Catamaran Tour Maui

A catamaran in Maui is the island’s standard tour boat: two hulls, a wide deck and a steady ride, which is why the whale watches, sunset sails and snorkel trips all use them. I compared three catamaran tours on GetYourGuide, from $50 for a whale watch to $159 for a cocktail sail, all leaving from Ma’alaea Harbor. For the wider list of cruises, see my guide to boat tours in Maui. Prices are in US dollars, checked in October 2026, and booking links are affiliate links, as I explain on my about page.

My pick for a catamaran tour in Maui is the Quicksilver whale watch at $50: 4.6 from 1,091 reviews, which is far more evidence than the other two. For a sunset, I’d start with the PWF Eco Adventures sail at $126.

Maui Boat Tours

Maui boat tours in the catamaran class split into a power boat and two sailing boats. The Quicksilver is a double-deck power catamaran, so it is the one to choose if you want the shaded cabin and a restroom on board. The other two are sunset sails. All three start at Ma’alaea Harbor, which is on the south coast beside Maui Ocean Center, The Aquarium of Hawaii.

Trip	Operator	Price	Duration	Boat	Rating	Cancellation
Ma’alaea Harbor Whale Watching	Quicksilver Charters	$50	2 hours	Double-deck power catamaran	4.6 (1,091)	2 days ahead
Ma’alaea Catamaran Sunset Sail with Appetizers	PWF Eco Adventures	$126	2 to 2.5 hours	Catamaran	4.7 (16)	24 hours ahead
Alii Nui Luxury Catamaran Sunset Happy Hour Sail	Alii Nui Sailing Charters	$159	2 hours	65-foot luxury sailing catamaran	5.0 (4)	24 hours ahead

Catamaran Maui Hawaii

A catamaran in Maui, Hawaii can be a quiet sail or a motor cruise, and the difference matters. On the Quicksilver you hear the engines, but you get a big shaded cabin and an upper deck. On the Alii Nui the listing describes true open ocean sailing aboard one of Hawaii’s widest catamarans, with bow hammocks, a shaded cabin and two onboard marine restrooms. The PWF boat falls between, with certified marine naturalists on board.

Parking at Ma’alaea is paid, and the Alii Nui listing puts it at about $1.06 an hour, which can be reserved in advance. The Quicksilver says its guests must park at Maui Harbor Shops next to Maui Ocean Center. Allow time for both.

Catamaran Maui Tour

The Quicksilver catamaran tour is the best documented of the three. It costs $50 and lasts two hours. The listing includes a double-deck power catamaran, narration of whale behaviors by the captain and crew, underwater hydrophones to hear whale songs, soda, juice and water, and restrooms on board. Tips, parking, hotel pickup and alcoholic drinks are not included, and alcohol is for sale. The itinerary goes out into Ma’alaea Bay and returns.

It has 4.6 from 1,091 reviews, which is the strongest evidence on this page. Reviewers describe seeing several whales and babies, and a guest in late April says the captain tried hard to find one even though it was unlikely. That fits the season I give on my whale watching page.

Quicksilver Charters

Ma'alaea Harbor: Whale Watching Tour Aboard Power Catamaran

• ★ 4.6 (1,091 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The budget catamaran and my pick: $50, two hours, hydrophones and a shaded cabin, 4.6 from 1,091 reviews.

from

$50

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Maui Catamaran Tours

The next step up is the PWF Eco Adventures sunset sail. It costs $126 for 2 to 2.5 hours, and the listing says certified marine naturalists are on board, with binoculars and a camera to rent. The appetizers are described, including furikake-crusted ahi crostini made with sustainably caught tuna. Refreshments are unlimited soda, juice and filtered water, plus two premium adult drinks for guests 21 and over with ID, and the crew gratuity is listed as included.

It has 4.7 from only 16 reviews, so the score is a good sign rather than proof. A guest writes that they saw whales and had a beautiful sunset. The listing says the activity has two meeting points depending on the option, so check which one you chose before you leave. Cancel up to 24 hours ahead.

Night tour

PWF Eco Adventures

Ma'alaea Catamaran Sunset Sail with Appetizers

• ★ 4.7 (16 reviews)
• 2 - 2.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: A catamaran sunset sail with a naturalist: $126, 2 to 2.5 hours, 4.7 from 16 reviews; promising but unproven.

from

$126

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Maui Catamaran Cruise

The Alii Nui luxury catamaran happy hour sail is the most expensive of the three, at $159 for two hours. It sails from slip 56 on the Oceanside Pier at Ma’alaea Harbor. The listing describes a 65-foot luxury catamaran with a premium open bar, craft cocktails, Maui Brewing Co. beers, and what it calls Maui’s only zero-proof program at sea. A professional photographer is on board, with photos for sale, and the gratuity is included.

It scores 5.0, but from just 4 reviews, so I’d take that rating as an introduction rather than a verdict. If the idea appeals, read the latest reviews and compare it with the sunset sails on my sunset cruise page, where the Sail Maui boats have well over a hundred reviews each.

Alii Nui Sailing Charters

Alii Nui Luxury Catamaran Sunset Happy Hour Sail

• ★ 5.0 (4 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: A cocktail-led sunset sail on a 65-foot catamaran: $159, 2 hours, 5.0 from only 4 reviews, so unproven.

from

$159

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Catamaran Maui Sunset

For a sunset on a catamaran in Maui, both the PWF and the Alii Nui are candidates, and I’d choose by how much you value evidence. The sunset hour depends on the month: in Lahaina it is about 5:46 PM in November and about 7:12 PM in July, according to the sunrise-sunset.org service, and my sunset page has the full table. Hawaii does not change its clocks, so it is the same each year.

If you are making the trip for the golden hour, I’d lean on the sunset page rather than this one, because the higher-rated Sail Maui sails live there. The catamarans here are fine alternatives when those are full. My sailing page shows the sailing versions, and my dinner cruise page the meal trips. For daytime, see my snorkeling page.

Catamaran or Another Boat

A Maui catamaran tour is not the only choice, so here is how I weigh it. The two hulls make the deck wide and flat, which suits groups with different ages and anyone who worries about a rolling boat. That is the case for the Quicksilver, which the listing describes as spacious, with a cabin that offers shade for photos. The sailing catamarans add trampolines and hammocks, according to the Sail Maui and Alii Nui listings, so they feel more like a sail than a bus on water.

Across all the Maui catamaran tours I compared, what the listings do not give me is passenger limits, so I can’t compare crowding. The Alii Nui calls itself one of Hawaii’s widest catamarans, and the PWF boat has certified marine naturalists on board, but neither states a guest count. If a smaller boat matters, the Maui Ocean Adventures whale watch is a small group trip, and I describe it on the whale page. If you want sailing with a snorkel stop, the Gemini on my sailing page is the one to read.

Wheelchair access is listed as unavailable on the PWF and Teralani sails, and the Alii Nui and Quicksilver listings do not mention it, so ask the operator before you book if anyone needs it. Cancellation is free up to 2 days ahead on the Quicksilver and 24 hours ahead on the two sunset sails, so you can book early and keep the date flexible.

How to Choose a Catamaran

I’d pick the Quicksilver for whales and value, the PWF sail for a naturalist-led evening, and the Alii Nui for cocktails once it has more reviews. The home page lists the other cities. For every Maui boat trip I compared, return to my guide to boat tours in Maui.