Frequently Asked
Questions

All reservations for our famous trips are done through our state of the art online reservation system on our site. We’ve made it quick, easy and secure to book your trip with us 24 hours a day!

Please note that online reservations are payable at the time of booking with a Visa or MasterCard, and are NON REFUNDABLE, unless we cancel due to weather, mechanical, or anything outlined in our policies and waiver agreement. See Cancellation Policies on our Policies Page.

No. When you fish on our boats with Kraken Charters you do not need a fishing license we cover you under our federal umbrella license while you are on our private charter boats or party boats.

If you plan to fish while in town without Kraken Charters you do need to have a fishing license. For more information on who needs licenses, how much they are and where to get them visit this Florida fish and Wildlife link: http://myfwc.com/license/recreational/how-to-order/

Yes and no. We have multiple boats and some have enclosed bathrooms some do not. Please ask us first if this is a concern.

Yes. You may bring up to 1-2 coolers per party up to 48-50 quarts in size. No larger. NO glass containers of any kind. (Soft drinks, condiments, alcohol, etc… must be in a plastic container.)

Tobacco Use: Customers of age may use tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, dip, and vapes ONLY if you responsibly dispose of your waste and do not make a mess on the boat or damage property with hot cigarette/cigar butts, ashes, or spit waste. Customers that cause damage or mess to property with tobacco products may be held liable according to this agreement and waiver document.

The captain will filet the fish for you free of charge! You can take the fish filet and cook how you like. We suggest some local places that will do it for you for a fee on our Catch & Cook page. If the fish does not meet keep requirements and/or is not in season it will be released at time of catch.

No, like fishing everywhere, you won’t always catch a fish on a fishing charter. That being said, it’s pretty rare we don’t catch any fish. Could have a day that you didn’t catch exactly what you wanted or didn’t get that keeper to have for lunch. It’s likely you’ll catch fish; you just might not catch the exact fish you had your heart set on. We do our absolute best, but make no guarantees!

This is something we do a little different than most. Our captains work insanely hard. Most customers have no idea the amount that goes into setting up a trip (especially fishing) and the behind the scenes work that a captain does. When your fun ends the captains work just begins – whether thats cleaning the boat, maintenance, going to catch bait for the next trip, and so on. Gratuity is a huge part of their income and living. If you really had a bad trip for whatever reason and want to remove your gratuity please Contact Us for a refund.

All of our Captains are awesome… knowledgeable, skilled, kind, kid & adult friendly and the love what they do! We do try to accommodate Captain requests, but cannot guarantee. Keep an open mind, you just never know, the next one you go out with may become your new favorite!

All charter boats must have personal flotation devices onboard. Our charter boats carry children’s life jackets that are USCG approved. The problem is, the orange ones are not very comfortable at times. If you have your own life jacket that is more comfortable for your child, you may bring it as long as it meets USCG standards.

If for some reason during a trip sea conditions/weather become rough enough to where the captain makes the decision to head back in, you will only be charged for time you were on the boat. The total price will be divided by number of hours.

If for some reason during a trip at sea the customer is breaking any rules such as, but not all inclusive to, bringing any type of drugs, a drunk unruly passenger, any disruptive or dangerous behavior, distracting the captain, littering in the ocean, or any activity putting the passengers and vessel at risk, and the captain has to end the trip early no refunds will be given and that customer will not be allowed to use Kraken Charters again.

If for some reason during a trip some or all the customers want to head back in because they want to cut it short, that is OK with us. You are on a private charter and you are in control and if you want to go back, consider it done. However, if sea conditions and weather is safe and there is no reason to come back in, unlike the captain cancelling the trip mentioned above, you will be expected to pay for the entire trip. This includes a customer or customer(s) being sea sick and wanting to come back in.

We unfortunately have to be strict about this. We have outlined our cancellation policies all over the site and are extremely clear regarding this. If there are any questions at all please Contact Us before booking to clarify.
48 hours notice or more required for a full refund. No Call/No Show = 100% of trip fare. Cancellation within 48 hours = 50% of trip fare. Please see our Policies Page for cancellations regarding weather, mechanical failure, and more.

We do not control fishing regulations, and they are subject to change without notice or warnings. IF we hear of changes that affect your future trip we will do our best to email you at the email you reserved with if there are regulation changes that could affect your trip.

See our Boat Ramp & Parking page for all of the information. The vast majority of the time we use the Park Blvd Boat Ramp for pickup

We do not provide alcohol; however, customers can bring their own. Must be 21 years old with ID. No glass containers. We do not tolerate over-drinking. If the captain believes and individual has had too much to drink, the captain has the right to curtail alcohol consumption of that individual. The captain may terminate the charter trip at any time, without refund, if one or more individuals become intoxicated or uncontrollable due to alcohol consumption. In addition, no individual(s) will be allowed to board the boat before a trip if he/she arrives to the dock intoxicated and will forfeit the trip and will not get a refund.

Illegal drugs are not allowed on the boat. Period. This includes marijuana (even with a medical card). If it is discovered that a customer has brought illegal drugs on the boat, the captain must immediately end the charter and the boat will be taken back to the dock without any refund or credit. To avoid uncomfortable situation at the dock for both us, please do not attempt to sneak any illegal drugs, controlled substances, or contraband on board. Black Kraken Charters, LLC has the right to search coolers and gear thoroughly prior to boarding. In addition, no individual(s) will be allowed to board the boat before a trip if he/she arrives to the dock under the influence of any drugs and will forfeit the trip and will not get a refund. We have seen all the tricks, so again, please cooperate with this policy. We have a Zero Tolerance vessel in compliance with USCG regulations.

Yes. Kraken Charters provides all you need for your fishing trip. No need to bring any bait or gear of any kind. We just ask you respect the equipment. We invest a lot of money into this equipment and the time to maintain it. If you would like to bring your own gear and bait it is ok but you must discuss with your captain prior to the trip.

This depends on the trip whether cruising or fishing. The list mainly consists of the same; hat, shirt or SPF fishing shirt, proper footwear, windbreaker/jacket (if cold), sunblock, sunglasses, towel, sanitizer, gloves, food (most customers bring sandwiches, chips, granola, jerky, snacks, etc), drinks (most customers bring excessive amounts of water, Gatorades, any drink that is very hydrating). Alcohol is permitted to bring if 21+ of age and is not in a glass container; we do not provide alcohol.

Nope! Due to licensing the maximum number of guests per boat is six people. For groups of seven or more let us know at times we can arrange for 2 boats to go on same trip.

First and foremost let your Captain know, ideally before you are actually late. It’s a private charter so we’ll wait for you, but it will cut into your time. Due to scheduling we likely can’t make up more than 5-10 min at the end of your allotted time but we’ll get you out and make the most of the time we have with you! Traffic can be unpredictable in Pinellas Co. And travel times can be much longer than you expect. Please plan accordingly in allocating time to get to the pickup spot.

Absolutely. The more the captain the better he/she can tailor your experience or advise you on your safety in taking that trip

While at sea no GPS capability devices are allowed onboard for fishing charters. If found in use (for example a Navionics app that tracks boat location or InReach that tracks our location). If found the charter will be terminated and full payment is required. GPS numbers (our fishing spots) is how we make our living and we cannot afford for the numbers to get out. They are considered trade secrets.