Miami Celebrity Homes Boat Tours

A seat on a shared double-decker costs from ~$20 per person, the speedboat ~$42, the city tour with a cruise ~$60 and the sunset cruise with an open bar ~$69. Private boats are priced per boat, from ~$125 or ~$199, plus about $50 an hour for the captain and a fuel fee. Every price and extra is in our cost guide.

For most people, Bayride's ninety-minute cruise from Bayside, because it passes every famous island for very little money and sails every half hour. For a closer, quieter look, a private charter with MYA. For the sunset and a drink, Fiesta's evening cruise.

Most leave from the marina at Bayside Marketplace, 401 Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami, where several operators have their own kiosks. MYA's private boats leave from a marina on the Miami River, and 1 Life's from Indian Creek in Miami Beach, across from the 1 Hotel.

Every boat on this page passes Star Island and Fisher Island, and most add Palm, Hibiscus and the Venetian Islands too. Guides name owners such as Gloria and Emilio Estefan on Star Island and Al Capone's old house on Palm Island, but houses change hands often, so take any name as commentary. Who has lived where.

No. Every house on these islands is a private home, and the tours stay on the water. Star Island and Fisher Island are closed to visitors on land too. Only the longer private trips stop anywhere, at a sandbar or Raccoon Island for a swim.

The classic big-boat cruise lasts about 90 minutes, though reviewers often time it closer to 75. The speedboat takes 45 minutes and the sunset cruise two hours. Private charters run from one to five hours, and the city tour with a cruise takes five to six.

The big boat, because it moves slowly past every island with a guide talking the whole way. The speedboat covers fewer houses, faster, and spends part of its 45 minutes on the open ocean along South Beach. It is the better ride, not the better view. The three styles compared.

For the houses, daylight is better, since they are easier to see and photograph. For the skyline and the mood, sunset wins, and Fiesta's cruise adds an open bar. In summer a sunset trip also spares you the midday heat. Day or sunset, compared.

November to April, when the air is drier, the sun is gentler and storms are rare. Summer is hot and brings short afternoon thunderstorms, and hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with free cancellation as your safety net. Month by month.

The big boats from Bayside sail rain or shine, with covered seating on the lower deck. Small private boats reschedule or refund when the weather turns, and any boat stays in port when the Coast Guard or the captain says the bay is unsafe.

Yes, mostly. The covered double-deckers suit small children, and a private boat with a stop at Raccoon Island is a hit with families. The speedboat takes no one under three, and the open bar cruise is for adults first. Families and access.

Some can, but check first. Island Queen's big boats are listed as wheelchair accessible on Viator. For Bayride, GetYourGuide says accessible and Viator says not, so call the operator. The speedboat, the private charters and the city tour van are not accessible.

It is customary and never included. On the big boats the crew will remind you, sometimes more than once. On a private charter, captains usually expect 15 to 20 percent of the boat price, on top of the captain and fuel fees.

On all six cruises on this page, yes, up to 24 hours before, and each offers reserve now, pay later. Inside 24 hours you pay unless the operator cancels, so check the forecast the day before and decide then.