his roomate/ex gilfriend, Jamie was to pick us up at 9:00am on Friday morning from Seaside. He called to discuss confirmations with me that Tuesday before and as you can see from our text thread he confirmed that Jamie would be there at 9:00am sharp...if not a few minutes before! on that Thursday evening. However, JAMIE NEVER CAME, CAPTAIN SHAY NEVER RESPONDED, answered my phone calls, emails, etc. We sat at our house for 2 hours waiting for him to respond to let us know what happened and WE NEVER HEARD BACK. I left 3 voicemails and as you can see from the texts I never heard from him again. We found several reviews buried deep under all the 5 star reviews that encountered the same situation as us. These groups were either stranded at the docs, lead to a strange house or never heard from Captain Shay again. Apparently, this man who runs this business is known as Captain Shady and I can see why. He shows no remorse for what he does to people and does not deserve to be running a business. As an entrepreneur myself, it sickens me that someone could just leave a bunch of girls stranded with no other options. His prices seem great, and almost too good to be true. BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. Do not book paradise pontoon or you will surely be stranded like us. Luckily an incredible company heard what had happened to us and offered us a spot on their boat. Book CRAB ISLAND WATER SHUTTLE instead. Captain Q showed us an amazing time and made up for the 3 hours we sat scrambling trying to put our day back together. If you are a betting man/woman, then do not place your bet on Captain Shay and Paradise Pontoon. He will let you down and not care he is doing so. DO NOT GIVE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY TO SOMEONE LIKE THAT.

Captain Shay went above and beyond to ensure we had a great experience. He took us into the gulf to see dolphins! He was such a sweetheart. He ensured that every aspect of our trip was satisfactory. He went above and beyond, we felt very safe with him (we were all girls). He even had a drone and took pictures for us and we downloaded them to our phones. He was very professional, such a kind heart. Highly recommend!!! You will be happy with him!!!! :)

Just finished my 5th charter with Paradise Pontoon and Captain Shay. I had been with various adult groups in the past, but this was my first time with kids. As usual, everything about the trip was absolutely perfect. Captain Shay has a real gift for connecting with his passengers and planning out a customized itinerary. Our family will never forget swimming with the dolphins and all of the fun at Crab Island. Looking forward to our next trip already!

10/10 will be booking Captain Shay in the future! He made my crew feel comfortable and safe⚓️ I really recommend🤩

This guy completely ignored my calls at the time of my appointment and never reached o again. He was responsive up till our actual meeting time. It was for a bachelorette and he never returned our calls or showed up. NEVER EVER BOOK WITH HIM!!!!! Don’t waste your time!!! Very very frustrating.

I wish there was a way to leave a zero star review! We had a reservation for 1:30 and even called the day before to make sure we still were coming; well 1:30 came around and the captain wouldn’t answer his phone or anything! The address provided took us to some house where no one was home and I know we called our captain at least 70 times! It messed up a lot of plans for us! I’m sure they are great if you can ever get on the boat actually or at least find it!

READ BEFORE “BOOKING”!!!!! My party of 7 (girls trip) contacted Shay about a month before our trip. We booked an afternoon with him for this past Friday (June 19th). On June 17th, we read reviews (should have done so earlier) and got concerned. I used this as an opportunity to defend himself. I called him immediately and spoke with him for 7 minutes. The entire time he reassured me that he had overbooked a few times but has fixed this issue and will give us, “the best time we’ve ever had in Florida”. On Thursday evening, he called me and CONFIRMED our trip for the following day. I was out and about when he called so I asked that he text me the info we spoke about! No text ever came. The next morning I called him and texted several times (from multiple phones) to confirm and get more information. Even though we didn’t hear back, We decided to still try to meet him where he initially said to. YOU GUESSED IT... NO SHOW! Wouldn’t answer, text... nothing! Thankfully, La Dolce Vita saved the day and had a boat ready for us in minutes and said that this was the second group they had to save from shipwreck Shay just that day. So if you’re trying to decide on who to use, save yourselves a lot of time, get off this page and call La Dolce Vita NOW! If you chose to continue to chance it and book Shay anyway because his prices are so good, you’ll be standing on the dock looking as stupid as we did! You’ve been warned. Book at your own risk.

We rented a pontoon from Paradise Pontoon today for 5 hours. The boat was VERY clean and like brand new. Shay delivered our boat in a timely manner and gave us extremely helpful hints as to where to dock and ride. I would recommend anyone in the Destin/Ft. Walton to use Paradise Pontoon. One of the best features is that Shay came over the boat with a drone while we were docked at Crab Island and took photos for us as a keepsake. He text the photos and even made us short videos to share with family and friends.

Our outing with Captain Shay was AMAZING! We really enjoyed his knowledge of the area, expertise in navigating the waters and his professional (yet relaxed) demeanor. Our trip was a morning excursion with myself, my husband and our two sons. He took time to get to know our boys and teach them about the area and the marine life. We were able to see MANY dolphins, plus huge tarpin, rays and a spinner shark. We snorkeled and dove for sand dollars, spent time in the gulf watching dolphins, enjoyed Crab Island, ate at Deweys (incredible seafood) and toured the bay. We HIGHLY recommend booking with Captain Shay. He was so fun and so prepared that it made our time with him relaxed and enjoyable. The drone pics and videos are such a wonderful way to preserve our adventures! Thank you for a wonderful time! (Sidenote: our boys are obsessed with the song he played as we headed out on the gulf. The history lesson with the song really stuck with our sons. They have not stopped singing it!)

This guy is an absolute joke. I hope this review saves people from making the mistake we did. Read all the negative reviews from this terrible captain. We had a boat booked for memorial day weekend at 1:30PM and I’m writing this at 2:20PM with still no response. We are given the directions, show up at an empty house and call him 40+ times with no answer. We had many other options for our group and trusted this scam artist with our group. He will ruin your plans, ruin your day and be such a coward he won’t even answer your calls and apologize.

I hope this guy is not still in businesses. He’s the worst type of person there is. Plans your day, no shows then texts you hours later he will close down his business and you can have the title to his boat in the process for monetary compensation. I have texts from him himself to verify. Please no one ever book this nut job.

We rented a pontoon boat from Shay and from the beginning he was so easy to work with. He was accommodating and even offered to captain our boat and take pictures for us at no charge. He took the time to go over instructions, where to go, what to look out for, etc. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and super helpful. The price was super reasonable and this will become a tradition for us every year. I would recommend Shay and his company to anyone, even if you have never rented a boat before.

Our experience went above and beyond my expectations! Shay was awesome and so was the pontoon boat. Very clean, comfortable, and just perfect for a day on the ocean. We went to crab island then went snorkeling where I was proposed to!! Best day ever! Thanks again, Shay!

Amazing experience.

We used Captain Shay for some private boating services on my bachelorette party and had the absolute best time. While the initial pickup location was a bit tricky (in part due to uber drivers with their own opinions) we quickly recovered.Captain Shay was 100% professional and 110% down for a good time - exactly what you need when dealing with a bunch of crazy girls on a bachelorette! He showed us around the water area, pointing out homes he thought wed be interested in, docked where we wanted, and took amazing drone footage of our time with him.I cannot say enough about Captain Shay and our time with him. We never wanted it to end and will 100% be back boating with him the next time we are in Destin! Highly, highly, highly recommend!