Calypso Breeze — Restaurant in Madeira Beach

We booked this dinner cruise as one part of the celebrations for my girlfriend's birthday weekend. The booking process was very easy though we had lots of questions being first-timers and all but the reservation staff was incredibly helpful and friendly and answered them all. The boarding process was very simple and they had our name on a place card on our table that was very easy to find. The cabin on the main floor is a good size and was very comfortable. The atmosphere is relaxing and as you enter, there is DJ Ricky spinning the island-themed music that can be heard throughout the ship and he is playing his steel drum (A very nice touch). Dinner was excellent! An all you can eat buffet that is table served by an incredibly helpful and pleasant staff that also doubles as the boat's crew when they are getting underway and upon returning to port. The food was very tasty and there was plenty of it! The staff was very attentive throughout dinner and my glass was always full of rum punch. A previous reviewer mentioned that the punch seemed "weak"... Well they must have read that review and tweaked it accordingly cause to me, it was a good mix and had me feeling very good throughout the trip. The boat has 3 decks, the middle deck opens up just before dinner wraps up and DJ Ricky provides a great mix of tunes to get the dance floor going should you want to shake your money maker... LOL! The upper deck is an open-air seating area with tables and chairs and the views of John's Pass, Treasure Island, and the Madeira Beach area do not disappoint. My only negative observation is that the area where the boat is docked, and the time that the boat is scheduled to leave port for the cruise does not really line up with a good viewing of the sunset and there is no ability to catch a glimpse of any wildlife such as dolphins because it is dark outside by the time dinner is being served or even wrapping up. The company may want to consider moving the timeline up around 30-60 minutes to make that a possibility. I think being able to view the sunset along with all of the other positive things about the experience may have pushed it over the top. That said though, the price was very affordable, the ride was very pleasant and relaxing, the food was very good and the staff was top-notch! We really enjoyed our time aboard the...

We probably should have read more reviews before we booked. The staff were not overly friendly, yet were always looking for tips. Upon entering the dining area, two musicians were playing some nice steel drum music, which made for a nice atmosphere. However, it didn't last very long. While waiting for our table to be called to the buffet line, another table jumped the line and got away with it. Jeez, we were hungry, too, but waited to be told it was our turn. Also, while waiting, a variety of beverages were being freely offered, but for some reason, we seemed invisible to the staff member with drinks, and were bypassed multiple times while others around us were being "topped off" or served repeatedly. The food was OK and there were sufficient amounts available for the number of passengers. After dinner, rock and roll dance music began and it was BLASTED throughout the entire boat and on the open air top deck. There was nowhere to escape it. For those who wanted to dance, the second deck was the place to go, but why the music was cranked up everywhere else, I don't know. It was a beautiful starry night and it would've been so much more enjoyable to have had at least one more quiet area to access to enjoy the evening and scenery. I felt badly for the owners of the homes we passed along the shore as I'm sure they could easily hear the music as well. The boat also left 25 minutes late because there were 3 people who were running late. That was ridiculous. I can understand waiting 5 minutes or so, but to hold up about 75 or more people for that length of time was just rude. 7:00 PM departure should mean 7:00 PM. In an apparent attempt to make up for it (there was nothing publicly communicated to any of the guests on board), we returned about 20 minutes late. That really messed up our appointment/pick up time with our Uber driver, creating some additional distress to return to our hotel. Again, just rude of the staff to not make an announcement and let passengers know of the time change. I would not...

I have so many thoughts.

I joined a large party (family reunion) on the Calypso Breeze dinner cruise last weekend and it was...an experience. Firstly, this is far from a luxury cruise. So if that's how you've been sold it, consider yourself warned. With that in mind, I think it's a lovely family friendly outing, but it could use a facelift in a few areas.

The food: Nothing to write home about. I understand that as a buffet, it's not going to be a Michelin star meal but the taste and quality of what I had left a lot to be desired. It strongly reminded me of a dining hall or cafeteria in a college dorm level of quality (and that might even be generous considering a lot of colleges have leveled up their meal options in the last few years).

The ambiance: It was hot hot HOT! I don't know if perhaps the A/C was having an off day, but the entire first floor where my party was seated was warm the ENTIRE ride. I only got some relief from the heat when standing directly under an air vent or out on the deck. As for the actual decor of the place, it looks like it hasn't seen a new design or color palette since the early 2000's. Once the DJ got the music going and folks were full, people of all ages hit the dance floor and it was a good time.

Accessibility: I had a toddler and made the mistake of bringing a stroller thinking there might be an area to park it. I was wrong. I ended up tucking it in a corner behind a chair but when everyone was seated, it was a tight squeeze for the person sitting there. So imagine if you had someone in your group with a wheelchair or walker. I'd also add that the seating and buffet line flow leave the space feeling super discombobulated. I just think the boat should be bigger overall.

Overall: I did have a good time on the dinner cruise, but with some improvements, I think it could be a GREAT attraction for locals...