After booking: Your Check in Information

Once your reservation is complete, it is extremely important that you understand all of the information below.  It will aid you to better prepare yourself for an enjoyable experience from start to finish.


If you have other members booked in your party, please pass this important information along. Also, we do recommend that you read through our FAQ page to answer any of your questions. However, if you do have any other questions that are not listed on the FAQ page, please feel free to contact us directly at the office at (808) 338-9980 or email at info@makanacharters.com We are always excited to help with any questions you may have.

Mahalo and we hope you have an enjoyable experience with us!

Check-in Times for all boats:

Please check in at Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor no later than 30 minutes prior to departure. A safety briefing is scheduled before boarding.

  • All Morning Tours — Please Check-in at 8:00 am – Departure at 8:30 am
  • All Afternoon Tours — Please Check-in at 1:30 pm – Departure at 2:00 pm

What We Provide:

  • Snorkel gear, flotation devices
  • Cold beverages- a variety of assorted tropical juices, bottled water, and sodas.
  • A deli style lunch (Sub style sandwiches, prepared fresh daily from our local caterer) choice of Turkey, Ham, Roast Beef, and vegetarian.
  • Snacks
  • Fresh water to shower
  • Restroom

What To Wear:

Dress as if you were spending a day at the beach.  Come already dressed in your swimsuit.  A light jacket, windbreaker or light long sleeve shirts are okay to bring.  Sometimes the weather can change unexpectedly. As for footwear, barefoot is best, please wear flip-flops or sandals that are easy to remove.  If you choose not to remove your footwear, we recommend something that has a good grip.

What To Bring:

  • Towels
  • Sunscreen
  • Sunglasses
  • Hat (We don’t recommend floppy hats, or anything that is light enough to fly away. Snug fit preferred)
  • Prescription Medication, Epi Pen (If you have any allergies), any type of medicine that you will need for a 5 hour time period.
  • Motion sickness pills, patch, or wristbands if you are prone to seasickness

Gratuity is very much appreciated to the crew:

1) A Good Tour: $10 per person in your party
2) A Spectacular Tour: $15 – $20 per person in your party
3) If you feel the Captain and Crew went above and beyond, sky’s the limit!

-PRIVATE CHARTERS Fair tipping gauge by tour quality. If the Captain gave you:

1) A Good tour: 5-10% of tour cost
2) A Spectacular Tour: 15-20% of tour cost
3) If you feel the Captain went above and beyond, sky’s the limit!

Waiver:

It is extremely mandatory for ALL passengers to fill out a WAIVER prior to boarding — No waiver, no boarding.    Each passenger 18 and over is required to fill out their own waiver form with their own signature.  Any children under the age of 18 should be combined with their parent or guardian.  On the form, you will simply enter the child’s name first.  If you have more passengers in your party, Please FORWARD our waiver to them by copying this entire link and email it to them.

Direction/Parking:

It is better to be early, than on time.  If you are running late due to traffic, slow moving vehicles, any type of roadwork or accident- Please give us a courtesy call to let us know, we don’t want to leave you behind.  We recommend that you play it safe and be prepared.  Assume that there’s traffic and allow yourselves an extra 10 minutes.

Please click here for directions to Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor. Please DO NOT go to our office since you have already been checked in.   You can always call us if you prefer directions given over the phone or by email.

Prone To Seasickness:

  • Eat a light breakfast.  Arriving on a lighter stomach is definitely recommended to reduce the risk of seasickness.  We strongly discourage a morning drink.  Absolutely NO COFFEE! A little food and/or sips of water are ok.  The same goes for our afternoon tours.
  • We recommend taking motion sickness preventatives the night before and again in the morning.  Taking this step will ensure the medication is deep in your system and activated.  Some of the brands that we recommend are BONINE, or DRAMAMINE (also available in kids).  These can be found over the counter at any grocery store or pharmacy.  Wristbands are also another option.  If you prefer a natural alternative, ginger works as well.
  • It is highly recommended that you have a good nights rest.  If you plan to consume any alcohol the night before, don’t overdo it.  You choose, BUT just remember that the experience is much more valuable if you accept our advice.

Start your cruise today!