Fort Lauderdale sunset cruise cost: what $33 to $1,605 gets you
The $33 Water Taxi: daytime only
The cheapest listing is Fort Lauderdale’s 90-minute Premier Sightseeing Cruise at $33 per person. It is also daytime-only, running 11 AM, 1 PM and 3 PM year-round. None of those departures contains sunset on any day of the year. It is a good choice for a daytime sightseeing loop, but do not book it for sunset.
The $35–$36 tier: Millionaire’s Row and the Sea Rocket
Two mid-range options, both $35–$36. The Millionaire’s Row cruise runs 75 minutes for $36, departs from downtown (2900 Sebastian St), and includes a beer, wine or soda plus narration by a Coast Guard licensed captain. The Sea Rocket costs $35, takes 1 to 75 minutes (the listing says "1 hour" in one place and "75 minutes" in another — write it that way), and is the only one that leaves the Intracoastal for the Atlantic; from out there you look back west at the city. It rates 3.7 from 52 reviews, the lowest on the site.
A seventh listing, the Venice of America Boat Tour, runs $39, is the same operator as Millionaire’s Row, same dock, same 75 minutes, same route and identical inclusions. Those are the two listings side by side; on the evidence we can see they look like the same cruise sold twice, and the $36 one has ten times the reviews. The $39 listing is bookable on GetYourGuide, but we focus on the $36.
The $55 downtown cruise: the flagship value
The Evening Boat Cruise through Downtown Ft. Lauderdale costs $55 per person and runs 2 hours from Bahia Mar Dock i. It is the only one where parking is built into the price — no additional garage fee beyond what the operator says are "approximately $10" at the facility. Hotel pickup and drop-off are also included. For a visitor without a car, that is the simplest option on the site. The boat is BYOB, you bring coolers and food, and a DJ plays music while you cruise. It rates 4.7 from 61 reviews, the best sample on the site.
The $80 dinner cruise: mostly the ride to dinner
The Intracoastal Waterway Dinner Cruise runs $80 per person and departs from Bahia Mar A-Dock. The operator lists it as a 2.5-hour cruise, but we checked the geography: Bokamper’s Bar & Grille, where dinner happens, sits 3.78 miles north of the dock up the Intracoastal — that is roughly an hour of cruising each way with dinner in the middle, not 2.5 hours on the water. It has no rating and no reviews; the listing calls it a "New activity". You pick your entree ahead of time, and drinks are complimentary both ways. Arrive 30 minutes early for check-in.
The $1,605 private charter: the math and the value
The Fort Lauderdale Private Sunset Cruise for Groups costs $1,605 per boat for 2 hours, or $1,605 for 4 hours, with a group size of 15 to 45 people. Do the math: $1,605 across 45 people (the maximum) pencils out to $35.67 a head, level with the Sea Rocket. Across 15 people (the minimum) it runs $107 each. The whole-boat price only beats a shared ticket if you genuinely fill the boat.
What you get: the boat is yours, you pick the departure time (and on this one cruise, that matters — you want to leave when the sunset hits your dock), a Bluetooth sound system, coolers and bottled water included, and you bring your own food and drinks. Gratuity is not included, suggested at 18 percent on a $1,605 boat, and you pay to park. The listing rates 5.0 stars from two reviews — not a track record. The operator tells you to "check time of sunset for your day, to ensure you book the correct timeslot". Use the sunset table to work that out.
Parking and arrival fees
Bahia Mar Resort & Marina quotes parking at "approximately $10" per the operator’s own listing; prices move. The Riverfront Cruises dock at 2900 Sebastian St offers no parking by the boat — the operator says "Public garages 0.3 miles (10-min walk)" and you should use Google Maps only for that address. The downtown cruise ($55) includes parking. The Water Taxi and private charter require you to pay.
Two arrival rules: arrive 15 minutes early for most cruises, 30 minutes for the dinner cruise. And the boat leaves without you. Riverfront’s listing puts it bluntly: "There is absolutely no way to contact the boat to ask it to wait."
Gratuity
The private charter lists 18 percent as suggested gratuity. The other cruises do not specify; tip according to your usual practice.
What the best-rated boat costs today
Every price on this page is the listing headline. The widget below shows the live price and the real availability for the $55 downtown cruise — the one boat here whose price already contains the parking and the hotel transfer, which is why it works out cheaper than the $35 boat for a visitor without a car. Compare it against all six cruises.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the $55 downtown cruise cost so much less than the $80 dinner cruise?
Different products. The downtown cruise is a sightseeing and social boat ride that runs from a marina. The dinner cruise is a 2-hour water taxi to a restaurant 3.78 miles up the Intracoastal with dinner at Bokamper’s in the middle. Parking the ride to a restaurant costs the markup.
Is the private charter really $35.67 per head?
Only if you fill the boat to 45 people. At 15 people it is $107 each. The math: $1,605 divided by your group size. The operator claims the whole-boat price often costs less per person than shared tickets, but that claim is only true at the high end of the range, and even then only against the most expensive single seats.
Can I pay cash at the dock instead of GetYourGuide?
Not for GetYourGuide bookings. You book and pay through the website, and your voucher goes to the operator. No cash option is listed on any of these GetYourGuide pages.
What if I have more questions about included drinks?
The Millionaire’s Row cruise includes one beer, wine or soda per person; additional drinks are extra. The downtown cruise is BYOB (you bring them). The Sea Rocket has a full bar for purchase. The dinner cruise includes drinks both ways. The private charter is BYOB. Check the cruise cards for more detail.
How far is it from my Waikiki hotel to the boats?
Wrong island. These cruises leave Fort Lauderdale, Florida — the New River waterway downtown and Bahia Mar along the Intracoastal. See where the boats depart for exact locations and walking distances.