Total Package is one of the most capable deep sea boats running out of Pensacola Beach: a 44 foot custom charter boat that is Coast Guard inspected and federally permitted, which lets it carry a larger group legally and fish out to 100 nautical miles from shore. Captain Sean Kelley runs it as a red snapper specialist, with three decades of charter handling behind him and a crew the boat bills as the friendliest on the beach. The inspection and the permit are the real story here, because they buy range and capacity a six pack cannot match.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 8.1 Total Package sits second in the Pensacola ranking, a notch behind Reel Eazy only because it does not post its prices. As a boat it is a match for anything in the port: inspected, permitted for the long runs, and run by a captain with a deep track record. It suits a group that wants to fish far offshore for snapper, grouper, and amberjack, or to run overnight for tuna. If you want posted rates and a comparable boat, Reel Eazy is the pick; for a cheaper walk on seat, the Entertainer and Chulamar head boats sell by the person; and a small group can book the six pack Bout Time Charters or compare the party boat Lively One II. The full field is on the Pensacola ranking.
The boat
The Total Package is a 44 foot custom boat built to fish, with the deck space and stability for a serious group day. Being a Coast Guard inspected passenger vessel, not a six pack, it can carry up to 20 anglers on a day trip and 8 on an overnight, and its federal reef permit lets it fish the federal waters that hold the better snapper and grouper, out to 100 nautical miles. That is genuine offshore capability. The honest caveat is the same as any larger boat: a full deck of 20 shares the rail, so it fishes best with a group that does not max it out.
The fishing and what you target
This is a bottom and reef boat first, working the Pensacola structure for red snapper, vermilion snapper, red grouper, amberjack, and triggerfish as the seasons allow, and it has the legs to run offshore for pelagics on the long trips. Red snapper is the summer draw, open June 1 to October 26, 2026 in federal waters, where the inspected boats with permits do their best work. Amberjack is closed until September and triggerfish through July, so in early summer the boat leans on red snapper and the year round mingo, or runs deep for something bigger.
Trips and prices
Here is the one real mark against an otherwise top boat: Total Package does not post its prices. You call for a quote, and the rate covers the boat for up to 10 anglers, with each angler over 10 adding 10% of the trip cost. Fish cleaning and bagging are included, a 15% to 20% gratuity is customary, and a $400 deposit holds the date, with no charge for a weather cancellation. The policies are clear once you ask, but the missing public price is why it scores below the boats that post theirs. Our cost guide and the walk on versus private guide help you judge the quote you get.
The crew
Captain Sean Kelley has handled charter boats in Pensacola for more than 30 years, and the sentiment is strong and consistent: reviewers single out the captain and crew for finding fish, working hard on deck, and running a clean, professional trip. The reviews lean heavily positive across the booking platforms. As the same captain and crew run the boat, the experience is more consistent than a rotating roster, which is part of why the track record holds up.
Booking and what to know
Book by phone to get a quote and lock a date with the deposit, well ahead for the summer red snapper season. Ask what trip length reaches the fishing you want, since the long runs are where the permit and the boat pay off. Bring food, drinks, sunscreen, and a cooler; the boat covers bait, tackle, and licenses, and the mate cleans and bags the catch.
How we scored it
Total Package scores 8.1 on a capable, inspected, federally permitted boat, a long tenured captain, and strong sentiment, held just below the top only by the value and transparency knock of not posting its prices. Boat and equipment and trips and access are its strongest factors. See how we scored this boat and the Pensacola ranking for where it lands.