One thing Long Island is especially known for is its beautiful shorelines that stretch for miles and miles, and whether you're a local resident who's lived here for years, a newcomer, or even a tourist looking for a fascinating way to experience the waters around our fair island, there's no better way to do so than with Tiki Boat Long Island.
Kevin Biscardi, Tiki Boat Long Island CEO and a Centereach resident, is a man of many talents; he's a retired New York City firefighter and is a Certified U.S. Coast Guard captain. His son, who also works with him in the tiki boat business, is a former NYPD officer who is also a Certified USCG Captain and currently working in the FDNY as well, truly making him a chip off the old block.
Based out of Oakdale at The Wharf's Nauti River Marina, Tiki Boat Long Island’s annual season begins May 1 and runs throughout November, with the possibility of venturing into December if weather permits.
Biscardi noted that he was inspired to start Tiki Boat Long Island after visiting the Caribbean often and being inspired by the festive party boats puttering around in the crystal-clear blue waters down there.
“I've seen the tiki boats there and I've also seen a few on Long Island, and I thought that the idea was great,” he said. “But I thought, what if… somebody designed a Premier Styled tiki boat, put an actual full-service bar on it with a dance floor, bathroom, sound system, lighting system, even misters to spray you down when you're hot, a big screen TV, and it holds up to 30 guests, everything. I thought it was a great idea, so I designed the boat, had it built and shipped here, brand new. It’s the only one like it on Long Island!"
Last year Tiki Boat Long Island held their first initial season, which was forced to be an abbreviated one unfortunately due to receiving their freshly-built boat later than anticipated. Undeterred, they held a number of cruises and special events; after a successful first go at it, Tiki Boat Long Island is now ready for their first full summer season shuttling Long Islanders around while showing them the best possible time on the waves that they could hope for.
“Last year we did a number of trips, as well as hosting bridal parties, birthday parties, bachelorette parties, retirement parties, you name it,” Biscardi said. “People loved it. It's a big, roomy boat...we hold up to 30 people, plus our crew.”
In addition to the aforementioned events, Biscardi noted that he's also ventured into holding micro-weddings on the tiki boat as well, something that is growing in popularity among people looking for a unique way to tie the knot in a casual-yet-breathtaking setting on the ocean.
Biscardi said that Tiki Boat Long Island caters to a slightly older crowd who might be looking to enjoy a good time on the ocean – drinking, dancing and admiring the scenery with friends and loved ones – without having to contend with a loud and rowdy party atmosphere.
“We're not looking for a young crowd here. I'm not saying that young people aren't great, but we're not looking for people to be partying here and throwing up over the side of the boat,” he said. “We like people who are a little older, a little more mature who have disposable income – after all, we have a cash and credit card bar – and we want you to come out and have a good time. We don't blast our music so loud that you can't hear yourself think, we keep things calm and mellow and relaxing.”
Biscardi didn’t come into the tiki boat scene without already possessing a degree of experience- he also owns Long Island Private Yacht Charters, which he has run for the past six years, noting that the business is for more “elite” people and allows for a maximum of just 12 passengers.
“We've had a lot of football players, baseball players, movie stars, producers,” he said. “They don't want to deal with the public, they want to have their own space to do their own thing.”
Sightseeing on the waves can certainly work up a hankering for food, but fortunately Biscardi says that Tiki Boat Long Island also has catering services available for his customers, should they desire them.
“We can pretty much get anything that you want here, and I have relationships with a lot of high-quality restaurants in the area, and we can set everything up and clean it all up for you so all you have to do is walk on and off the boat,” he said. “Our regular buffet offers roast beef, smoked ham, and roasted turkey sandwiches on freshly-baked croissants, vegetable platters with dip, fruit platters, and more. But if a customer wants different food, we can order Italian or basically anything that they want.”
Tiki Boat Long Island has several different types of charters available, ranging from daily public cruises on the weekends to private parties and corporate events which can be held any day of the week. Numerous packages are available for different types and lengths of cruises, all of which are available on Tiki Boat Long Island's website, ranging from a basic 90-minute jaunt with a cash bar all the way up to three hours with more extravagant trappings.
The tiki boat has several routes along Long Island that they can take, ensuring that guests are always treated to picturesque views and memorable rides along the lush and beautiful shoreline.
“On nice days, we can cruise along the Great South Bay and enjoy all of the wonderful sights to see there, or we can also go over to Fire Island which also has a lot of great views to enjoy,” Biscardi said. “However, if the weather is slightly inclement, we can go to Connetquot and go past the arboretum, the golf course, and all those beautiful million-dollar mansions and restaurants on the water.”
In keeping with his high standards and professionalism, and wanting to foster an environment of safety and security for his guests, Biscardi noted that all of his employees are also certified Coast Guard captains; in addition, all of his bartenders are professionally licensed, and each cruise also comes with highly-trained hosts and hostesses to see to the needs of his customers.
The Biscardi family also believes in giving back to the community and supports FUNDRAISING EVENTS for organizations on Long Island using their Tiki Boat as a venue for them. The first one of this year is on May 4th for the North Fork Country Kids Animal Rescue; interested parties can register online at https://tikiboatlongisland.com.
“We invite, and will help, any charity on Long Island to raise funds for their cause, to the best of our ability,” Biscardi said. “Charity begins at home. Let’s start in our own backyard.”
Charities can reach Tiki Boat Long Island at: info@TikiBoatLi.com.
Biscardi’s early success is already inspiring him to look ahead to the future, and he anticipates soon adding additional tiki boats to his business.
“Yes, that's the game plan,” he said. “We're already 22 percent booked for the upcoming season, so we're anticipating the summer to be very busy.”
After holding his inaugural season last year and coming away having had a very positive and successful experience, Biscardi said that he can't wait for the upcoming summer to commence and promises his guests a great, relaxing, and extraordinarily memorable time navigating the waves while riding with Tiki Boat Long Island.
“It's not even like work,” he said. “Everybody's happy, everybody's eating, drinking, and dancing. I've been doing this a long time, and it's not even like work to me. I would almost do it for free. Almost!”
To find out more about Tiki Boat Long Island and to schedule a trip, please call 631-648-8055 visit https://tikiboatlongisland.com.
Follow Tiki Boat Long Island on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.
