Sun, spray and what to pack
A celebrity homes cruise asks very little of you. A ticket and a pair of sunglasses will get you round the bay. The rest depends on the boat, because a speedboat soaks you and a private charter expects you to bring the drinks.
Sunscreen goes on at the hotel
The sun is the thing most likely to spoil a mansion cruise, more than a shower or a sales pitch. Biscayne Bay throws light back up at you, and the open top deck of a double-decker has no roof at all. Put on a high-factor sunscreen before you leave your room, including the backs of your hands and the tops of your ears. MYA Boat Charters asks guests to apply it before boarding rather than on deck, so on a private charter the lotion goes on at the hotel whether you burn easily or not.
A hat does more than any cream, but the bay is breezy and the boat is moving, so pick one with a strap or a snug fit. Sunglasses cut the glare off the water. Bring water as well. Bayride sells drinks from its bar on board, while the private boats from MYA and 1 Life come with a cooler of ice and water. On a July afternoon, with highs around 91 °F (33 °C), a bottle of your own saves you a queue.
A layer for the air conditioning, a shell for the storms
A light long-sleeved shirt earns its place in the bag, odd as that sounds in Miami. The lower decks of the big boats from Bayside are air-conditioned, and after half an hour in the sun the cold air can feel sharp. The same layer covers your arms on the top deck once the sunscreen starts to fade.
From May to October, add a packable rain shell. Summer storms tend to build in the afternoon and blow through fairly fast, and the shared boats keep sailing through them. When a shower hits a full Bayride boat, reviewers describe everyone crowding under the covered deck at once, which leaves the latecomers wet. A shell lets you stay at the rail. Small private boats treat weather differently; when it rains, 1 Life moves you to another day or pays you back. Our month-by-month guide shows when storms are most likely.
Cash for tips and the bar
The ticket is paid online, but the day itself runs partly on small bills. Tips are customary on every boat and never part of the price, and on the big Bayside boats the crew asks, sometimes more than once. A few singles in a pocket make that moment painless. Bayride also sells drinks and snacks on board, at prices reviewers find steep.
On Fiesta's sunset cruise at ~$69 per person the open bar covers wine, beer, prosecco and frozen cocktails, while premium spirits and food cost extra. The drinks are for guests 21 and over, so anyone who wants one should carry a photo ID, however grown-up they look. A tip for the bar crew is customary there too.
Private charters come with a second bill. MYA and 1 Life both add a captain fee of $50 an hour and a $50 fuel charge, paid at the dock on the day, on top of the online price per boat. Ask the operator ahead of time how they want it paid, and budget a tip for the captain on top. Driving in? Budget for a Bayside garage, which one listing puts at roughly $10 for two hours. The cost guide adds the whole thing up, boat by boat.
On the speedboat, plan to get wet
Thriller's listing warns you, and the riders confirm it. On the 45-minute speedboat run at ~$42 per person, spray comes over the side, and on the faster stretches out along South Beach you can expect a proper drenching. Seal your phone and wallet in a zip bag or a waterproof pouch, and leave anything that must stay dry at the hotel.
Thriller also asks every rider to sign an online waiver before arriving, so do it the night before rather than in the line at the yellow umbrella. The minimum age is 3, and the ride is not for anyone pregnant or with back problems. Thriller sells souvenir photos after the trip, which is one way to bring home a picture without risking your phone. Speedboat or big boat sets the ride against the calmer options.
Forty-five minutes of spray and skyline
Thriller leaves Bayside from 11 am until sunset and runs past Fisher Island and Star Island before heading out along the beach. Sign the waiver online first and bring a pouch for your phone. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.
Swimwear and drinks for the private boats
A few of the private trips add a swim. Swim stops come only with the longer private trips, so pack for the water if you book three hours or more. 1 Life runs a 3-hour swim and sandbar option, and a longer day out to Soldier Key with snorkeling. Wear your swimsuit under your clothes to save time, and bring a towel unless you are on MYA, which provides towels along with a floating mat.
Both MYA and 1 Life work on a bring-your-own basis for drinks and snacks, with a cooler and ice waiting on board. Neither allows red wine, so pack white wine or beer instead. MYA asks everyone to take their shoes off on board, which makes slip-on sandals the easy choice, and it allows no smoking apart from vapes.
Bruschi Boat Rental's two-hour private boat, from ~$52 per person and sold on Viator only, is BYOB as well. Its catch for packing is the toilet, because there is none on board, only one at the marina, so plan the drinks around that. Its yard on the Miami River has no parking on site, and a $70 captain fee comes on top.
Seasickness on a shallow bay
Biscayne Bay is about 35 miles (56 km) long but averages only about 6 feet (1.8 m) deep, and Miami Beach shelters it from the Atlantic, so the water inside is usually flat. Few passengers feel unwell on the big boats, which move at a slow sightseeing pace, though nobody can promise a calm day. The speedboat is the exception. It bounces once it leaves the bay for the ocean run, and that is where a queasy stomach notices. If you are prone to motion sickness, take whatever usually works for you before boarding and keep your eyes on the horizon.
Getting there, and the list
Bayside Marketplace is a busy mall with several boat booths side by side, so aim to arrive 30 minutes before departure. Bayride's check-in sits at the north end of the marketplace, behind Victoria's Secret, while Fiesta's booth at Pier 5 has a big red umbrella. MYA sends the marina details the day before, and 1 Life leaves from the Indian Creek dock across from the 1 Hotel in Miami Beach.
Island Queen's open-dated ticket at ~$25 asks for more slack still, 45–60 minutes before you want to sail, because you choose the departure once you are there. Its ratings are weaker than Bayride's, and a travel-club raffle runs on board.
- Sunscreen, applied before you leave
- A hat with a strap, and sunglasses
- A bottle of water
- A light layer, plus a rain shell from May to October
- Small bills for tips, the bar and the dock fees
- Photo ID if you want a drink (21 and over)
- A zip bag or pouch for the speedboat
- Swimwear, a towel and your own drinks for the private boats
Bringing children or someone who uses a wheelchair? The age limits and the restrooms on each boat are in our guide for families. To keep a camera dry and still come home with sharp pictures, read photographing the mansions.