Futurismo Azores Adventures — Attraction in Ponta Delgada

Our experience with Futurismo was extremely disappointing from start to finish.

It started with a frustrating attempt to rebook our trip — the employee Ana was shockingly rude and even laughed at us to our faces, showing zero professionalism or empathy.

The actual trip was conducted under very poor sea conditions, which made the whole experience miserable. We had to stop twice for a passenger who was vomiting, which speaks volumes about the judgment of the crew in deciding to proceed with the trip that day.

We didn’t see any whales — only a few dolphins — which was underwhelming given the nature of the tour.

But the worst part, and I cannot stress this enough, was the disgusting smell of the waterproof jackets they provided. They said it was “just humidity,” but the odor was unmistakably that of sweaty feet or moldy clothes, and it clung to our own jackets and clothing, to the point that we had to take them to a dry cleaner to try to remove the stench.

Overall, this was a 0/10 experience, and I would not recommend this company to anyone.

To your answer:

Dear Futurismo Team,

Thank you for your response, though I must say it only reinforces the perception that your priority is deflecting blame rather than taking true accountability.

You begin by suggesting that my experience with Ana—an encounter marked by dismissiveness and condescension—is a “personal perception” shaped by stress or frustration. This is an insulting oversimplification. What I encountered was not a momentary misunderstanding, but a clear display of unprofessional behavior from someone representing your company. Gaslighting your customers under the guise of “human interactions being interpreted differently” is not only patronizing but deeply unprofessional.

You then hide behind high review scores, as if the volume of satisfied customers negates the validity of a single negative experience. This is a textbook example of brushing off criticism rather than addressing it. If you’re only open to feedback that fits your narrative, then your commitment to improvement is nothing but lip service.

Regarding the weather: I fully understand and respect the challenges of operating in the North Atlantic. What I do not respect is how your company managed the situation—poor communication, chaotic rescheduling, and a general attitude of “deal with it.” Weather is out of your control. Your customer service is not.

Let me clarify something important: I am an advanced scuba diver and an airline pilot. I have flown over the Azores more than 50 times in my career, and I am more than familiar with the region’s meteorological conditions. So no, my judgment was not clouded by stress or ignorance—I knew exactly what I was getting into, and I also knew when it was being mishandled.

The conditions at sea were objectively dangerous. Vomiting was not the only issue on board—people were pale, scared, and clearly unwell. Your attempt to frame this as “part of the adventure” is reckless and dishonest. You romanticize the rawness of the Azores while ignoring your duty of care toward the people who trust you with their safety.

As for the jackets—how kind of you to explain how mildew and humidity work. I have dived in tropical, arctic, and temperate waters around the world. I’ve worn countless wetsuits straight out of storage, all damp, all exposed to humidity. And never—never—have I encountered gear as offensively malodorous as the jackets you handed out. That is not the smell of the Azores. That is the smell of neglect.

In summary, your response is a polished attempt to reframe failure as a feature. It lacks humility, self-awareness, and most of all, genuine concern for your customers. I would advise future travelers to read between the lines—and book elsewhere.

Regards, Miguel...

The most fascinating experience and a wonderful welcome to São Miguel!

Firstly, their customer service was incredibly generous and above & beyond. Due to a cluster of problems within the United States, we were severely delayed arriving to the Azores causing us to miss our first prebooked excursion. Futurismo was so kind to help us with this.

The excursion we did attend was the full day whale watching. It started with a quick introduction, then we divided into our respective groups, boarded the boats, then headed out to the ocean where we spent the next few hours. We got so lucky! We saw 1-2 whale species, 3 dolphin species, and a hammerhead shark which swam under our boat and touched it! 😱 So amazing.

We then enjoyed a buffet lunch at The Black Whale in Vila Franca do Campo before boarding a ferry to the Islote de Vila Franca where we were given a couple hours to explore, swim, snorkel, etc. I was SO eager to snorkel! Sadly, our travels from the US to the Azores were exhausting and frustrating, in part because my luggage was four days delayed. I didn't have any swimwear to enter the ocean so we didn't snorkel but we still had an amazing time during this portion.

We took the ferry back to land, then boarded our boat, and spent about 45 minutes heading back to Ponta Delgada.

Our guide was knowledgeable and extremely enthusiastic. I wish I remembered his name (it started with a 'D'). It was already an amazing experience but his enthusiasm and genuine love for the marine life was incredibly infectious.

Things to know:

During the first part of the adventure on the ocean there is no option for a bathroom break so void your bladder before boarding the boat.

Life jackets are mandatory and provided. Jackets are also provided. I highly recommend taking one even if you don't think you'll wear it. It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and wish you had it. The weather can change and while we didn't have any issues, I found myself wearing the jacket more often than not.

Bring water and sunscreen. You're exposed to the sun for many hours, even if it's overcast. Stay hydrated and don't burn.

If you have back problems are are easily queasy, sit towards the back of the boat where you feel the waves less. If you don't have those issues, snag a seat as close to the front as you can for the best views. Due to my husband's back injury, we sat at the back. Being one of the shortest people on the boat, I really struggled to see. Even though the rules dictate to remain seated, in everyone's excitement they kept jumping up and were really only considerate of themselves so my viewability really suffered. That said, I did still see every type of animal, it was just more of a challenge for me.

It's mother nature and she is not to be controlled, so there's no guarantee you'll see anything. Rest assured though that if your group does not encounter any marine life, Futurismo guarantees the opportunity to return for free. For this reason, I recommend booking the excursion earlier in your vacation rather than later.

My husband and I just got married and we didn't have a wedding. Instead, we saved for years and focused our financial resources on visiting the Azores together. The start of our journey was a horrible nightmare, and Futurismo was our first positive experience. We had an amazing time and are so saddened that our other days there didn't line up with availability to embark on other tours. We will be back one day and Futurismo is guaranteed to be on that itinerary. In the meantime, I will continue to live vicariously by continuing to follow them...

Excellent experience. We saw loads of playful common dolphins and a handful of sperm whales (mostly submerged, but definitely present). The catamarans are well maintained, clean and comfortable, with toilet facilities (untested) in the back and multiple waste bins. The on-board staff were professional, knowledgeable, entertaining and fluent in English.

We were originally booked for a Zodiac the day before our eventual trip. A storm was going to hit the island, and we received a heads up about the cancelation at our hotel a day in advance. It took one phone call to book us for the next morning and change our boat preference to a catamaran. No complaints there, you can't predict the weather half a year in advance, and the storm that struck justified their decision without question.

There was a bit of a queue at the check-in desk, but nothing too outrageous. Once on the boats, there was plenty of space to sit and watch the animals.

Several people got sick during the trip, and some reviews blame this on the company... I don't get that. It's unfortunate, but you know you're going to be cruising on a boat out on the ocean. The staff provides vomit bags, tissues, advice to sit up and look at the horizon, and a nice cup of tea after the tour, included in the price; there's little more they can do.

As for attire. We went late July, and it was hot wearing just shorts and a t-shirt, especially while idling around the animals. If you booked the Zodiac, you're supplied a rain jacket. I again don't understand why people blame the company because they got cold or wet... it should go without saying you might want to come prepared for that.

Some complain about the price. We paid 1,5x as much to sit on a wooden bench on a fishing boat in Iceland and saw absolutely nothing (minus some puffins) a few years ago, with no free second attempt, so obviously this felt like a bargain to us. There might be cheaper offerings in the area, but this level of all round professionalism is...