Speedboat, big boat or a boat of your own
The mansions on Biscayne Bay stay where they are whichever ticket you buy. The boat is what changes, and it decides how near the seawalls you pass and how many strangers share the rail. This guide sets the three styles side by side, with the price per person and per boat worked out.
Three ways onto the bay
Most visitors end up on a big shared boat from Bayside Marketplace in downtown Miami. Bayride's Millionaires' Homes cruise from ~$20 per person is the classic one, a double-decker that carries up to 145 passengers. Fiesta Cruises sails a similar two-deck boat around sunset with the drinks included. Sunny Miami's city tour spends the day in a van and then puts you on a shared boat of this kind for a 90-minute cruise.
The speedboat is a style of one. Thriller's sightseeing speedboat at ~$42 per person is an open boat for up to 36 riders that spends 45 minutes on the water, part of it out on the ocean along South Beach. The private boats are the third style, and they charge per boat rather than per seat. MYA Boat Charters takes up to 10 people from a marina on the Miami River, while 1 Life Boat Rental fits up to 8 on a 25-foot bowrider that leaves from Indian Creek in Miami Beach.
Two more options fill the gaps. Island Queen's Millionaire's Row cruise from ~$25 is another big boat from Bayside, and Viator lists it as wheelchair accessible, the only big boat so marked. Its ratings are the weakest of the shared boats, though, and reviewers mention a travel-club raffle pitch on board. Bruschi's two-hour private boat, sold on Viator only, is the budget private option, but it has no toilet on board and leaves from a yard on the Miami River with no parking.
How close you get to the houses
Big boats keep to the deeper water. Biscayne Bay averages only about 6 feet (1.8 m) deep, so a double-decker follows the channels and the houses slide past some way off, often a bit quicker than reviewers would like. On Bayride, reviewers put most of the famous houses on the right as you face forward. The upper deck helps, because the extra height lets you look over the seawalls instead of at them.
The speedboat is the furthest and the fastest. Thriller passes Fisher Island and Star Island on its way to the ocean, and riders describe a handful of houses seen from a distance at speed. If the mansions are the reason for your trip, weigh that before anything else.
Private boats get closest. A small boat can slow right down off a seawall and circle back for a second look, and the captain changes the order of the islands when you ask. Star Island from the water describes what you see at that range, and whose homes you actually see covers the names the captains and guides attach to them.
How the ride feels
A double-decker on a calm bay is about as gentle as boating gets. You can walk to the bar and back with a coffee without spilling it. The noise comes from the guide's microphone, with a song for each famous house on Bayride, and from a full deck of other passengers.
The speedboat is the opposite experience. Thriller plays loud music and opens up for short stretches at full throttle, mostly out on the ocean, where the hull slaps over the swell. You will get wet. Riders sign an online waiver first. Nobody under 3 can ride, and the operator turns away anyone pregnant or with back problems. Some riders found the fast bits shorter than they hoped, and demand decides whether you board the yellow Thriller or the slower green Hurricane.
Private boats sit in between. A day boat at cruising pace can throw some spray at the bow, but the captain sets the speed for your group alone, and the music comes from your own phone.
Commentary and comfort on board
The big boats sell the commentary as much as the view. Bayride and Fiesta both narrate in English and Spanish, in a cheerful tone more than a scholarly one, and reviewers say some of the celebrity claims are dubious. Thriller's commentary is in English, between the songs, and a few riders mention a microphone they could not make out.
On a private boat the captain is the guide. MYA's captains speak English and Spanish, and 1 Life lists captains who between them cover four languages, French and Italian among them. Nobody follows a script, so you get as much talk as you ask for.
Comfort is where the styles split furthest. Bayride's lower deck is air-conditioned while the top deck sits in full sun. Fiesta has covered seats on both decks and a restroom, and MYA's boat has a restroom plus a cooler with ice and water. The speedboat has no restroom and little shade, and 1 Life's listing states no restroom on its 25-foot boat. On a July afternoon those details count for more than they seem. Sun, spray and what to pack covers the kit for each.
For a fast, wet look at Star Island
Thriller's 45-minute run (from ~$42 per person) suits teenagers and anyone with an hour to spare. Bring a waterproof pouch for your phone, and cancel free up to 24 hours before if the forecast turns.
Per person or per boat
The shared boats and the speedboat charge per person, so the bill grows with every member of the group. The private boats charge per boat, from ~$199 for MYA and ~$125 for 1 Life, and both add the captain at $50 an hour plus $50 for fuel, paid at the dock.
Two hours with MYA come to about $350 before the tip. Split ten ways, that is around $35 a head, less than a seat on the speedboat. Two hours with 1 Life come to about $275, or roughly $34 each for a full boat of eight. For a couple the sums run the other way, and a private boat costs several times what two seats on a double-decker do. What a celebrity homes cruise costs works through every tour and every extra.
The three styles side by side
| Question | Big boat | Speedboat | Private boat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$20–69 per person | ~$42 per person | ~$125–199 per boat, plus captain and fuel |
| Length | 90 minutes to 2 hours | 45 minutes | 1 to 5 hours |
| Distance to the houses | From the channel, at a steady clip | Furthest, at speed | Closest, at your pace |
| Spray | Hardly any | You get wet | Some at the bow |
| Commentary | Live guide, English and Spanish | English, between songs | Your captain, on request |
| Restroom | Yes on Fiesta, not stated on Bayride | No | Yes on MYA, not stated on 1 Life |
| Children | Child fares, covered seats | Ages 3 and up | Life jackets aboard, up to 8 or 10 guests |
| Wheelchairs | Ask first; Island Queen is listed accessible | No | No on MYA; ask 1 Life |
Who should pick which
Take the big boat for a first look at the whole bay. It passes every famous island and costs the least, with a departure every half hour. The trade-off is distance. On Bayride you also face repeated tip requests and a raffle that ends in a timeshare pitch.
Take the speedboat if the ride matters more than the houses. Teenagers love it, and it fits into a spare hour between lunch and the beach. Skip it with a toddler or a bad back.
Take a private boat if you are a group of six or more, or keen to stop for a swim. MYA's longer options add a stop at Monument Island or the Haulover sandbar, and one of 1 Life's two-hour options visits Raccoon Island. The catch is the second bill at the dock, which surprises guests who read only the headline price. Families should read kids, strollers and wheelchairs first, and if you can choose your hour, day cruise or sunset cruise? helps you pick it.