Island Time offers private captained boat charters and cruises around Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, starting from Romar Marina on Cotton Bayou. Options include daytime family cruises, sunset cruises, party and bachelorette cruises, and Blue Angels viewing trips, lasting anywhere from 1.5 to 8 hours. Every trip runs with a USCG-licensed captain and includes fuel, a cooler with ice, bottled water, and a Bluetooth sound system. The boat carries up to six passengers; bigger groups can book a second boat.
What you get
A private boat and your own itinerary. The usual route covers the back-bay islands — Robinson Island and Bird Island — and the sandbars where boats raft up on summer weekends. Depending on the trip, the captain can also run you to the waterfront bars along the Intracoastal and out toward the state line, so a “cruise” here can be a swim day, a bar crawl, or both. There’s a porta-potti aboard, which matters more than it sounds on a six-hour day with kids. It’s BYOB: bring your own food, snacks, and adult beverages. Blue Angels charters are seasonal and head toward Fort McRee to watch the practice shows from the water.
Before you book
Six passengers is a hard cap, so count heads before you call. Sunset trips fill first in summer, and bachelorette weekends book out well ahead. Their weather and cancellation policy is on their online booking page; read it before you go, since a summer storm line can cut an afternoon short. Check their site for current rates.
Who it’s for
Groups who’d rather not share a tour boat with strangers, families wanting to hit the sandbar without owning a boat, and anyone who wants to see the dolphins on their own clock. Compare with the scheduled options at /on-the-water/dolphin-cruises/, and check /orange-beach-flags-today/ before a swim day.
