What can you tell me about your trips?

Our trips are twelve-passenger party boat cruises designed for those that want to step things up a notch when compared to a traditional pontoon boat charter company. Our vessel is a spacious deck boat that has a top-of-the-line sound system, comfy faux-leather seats, color changing lights, a young and fun crew, and much more. Our trips, depending on the duration, will take you through dazzling Downtown Tampa, island hopping through the bay, and near luxurious scenery surrounding the Tampa Bay Area. Our most popular trips are 4-hour or 6-hour party boat charters. If you’re looking for a shorter, relaxing evening charter, our Sunset Charters are also an option. We offer the ability to step things up with a bottle girl/boy, DJ, or professional photographer that will accompany you throughout the day.

How many people can you take on a trip?

Our trips are limited to twelve passengers due to Coast Guard regulations. However, we work with other local charter companies that can also offer twelve passengers. We can combine our trips to take more than twelve guests, but they will be on separate boats.

Do you have a recommendation for someone who can take my group of 12+ passengers?

Yes, we have a vessel that can take up to 30 passengers. This vessel is bare-bones and is not a party vessel, but it can comfortably fit 30 passengers and take you to many of the same destinations that our primary vessel, Adventure I, can. This vessel is only available by special request.

Do you provide alcohol on your trips?

No, we cannot legally provide alcohol on our trips. We encourage you to bring your own. But, we can provide mixers and other non alcoholic drinks, as well as water. We can also stop at bars on the water while we’re cruising.

Do you have coolers on board?

Yes, under each seat is cooler space. You are more than welcome to bring your own cooler, however we have ample ice and cooler space.

Can I bring my dog?

Yes, if your dog is well behaved and under 20 lbs. Larger dogs can rip the sea-dek and seats, which cost hundreds of dollars to replace. If your dog causes any damage, you will be responsible for the fees to fix the damage.

Can we shorten a charter?

Yes, this most often happens due to sea sickness, heat, weather, or simply getting too drunk. There are no refunds if you request to shorten the length of the charter. This would normally be asked during the charter to the captain.

Can we go to the beaches in St. Pete?

No, the beaches in St. Pete are too far. For any trip longer than six hours, we can travel to Downtown St. Pete.

Will we see coral on our trip?

No, there are no coral reefs in Tampa Bay.

Can we extend a charter?

Yes, you can more than likely extend the length of the character, assuming there are no other trips booked that would conflict with the schedule. This will be billed at $100 per additional hour. If there is not another charter booked that would have a scheduling conflict, then the charter can be extended. This would normally be asked during the charter to the captain.

Can you go tubing?

Yes, we do provide the option to go tubing. There are extra precautions and safety that must occur if someone wants to go tubing. This activity is at the discretion of the captain on board at the time.

Can we go snorkeling?

No, we cannot go snorkeling. The water in Tampa Bay is not clear enough to see any marine life.

Will we see dolphins or manatees?

Potentially! About 75% of the time, we do see dolphins on a four-hour or longer charter. Seeing manatees is a bit more rare, about 20% of the four-hour or longer charters do see manatees, but it is rare.

Are there sharks in the water?

Yes, it is a natural body of brackish water. Hundreds of people per day swim in Tampa Bay and do not have any issues with sharks. The most common sharks are bonnethead sharks, which feed on shrimp, snails, and seagrass. They are not dangerous to humans.

What snacks do you provide?

The most common snacks are chips, however we encourage you to bring your own food on charters. Our snacks are just that - they're not meals.

What other items, like sunscreen, should I bring?

We recommend bringing any alcohol you would like to consume, meals, energy drinks, towels, sunglasses, and any “party favors” that you would like to consume. We always have extra sunscreen and water on board.

Who drives the boat?

We have a qualified, professionally licensed captain that will drive the boat for you. They are fully licensed and insured. We do not allow guests to drive the vessel. If you will be taking more than six guests, you can choose a captain to drive the vessel from our list of qualified captains.

What “party favors” can I partake in on the boat?

It’s a party boat! If you would like to bring any party favors, we encourage you to bring them. However, you are liable for your action and any potential damages while on board the vessel and must act respectfully. We reserve the right to deny any guests the consumption of “party favors.”

Do you do boat rentals?

No, we do not rent out our party boat in the conventional sense. We do offer a bareboat agreement, which allows you to rent our boat and choose from our list of qualified captains. The boat is strictly used for trips that are captained by a licensed and insured professional captains.

How far can you take the boat?

We prefer to stay within a mile or two of the shore, unless we are traveling to Downtown St. Pete. If we drive further than that, the wind and waves can make the trip uncomfortable. It’s in everyone's best interest if we browse the sites local to Downtown Tampa. It will always be the captain’s discretion as to where we can take the vessel.

Where can you pick up from?

We can pick up from any public dock in Downtown Tampa. Our preferred pickup spots are the Davis Island Boat Ramp (801-1399 Severn Ave, Tampa, FL 33606) or Heights District Public Boat Dock at Armature Works. If you have another place in mind, let us know! We can most likely accommodate this request, as long as the dock is public.

Where can you drop me off after the trip?

Same as above, we are able to drop you off at any public dock in Downtown Florida, however we recommend being dropped off at the same place you started.

How early should I be there?

Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the trip departing. This will ensure you have enough time to load up, sign waivers (if you haven’t already), learn about the safety features of the vessel, and understand the game plan for the day’s party!

If I want to take some people during part of the trip and different people during a different portion of the trip, is that an option?

Yes, we are able to take a certain group of individuals in the morning and a different group of individuals in the afternoon. We are able to swap passengers at any public boat dock in Tampa, assuming a spot is available.

Bookings & Payment

What’s the latest time I can change the date of my charter?

You can change the time or date of your charter up to 24 hours before the charter is set to depart.

How do I book a trip?

Trips can be booked through our website,tampabayboatingadventures.com, or over the phone at (813) 742-8178 with our team. We utilize a booking software called Fareharbor that will walk you through the booking process.

How soon before the trip can I book?

Trips can be booked 24 hours out from the time that the trip will depart. If TBBA has captains available, they will make every effort to ensure we can meet the clients request and run the trip.

What is your cancellation policy?

Customers will receive a full refund or credit with 24 hours notice of cancellation. Customers will also receive a full refund or credit in case of operator cancellation due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Contact us by phone to cancel or inquire about a cancellation. No-shows will be charged the full price.

What is your inclement weather policy?

If a trip must be canceled due to weather, we will offer a full refund. If a trip must be cut short due to inclement weather, such as storms or high winds, and has not had over 50% of the duration of the trip completed, we will offer a follow-up trip for the remaining duration of the charter.

Do you offer any group trips that I could sign up for, as an individual?

No, we do not currently offer any mix-and-match group trips, however it is something we have considered. Our trips are limited to twelve-guests and will only ever have the people that you signed up with. There will never be any random passengers.

What forms of payment are accepted?

We accept all major credit cards. If you would like to book a trip with cash, PayPal, Zelle, CashApp, Venmo, etc, please let us know before booking. This is most often doable.

What days of the week and times are available for charters?