Popular cruise excursion business reopens post-Ian

Another Southwest Florida tourism business has reopened post-Hurricane Ian, with Captiva Cruises one of the latest to welcome back customers. 

A family-owned and -operated cruise excursion service, Captiva Cruises celebrated its reopening milestone with a ribbon cutting and celebratory cruise earlier in January. The event was held in partnership with the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce, according to a statement. 

Captiva Cruises staff, partners and community supporters gathered at McCarthy’s Marina to commemorate the occasion, which included a celebratory cruise of the local waters aboard the 45-foot catamaran, Santiva.

“There was a lot of hard work by a very dedicated team to get us back to where we are today, and we’re excited to welcome visitors back on Pine Island Sound,” Captiva Cruises co-owner Bob Rando says in the statement. Rando co-owns the business with his wife Jenny Rando and partners Brad and Leslie Junghans. “We look forward to cruising, taking passengers for boat rides and showing them what we love, why we love it and why we’re so enthusiastic about it.”

“As we open businesses here on the island, each one is special,” Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jon Lai said during the ribbon-cutting event. “With the opening of attractions, lodging and beaches, we feel like we’re one step closer to getting back to the world-class vacation destination that we were prior to Hurricane Ian.”

All Captiva Cruises trips are led by U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captains, guiding passengers in encountering Southwest Florida and providing educational insights on the region’s unique ecosystems and native wildlife. The company has been family owned and operated since 1986.