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Hilton Head Island, SC | HiltonHeadIsland.com

Salty Dog Happy Hour Cruise

Step aboard the Salty Dog, a double-deck 63-foot powered catamaran perfect for taking in scenic views and breathtaking sunsets. While cruising the Calibogue, the onboard kitchen serves up classic Salty Dog fare. Enjoy the full bar featuring island favorite beverages from fruity cocktails and local brews to soft drinks and juice, as you unwind to the sounds of tropical tunes.

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Salty Dog Cruise

Review Highlights

“ Planning with Lindsey was so easy and Captain Phil and the onboard staff were wonderful. ” in 4 reviews

“ Their early Happy Hour tours tend to be less busy - but that's probably because you won't see the sunset on those tours. ” in 4 reviews

“ They did not have a great selection of snacks on board, so we ate at the Salty Dog Cafe before our cruise. ” in 2 reviews

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Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

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Took the sunset cruise out of Port Royal and it exceeded expectations! The boat was so nice!! Pristine, lots of open air but covered seating options, great bar and staff. Awesome music. It was a very fun experience. We saw many dolphins! The scenery is stunning. We all mentioned several times how nice the boat was. We'll be return customers!

So much fun with music, dolphins, and incredible scary for our last night at Hilton Ahead!

This is my favorite thing to do on Hilton Head. We've done 3 of the sunset cruises. The boat is beautiful. It is new and clean. The bartenders and crew are friendly and the food is great. I will definitely do this again.

FUN! FUN! FUN!! The Captain of the boat was amusing and knowledgeable. The additional commentary and music selection was perfect "mood music" for the many dolphins enjoying mating season. Wish I could return in 10 months to see the multitude of baby dolphins .

This is so much fun and the crew is great. A wonderful opportunity to make family memories with our adult children, and to see the beauty of Hilton Head Island. We also saw a great fireworks display from the cruise.

Absolutely loved this experience! It was a great price and a great time. Captain Phil was funny and great at his job. We enjoyed our drinks and our crab dip that we had. We were able to see dolphins and see a beautiful sunset! I highly recommend this cruise to anyone visiting!

Amazing experience that I'd give more than 5 stars if I could - easily. Especially for the cost. This was an amazing trip and one that I'd say might even be a "must-do" on the island if you're into alcohol and boat rides. The captain was amazing, the staff were friendly, the drinks were affordable enough, and the entire experience was so neat all-around. So much wildlife, so many drinks, and such a great time. NOTES: -This is a 21+ cruise. No children or under-21 allowed. -The dock for this cruise is at the Salty Dog Cafe within the Sea Pines Plantation. You'll need to pay an $8 (or more depending on your vehicle) gate fee to get into the Plantation to board the boat. -Seating is first-come, first-served. They start boarding an hour before the boat is scheduled to leave. If you want a specific table, I recommend coming early. That being said, outside of a few tables, most of the tables are along the edge of the boat for nice viewing. If it's particularly hot out, the downstairs, in-the-shade tables might go fast though. -There are 2 restrooms on board. -According to the employees I talked to, the busiest days are their evening happy hour tours. Their early Happy Hour tours tend to be less busy - but that's probably because you won't see the sunset on those tours. -If you plan on sitting on the upper deck, don't forget your sunscreen! The lower deck is almost entirely in the shade, but the upper deck is completely sun-covered. -The boat requires three shallow steps (which are decently easy to take) to get onto the boat itself. Getting to the upper floor requires 10-ish very steep steps. If you have someone who's unsteady on their feet or unable to easily take steep steps, make sure to ask about it in advance. PROS: -While most dolphin and other tours on the island cost upwards of $40 a person, you can get on the Salty Dog Cruise for $15-19. I assume they make up the rest of the cost with the drinks which, honestly, are not super expensive. They're average bar-pricing which is way lower than I expected for boat pricing. -On our cruise, we saw way too many dolphins to even count. We saw a couple of sharks and a lot of other wildlife. The captain was insanely good and spotting them (and following them), so anytime he'd see anything, he'd point it out for people who were interested. If you're interested in seeing a particular thing, just let him know before the boat departs. The captain we had would have tried his damndest to find it. -On that note, the Captain was such an amazing person. He was super friendly, had jokes for everybody, was happy to chat, and had a lot of knowledge if you asked too. He definitely made our Cruise a whole lot better. -The point of this cruise is just to lay back, enjoy the views, and drink alcohol. To that account, every table has a clearly-printed menu (they even make food right on board the boat!) in addition to a pair of binoculars to look out at things. The bar is centrally located on the downstairs floor. -You're free to move around. The boat doesn't really "jerk around" much, but it is a boat, and you'll occasionally get some wake that'll make the boat wiggle a little bit. They're happy to provide a lifejacket to wear if you're super nervous, though, but the boat gets nowhere near that. We left all our drinks and items on the table and entire time and nothing moved an inch. -Chairs and tables are the primary seating. You can sit along the edge of the boat if you'd like (or if you find the chairs uncomfortable), and they have some booth-style seating on the upper floor of the boat too. As a bigger girl, I found the regular chairs they have to be a-okay, but your experience may not be the same as mine. CONS: -The bathrooms were a bit small - but they're on a boat, so I'm not sure what you'd expect. They exist, though!

See all photos from Kayla B. for Salty Dog Cruise

We had some family coming into town and our boat was on the shop for repairs so we decided to book a sunset cruise on the Salty Dog so our guests could enjoy the views from the water. The boat was clean and well maintained. The crew were very nice and helpful. They did not have a great selection of snacks on board, so we ate at the Salty Dog Cafe before our cruise. This was a fun trip and well worth the $.

Two words: Captain. Phil. This man is the GOAT! Our first cruise with him was in April, we knew we had to bring our friends when we came back in August. We didn't realize there was more than one captain. Not that the other captain did anything wrong, it just felt more like a dolphin watching trip than a cruise (we stopped for at least 15 minutes at one point). Since we left that cruise with more to be desired we found out the next night Captain Phil was on board so we went on the next night! What a difference it made! We had an absolute BLAST! Captain Phil incorporated wildlife viewing, plenty of dolphins, and some of the nearby islands including Harbortown Lighthouse all within the 1.5 hours, which even went a little over as a plus! Absolutely amazing. You can tell this man enjoys what he does and the attitude and vibe trickles down to the staff and patrons! We will be back Captain Phil!!!! Thank you for the wonderful cruises.

An awesome experience on Hilton head Island! Especially if you get great sunset. Wonderful way to entertain friends and family. Captain Phil is the bomb!

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Salty Dog cruises are fun for adults

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From the deck of the Salty Dog — the big catamaran, not the restaurant — it’s possible to watch families on the outdoor patio at the South Beach Marina restaurant enjoying their dinners and live music. Some partygoers on a recent Salty Dog Happy Hour cruise even waved goodbye to them as the boat slipped away from the dock and the voyage got underway on Calibogue Sound. Now in its third year, the adults-only cruises are a hit with visitors and locals ages 21 and older.

“When they first said they weren’t going to allow kids, I thought it would be [business] suicide. But people love it,” said Capt. Phil Smith, who has been at the helm since the first Salty Dog cruise.

“Have fun,” he told the passengers. “That’s why we’re here.”

On a recent Thursday night, the catamaran left the dock at 6:30 p.m. The 90-minute trip spanned the magic hour as a brilliant sunny day slipped into velvety dusk. A combination of live music, a full bar and perfect weather lifted the spirits of everyone —both passengers and crew — on board. Couples embraced for photos on the top deck, where the breeze tousled women’s hair. Friends shared food from the galley, including baskets of still-warm potato chips and pimento cheese made from scratch. (“Pimento cheese? What’s that?” asked one woman from Wisconsin. “It’s a Southern thing,” her friend replied.)

Sunset isn’t the only time the Salty Dog plies the waters around Daufuskie Island. The company’s chief operating officer, Tim Stearns, said other tours include brunch cruises, a longer full moon cruise that reaches the May River, and a new astronomy cruise (“Our astronomer’s name is ‘Bill the Sky Guy.’ Really,” he said). Capt. Phil is the skipper of all of them.

And no one has broken his just-have-fun-rule.

Salty Dog offers sunset cruises nightly , as well as special cruises including:

• Happy Hour cruise: Oct. 5
• The Brunch Boat Cruise: Oct. 7 and Oct. 21
• Dark Side of the Moon Cruise: Oct. 12

For more information, call 843-683-6462 or go to www.cruise.saltydog.com .

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Check out our monthly calendar for weekly STEAM-based programming at the Maritime Center. You’ll be sure to find crafts, fishing, crabbing, scavenger hunts, as well as animal meet and greets. And, that’s just scratching the surface!

For more information, contact:

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Our Tuesday Talks/Sound Vision Webinar Series allows you to learn from the experts. With a wide range of topics from Lowcountry wildlife to best practices for your home and garden, there’s truly something for everyone! Check our calendar for upcoming talks, or watch previously recorded talks here .

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Join us in the Maritime Center to take a trip through the ocean and watch sea creatures come alive through the pages of a book! Stick around after the story for a fun activity or animal encounter. And the best part is, admission is completely free!

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Put your creativity to the test in a way that benefits our environment! Gather your friends and family, or go solo, on a litter pick-up, and create a piece of art from what you discover! Turning trash into a one-of-a-kind treasure. Cash prizes are awarded to winning entries in multiple categories and artwork is displayed at The Maritime Center.

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Celebrate STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) with a day of hands-on fun at the Maritime Center. Over twenty local businesses and organizations gather together to provide fun experiences for the whole family. Simulators, 3D pens, building with gummies, community art projects & more! Admission is FREE – No RSVP Required

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Adult Pluff Mudder

Learn everything you need to know about the Lowcountry. Adult Pluff Mudder Camp is a naturalist – led program geared towards adults that are new to the Beaufort area or are interested in gaining a more in-depth knowledge of its natural resources. This four-day program will teach you about the land, water, and animals of the Port Royal Sound.

Age: 18+ Cost: $250

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Kayak tours.

Join a PRSF Naturalist for a 2-hour guided kayak tour of the Chechessee River departing from the Maritime Center. 

• $35 (ages 5-12)
• $50 (ages 13+)

Children ages 5-12 must be on a tandem kayak with an adult (18+) Designed for all experience levels. *Click the “Book Now” button to purchase tickets!

Please email Jessica with questions:

Salty Dog Boat Cruise

The Salty Dog – a 63′ catamaran – is open for Happy Hour Cruises departing from the Maritime Center! Enjoy a 1.5hr boat ride around the Port Royal Sound.

* SALTY DOG HAPPY HOUR CRUISES ARE FOR ADULTS 21 AND OVER

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Nestled along South Carolina’s breathtaking coast, Hilton Head is the ultimate summer getaway. Renowned for its pristine beaches and luxurious accommodations , this charming Island offers a wealth of activities , events , and dining options to make your summer escape unforgettable. Whether you’re lounging on sun-kissed beaches, exploring unique shops and boutiques , or savoring summer festivals and delicious meals, every moment on Hilton Head Island promises pure delight.

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A legendary waterfront island experience. Whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even happy hour, the Salty Dog Café is an island tradition. Enjoy nightly live music on the docks of South Beach Marina overlooking Braddock’s Cove, celebrate happy hour at the famous outdoor round bar or walk the docks while enjoying homemade Salty Dog ice cream.

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