Catamaran Cruises with Lunch and BBQ in Punta Cana: the 13 Best Days on the Water

1.Catamaran Boat to Saona Island with Buffet Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 3,822 reviews · 8 hours · from $82Our pick

Travel from Punta Cana to Saona Island by speedboat and catamaran, stopping at a clear natural pool filled with starfish. Guides such as Christian, Alex, Eduardo, and Juan lead the day, which includes beach time, buffet lunch, drinks, and music on the return boat.

“We had an amazing tour to Isla Saona with Eduardo! He was incredibly kind, friendly, and very informative — you could really tell he cared about making sure everyone had a great experience. He explained everything clearly and made the whole day fun and relaxing. Our hotel pickup driver was also fantastic — he made sure everyone got back to their hotels safely. The entire experience felt well-organized and welcoming from start to finish. The VIP experience was also excellent as the lobster and shrimp were absolutely delicious! There was such amazing effort from the photography team - their pictures were gorgeous! The speedboat and catamaran crew were all excellent…”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Punta Cana Private Catamaran Cruise: Snorkeling, Beach & BBQ

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 39 reviews

Charter a private catamaran for up to 10 people and cruise Punta Cana’s Bavaro coast with an English-speaking crew. Snorkel at a coral reef, stop at a shallow natural pool, visit a private beach, and enjoy BBQ food, drinks, music, and Wi-Fi. Crew members may include Omar, Coco, Luis, René, or Genesis.

“We had so much fun!! The crew was amazing! The photographer caught so many amazing candid photos! So many drinks and the food was great!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Saona Catamaran Cruise with Lunch and Natural Swimming Pool

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 39 reviews · from $75Best value

Travel from Punta Cana to Bayahibe, cruise toward Saona Island with music and drinks, stop at Palmilla’s natural pool, then enjoy a Dominican buffet by the beach. Guides such as Carlos and Tio Luis add warmth, but long transfers, crowded boats, and changing transport can affect the day.

“I would use the company again. The tour leaders looked after us well and made sure we were safe, even in bad weather for traveling. The natural swimming pool and first beach were beautiful. Saona Island wasn’t what we thought it would be. The beach was rough and the bathroom there was disgusting and unusable.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Saône Island from Punta Cana Catamaran, Natural Pool and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 26 reviews · from $78

Travel from Punta Cana or Bavaro to Bayahibe, then cruise toward Saona Island with music, rum, and soft drinks. Stop at a natural pool, eat a Dominican buffet on the beach, and return by speedboat. The day lasts about 6 to 8 hours and groups are capped at 30.

“Group of 7 We all paid in advance. Waited for over an hour and the tour guide never showed. The nu.ber to contact them wa a bad number. Chatted on WhatsAppapp and they couldn't help. Requested a refund but have not received it 👎🏾”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Saona Island Tour Catamaran Buffet Lunch & Full Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 20 reviews · from $75

Travel from Punta Cana to Bayahibe, stop at a natural swimming pool, then spend 3 to 4 hours on Saona Island with a Dominican buffet lunch. Hotel pickup, boat transfers, a guide, and group entertainment are included. Expect a long day and potentially crowded transport.

“On est venus nous chercher à notre hôtel à 7h30 à Punta Cana où on a rejoint Bayahibé. Le transport a été un peu long puisque nous sommes montés dans le bateau pour l’île de Saona vers 10h30. Sur place , nous avons bénéficié d’un guide francophone . L’île de Saona ainsi que la piscine naturelle sont merveilleuses.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Bacardi Island Excursion with Catamaran, Beach and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · from $115Top rated

You’ll leave Punta Cana early for Samaná Bay, swim in a natural pool, then spend about three hours on Cayo Levantado, also called Bacardi Island. Expect a catamaran ride, buffet lunch, two drinks, hotel pickup, and a group of up to 40 people. Guides such as Nacho, Emilio, and Daniel may vary by departure.

“So good :) Nacho the guide is an awesome guy, he makes the tour funnier. I would recomend it to anyone visiting Dominican republic.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Catamaran Catalina Island Day Trip with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 16 reviews · from $85

You’ll ride from Punta Cana to La Romana, board a catamaran, snorkel at The Wall, and spend three hours at a private Catalina Island beach. A PADI-certified team handles the water briefing, while lunch, drinks, music, equipment, and round-trip transport are included.

“Next time I would book through our hotel as this group seemed a bit disorganized. Multiple van transfers on the way there and confusion seemed to add at least a half hour to the drive each way. The snorkelling was great at our first stop Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Saona Island Catamaran Adventure with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 6 reviews · 10 hours · from $75

Travel from Punta Cana to Bayahibe, then cruise toward Saona Island for beach time, a Dominican buffet, drinks, and a natural-pool swim. Expect a long 10-hour day, loud music, shared transport, and limited island time on some departures. Guides speak English, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.

“+piękne widoki -katamaran tylko w jedną stronę (powrót) - stary autobus, ale ujdzie, podróż z Bavaro nie jest długa - zła komunikacja miejsca odbioru - w aplikacji zaznaczona recepcja hotelu, dopytywałam o to, bo słyszałam, że z naszego hotelu (Catalonia) czasami odbierają z oddalonego szlabanu wjazdowego, czekaliśmy w lobby, tak jak było oznaczone i tak jak poprzednia wycieczka z tym organizatorem nas odbierała, o tym że autobus czeka przy szlabanie dowiedzieliśmy się w momencie odbioru (z dzieckiem idzie się 15min) - czekaliśmy długo na motorówkę, full ludzi na brzegu, nie ma gdzie usiąść, a my z dzieckiem - motorówka w kierunku Saony załadowana po brzegi, czytając w opisie zachętę, by…”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Punta Cana Private Catamaran with Snorkeling, Lunch & Open Bar

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 4 reviews

Book a private three-hour catamaran for your group, with round-trip transport, snorkeling gear, reef time, a calm natural pool, a secluded beach, BBQ lunch, sodas, water, and cocktails served after snorkeling.

“If I could leave more than 5 stars I would. My friends and I booked the Private Catamaran Deluxe tour for our holiday in November and were blown away with how friendly and professional everyone was, they ensured we had the best day of Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Full day tour. Buggy, lunch and Catamaran Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 4 reviews · from $120

Spend about 7.5 hours exploring Punta Cana by buggy, swimming at Atabey Park and Macao Beach, tasting Dominican farm products, eating a buffet lunch, and sailing from Playa Los Corales. Snorkeling gear, fruit, snacks, drinks, transport, and pickup are included.

“Bring clothes u don’t mind getting dirty!!!! We were a mess of dirt! Absolutely amazing trip. Buggy ride was about 30 minutes which is really nice but beach was rushed and I scammed $230 in chicken fingers and fries… we should have been warned. Beside that great tour would do again.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Saona island small group boat with water slide with lunch

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 3 reviews · 1 day · from $95

Spend a full day from Punta Cana exploring Saona Island with a group of up to 25 people. You will ride by boat, use a waterslide, swim at the Natural Pool, see starfish, eat a Dominican buffet, and relax at Paradise Beach. Guides speak English, Spanish, French, and German.

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Punta Cana Catamaran Private Tour with BBQ and Natural Pool

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 3 reviews

Spend about six hours on a private catamaran from Bávaro Beach, with hotel transfers, reef snorkeling, a secluded beach stop, fresh coconut, BBQ lunch, open-bar drinks, music, and time at Punta Cana’s Natural Pool.

“Look the people on the boat and the place that Viator or the third party that ran the page did everything they were asked to do. However…the boat that was sold, the services sold, none of it and at the cost that was paid was as advertisRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.BBQ and Slide on a Private Catamaran with Unlimited Drinks

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews

Book a private four-hour catamaran for up to 15 people in Punta Cana. You’ll snorkel, watch for dolphins, swim in a natural pool, enjoy a BBQ, choose the music, and have drinks served throughout. Pickup and snorkeling gear are included, but bring towels and sunscreen.

“The crew was FANTASTIC! All 15 of us have only GREAT things about them. We would definitely recommend this to everyonr.”

Check availability →Read our full review