Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. All guests, including infants ages 0–2, must be included on the reservation. Even when an infant rides for free, they still count toward the vessel’s U.S. Coast Guard passenger capacity and need to be accounted for on the manifest.

Yes. Many Vagabond Cruise experiences offer reduced pricing for children, although pricing and age categories may vary depending on the cruise. Please check the individual cruise when booking for the current adult, child, and infant rates.

No. The $10 Sea Pines visitor gate pass cannot be purchased in advance with your Vagabond Cruise reservation. Guests will purchase their gate pass when entering Sea Pines, and both cash and credit cards are accepted at the gate.

For cruises departing after 11:00 AM through sunset during the summer months, we strongly recommend arriving in Harbour Town at least 1 hour before your scheduled departure. This allows additional time for traffic entering Sea Pines, finding parking in Harbour Town, and checking in for your cruise.

If your reservation is paid in full and you have your mobile boarding pass, you can head directly to the Charter Dock in front of the Harbour Town Lighthouse to board your cruise. There is no need to stop by our reservation office first.

Of course, if you have any questions before boarding or need assistance with your reservation, our team at the reservation office will be happy to help.

Gratuity is not included in the ticket price for most of our public cruises. Gratuity may be included for private charters and larger parties aboard our dinner cruises.

If you would like to recognize your captain and crew, gratuities are always appreciated. Guests can tip with cash or credit card aboard any of our cruises. If you decide to leave a gratuity after your trip, you can also contact us and ask to have it added to your cruise reservation.

Yes. We can accommodate many dietary restrictions aboard our dining cruises, including gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options. Guests with food allergies or other dietary needs should let us know at least 48 hours before departure so our catering team has time to prepare the appropriate meal.

For guests with severe food allergies, please contact our reservation office before booking so we can discuss your specific needs.

Guests are welcome to bring small snacks and/or a beverage aboard our sightseeing cruises; however, coolers are not permitted.

All Vagabond Cruise vessels offer beer, wine, soda, water, and sports drinks for purchase onboard, and we accept cash or credit cards on all vessels.

Our Dinner Cruise and Savannah Ferry also feature a full bar and extensive wine menu for guests to enjoy during their trip.

Yes, guests may bring strollers and personal luggage aboard when space allows. We recommend collapsible strollers whenever possible, as storage space can vary by vessel.

For guests traveling aboard our Savannah Ferry or Daufuskie Island trips, personal luggage and travel bags may be brought aboard. Please keep luggage to a reasonable size and quantity.

The Vagabond is our wheelchair-accessible vessel, while other vessels in our fleet require guests to navigate steps when boarding. We recommend contacting our reservation office in advance if someone in your party has specific accessibility needs.

Motion sickness is very uncommon on our cruises. Our vessels travel primarily through protected waterways, and you’ll remain within sight of land throughout your trip.

If you are particularly sensitive to motion, we do sell motion sickness medication at our Harbour Town reservation office that you can purchase before boarding. However, most guests find that motion sickness is not an issue on our cruises.

When you reserve a golf cart through Vagabond Cruise, we’ll make sure a 4-passenger golf cart is reserved and waiting for you on Daufuskie Island.

You do not pay for the golf cart when booking your ferry tickets. Instead, you’ll pay the golf cart provider directly when you arrive on Daufuskie Island using cash or credit card.

A valid driver’s license is required to operate the golf cart.

If there is shrimp available to take home after your trip, our crew will bag it up for you aboard the cruise.

If you’re heading straight back to your accommodations after the trip, you’re all set. If you plan on spending more time around Harbour Town or making other stops afterward, we recommend bringing your own cooler with ice to keep your shrimp cold until you get back.

Yes! Unlike many of our other cruises, coolers are permitted aboard the Daufuskie Island Ferry, and guests are welcome to bring alcoholic beverages with them. Please keep in mind if you are spending time at Freeport Marina they don’t allow coolers brought into their picnic table area space. They do have a full bar at this site.

If you purchase alcohol while visiting Daufuskie Island—including from the island’s local distillery—you are welcome to bring it aboard the ferry for your return trip to Harbour Town.

All tours depart from the Harbour Town Yacht Basin on Hilton Head Island.

Address: 149 Lighthouse Rd, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

Kiosk Location: Tan booth with a maroon awning near the Harbour Town Lighthouse (next to Camp Hilton Head).

Contact Us with reservation inquiries, directions, and more.

Sea Pines Gate Fee: Sea Pines Resort charges $10 and accepts cash or credit now per entry (valid all day). Electric bikes, motorcycles, campers, U-Hauls, and boat trailers are prohibited.

Parking: Two main parking lots are available on the left side of Lighthouse Road, plus an overflow gravel lot on the right. A free summer trolley runs from near the Greenwood Gate.

Reservations: Strongly recommended for all tours. Dinner cruises require booking by 1:00 PM on the day of the cruise at the latest.

Cancellations: 48-hour advance notice required for full refunds. Rain-or-shine operation; full refunds/rescheduling issued if the Captain cancels due to severe weather.

The lower deck of The Vagabond is wheelchair accessible via ramp (call ahead for other boats). Dogs are permitted on Ocean Dolphin, Sunset Dolphin, and the 9:00 AM Daufuskie Ferry trips. Otherwise all other boats require steps to get onboard.

Yes! We guarantee that you will see Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins on every Dolphin Cruise.

The Ocean Dolphin Cruise, Sunset Dolphin Cruise, and Donuts and Dolphin Cruise are 90 minutes long. Guided by naturalist Captains, the tour navigates through the calm, sheltered waters of Calibogue Sound toward the headwaters of the Atlantic Ocean (without heading out into rough open waters).

Yes, our naturalist Captains provide live, educational commentary detailing dolphin behavior, local shorebirds, marine ecosystems, surrounding Lowcountry islands, and regional history.

Yes. Dolphins are mammals that must surface to breathe regardless of the weather, so we see them rain or shine.

Seating: Comfortable bench seating in both sunny and shaded areas.

Restrooms: Clean, full-size restrooms (heads) on board.

Refreshments: A snack bar offering sweet and salty treats, candy, sodas, bottled water, popular beers, local craft brews, hard seltzers, and chilled wines.

Check out the other amenities of our fleet boats.

Yes. Stars & Stripes (US-53) is an authentic 12-Metre Class racing yacht owned and skippered by Dennis Conner in the trials for the 1987 America’s Cup.

All sailing trips depart from Harbour Town Marina on Hilton Head Island.

Afternoon Sail (90 minutes).

Sunset Sail (2 Hours).

Moonlight Sail (2 Hours).

All trips on Stars & Stripes operate under full sail! The engine is only used to maneuver in and out of Harbour Town Marina.

Yes! Passengers are welcome to help raise the sails, and Captain Peter gives guests the opportunity to take the wheel and steer the yacht.

Restrooms: There is a spartan head below deck.

Refreshments: Dry snacks, candy, bottled water, sports drinks, sodas, local craft beer, and wine are available for purchase.

Check out the other amenities of our fleet boats.

We offer several ways to experience a Lowcountry Hilton Head Island sunset:

Sunset Dolphin Cruise (90 Min): Guided dolphin watching in Calibogue Sound aboard The Vagabond.

Sunset Sail (2 Hours): Pure sailing experience aboard an America’s Cup yacht Stars and Stripes.

Sunset Dinner Cruise (2 Hours): Plated dining experience aboard the Spirit of Harbour Town.

Sunset Shrimp Trawl (2 Hours): Sunset shrimping trip on the Tammy Jane.

Our Sunset Cruises head west across Calibogue Sound into the salt marsh estuaries behind Daufuskie Island—the premier location for viewing Carolina Lowcountry sunsets.

Vagabond Cruises offers Brunch, Happy Hour, Early Bird, and regular Dinner Cruises around Hilton Head Island.

Donuts and Dolphins (90 Minutes): Complimentary donuts and beverages for purchase on a morning dolphin cruise.

Sunday Brunch Cruise (90 Minutes): Southern breakfast buffet featuring eggs, French toast casserole, shrimp & grits, bacon, hash browns, pastries, and fresh fruit.

Happy Hour Cruise (90 Minutes): Live entertainment, drinks, and fresh tacos available for purchase.

Early Bird Dinner Cruise (90 Minutes): Early bird, latin inspired, dinner and dolphin cruise.

Sunset Dinner Cruise (2 Hours): Plated dinner with private table seating for every group.

Starter: Heirloom Tomato Panzanella Salad with Cider Vinaigrette.

Entrée Choice: Cider Roasted Pork Loin, Blackened Mahi Mahi, Roasted Chicken Breast, or Pasta Primavera.

Dessert Choice: Key Lime Pie or Flourless Chocolate Torte.

Children’s Menu: Choice of Chicken Tenders or Chicken Alfredo Pasta (includes salad and dessert).

Yes, it is Hilton Head Island’s only heated and air-conditioned luxury passenger vessel, featuring panoramic interior windows and a covered open-air upper deck. A full bar with signature cocktails, craft beer, and wine is available.

Check out the other amenities of our fleet boats. View Page

A round-trip ferry aboard The Vagabond or Tammy Jane from Harbour Town, Hilton Head Island to Freeport Marina on Daufuskie Island (approx. 30 minutes each way or 1 hour round trip).

• Morning Daufuskie Island Ferry: Allows 3 hours of free time on the island.
• Afternoon Daufuskie Island Ferry: Allows 4.5 hours of free time on the island.

Golf carts can be rented at Freeport Marina upon arrival (or reserved in advance through Vagabond Cruise when purchasing ferry tickets). Guests can visit Gullah history sites, art galleries, or eat at The Old Daufuskie Crab Company at the dock.

The Historic Savannah Cruise takes about 1 Hour 45 minutes each way aboard the Spirit of Harbour Town. Passengers have 4 hours to explore River Street in Savannah, GA. Discounted Old Town Trolley passes are sold on board, with trolley pickup directly at the boat dock.

A 2-hour, hands-on marine science cruise on an authentic Lowcountry shrimp trawler. The crew deploys a 40-foot trawl net and brings up white/brown shrimp, stingrays, small sharks, pufferfish, squid, and flounder. Crew mates explain the marine life, let passengers touch the animals, and help bag the harvested shrimp for guests to take home!

A 2-hour interactive crabbing trip where guests help retrieve commercial crab pots, harvest Atlantic Blue Crabs and Stone Crabs, re-bait the traps, and reset them in Calibogue Sound. Passengers keep the harvested Blue Crabs.

Features covered shaded seating on the back deck, a clean restroom, and a snack bar selling soft drinks, craft beer, hard seltzers, wine, and snacks.

Check out the other amenities of our fleet boats.

Our summer fireworks cruises run every Tuesday night from June through August, providing front-row water views of the Shelter Cove Marina fireworks show in Broad Creek.

Yes! We offer special Independence Day cruises, including the 4th of July Fireworks Dinner Cruise on Spirit of Harbour Town, a 4th of July Fireworks Sail on Stars & Stripes, and 4th of July Fireworks Dolphin Cruises.

See our Holiday Cruises for seasonal boat excursions with Vagabond Cruise.

Spirit of Harbour Town (Fireworks Dinner Cruise – 2.5 Hours): Plated 3-course dinner with indoor climate-controlled or outdoor shaded seating.

The Vagabond and Tammy Jane (Fireworks Sunset Cruise – 2 Hours): Casual viewing with two decks, open-air/shaded seating, and a snack bar.

Stars & Stripes (Fireworks Sail – 3 Hours): Tall mast sailboat for 30 guests.

Solaris (Luxury Private): Intimate luxury charter for groups up to 10 guests.

Check out the other amenities of our fleet boats.

Yes! With a fleet of 5 unique vessels, we host events ranging from intimate elopements to large celebrations for up to 125 guests.

Wedding ceremonies (officiated by licensed Captains), rehearsal dinners, bridal showers/luncheons, bachelor/bachelorette parties, corporate outings, high school prom, reunions, celebration of life, and more.

Stars & Stripes (Up to 29 Guests): Sail on America’s Cup private charter yacht.

The Mystique (Up to 18 Guests): A classic wooden yacht owned by the Harbour Town Yacht Club, available exclusively through Vagabond Cruise for private dolphin, sunset, or cocktail charters.

Solaris (Up to 10 Guests): Custom 32-foot Chris-Craft Launch luxury charter.

Tammy Jane (Up to 29 Guests): Private 2 hour Shrimp Trawl or Private Dolphin Cruise.

Celebrate the season year-round on one of many holiday cruises in Hilton Head Island!

Thanksgiving Day Harvest Menu Cruise: Festive holiday feast prepared by Sea Pines Resort chefs.

Donuts with Santa Cruise: Family holiday cruise featuring a donut bar, Santa meet-and-greet, and a printed photo.

Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve Dinner Cruises: Seasonally inspired holiday dining on Calibogue Sound.

Valentine’s Day Dinner Cruise: Romantic dining experience with private tables and optional celebration packages.

St. Patrick’s Day Savannah Express: Direct ferry service to River Street for Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities.

Easter Brunch & Mother’s Day Brunch Cruises: Special holiday buffets (Mother’s Day includes $10 bottomless Mimosas).

America 250th History Cruise: Narrated Revolutionary War history cruise in partnership with the Heritage Library.

Fourth of July Fireworks Dinner Cruise, Dolphin Cruise and Sunset Sail!