Dinner Key Marina — Attraction in Miami

Lack of proactivity, efficiency and support in order to supply appropriate services to their customer (the pleasure boaters) … this is an expensive Miami City Marina … usually in city Marina we felt pride and joy …

We are Great Loopers that have stopped in over 300 marinas over the years …

I wrote a long review with the idea to help the Marina to improve their services.

Our reservation and our arrival was not easy... The following was a texto that I wrote to a buddy boater that was thinking to come at this Marina: To be honest Dinner Key Marina team's is not great ... when we called the first time, they told me that they had no slip available and only one mooring. They asked me many information to be sent by email. Having not received their feedback I call them. They said why you don't take a slip and I said ok for a slip since it was my initial request. When I arrived in the entry channel for the Marina I reached them by phone and they said they had no reservation for me (nobody on VHF 16&68 because they were all in a meeting). They tried to call somebody and finally said that they had only a mooring for us. I said I don't understand because I talked to an assistant supervisor and he said that we would have a slip. They called his boss because they were not able to reached him and finally realized that they did not read the email of the supervisor requesting a slip for us ... all that time we were waiting at the entry of the channel in the 2.5 feet waves ... so, if you reserve at Dinner Key be cautious... they finally choose another Marina …

Pros: Some very good employees. Nice location with some Parks around, groceries, restaurants, liquor stores, boat parts stores, … Nice docks and safe gates system. Garbage around the docks are well managed (but there is no recycling). Laundry with 6 washing machines and 8 dryers.

Cons: For the check-in … We had to supply a lot of information by email and when we arrived we had to refill same information on some paper form (a mix of new and old technologies/ not efficient). They request a lot of information but they don’t share any valuable information to their guest (no rules, no written guidances for the Marina, no things to do around around like activities, restaurant, groceries, …).

Lack of basic service (no Wifi at our dock and very slow water repair) … When we arrived at our dock I immediately realized that the thread on water supply were too much eroded. I tried with Teflon to hook up but it was still leaking as crazy. At the check-in, I informed the staff. Nobody showed up so I called back and somebody told me that it would be fix within an hour and nobody came. I was trying to go on the Marina Wifi and was to able. So I called the Marina Office to understand their Wifi network; the only connection is to walk at the office and it is an « unsecured network ». While I was speaking with the office they told that they would finally come on the next day for the water. Nobody showed up … and people and/or staff were closing the valve without informing us … you could establish a check list at least for the dock that you rent regularly…

Very clear lack of cart available for transportation of goods to the boats… We arrived from a big grocery to the main office. There were no carts around. We had to walk from the office which at Pier 6 up to Pier 3 in order to find one cart. They have over 500 customers with not enough cart ratio. Some local boaters used their own …

No access to the only Office toilet for one hour … We went to the laundry and put our clothes in the washing machine then I wanted to access to the only toilet in front of the laundry with our access card. I was not able to open the door and then realized that they close the only toilet and shower for one hour from 10 to 11am on a Sunday day.

They really need to put a better working organization in place: right people at the right place (some do their best but some do only the minimum), clarify the working processes and train the people.

I hope to come back and feel the...

1 star for an EXTREMELY rude phone attendant. I called ahead and reserved a mooring in July of '23. By the time I got to the office they were closed (2 hours earlier than listed online). I drove home 4 hours away and would have to pay over the phone the following day. I call the next day to pay and this COMPLETE JERK told me I had to be there in person to show my boat documents! I said "it's 2023 can't I submit digital copies?" He said "no we don't do that here". Then he said "we don't want to do business with you." I asked "and why is that?" He said "for personal reasons"! I didn't even know this guy! I asked to talk to a manager and he said to call back next day and asked if I could come 4 hours away to move my boat! No I certainly could not come back 8 hours round trip! I did call back the next day and spoke to a normal person and they took my digital boat documentation and payment via email no problems whatsoever. So if one attendant gives you a hard time get his name (I regrettably forgot to ask) and just call back later or ask for a supervisor. By the way this mooring field looks like a place where...

Lovely view, marine naturally spirit, I always take my son to the nice field with a nice play ground for the kids, is like you have every thing in this place with nice staff.

UPDATE 09/30/2021. It use to be very NICE and services Securities at Night every time I visited this Marine, after I left Miami again for the second time, I have come as a Camper once a Year, and now they have two Cubans very disrespectful WITH NO MANNERS! and HOSTILE especially the one that rides a bicycle. And I am Cuban myself but with good intentions to others and manners. He did not allow me to seat by the open tables on the second floor to eat my snack, saying that people should not be there eating and complaint about others come to use the internet. SO SELFISH! People like that is why we have so much problems in The Planet! This is one of many reasons I don't like to...