Running a 133-passenger dolphin cruise operation in one of Alabama’s busiest tourism destinations means juggling hundreds of bookings, weather delays, and last-minute changes, all while keeping guests happy and boats full.
For Jeremy Perry, General Manager and Head Captain at Sunny Lady Dolphin Cruises in Orange Beach, managing reservations used to be a daily source of stress. Between manual spreadsheets, phone bookings, and constant overbooking issues, his team was spending more time on administrative tasks than focusing on delivering great guest experiences.
That changed when Jeremy discovered tour operator booking software specifically designed for marine businesses. Here’s how the right reservation system helped Sunny Lady streamline operations, increase bookings, and eliminate the chaos that comes with manual booking management.
From Police Beat to Dolphin Cruises: Jeremy’s Journey
Jeremy’s path to marine tourism is unique. After 17 years as a police officer, he transitioned into the watersport industry, starting as a dockhand at Zeke’s Marina. “I met a captain, got my license, and worked my way up through offshore fishing, duck boat tours, and jet skis before landing at Sunny Lady,” Jeremy explained.
Today, he oversees all operations for their 133-passenger vessel running multiple daily cruises from The Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama, one of the Gulf Coast’s premier tourism destinations.
The Breaking Point: Why Manual Booking Systems Don’t Scale
Before implementing professional tour operator booking software, Sunny Lady was managing everything by hand, a system that worked when they were smaller but became unsustainable as they grew.
“We were doing bookings by hand, and it was incredibly stressful,” Jeremy recalled. “We had overbookings, double bookings, cancellations coming in that we couldn’t track properly, and no-shows we had no way to manage. On a boat that carries 133 people, those kinds of mistakes are expensive.”
The challenges Sunny Lady faced with manual booking management:
- Double bookings and overbooking situations
- Inability to track cancellations and no-shows effectively
- Missed calls leading to lost revenue opportunities
- No real-time visibility into booking capacity
- Stress and confusion during weather delays or changes
Sound familiar? These are common pain points for tour operators using outdated reservation methods.
The team realized they needed a watersport reservation software solution that could scale with their operation, reduce human error, and support better guest experiences. That’s when they discovered WaveRez.
Seamless Onboarding with Industry-Specific Support
One of Jeremy’s biggest concerns about switching to new charter reservation software was the learning curve for his team. However, the transition turned out to be smoother than expected.
“The WaveRez support team is the best of the best,” Jeremy said. “They’re incredibly responsive, they walk you through everything step by step, and they helped me build out our entire schedule. That took a huge weight off my shoulders.”
The software was designed with marine tour operators in mind, which meant Jeremy didn’t have to spend time explaining the unique challenges of running dolphin cruises. The support team understood concepts like weather delays, capacity management, and seasonal booking patterns from day one.
“It’s really user-friendly,” he added. “I didn’t want my crew messing with complex settings, but the day-to-day tasks they needed to handle? They picked those up fast.”
Features That Make a Real Difference for Tour Operators
Key features that transformed Sunny Lady’s operations:
- Live availability updates that prevent overbooking
- Automated integration with major OTA platforms like TripShock and Viator
- Automated text and email reminders sent to guests before each cruise
- Real-time tracking of incomplete bookings and cart abandonment
- Weather delay management and guest communication tools
These features help tour operators maintain full boats while keeping guests informed and reducing administrative workload.
“These tools help us keep the boat full and our guests properly informed,” Jeremy explained. “We can track who has items in their cart, which helps us anticipate whether we’ll have enough bookings to run a trip. It takes all the guesswork out of our decision-making process.”
Measurable Results: More Bookings, Higher Revenue
Since implementing professional watersport reservation software and connecting to online travel agency (OTA) channels, Sunny Lady has seen significant improvements in both bookings and revenue.
“Being on TripShock and Viator through WaveRez has made a huge difference,” Jeremy reported. “We’ve been able to fill the boat much more consistently and our bottom line has definitely improved.”
The software also helped eliminate negative reviews that previously stemmed from overbooking situations and communication issues. “It keeps everything running smoothly. We don’t get the complaints we used to get about booking problems.”
Why Industry-Specific Software Matters
For Jeremy, one of the biggest advantages of using boat rental booking software designed specifically for marine tourism is that support representatives actually understand his business.
“Our industry is unique,” he said. “Whether it’s equipment delays, large group bookings, weather cancellations, or last-minute changes, WaveRez understands how to handle these situations. We don’t have to spend time explaining our business model just to get help. That makes a huge difference when you need support quickly.”
Benefits of industry-specific tour operator booking software:
- Support teams that understand marine tourism challenges
- Features designed for weather-dependent operations
- Integration capabilities with marine industry partners
- Pricing models that work for seasonal businesses
- Compliance features for marine safety requirements
Generic booking systems often require extensive customization and don’t account for the unique needs of water-based businesses.
Advice for Other Tour Operators
To marine tour operators still relying on spreadsheets, phone bookings, or generic reservation systems, Jeremy has a clear recommendation:
“If you’re in water sports or marine tours and you’re not using a system built specifically for our industry, you’re wasting your time and probably losing money,” he said. “WaveRez has everything ready to go right out of the box. It’s easy to learn, the support is amazing, and it will genuinely help grow your business.”
🌊 Ready to Transform Your Tour Operation?
Sunny Lady Dolphin Cruises’ success story shows how the right tour operator booking software can eliminate operational stress while driving real business growth. From reducing overbookings to increasing OTA revenue, professional reservation systems designed for marine tourism deliver measurable results.
If you’re ready to streamline your operations like Jeremy and his team at Sunny Lady, schedule a free demo to see how WaveRez can transform your tour or rental business.
About the Author
Amber Dudley
