For a full refund, a minimum of 7 days notice is required.

Cancellations made less than 7 days in advance – but more than 48 hrs before departure time – will be charged 50%.

No-shows and cancellations made 48 hrs or less before departure time will be charged full price.

Safety is ultimately our top priority.  We will not operate in hazardous weather conditions such as heavy rain, thick fog, high winds or thunder and lightning.  If severe weather cancels your reservation we will make every effort to reschedule for another day.  Otherwise, a full refund will be issued.

However, no guarantees can be made that every part of every day will be perfectly sunny.  So we will operate as usual in overcast conditions, light fog and in intermittent sprinkles.  Guests should dress appropriately for changeable weather and bring a positive attitude!

The final decision on weather related cancellations rests with the captain and reservations should be considered upheld unless we contact you directly.  

To leave enough time for our check-­in procedure, we recommend your party arrive 20 minutes before your scheduled departure time.  Leave yourself some margin for traffic or parking related delays, pre-departure bathroom stops, etc.

For Private Charters:

There will be no refunds or credits for customers arriving late.  Trips are scheduled multiple times per day and to ensure that all of our reservations are honored, your tour will still have to return at its regularly scheduled time.

For Group Charters:

Group tours will leave at the regularly scheduled departure time – no exceptions.  There will be no refunds or credits for customers arriving after the boat has departed.

WHAT TO BRING:

• A valid form of ID (only necessary for the person who has made the reservation).
• If your tour/rental has not been prepaid, you will need to bring a form of payment.  We accept all major credit cards and/or cash.  Guests of the Wequassett Resort can also charge to their room account if they prefer.
• An additional layer of clothing.  Even if its t-shirt weather in your driveway, always assume it will be cooler on the water.  For shorter tours, a sweatshirt or a light jacket is often enough.  For offshore trips, a water-resistant jacket plus a sweatshirt is ideal.  Temperatures can drop 20 degrees when heading offshore and clothing can quickly get wet if fog is present.
• Please wear boat shoes, non-scuffing white-soled sneakers or relax and go barefoot.
• Snacks/beverages.  Please see additional FAQ’s for restrictions.
• Sunscreen (non-spray only).
• Polarized sunglasses.  These will help you see through the glare on the water.
• Camera

DO NOT BRING:

• Spray sunscreen.
• Marking shoes or sandals.
• Hard alcohol.
• Cigarettes/cigars/vapes (no smoking allowed).
• Drugs of any kids.
• Beer bottles or glass containers.  (Wine bottles are fine.  Beer in cans is also fine).
• Red Wine.
• Anything that can easily blow away.
• Dogs or other pets.
• Large coolers.  Each of our vessels already has a large cooler onboard.  Feel free to bring a small cooler and small bags.
• Large meals.  It just doesn’t work well on an open, moving boat.  Keep food/snacks simple!

All of our trips include complimentary bottled water.  Additionally, customers are welcome to bring their own snacks and beverages.

Please remember that you will be eating/drinking on a boat that is moving, open to the wind and may or may not have a table or cup holders (we operate several vessels and each is equipped differently).  Our advice is to KEEP IT SIMPLE and don’t bring anything that you aren’t prepared to eat in your lap.  Smaller snacks and finger foods are easiest and less likely to stain your clothing and our upholstery.

For adults over 21, reasonable amounts of beer and wine are also allowed.

RESTRICTIONS:

• Leave the red wine at home.  On a moving boat it will stain clothing and upholstery.
• No hard alcohol.
• Please opt for cans and minimize glass containers in general.  Wine bottles are allowed but no beer bottles.  We will provide plastic cups if needed.

Any excessive use of alcohol will result in the immediate termination of the trip with no recourse.

For Private Charters:

The group size you specify at booking will slot you into a specific boat size.  As long as you stay within the specified range (1-6 passengers or 7-12 passengers), nothing more needs to be done.

If your group size grows into the next range of passengers, please contact us to see if a larger boat is available at your requested time.

If your group size shrinks into a smaller range of passengers, please contact us to see if a smaller boat is available at your requested time.

For Group Charters:

Please contact us directly to add/remove seats.  We have a limited amount of space on our group charters and each seat you initially reserve must be paid for unless you cancel ahead of time.  Cancellations/adjustments are subject to our cancellation policy (please see additional FAQ’s).

Yes.  Each of our vessels is rated for a certain capacity by the United States Coast Guard and the USCG does not differentiate between children and adults.  A 14 person capacity means fourteen human beings, for example – regardless of age.

The majority of our customers experience little to no symptoms of seasickness.  But whether it is your first charter or you are a seasoned pro, motion sickness is always possible on ocean­-going trips.  Fortunately, there are ways to proactively avoid the most common symptoms (dizziness, nausea, vomiting).

Prepare for your charter by being well rested and well hydrated.  Avoid alcohol and large amounts of caffeine until after your trip (including the night before).  During your charter do not lay down, read or play on your phone.  Stay active, breathe deeply and watch the horizon.  Convince yourself you are not seasick – focusing or dwelling on your anxieties will only make you feel worse.

Those with a history of motion sickness might consider one of the over the counter remedies or doctor prescribed medications currently on the market.  Please consult with your physician for suggestions.

There are no age restrictions for our Shark Tours.  We have hosted newborns to octogenarians without issue.  However, given the nature of the ocean, not every day is appropriate for every group.  Please let us know (leave a comment at checkout) if your group includes young children so we can keep a close eye on the weather and adjust accordingly.

Those with mobility issues must be able to walk down the resort dock (which has ramps) and step up into the vessel.  Very rarely is this an issue, but it should be mentioned.  Our team will assist in any way they can to ensure those with mobility issues are comfortable.

We do not allow dogs on any of our ocean going trips.

However, in certain circumstances, we may allow dogs on some of our motor boat tours.  See our Scenic Boat Tours page for more information.

Yes, we have life jackets for all shapes and sizes (even infants).  While we recommend that everybody wear a life jacket on our boats, by law only those 12 and younger have to wear one at all times.  Your boat will have enough life jackets on board for everybody in your group.  Younger children are welcome to bring their own life jacket if they are more comfortable, provided it is Coast Guard approved (no arm floaties, please!).

In the interest of public safety, it is currently against the law in Massachusetts to actively chum the waters in hopes of attracting a great white shark to your boat.  Down Cape Charters uses a spotter plane to find sharks – we go to them instead of having them come to us!

The short answer is, “No”.  When working with wild animals in their natural environment, it is impossible to guarantee viewings. 

We can guarantee that we will put each passenger into the best position possible to view sharks that day.  This means safe and reliable access to an area known for a high concentration of shark activity.  It also means monitoring the weather and wind conditions for appropriate visibility.  With the aid of a spotter plane, we are confident that your chances of spotting a shark with us on Cape Cod are as good as anywhere else in the world!  

No.  Down Cape Charters currently offers shark viewing trips where customers stay within the safe confines of the boat at all times.  This is a surface viewing trip using the aid of a spotter plane.