Boat tours with kids or a wheelchair

Ages and restrooms, boat by boat

Each operator sets its own rules, and the six cruises we compare on the home page differ more than you might expect.

Children count toward the limit on the private boats, babies included, so a family of ten is a full MYA booking. MYA also needs at least one guest aged 18 or over. On the two private boats you pay per boat, plus the captain and the fuel, which can make them cheaper per head than you might think for a large family. Our cost guide does the sums.

Toilets decide the trip

With a toddler, or a child just out of diapers, the restroom question matters more than the route. Fiesta's double-decker has one, and so does MYA's private day boat. Bayride's listing says nothing either way about its 90-minute loop, so ask at the kiosk before you sail. Thriller has none, though its ride lasts only 45 minutes. 1 Life does not mention one, and on a 25-foot boat you should assume there is none and plan a stop before you leave the dock.

Bruschi's two-hour private boat, from ~$52 per person, carries life jackets sized for children and infants. Its catch for families is the toilet, which is on shore at the marina rather than on board, and you do not get to choose your captain.

Heat and short attention spans

Children feel the Miami sun sooner than adults do. From May to September the usual highs run 87–91 °F (31–33 °C), and the open top deck of a big boat has no shade. Bayride's lower deck is air-conditioned, and Fiesta has covered seating on both decks, so a hot child has somewhere to retreat. In the summer months, book the first departures of the day or a late afternoon one, and pack water and hats. What to bring has the full list, and the month-by-month guide shows when the heat eases.

Length matters as much as shade. Ninety minutes is long for a four-year-old who has lost interest after the third house, even if reviewers often time the Bayride loop at 70–80 minutes. The guide's habit of playing a song for each famous house keeps some children watching. The 45-minute speedboat is short and thrilling, and reviewers call it good for families with older kids, but it is wet and loud, and full-throttle stretches are not for everyone.

Life jackets and Raccoon Island

MYA and 1 Life both list life jackets on board. The big shared boats do not mention child sizes in their listings, so ask the operator if it matters to you. On MYA, everyone takes their shoes off on board, so pack socks or sandals for small feet.

For many families the high point is not a house at all. Sandspur Island, better known as Raccoon Island, is a small island in the bay where wild raccoons wander along the sand. 1 Life runs a two-hour option that pairs the celebrity houses with a stop there, and MYA includes it among the 5-hour choices. They are wild animals, so watch from a few steps back and leave the snacks in the cooler. Reviewers on 1 Life also report dolphins and manatees, which wins over most children.

Strollers

Viator marks Bayride, Fiesta, MYA and Sunny Miami as stroller accessible. A light folding stroller is easier to manage on a gangway and between decks than a heavy travel system, and on a busy Bayride sailing it helps to fold it and keep the child on your lap. The other listings say nothing about strollers, so ask before you bring one. On the Thriller speedboat a stroller would only get soaked.

Wheelchairs and limited mobility

Wheelchair access is where the listings disagree most, so treat every answer below as a reason to call before you pay.

• Bayride is listed as wheelchair accessible on GetYourGuide and as not accessible on Viator. Call Bayride and ask about the gangway and the lower deck;
• 1 Life says on its listing that it is wheelchair accessible. On a 25-foot bowrider we doubt it, so ask the operator how boarding works;
• Thriller, Fiesta, MYA and Sunny Miami are not wheelchair accessible, and neither is Bruschi's private boat.

The one big boat marked wheelchair accessible on Viator belongs to Island Queen's 90-minute Millionaire's Row cruise at ~$25, which also has a restroom and is listed as stroller accessible. Its reviews score lower than Bayride's, and the guide is hard to follow from the cabin below. A travel-club raffle pitch also runs on board.

Several listings rule out other conditions too. Thriller is not for anyone pregnant or with back problems. On the private boats, MYA does not take pregnant guests, and 1 Life advises against its boat for pregnancy or back and heart trouble.

Matching the boat to the family

With babies and toddlers, a covered big boat makes the gentlest start. Fiesta has the restroom and infant fares, though its open bar and evening timing suit a sleepy baby better than a restless three-year-old. Bayride costs less and has air conditioning below. School-age children usually get more from a small private boat with a stop at Raccoon Island, and teenagers tend to vote for the speedboat. For three generations on one boat, a private charter with a toilet keeps everyone happy. Speedboat, big boat or yacht? compares the styles side by side, and our photo guide helps the family photographer get the houses in focus.