Summer Sunset Luau at the Catamaran Hotel

Stayed at the catamaran with my family and bought tickets for this dinner and show event. I was told first come first serve seating. But that is bogus, even though we were first few people to enter the dinner venue, we were seated quite a bit away from stage. Larger groups get preferential seating. Show was nice, but sitting away kinda killed it. I would have rather stay outside on the walking path and watched the show with better view for free. Buffet was good as advertised. Distance of the seats to the performance stage is very close and congested.
If you like Hawaiian food and don’t care for the show then go for it. Even then it’s a not worth the cost.

The luau was a great experience for my children, however, it was overpriced. The food was cold, the selection was poor, we were crammed in the table, the staff was rude, and the Mai Tai was pretty much alcohol free. I recommend spending your money somewhere else for a special experience.

We got the military discount of $ 55 each and all the kids eat for free. The food was ok… typical buffet. It felt like a low budget wedding with a bunch if strangers. Cash bar had premium drinks… which was worth one star alone. The entertainment for the kids was worth another 2 stars along with the location. On the bay at sunset was nice. So if you are looking for something completely different for the whole family to enjoy… I highly recommend. The food wasn’t bad… I am just really picky.

This is my second luau, first was in Maui, and I must say that this was equal to the one in Hawaii. Except, the luau in Maui had more authentic Hawaiian food like poi and the other dishes of which I can’t think of in the moment. The venue was nice, next to the bay and nicely set up. You are greeted with a Mai tai and a lei (which are not real flowers). The set up are long tables which are pretty tight. They squeeze as many chairs as they possibly can in one long table. This I didn’t really care for because it made it difficult to get in and out of your seat. They close the buffet after about an hour and half; which is a bummer since it is a buffet. Performers did a great job and the live bad was awesome as well. Overall, I had a good time and enjoyed the show. I would still recommend going to a luau in Hawaii but if you can’t make it there then this is just as good. And for $ 65 it is a lot more affordable than the $ 100 luaus in Hawaii.

We had a great time at the luau. I would highly recommend that you get there early.
The food wasnt spectacular but it wasnt bad either. The beer selection at the luau was better here than at Atoll. Come to think of it… the drinks in general tasted better at the luau than at Atoll. I had the mai tai and a margarita… both were fantastic. It does take a while to get the food. so a light snack may be a great option. My favorite dish was the shrimp ceviche.
The performances were pleasing as well. Each segment transitioned well into the next one.
My only complaint was the capacity. I overheard the waitress saying there was over 700 people. The space was not big enough to seat that many people. The chairs were litterally stuck next to one another. It wouldve been better if they had benches instead. It was hard to go in and out to get food… and you were constantly rubbing elbows with the people next to you.

Be Alarmed come early to get in line to get up close seating. Other Than that it was Awesome. I have been to plenty of luaus in hawaii and this is by far very similar And exact same way things are done. You get a lei, a ticket drink, and all you can eat food& dessert. Drinks are average. ** what you will pay at a club*** outside drinks aren’t allowed so I gulped my Margarita quick since my husband just bought it. Entertainment was Awesome .We met a few ppl from different states at our table. Overall the surprise of an anniversary gift was appreciated by the husband… as We stayed for a 2day weekend.

I went to the last luau for the summer and I had a really fun time with my family. Its a really great event to attend for large groups. The Polynesian dancers entertain you all night.
The food is served buffet style. It’s all you can eat (or at least until all the food is gone). They have the typical island style food such as Kahlua pork, macaroni salad, coconut potato salad, etc. There were also various desserts. They have a table of food for kids since kids may be picky eaters. It was a pretty large selection of food and I was overstuffed by the end of the night.
There’s a cash bar in the back for alcoholic drinks but you get a free drink ticket with your admission. Parking at the hotel was also free.
I give this only 4 stars for the following reasons: 1.) The price! I paid $ 58 per adult ticket. It seems pretty steep for this type of occasion. So beware. If you don’t feel like paying the money you can always just walk along the beach and watch from the sidelines. 2.) The seating is pretty tight, but its understandable that this issue varies from night to night. You’d also need to show up early to get good seats for the show.
Other than that, the dancers were really entertaining. The fire dancers were the most captivating. Its a good place to go with the family. If you have no plans to travel to Hawaii for an authentic luau, this one is a good one to go to. Just have to wait until next summer.

My brother in law and his wife had their reception here after getting married today. It was good times!
Food was pretty good. The desserts were awesome! Had some coconut cake, macadamia nut cookies and these individual macadamia nut chocolate pie things (think pecan pie but with coconut and macadamia nuts) which were freaking amazing! It was buffet style… pork was just ok because it was super duper fatty, had some rice and some ceviche type shrimp and pineapple salad thing.
The show was very entertaining. Typical Polynesian dances and songs etc. Those chicks sure can shake their hips ;-). The fire dance at the end was pretty damn sweet too. Mad props to whoever that dude was… he did a great job.
One thing threw me off a bit and I didn’t know whether to think that this was ghetto fabulous, or pure genius… I will explain. This is held right on the beach. Its an open air/​seating arrangement. Well when we were standing in line to get our food, we noticed all these people sitting right on the beach like 5 feet away from us with picnic lunches etc. One lady even had a damn fold up table with a spread on it. So what they were doing, is basically enjoying the show for free. So if you bring your own food and kind of just «post up», you can save $ 50. Part of me thinks that is a smart move, but part of me thinks those folks are being cheap bastards and working the system. Oh well whatever I guess… didn’t ruin my night.
The whole family was there, got to meet some new folks my wife has told me about, and everyone was in good spirits to celebrate a lifelong journey between my brother in law and new sister in law. Food was alright, the show was awesome and maybe someday I will return.

GO FOR THE FOOD… BUT STAY FOR THE FIRE DANCER!
I was torn between 4 or 5, so consider this a 4.5 review. I agree with the previous post, if you are really wanting a up close seat, you need to get there earlier but we got there right when the doors opened and were seated towards the back and still were able to see the show.
If you have never been to a luau, this luau is a pretty good one to go to. When you walk in, you are greeted with a lei and you take a photo with some of the Hawaiian dancers (which you can purchase as a great souvenir– make sure you purchase ahead of time cause if you wait till the end, you will be waiting in a line with everyone else).
The wait time from the beginning to dinner time is a bit of a wait but the musicians play request through the time so you are treated to some island music but they definitely need more waiters/​waitresses to help serve drinks cause we saw the waitress maybe once though out the entire luau.
When the dinner starts it is a bit chaotic but the lines tend to go fast, and too be honest, I have been to a few luaus and this luau’s food is the best I have ever had (THANK GOODNESS IT’S A BUFFET!) The best part is the delicious fresh fruit and desserts but they need more dessert tables for sure!
Then the entertainment starts and the Hawaiian dancers do an amazing job taking you through the different Polynesian islands! You will never be bored and the night ends in a dramatic fashion with, what I personally feel is the best fire dancer ever! He is amazing and worth the price of the ticket alone!
If you have out-​of-​town visitors or just want to take in a luau in San Diego, this one is one of the best!