Common Questions and Answers

Bookings can be made online, over the phone or by booking at our booking.

Office in St Davids. We would always advice pre-booking. For further information please visit our booking page.

Yes, you can book as far in advance as you wish.

All our trips are run of Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RIBs). These are built with a deep ‘V’ shaped hull affording a smooth passage around the waters of Ramsey. They are custom built and are hands down the best vessels for getting customers up close with the wildlife. They also allow us to venture into deep sea caves and spend more time with the wildlife and less time moving from A to B. See the Our Vessels page for more information on our boats.

Our boats are coded to carry no more than 12 passengers, regardless of age, at any one time along with 2 crew members. This allows a personal tour tailored to each individuals needs and mean that all passengers can ask questions during the voyage. If there are more than 12 of you in the party then no bother! We have several vessels so we can put you all to sea at the same time. This allows great photo opportunities as you follow each other around the island often close enough to talk. Alternatively we can schedule sailings one after another if you would prefer.

Our Ramsey Island Voyages and Evening Voyages are suitable for all ages. The youngest passenger we have ever taken was a 3-week-old baby and the oldest know was a 98-year-old. Our Skomer Island Voyage and Islands Voyage, the minimum ages requirement is 6 years old and our longer Offshore Whale & Dolphin Voyages is minimum age is 8 years old.

We welcome dogs on our Ramsey Island Voyage. We have to be respectful of other customers so there is a bit of a vetting process for behaviour etc!

We have even taken the odd cat and once a parrot!

We don’t offer landings as part of our trips as our focus is on informative and guided trips. The wildlife and scenery of Ramsey is found in and around the waters of the island. You cannot experience the stunning geographical features of the island for get anywhere near as close from the island. The best way to experience the island is by boat which is why 90% of visitors to Ramsey take a voyage around the island rather than land.

We are based in St Davids, Pembrokeshire and our boats depart from St Justinian harbour which is a short 2 miles away from St Davids.

When booking, you will be given a full direction how to get to St Justinians, which you can drive to, take one of the shuttle buses, walk or cycle if you wish too.

We operate on a daily basis from mid-March to early November. Winter sailings are more subject to weather, but we tend to sail over the Christmas period and the Feb half term break. If you are looking to come over the winter months, do always call in advance or check our sailings times on our online booking system.

Just let us know and we will advise on options. We may adjust a scheduled sailing to account for your wishes or you can charter the boat. If it’s a surprise or anything out of the ordinary then let us know and we will do our best.

The main reason for cancellations is weather over which we alas have no control. If the sailing is cancelled for any reason we will offer you a full refund or an alternative sailing (your choice). See our refunds and complaints page for full details.

If you are unsure then we would recommend the inshore Ramsey Sailings. It is extremely rare that passengers get seasick on our boats due to their design and the shape of their hull preventing the ‘bob and roll’ that some traditional vessels experience. If you really feel unhappy we will sail quickly back to shore and drop you off, we are never more than a couple of minutes from shore and every effort will be made to ensure we get there as quickly and comfortably as possible. It is something that we understand and wont make a fuss about.

We carry physically and other disabled people, pregnant ladies to full term etc. Our general rule is that you must let us know in the office that you have a condition. This then will be related to the boat and the shore duty officer may give advice. The sailing is always tailored to the “weakest” on board and hence it is important that the office and skipper knows of any condition. Ultimately though from our insurers “that unless there is an act of negligence that the decision to partake in the activity is that of the client and by partaking they consent.”

Please note that the vessels depart from St Justinians and there there is a short walk and a number of steps to the slipway, which could prove difficult for those with limited ability. For those in wheelchairs we do our best to make suitable or alternative arrangements but admit that this is not easy and the coast affords few alternative embarkation points. We do offer limited sailings from Porthclais Harbour, however these are very tide dependant, check out our Disabled Access page for more info.

Let us know as we do our utmost to take account of everyone’s wishes. There is so much to see and experience around Ramsey Island that missing out on the caves or skipping past some nesting seabirds only gives you the opportunity to see a whole host of different scenery and wildlife that you may otherwise have not visited.

Yes you can charter for as long as you wish (you can even buy a boat off us!). Charters are provided with our skippers and crews and you can go anywhere along the coast and up to 20 miles offshore. Please call for costings and information.

Our vessels are inspected by the Marine Coastguard Agency and exceed all regulations. In addition we have stringent internal audits. Skippers are qualified and all staff undergo regular training. Skippers are also WISE accredited in addition to the many personal qualifications that they have. Finally all staff are First Aid trained, even those in the booking office, and many of our crew and skippers are also RNLI lifeboat crew meaning you are in the safest hands possible when out on the water.

If you did not find the answer you require then please call us.

Or email direct to – info@ramseyisland.co.uk