Top Tips for Sydney Harbour Cruises

Sydney Harbour offers beautiful landmarks, parks, beaches and islands to see all the way from the city to the Pacific Ocean. But here are some other sights and facts you might find interesting to know along your journey.

• Sydney Harbour is the deepest natural harbour in the world with 504 billion litres of water.
• There are over 586 species of fish in Sydney Harbour. These include Bull Sharks, White Sharks and Tiger Sharks between 2 and 3.2 metres long. The sharks are most likely to be around in Summer and hide in murky waters. The last reported fatality was back in 1963 in Middle Harbour on the lower North Shore section of the harbour. However there was a severe shark attack in 2009 when a navy diver lost his hand and leg whilst diving at Garden Island at Woolloomooloo. Oh by the way, Russell Crowe lives at the Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo so he has front row seats to your cruise.
• The waterfront mansions of Point Piper are the most expensive residential properties in Australia. Notable residents include Westfield founder Frank Lowry, Aussie Home Loans founder John Symonds, the former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, Hungry Jacks owner Jack Cowin, and media boss Lachlan Murdoch. In 2020 the priciest property is home to Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes, purchased for $100 million in 2018.
• There are around 20,000 boats registered on Sydney Harbour. Most of these are for private use and don’t have the commercial licenses we require with Easy Boat Hire. We affectionately refer to our harbour city as Boat City.
• There are over 20 swimmable beaches in Sydney Harbour. We’ve listed the most popular ones here.
• In today’s money the Sydney Harbour Bridge cost around $1.5 billion dollars to build back in 1932. It’s nicknamed ‘The Coathanger’ for obvious reasons.
• Before he was a movie star, Crocodile Dundee (Paul Hogan) was a rigger on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the 1970s.
• The Sydney Harbour Tunnel carries 150,000 vehicle per day. It starts at the Botanical Gardens and sits around 35 meters below sea level underneath the Opera Bar next to the Sydney Opera House.
• The Sydney Opera House is the only man-made World Heritage listed site in Australia.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger won his last Mr Olympia bodybuilding title in the Sydney Opera House in 1980.
• The most recent New Years Eve Fireworks on Sydney Harbour cost $6.5 million and had 1.6 million people attend.

Our number one pick is the beautiful Camp Cove Beach near Watsons Bay.

One of Sydney Harbour’s finest sandy beaches it is the closest to the Pacific Ocean, with the exception of Lady Bay Beach sitting next to it which is officially a nudist beach (feel free to be cheeky and venture there too).

You can see our full list of Sydney Harbour beaches here.

The most popular and convenient spot to meet your boat is King Street Wharf at Cockle Bay. Located on the edge of the CBD it’s easy to get to, there are plenty of wharfs along the strip and plenty of bars and restaurants to start or end your day. We suggest Cargo Bar and Bungalow 8 are good spots to meet your group for a pre-drink.

You can see our list of all wharf locations here.

Our website gives you plenty of tools to search for boats based on your specific needs. But we know you’d probably rather we do the work for you. So when you ask us to find you a boat, the first thing we’ll ask you is – what’s the occasion? This will help us determine what boats can cater for you, what the price range will be, and how long your charter will be.

With 21^st birthday parties as an example, we know which boats are happy to accommodate young and wild groups, and we know that you probably don’t want to spend a fortune on a Super Yacht either. We also know that you’re probably wanting a 4 hour cruise rather than a 3 hour cruise, and if it’s a daytime cruise you may like to go for a swim too. Catamarans and cruisers are the best option for 21^st birthdays, with BYO drinks to keep your cost down if you’re covering the full cost of the cruise (as opposed to having guests chip in for the cost like hens parties do).

• Bowling and Karaoke at Strike on King St Wharf.
• Lunch at Cargo Bar or Bungalow 8 on King St Wharf.
• Dinner at Nicks Seafood Restaurant or I’m Angus Steakhouse on King St Wharf.
• Drinks at Café Del Mar in Cockle Bay.
• Drinks and games at The Star Casino in Pyrmont.
• Nightclub after-party at the Watershed Hotel, Retro Hotel or Home The Venue.
• You can also see our other Hens Party ideas and Bucks Party ideas for those unique occasions.

For a small group of under 12 people we suggest Iluka, a beautiful classic cruiser from only $450 per hour.

For a larger group of up to 35 people we suggest Touché 5, a spacious catamaran from only $450 per hour.

For a more traditional cruiser style vessel that has a licensed bar onboard, we suggest Fleewting II that can accommodate large groups of up to 46 people from only $550 per hour.

For a Luxury Yacht experience, we suggest Seaduction that can accommodate up to 22 people from only $625 per hour. However this vessel is BYO drinks only, so a level up is the beautiful Aqua Bay with a licensed bar onboard and a larger capacity of up to 35 people from $1,050 per hour.

Of course we have bigger and more expensive boats including Super Yachts, so get in touch for further recommendations.

For an intimate get together or romantic escape, we suggest Cutting Loose which can fit up to 7 people and is only $700 total for 4 hours.

For a comfortable catamaran that can accommodate any occasion for up to 20 people, check out Perfect Day from only $350 per hour. Or for a slightly larger model we have Kirralee for up to 30 people at only $375 per hour.

For larger groups on a budget the most popular boats are Cruise Cat at only $480 per hour for up to 49 guests, or Kraken for up to 80 people from only $500 per hour.

For up to 20 people we suggest the Catalyst catamaran from only $355 per hour.

For up to 30 people one of best value boats is the XTsea catamaran from only $400 per hour.

For larger groups of between 30-80 people the most popular boats are Tiger 4 from $550 per hour (up to 43 people), Cruise Cat at $480 per hour (up to 49 people), Harbourcat at $488 per hour (up to 44 people), and Kraken for up to 80 people from $500 per hour.

For a good value luxury yacht experience that can accommodate up to 50 people we suggest the John Oxley from $600 per hour.

You can see all our Birthday Party Boats here.

For up to 20 ladies we suggest the Perfect Day catamaran from only $350 per hour.

For up to 30 ladies we suggest the Kirralee catamaran from only $400 per hour.

For up to 46 ladies we suggest the Fleetwing luxury cruiser from $550 per hour.

For a good value luxury yacht experience that can accommodate up to 50 people we suggest the John Oxley from $600 per hour.

You can see all our Hens Party Boats here.

For up to 20 guys we suggest the Seascape catamaran from only $375 per hour.

For up to 30 guys we suggest the Cheeky Money cruiser from only $500 per hour.

For a great value party boat with free-flowing beverages included we suggest Harbourcat at $488 per hour (up to 44 guys), and Kraken from $600 per hour (up to 60 guys).

For a Luxury Yacht experience, we suggest Seaduction that can accommodate up to 22 guys from only $625 per hour. Or Prometheus that can fit up to 36 guys from $1,100 per hour.

You can see all our Bucks Party Boats here.

The following recommendations are based on our general experience with group bookings, knowing that the more expensive your cruise is, the less people will be likely to commit.

• If you have 10-15 guests we suggest capping your budget at around $250 per person, but we can arrange packages for under $150 per person.
• If you have 15-20 guests we suggest capping your budget at around $200 per person, but we can arrange packages for under $100 per person.
• If you have 20-30 guests we suggest capping your budget at around $175 per person, but we can arrange packages for under $100 per person.
• If you have 30+ guests we suggest capping your budget at around $150 per person, but we can arrange packages for under $100 per person.

The truth is – boats discriminate. They’re selective with their audience just as nightclubs are with their crowds. For example, some boats won’t accommodate bucks parties whilst others are more than happy to. This is because some boats want to maintain a certain reputation, but also because some groups pose a risk of damaging the boat or giving the crew a difficult time.

When we find you a boat, we always consider the personality of the boat owner. We work off our experience with boat owners and the information you give us to deliver you the best experience we can. We may ask you where you’re coming from before the cruise, because we don’t accommodate intoxicated guests who have been drinking excessively for 6 hours at Randwick Races for example.

1. We are an energetic events management company, not just another boat booking website. Our focus is on delivering personalised and unique experiences with the wow factor. We can organise your entertainment and anything else you need.
   
   
2. We have industry leading networks and longstanding relationships with Sydney’s most reputable boat owners. We select our suppliers carefully based on years of experience and ongoing research before we register them with Easy Boat Hire.
   
   
3. We offer personalised and non-biased advice with the experience of thousands of boat cruises behind us. We don’t own our vessels so we don’t preference profit over your experience.
   
   
4. You save time and money (we do all the work for you and our service is free).
   
   
5. We offer a best price guarantee on all boats without sacrificing quality service and experiences. Our focus is our clients (positive reviews are always worth more than a quick buck).
   
   
6. We provide the most detailed boat profiles, along with the best online technology to let you search for a boat based on your specific requirements. Our website is also updated regularly so you don’t get surprised with any changes to boat pricing, food and beverage menus.
   
   
7. You get support when you need it. We’re just a call, SMS or email away 7 days a week.