Sydney Harbour · Christmas Parties · December 2026

Christmas Boat Party & Yacht Charter On Sydney Harbour.

The whole boat privately for your team or your family, with the catering, the drinks and the decorations aboard before anyone arrives, and the Harbour doing the rest.

From $500Per hour, whole vessel
Watch the film

December fills up.

Christmas yacht party Sydney The whole vessel, festive catering, and a coach both ends

Good Vibes Only

4.8 stars, 226 Google reviews Owner-operated since 2016 10 to 400 guests Skipper and crew on every charter Most quotes back in 30 minutes

Christmas parties we run on the water

How a Christmas charter runs

How a Christmas party on the water actually works.

Every price on this page is per hour for the whole boat, not per head and not per ticket. Read this once and the sixteen cards below make sense.

The Long Lunch
Drinks Packages
The Dance Floor
The Landmarks
The Twilight Run
To The Wharf
1

Pre-Access And Styling

On the boats that list pre-access you board before your guests do. That is when the catering is laid out, the drinks go on ice and the garlands, the bon bons and the tree go up, so the boat is already dressed when the first person steps aboard.

2

Boarding And The Cruise

Your group arrives at one wharf at one time, the sound system goes on your phone, and you head out past the Opera House and under the Harbour Bridge. The route is planned around your hours and your guest list.

3

Lunch, Speeches And A Swim

Most December charters drop anchor in a sheltered bay for the middle of it. That is when lunch is served, the thank-you speech happens, the BBQ goes on and anyone who wants to swim does. It is summer, and that is the point.

4

The Twilight Run Home

Then the run back into the Harbour as the light drops, which in December means about eight in the evening. That is the part everybody photographs and the reason twilight charters get asked for by name.

Guests standing in silhouette along the wide white foredeck of a charter yacht as the sun sets over Sydney Harbour, with the Harbour Bridge low on the horizon
Step 4, the twilight run. In December the light holds until about eight, which is why the last hour is the one people book for.
Crates of food and drinks stacked on the wharf beside the boarding steps of a moored charter catamaran, waiting to be loaded before guests arrive
Step 1, before any of it. Pre-access is the hour that decides whether your guests walk onto a party or into a setup.

You charter the whole boat, by the hour. The rate on each card below buys that vessel, its skipper and its crew for one hour. Your team or your family has the boat to itself. There is no shared cruise, no ticket, no seat allocation and nobody else's office party on the other deck.

Minimum charter length varies by vessel and by date. Most boats have a 4-hour minimum, and Christmas-season charters always run at least 4 hours. Others are booked to the hours you want. That is why every from-price on this page is a starting point and the exact figure is confirmed on your proposal.

The catering, the drinks and the decorations are yours to bring or ours to arrange. Pre-access is what makes that work. Most boats take a catering package, a drinks package, or your own BYO where the vessel allows it, and Mayfair is one of the boats that lists a BYO option.

We can get everyone to the wharf too. Urban Legends owns its coaches, so the same booking can include a private coach from the office, the hotel or the pre-drinks venue to the boarding point and home again afterwards. See Sydney bus charters.

What the hourly rate includes.

True for every boat on this page

  • The whole boat, privately, for your Christmas group only.
  • The skipper, and the crew that vessel runs with. Where an owner charges a crew or staff fee, it is its own line on your proposal.
  • That boat's own features, listed on its card below.
  • Sydney Harbour itself, and the route planned around your day.

Added on request.

Quoted with your charter, never assumed

  • Christmas catering and drinks packages, or your own BYO where the boat allows it.
  • Pre-access and loading for the food, the decorations and the gifts.
  • Water toys. The Lilypad is free on the boats that carry it; SUPs and kayaks are for hire.
  • Coach transfer to and from the wharf, on a luxury coach.

Every from-price on this page is per hour for the whole vessel, not per head. We do not publish a per-guest figure because it depends entirely on your group size and how many hours you book, and quoting one would mean inventing a number we have not agreed to honour. Minimum charter length varies by vessel and by date. Your exact figure, including your hours and any catering, is confirmed on your proposal. Charters are subject to availability.

Start with who is coming

Whose Christmas party is it?

Christmas on the water divides by who is on the guest list before it divides by how many. Find yours, then read that boat's card below.

10 to 30 Guests · Family and friends

Christmas With The People You Actually Like

A Christmas lunch on the water instead of in somebody's kitchen with the air conditioner losing. Mayfair is a 43ft power boat for up to 25 guests, with a large saloon, an aft deck for eating and a forward sundeck.

It also lists a BYO option, so the bottle that has been saved all year can come from your own cellar rather than a drinks list. Barefoot is the sailing answer for up to 30, a catamaran with paddleboards and a floating dancefloor, from $600 per hour on December weekdays, and MV Maddison is the 62ft motor cruiser for 30 with a licensed bar or BYO, at $950 per hour every day in December.

See Mayfair, from $600 / hr →
20 to 47 Guests · The work Christmas party

The Office Christmas Party That Is Not In The Office

The band most work Christmas parties land in. The catamaran is published for 43 guests plus 2 crew, with two toilets, a large undercover entertaining area and a BBQ with a kitchen behind it.

Passion is the other answer at this size: a 60ft open-plan party yacht for 43 guests with a dance floor, from $875 per hour in November and January and $1,050 every day in December, for the team that wants the music up. Rum Runner takes it to 47, with the crew on the BBQ, at $750 per hour every day from 2 to 24 December, and Obsession is the all-BYO sailing catamaran for 38, at $700 per hour every day in December.

See the Tiger 3 catamaran, from $600 / hr →
47 to 400 Guests · The whole company

Every Department, One Boat

Barefoot Blue takes 70 across three decks, from $800 per hour on December weekdays, and Regal II, a heritage ferry with a licensed bar, takes 70 at $750 per hour from October to December. MV Mascot, air conditioned and fully BYO, takes 65 from $650 per hour for 31 to 65 guests, and Freedom, the fully BYO catamaran, takes 50 from $600 per hour for 21 to 50. Past that, Barefoot Spirit takes up to 200 with a DJ stage and a waterslide, Royale takes 160 over two levels with a licensed bar, and Ghost 2 is published for 110 with a jacuzzi and a full bar. For 200 or more, Clearview takes up to 400 at lunch and Magistic Two up to 340 at dinner, both fully catered: the five boats on this page built for a company Christmas party of 100 or more.

The one businesses take when the entire staff list is invited and the venue quotes have started coming back at a number per head that nobody wants to sign off.

See Barefoot Spirit, from $950 / hr →

Group not in those three bands, or after a sailing yacht, a small-group cruise or a team regatta for the end-of-year instead? The sixteen boats on this page are the ones that genuinely suit a Christmas party. The full nineteen-vessel fleet, the whole group-size picker and every other occasion live on the Sydney Harbour yacht charter hub.

16
Boats Built For Christmas
400
Largest Guest Count
4.8
Stars, 226 Reviews
2016
Owner-Operated Since
Sixteen boats, one ladder

The boats we put Christmas parties on.

Not the whole fleet, just the sixteen that genuinely suit a Christmas party: family ones, work ones, party ones and whole-company ones. Every card carries that boat's own features and its own from-price, per hour, for the whole vessel.

Christmas With Family Mayfair, a 43ft motor yacht, at anchor on Sydney Harbour with charter guests waving from the decks and the city skyline behind

Mayfair

43ft power boat · 25 guests

A large comfortable saloon, an aft deck built for eating and a forward sundeck lounge, with a swim platform off the back.

The Christmas it suits: the family one. Christmas lunch on the water rather than in a kitchen in December heat, with everyone in one place and nobody stuck doing the dishes. It also lists a BYO option, so the bottle that has been saved all year can come from your own cellar.
  • Large, comfortable saloon with air-conditioned shade
  • Spacious aft deck for a long lunch
  • Forward sundeck with lounge
  • Bluetooth surround sound and dance floor area
  • Lilypad free, SUPs for hire
  • Pre-access and loading before guests arrive
  • BYO option available
Sound system, dance floor, swim platformIncluded
Decorations and food loaded during pre-accessIncluded
Christmas catering, drinks or BYOOn request
Charter Mayfairfrom $600 / hr
From $600 per hour for the whole of Mayfair, not per head, across the November to February high season. Christmas charters run a 4-hour minimum, and your exact figure is confirmed on your proposal.
The Sailing Christmas A party group in costume on the bow of the Barefoot sailing catamaran on Sydney Harbour

Barefoot

40ft sailing catamaran · 30 guests

A proper sailing catamaran with the captain on the big BBQ, and paddleboards and a floating dancefloor that come with the boat.

The Christmas it suits: the small team or the family that would rather sail than sit. Up to 30 guests, lunch off the BBQ, and the paddleboards off the back once it is done.
  • 30 guests plus 3 crew
  • Stand up paddleboards included
  • Inflatable floating dancefloor included
  • Large BBQ, cooked by the captain
  • Reusable cups, plates and glasses
  • Swimming at anchor
Paddleboards, floating dancefloor, BBQIncluded
Christmas catering, drinks packages or BYOOn request
Charter Barefootfrom $600 / hr
From $600 per hour for the whole of Barefoot, not per head, on December weekdays, and $650 per hour on weekends. Christmas charters run a 4-hour minimum (5 on public holidays), plus the owner's wharf and BYO fees, and your exact figure is confirmed on your proposal.
The Client Christmas MV Maddison, a 62ft luxury motor cruiser, at anchor off a Sydney Harbour beach with its water slide out and guests on paddleboards

MV Maddison

62ft luxury motor cruiser · 30 guests

A 62ft luxury motor cruiser with a large internal cabin, an outdoor deck, a galley kitchen and a swim platform. A licensed bar with drinks packages, or fully BYO.

The Christmas it suits: the client thank-you or the leadership team. Up to 30 guests, an indoor cabin out of the December sun, a proper bar rather than an esky, and the owner's prawn and oyster platters for a seafood Christmas without anyone shelling a thing.
  • Up to 30 guests
  • Large internal cabin and outdoor deck
  • Licensed bar with drinks packages, or fully BYO
  • Galley kitchen and Bluetooth sound inside and out
  • Swim platform, Lilypad free, paddleboard and water slide for hire
  • Toilets and hot showers on board
Internal cabin, outdoor deck, swim platformIncluded
Drinks packagesFrom $20pp / hr
Christmas catering or BYOOn request
Charter MV Maddisonfrom $950 / hr
$950 per hour for the whole of MV Maddison, not per head, every day in December, and from $850 per hour Monday to Thursday in November and January ($950 Friday to Sunday). Christmas charters run a 4-hour minimum, plus the owner's staff, wharf and BYO fees, and your exact figure is confirmed on your proposal.
The BYO Christmas Sail Aerial view of the Obsession sailing catamaran at anchor on Sydney Harbour, white hull with black trim, front trampolines and a shaded cockpit

Obsession

50ft sailing catamaran · 38 guests

A 50ft sailing catamaran with a saloon, open decks and big front trampolines. All BYO, with the crew cooking the BBQ.

The Christmas it suits: the team that would rather bring its own. Thirty-eight guests, every drink from your own esky, the crew on the BBQ, and the afternoon on the trampolines at anchor once the Secret Santa is done.
  • Up to 38 guests
  • All BYO
  • Front trampolines and open decks
  • BBQ cooked by the crew
  • Saloon, sound system and swim access
  • Lilypad free, paddleboard for hire
Saloon, trampolines, sound system, LilypadIncluded
BBQ cooked by the crew$100
Christmas catering and BYOOn request
Charter Obsessionfrom $700 / hr
$700 per hour for the whole of Obsession, not per head, every day in December, and from $600 per hour Monday to Thursday in November and January ($650 Friday to Sunday). Christmas charters run a 4-hour minimum, plus the owner's fees (BYO amenity $150, wharf $50 per stop), and your exact figure is confirmed on your proposal.
The Work Christmas Party A work group of about ten colleagues in business-casual clothes sitting together on the foredeck of a charter catamaran, with the Sydney city skyline, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge across the water behind them

Tiger 3 Catamaran

38ft Tiger 3 · 43 guests plus 2 crew

The widest, steadiest deck on this page. Published for 43 guests plus 2 crew, with a skipper and a deckhand, two toilets, and huge indoor and outdoor space.

The Christmas it suits: the standard work Christmas party. A published capacity of 43 answers the guest-list question outright, the undercover area means a December storm does not end the afternoon, and two toilets is not a small detail once the drinks package has been running for four hours.
  • Published for 43 guests plus 2 crew
  • Skipper and deckhand included
  • Two toilets on board
  • Large undercover entertaining area and forward nets
  • Kitchen, large BBQ and two large eskies
  • Fusion sound system
  • Swim ladders, water access and the Lilypad
Skipper and deckhandIncluded
BBQ, kitchen and eskiesIncluded
Christmas catering and drinks packagesOn request
Charter the Tiger 3 catamaranfrom $600 / hr
From $600 per hour for the whole Tiger 3 catamaran, not per head, for up to 30 guests on a November weekday. December dates, Saturdays and groups of 31 to 43 run at a higher rate. Christmas charters run a 4-hour minimum, and your exact figure is confirmed on your proposal.
The Christmas Boat Party Passion, a power catamaran, cruising Sydney Harbour

Passion

60ft open-plan · 43 guests · 4-hour minimum

The open-plan one. A dance floor area, a swim and jumping platform, a sun deck with nets and a BBQ the crew cook for you, with a 4-hour minimum.

The Christmas it suits: the one that is a party from the first hour. This is the boat behind the phrase Christmas boat party, and four hours is long enough to run lunch, the swim and the dancing without any of them feeling rushed.
  • Dance floor area and Bluetooth sound system
  • Swim platform and jumping platform
  • Sun deck with nets
  • BBQ packages from $20pp
  • Fully equipped kitchen, fridge, freezer and eskies
  • Lilypad add-on $120
Dance floor, sound, jumping platformIncluded
BBQ packagesFrom $20pp
Christmas catering and drinks packagesOn request
Charter Passionfrom $875 / hr
From $875 per hour for the whole of Passion, not per head, Sunday to Friday in November and January ($975 on Saturdays), and $1,050 every day in December, when Friday and Saturday cruises include a drinks package. 4-hour minimum for BYO (3 hours on a drinks package), and your exact figure is confirmed on your proposal.
The Party Catamaran Rum Runner catamaran under way on Sydney Harbour with the Harbour Bridge and the city skyline behind

Rum Runner

Party catamaran · 47 guests

One of the biggest party catamarans on the Harbour, with the crew on the BBQ, Bluetooth sound and room for a DJ.

The Christmas it suits: the work party that is a party. Forty-seven guests is the band just past most boats, the crew cook while you swim, and there is room for a DJ once the speeches are done.
  • 47 guests plus 3 crew
  • BBQ cooked by the crew
  • Bluetooth sound and space for a DJ
  • Eskies on board
  • Swimming at anchor, paddleboards and kayaks
  • Lilypad and giant waterslide for hire
Crew-cooked BBQ, sound system, eskiesIncluded
Christmas catering, BYO and water toysOn request
Charter Rum Runnerfrom $750 / hr
$750 per hour for the whole of Rum Runner, not per head, every day from 2 to 24 December. Christmas charters run a 4-hour minimum, plus the owner's wharf and BYO fees, and your exact figure is confirmed on your proposal.
The BYO Office Party Freedom, a navy and white 50ft power catamaran, at anchor on Sydney Harbour under a blue sky

Freedom

50ft power catamaran · 50 guests

A relaxed, fully BYO catamaran for up to 50, with the skipper and crew on board and a premium sound system.

The Christmas it suits: the office that would rather bring its own. Fifty is room for the whole floor and their plus-ones, the eskies come on with you, and the drinks budget is whatever you decide it is.
  • Up to 50 guests
  • Fully BYO food and drinks
  • Premium sound system
  • Shaded seating and open-air decks (no air conditioning)
  • BBQ available, utensils and eskies included
Skipper, crew and sound systemIncluded
BBQ, Christmas catering or BYOOn request
Charter Freedomfrom $550 / hr
From $550 per hour for the whole of Freedom, not per head, GST included, for up to 20 guests from October to March, and $600 per hour for 21 to 50. Christmas Day and Boxing Day are $850 per hour. Christmas charters run a 4-hour minimum, plus the owner's wharf fee and an optional $200 BBQ, and your exact figure is confirmed on your proposal.
Air-Conditioned BYO MV Mascot, a white 54ft power catamaran with a flybridge, moored in a bushland bay on Sydney Harbour

MV Mascot

54ft power catamaran · 65 guests

A big, air-conditioned party boat for up to 65, fully BYO, with the skipper and crew on board.

The Christmas it suits: the bigger work party in the December heat. Sixty-five guests, air conditioning for when the sun is doing its worst, and your own food and drinks on board.
  • Up to 65 guests
  • Air conditioning on board
  • Fully BYO food and drinks
  • Premium sound system
  • Shaded seating and open decks
  • BBQ available, utensils and eskies included
Skipper, crew and air conditioningIncluded
BBQ, Christmas catering or BYOOn request
Charter MV Mascotfrom $600 / hr
From $600 per hour for the whole of MV Mascot, not per head, GST included, for up to 30 guests from October to March, and $650 per hour for 31 to 65. Christmas Day and Boxing Day are $950 per hour. Christmas charters run a 4-hour minimum, plus the owner's wharf fee and an optional $200 BBQ, and your exact figure is confirmed on your proposal.
The Bigger Work Party Barefoot Blue at anchor in a Sydney Harbour bay with guests on the stern, the waterslide down to the water and floats alongside

Barefoot Blue

Power catamaran · 70 guests

Seventy guests across three decks, an indoor lounge cabin and a complimentary waterslide off the back.

The Christmas it suits: the bigger work party. Too many for a 43-guest boat, not enough to need a superyacht, with an indoor lounge for the December sun and a waterslide for whoever lost the Kris Kringle.
  • 70 guests plus 3 crew
  • Three 360 degree viewing decks
  • Indoor lounge cabin
  • Complimentary waterslide
  • Galley and BBQ, cooked by the captain
  • Fridge, four ice boxes and two bathrooms
Three decks, waterslide, indoor loungeIncluded
Christmas catering, drinks packages or BYOOn request
Charter Barefoot Bluefrom $800 / hr
From $800 per hour for the whole of Barefoot Blue, not per head, on December weekdays, and $850 per hour on weekends. Christmas charters run a 4-hour minimum (5 on public holidays), plus the owner's wharf, BYO and sound system fees, and your exact figure is confirmed on your proposal.
The Heritage Ferry Platters, champagne and drinks set out on a white-clothed table in the timber cabin of Regal II

Regal II

Heritage timber ferry · 70 guests

A classic timber ferry that once ran the Lane Cove River, with a fully equipped licensed bar, an open top deck and plenty of bench seating.

The Christmas it suits: the office of 50 to 70 that wants a real bar. A licensed bar or your own BYO, a microphone for the speeches and the awards, and an open top deck for the twilight run home.
  • Up to 70 guests on charter
  • Fully equipped licensed bar, or BYO drinks
  • Open top deck with bench seating
  • Bluetooth surround sound and a microphone
  • Large accessible bow and pre-charter access
Licensed bar, sound system, microphoneIncluded
Christmas catering, beverage packages or BYOOn request
Charter Regal IIfrom $750 / hr
$750 per hour for the whole of Regal II, not per head, from October to December, and $650 per hour from January to March. Christmas charters run a 4-hour minimum (public holidays are 20% more), plus the owner's crew, wharf and BYO fees, and your exact figure is confirmed on your proposal.
The Whole Company The superyacht Ghost 2 underway on Sydney Harbour

Ghost 2

122ft superyacht · 110 guests

The Harbour-side Banquet. A superyacht published for 110 guests, with a jacuzzi, a full bar and panoramic views from every deck.

The Christmas it suits: the whole-company one. When every department is invited and the guest list crossed a hundred in October, this, Royale, Barefoot Spirit, Magistic Two and Clearview are the five boats on this page that take it. A full bar rather than an esky, and enough deck that a hundred people are not queueing for one staircase.
  • Published for 110 guests
  • Jacuzzi on board
  • Full bar
  • Panoramic harbour views from every deck
  • Gourmet catering and drinks packages built bespoke
  • Skipper and crew included
Full bar and jacuzziIncluded
Skipper and crewIncluded
Gourmet Christmas catering, built bespokeOn request
Charter Ghost 2from $3,500 / hr
From $3,500 per hour for the whole of Ghost 2 with up to 60 guests, not per head, rising with guest numbers to 110. Minimum charter length varies by vessel and by date, and your exact figure is confirmed on your proposal.
The Big Company Party Aerial view of Royale, a red and cream heritage timber ferry, cruising on Sydney Harbour with guests on the top deck

Royale

Heritage timber ferry · 160 guests on charter

A 1972 heritage timber ferry over two levels, with a fully equipped licensed bar, an open rooftop deck and drop-down windows on the main deck.

The Christmas it suits: the whole company, plus-ones included. Up to 160 guests across two levels, a licensed bar so nobody is minding an esky, and a microphone for the end-of-year speech. Over 100 guests it runs on a beverage package or a cash bar rather than BYO.
  • Up to 160 guests on charter, 220 on a water transfer
  • Two levels with an open rooftop deck
  • Fully equipped licensed bar, BYO drinks under 100 guests
  • Bluetooth surround sound and a microphone
  • Main-deck drop-down windows
  • Large accessible bow and pre-charter access
Licensed bar, two levels, rooftop deckIncluded
Christmas catering, beverage packages or BYOOn request
Charter Royalefrom $990 / hr
$990 per hour for the whole of Royale, not per head, from October to December, and $750 per hour from January to March. Christmas charters run a 4-hour minimum (public holidays are 20% more), plus the owner's crew, wharf and BYO fees, and your exact figure is confirmed on your proposal.
Up To 200 Guests Guests celebrating on the deck of Barefoot Spirit at night on Sydney Harbour, with the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House lit up behind

Barefoot Spirit

20m power catamaran · up to 200 guests

Our biggest BYO-friendly party boat. Three covered decks, a DJ stage and a bow dancefloor, a retractable roof on the top deck and a waterslide.

The Christmas it suits: the whole company, all of it. Up to 200 guests, a DJ or a live band on stage, and three covered decks so a December storm is just a move upstairs.
  • Up to 200 guests plus 6 crew, priced by guest band
  • Three covered decks, retractable upper-deck roof
  • DJ stage, bow dancefloor, two stages for a DJ or live band
  • Complimentary waterslide
  • BBQ on board and three bathrooms
Up to 70 guestsfrom $950 / hr
Up to 150 guestsfrom $1,200 / hr
Up to 200 guestsfrom $1,400 / hr
Charter Barefoot Spiritfrom $950 / hr
December weekday rates for the whole of Barefoot Spirit, not per head. Weekends run $1,000, $1,300 and $1,500 per hour by guest band. Christmas charters run a 4-hour minimum (5 on public holidays), plus the owner's wharf, BYO and sound system fees, and your exact figure is confirmed on your proposal.
The Gala Dinner Magistic Two, a white three-deck luxury catamaran, cruising past the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge

Magistic Two

Luxury catamaran · up to 340 guests

A big luxury catamaran with the finish of a superyacht, fully catered, with air-conditioned decks, wrap-around verandas and a stage when you take the whole boat.

The Christmas it suits: the big company dinner. Up to 340 guests, a seated, buffet or canape menu, a drinks package so nobody is minding an esky, and a stage and microphones for the end-of-year speech. November and December charters run Sunday to Wednesday evenings, for 200 guests or more.
  • Up to 340 cocktail, 260 seated across two levels
  • Night (dinner) charters, minimum 120 guests (200 in November and December)
  • Harbour Buffet, Harbour 3-Course or Canape and Mini Buffet menus
  • A stage, two microphones and a Bluetooth speaker
  • Departs King Street Wharf
November and Decemberfrom $2,500 / hr
January to Octoberfrom $1,500 / hr
Menufrom $109 / person
Charter Magistic Twofrom $2,500 / hr
$2,500 per hour for the whole of Magistic Two, not per head, GST included, in November and December, for a minimum of 200 guests on Sunday to Wednesday evenings, and $1,500 per hour from January to October for a minimum of 120. Night (dinner) charters only, and not available during Vivid. Christmas charters run a 4-hour minimum, plus menus from $109 per person, the $58 per person 3-hour beer, wine and soft drink package and the owner's $7 per person wharf fee, and your exact figure is confirmed on your proposal.
Our Largest Vessel Clearview, a glass-walled event boat, cruising Sydney Harbour on a sunny day beside the Opera House and Harbour Bridge

Clearview Glass Boat

Glass event boat · up to 400 guests

The newest glass boat on the Harbour and the biggest vessel on our fleet, with three-metre floor-to-ceiling windows and an open-air Sky Deck.

The Christmas it suits: the whole company at lunch. Up to 400 guests behind floor-to-ceiling glass, so a December storm changes nothing, with a catered menu, a drinks package and the Sky Deck for the team photo. November and December charters are for 200 guests or more.
  • Up to 400 cocktail, 280 seated across two levels
  • Day (lunch) charters, minimum 120 guests (200 in November and December)
  • Canape and Mini Buffet or Signature 4-Course menus
  • Open-air Sky Deck and LCD screens on two decks
  • Two microphones and a Bluetooth speaker
  • Departs King Street Wharf
November and Decemberfrom $2,500 / hr
January to Octoberfrom $1,500 / hr
Menufrom $121 / person
Charter Clearviewfrom $2,500 / hr
$2,500 per hour for the whole of Clearview, not per head, GST included, in November and December, for a minimum of 200 guests, and $1,500 per hour from January to October for a minimum of 120. Day (lunch) charters only, and not available during Vivid. Christmas charters run a 4-hour minimum, plus menus from $121 per person, the $58 per person 3-hour beer, wine and soft drink package and the owner's $7 per person wharf fee, and your exact figure is confirmed on your proposal.

These sixteen are the Christmas shortlist, not the whole fleet. If your group falls outside them, or you want a sailing yacht, a small-group cruise or a team regatta for the end-of-year instead, all nineteen vessels and the full group-size picker are on the Sydney Harbour yacht charter hub.

Food, drinks and decorations

The prawns, the bon bons, and who carries them on.

The short answer on bringing your own is usually yes. The longer answer is that pre-access is the thing that makes every one of these work, because you are aboard and set up before a single guest arrives.

A catering table set up inside the timber cabin of a heritage ferry on Sydney Harbour
The table laid inside during pre-access, ready for the seafood, cherries, pavlova and bon bons, because December here is not a roast dinner.

You bring

Aboard during pre-access, before guests arrive

  • Decorations and styling. Garlands, a small tree, table runners and bon bons, all up while the boat is still at the berth.
  • Secret Santa and gifts. Loaded and stowed with everything else, not carried on by twenty people at boarding.
  • Your own playlist. Bluetooth on Mayfair, MV Maddison, Passion, Rum Runner, Regal II and Royale, a Fusion system on the catamaran, and a DJ-ready PA on Barefoot Blue and Barefoot Spirit, straight off your phone.
  • BYO drinks on the boats that list a BYO option. Mayfair is one of them, Obsession is all BYO, and Rum Runner, MV Maddison, Regal II, Royale (under 100 guests) and the three Barefoot boats take BYO for the owner's BYO fee.
  • Speech notes, awards and the photo board, because most work parties have all three whether they admit it or not.

We arrange

Quoted with your charter, never assumed

  • Christmas catering packages, from seafood platters and grazing to the gourmet end on Ghost 2.
  • Drinks packages, or the full bar on Ghost 2 and the licensed bars on MV Maddison, Regal II and Royale.
  • The BBQ, with packages from $20pp on Passion, the crew cooking it on Rum Runner, the captain on the Barefoot boats, and a large one with a kitchen on the catamaran.
  • The Lilypad, free on the boats that carry it, plus SUPs and kayaks for hire, paddleboards included on Barefoot and a waterslide on Barefoot Blue and Barefoot Spirit.
  • The coach to the wharf and home again, on a luxury coach.

Pre-access and loading is available on the boats that list it, and we confirm it for your vessel and your date on your proposal. Catering, drinks and water toys are quoted with the charter rather than assumed, because availability varies by boat: each one carries its own equipment. The Lilypad is free on the boats that carry it; SUPs and kayaks are for hire. Anything that needs power, rigging or naked flame is worth raising when you enquire so it can be checked against your vessel.

The work Christmas party

The work Christmas party, on the Harbour.

A whole-boat charter is priced by the hour, which is the opposite of how a venue quotes you. A venue quotes a number per head and the number moves every time someone adds a plus-one or drops out. A charter quotes the vessel and the hours, so the cost is fixed the moment you book it and the guest list can keep changing underneath.

  • Small teamUp to about 20. Mayfair for a long lunch on the water, the catamaran if you would rather have the deck space than the saloon, MV Maddison with a licensed bar for up to 30, or Barefoot under sail for up to 30.
  • Standard office20 to 43. The catamaran, published for 43 plus 2 crew. A Christmas party catamaran hire is the most specific thing people search for in this category, and this is the boat behind it. Obsession, the all-BYO sailing catamaran for 38, is the other one.
  • Party boat20 to 50. Passion, the 60ft open-plan party yacht with a dance floor, for the office where most of the room wants the music up, Rum Runner for up to 47 with the crew on the BBQ, or Freedom, the fully BYO catamaran, for up to 50.
  • Bigger office47 to 70. Barefoot Blue, with three decks, an indoor lounge and a waterslide off the back, Regal II, the heritage ferry with a licensed bar, or MV Mascot, air conditioned and fully BYO, for up to 65.
  • Whole company70 to 400. Ghost 2, with a full bar and a jacuzzi, for up to 110, Royale, the two-level heritage ferry, for up to 160, or Barefoot Spirit, with a DJ stage and room for 200. For 200 or more, Clearview at lunch for up to 400 or Magistic Two at dinner for up to 340, both fully catered. The company Christmas party on a yacht that people picture when they say it.
  • Client eventA client Christmas thank-you runs earlier in the day: four hours, the Christmas-season minimum, around the landmarks with catering and a drinks package, off the water before dinner.
  • On the invoiceOne booking, one invoice, and the coach transfer can sit on it too. See corporate bus hire for the land half.
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Hire, charter or cruise

Christmas party boat hire, yacht charter, or a Christmas cruise?

The first two are the same booking. The third is a different product entirely. Whether you call it Christmas party boat hire, a Christmas yacht charter or a Christmas boat party, you are doing one thing: taking the whole vessel privately, by the hour, with the skipper and the crew already on board.

There is no version of this where you are handed the keys. Every boat on this page comes with its skipper, so "hire" here means the boat and the crew are yours for the hours you book, not that you drive it.

Where a Christmas cruise is different

A ticketed Christmas party cruise sells you seats. You buy places on a boat that other companies have also bought places on, you get a table and a set menu, and the departure time, the route and the music are all decided for you. It is a perfectly good product and it is not what this page is.

Everything here is private. Your team or your family has the boat to itself. No seat allocation, no shared deck, no other office singing at the next table, and the route and the hours are built around your day. That is the difference worth checking anywhere you are comparing, and it is the reason the price is quoted for the vessel rather than per person.

Which word you use does not change the price

Christmas party boat hire, Christmas yacht charter and Christmas boat party all land on the same sixteen boats and the same per-hour rates, starting at $550 an hour for the whole of Freedom in the Christmas season. What changes the number is the boat, the hours and the catering, never the wording of the enquiry.

See The Sixteen Boats
Private charter against a ticketed Christmas cruise
 Private charterTicketed cruise
Who is aboardYour group onlyShared with other bookings
Priced byThe hour, whole vesselThe head, per ticket
Departure timeYoursFixed
RoutePlanned around your daySet
Food and drinksPackage, BYO or bespokeSet menu
MusicOff your own phoneChosen for you
DecorationsYours, up during pre-accessThe venue's

Both are real products. This page only sells the left-hand column.

Add to the day

The bits that make it Christmas.

These sit outside the boat cards on purpose, so the sixteen stay readable and the add-ons still get their own moment.

Pre-Access And Styling

Board before your guests do and dress the boat properly: garlands up, tables laid, drinks on ice, gifts stowed. Available on the boats that list pre-access.

Available on selected boats
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Christmas Catering

Built around a December menu rather than a fixed one. Seafood platters and grazing on the smaller boats, and the gourmet end of it on Ghost 2, built bespoke.

Quoted with your charter
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Drinks Packages

From a straightforward beer and wine package through to the full bar on Ghost 2 and the licensed bars on MV Maddison, Regal II and Royale. Several boats carry a fridge, a freezer and eskies already, which matters in December.

Quoted with your charter
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BYO Option

Mayfair lists a BYO option, so your own drinks can come aboard, Obsession is all BYO, and Rum Runner, MV Maddison, Regal II, Royale (under 100 guests) and the three Barefoot boats take BYO for the owner's BYO fee. Useful for a family Christmas where the good bottle has been sitting in the cupboard since last December.

Available on selected boats
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Sound And The Dance Floor

Bluetooth surround sound on Mayfair, a Bluetooth system and a dance floor area on Passion, a Fusion system on the catamaran, room for a DJ on Rum Runner, and a DJ stage on Barefoot Spirit. Your playlist, your phone, and no arguments about the office one.

Included on the boats that carry it
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BBQ With Crew To Cook

Passion runs BBQ packages from $20pp, Rum Runner carries a BBQ and the crew cook it for you while you are still in the water, and on the Barefoot boats the captain does. The catamaran runs a large BBQ with a kitchen and two large eskies behind it.

Included on the boats that carry it
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Lilypad, SUPs And Kayaks

The Lilypad is a large floating mat off the back of the boat and it is free on the boats that carry it. Paddleboards are for hire on Mayfair, the Lilypad is a $120 add-on on Passion, paddleboards come included on Barefoot, and Barefoot Blue and Barefoot Spirit have a waterslide.

Lilypad free, SUPs and kayaks for hire
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Coach To The Wharf

Luxury 14 to 41-seat coaches, from the office, the hotel or the pre-drinks venue to the boarding point and home again. One booking, both halves of the Christmas party.

See Sydney bus charters
Add A Coach

Add-ons are quoted with your charter and confirmed on your proposal, never assumed. Availability varies by boat, because each one carries its own equipment. The Lilypad is free on the boats that carry it; SUPs and kayaks are for hire. Every from-price on this page is per hour for the whole vessel.

What guests say

4.8 stars, 226 Google reviews.

★★★★★
4.8 out of 5, from 226 reviews
Read All Reviews →
★★★★★
A corporate booking

"I am a wedding planner and booked Urban for guest transfer. Jared was amazing to deal with, answering every question and creating a detailed runsheet. On the day the driver was excellent, turned up early and helped guests on and off the bus. Cannot recommend enough."

Wedding GroundsGoogle review, April 2026
★★★★★

"Absolutely no regrets choosing Urban Legends. Jared is such a great and easygoing guy, and he was so flexible to work with on the day when some timings and pickups needed changing at the last minute. Thank you so much for a great experience."

Paul ChongGoogle review, May 2026
★★★★★

"Very professional, quick and easy to work with. Would highly recommend this company and would rebook in a second if needed for a future event. Thank you."

Jacinta HoranGoogle review, April 2026
★★★★★

"Celebrated my 60th birthday on the tour and it was the best day. Everything is taken care of, all you do is enjoy the day. Bus driver Sam was amazing, very helpful and friendly and made the day even better. Highly recommend for a stress free, fun day."

Rosa GomezGoogle review, June 2026
★★★★★

"Easy to deal with, on time, and amazing service. Working with Urban Legends Tour Co was a breeze, love your work."

Dyan SuacoGoogle review, May 2026
★★★★★

"Easy communication, excellent service. Would book again."

Ken SyGoogle review, May 2026

Every review above is a verified Google review of Urban Legends Tour Co, quoted in full, across our charters and events. None of them is a Christmas charter, and we have not captioned any of them as one. The Wedding Grounds review leads the set because it is the only one that describes the thing a work Christmas party is actually judged on, which is the runsheet and the logistics. The rating shown, 4.8 out of 5 from 226 reviews, is our current Google rating for the business as a whole.

Getting everyone to the wharf

Coach transfers as well.

A boat leaves at a fixed time, and a work Christmas party does not. The vessel goes at two from one wharf, and forty people are coming from the office, two client meetings and whoever decided to drive. That gap is where Christmas parties go wrong, and it is the part most charter operators cannot help with.

Urban Legends owns a modern fleet of 14 to 41-seat coaches, so the same booking can pick your group up from the office, the hotel or the pre-drinks venue, deliver everyone to the boarding point together and take them home again afterwards. One enquiry, one runsheet, one invoice, both halves of the day.

It matters more in December than any other month, because the party finishes after dark, everyone has had a drinks package and nobody should be looking for a taxi on a Friday night in the CBD. See Sydney bus charters, or corporate bus hire if it is going on a company invoice.

Before you book

Christmas charter questions.

In the November to January Christmas season, the sixteen boats we put Christmas parties on start at $550 per hour for the whole of Freedom (up to 20 guests, $600 for 21 to 50), then $600 per hour for Mayfair, $600 per hour for the Tiger 3 catamaran (up to 30 guests on a November weekday), $600 per hour for Barefoot on a December weekday, $600 per hour for MV Mascot (up to 30 guests, $650 for 31 to 65), $700 per hour for Obsession every day in December, $750 per hour for Rum Runner every day from 2 to 24 December, $750 per hour for Regal II from October to December, $800 per hour for Barefoot Blue and $950 per hour for Barefoot Spirit (up to 70 guests) on a December weekday, $950 per hour for MV Maddison every day in December, $990 per hour for Royale from October to December, $1,050 per hour for Passion every day in December ($875 on November and January weekdays), and $3,500 per hour for Ghost 2 with up to 60 guests, rising with guest numbers to its published 110. Barefoot Spirit runs to 200 guests, from $1,400 per hour on a December weekday. For 200 guests or more, Magistic Two (dinner, Sunday to Wednesday) and Clearview (lunch) are $2,500 per hour in November and December, plus menus and drinks per person. Every one of those is a starting point for the whole vessel, not a per-head price, and Christmas charters run a 4-hour minimum. On Rum Runner, Obsession, MV Maddison, Regal II, Royale, Freedom, MV Mascot and the three Barefoot boats the owner's fees (wharf, BYO, and crew or staff where the owner charges them) are added as their own lines. What you actually pay depends on how many hours you book, your date and whether you add catering or drinks, and it is confirmed on your proposal.
It comes down to headcount and how the room behaves. Up to about 43 the answer is usually the catamaran, published for 43 guests plus 2 crew, with two toilets, a large undercover entertaining area and a BBQ with a kitchen behind it. If most of your team wants the music up and a dance floor, Passion is the better answer at the same size, a 60ft open-plan party yacht for 43 guests. Obsession is the all-BYO sailing catamaran for 38, Rum Runner takes 47 with the crew on the BBQ, Freedom takes 50 and MV Mascot, air conditioned, takes 65, both fully BYO, and Barefoot Blue takes 70 across three decks, as does Regal II, a heritage ferry with a licensed bar. Past that it is Ghost 2, published for 110, with a full bar, Royale, a two-level heritage ferry for 160 with a licensed bar, or Barefoot Spirit, with a DJ stage and room for 200, and for 200 or more, Clearview at lunch for up to 400 or Magistic Two at dinner for up to 340. Under about 20, Mayfair, or Barefoot under sail for up to 30, and MV Maddison, a 62ft motor cruiser with a licensed bar, for up to 30.
Yes. Garlands, a small tree, table runners, bon bons and signage all go up during pre-access, while the boat is still at the berth, which is the whole point of it: your guests walk onto a boat that is already dressed rather than watching someone tape tinsel to a handrail. Bring your own or have it styled. Anything that needs power, rigging or a naked flame is worth raising when you enquire so it can be checked against your vessel, because those are the vessel's terms and they vary by boat.
Yes, and it is the most specific thing people search for in this category. The Tiger 3 catamaran on this page is published for 43 guests plus 2 crew and runs with a skipper and a deckhand. It has the widest, steadiest deck of anything here, two toilets, a large undercover entertaining area, forward nets, a kitchen with a large BBQ and two large eskies, a Fusion sound system, swim ladders and the Lilypad. From $600 per hour for the whole catamaran in the Christmas season, not per head, rising in December, on Saturdays and for groups over 30. Passion is the party version, with a 4-hour minimum. Eight more catamarans sit on this page: Barefoot, a sailing catamaran for 30, Obsession, an all-BYO sailing catamaran for 38, Rum Runner, a party catamaran for 47, Freedom and MV Mascot, fully BYO power catamarans for 50 and 65, and the Barefoot Blue and Barefoot Spirit power catamarans for 70 and up to 200, and Magistic Two, a fully catered luxury catamaran for up to 340.
A ticketed Christmas party cruise sells you seats on a boat that other companies have also bought seats on, with a set menu, a fixed departure and a route and playlist decided for you. Everything on this page is the opposite: the whole vessel privately, priced by the hour, with your own hours, your own route, your own music and nobody else's office at the next table. Both are real products. If you want the shared, ticketed version, this is not it, and that is worth knowing before you compare the two on price alone.
Across the sixteen boats on this page: Mayfair is a 43ft power boat published for 25 guests, Barefoot is a sailing catamaran for 30, MV Maddison is a 62ft motor cruiser for 30, Obsession is a sailing catamaran for 38, the Tiger 3 catamaran is published for 43 guests plus 2 crew, Passion is a 60ft open-plan party yacht for 43, Rum Runner takes 47, Freedom takes 50, MV Mascot takes 65, Barefoot Blue and Regal II take 70, Ghost 2 is published for 110 guests, Royale takes 160 on charter, Barefoot Spirit takes up to 200, Magistic Two up to 340 and Clearview up to 400. A published count still depends on the layout and on whether your group is seated or standing, so we confirm the exact number for your date on your proposal. Use the router further up this page to find your band, and if your group falls outside it the full nineteen-vessel fleet is on the hub.
Both, and it depends on the boat. Every vessel here takes a Christmas catering package, from seafood platters and grazing through to the gourmet end on Ghost 2, built bespoke. Mayfair lists a BYO option, so your own food and drinks can come aboard during pre-access. Obsession is all BYO, and Rum Runner, MV Maddison, Regal II, Royale (under 100 guests) and the three Barefoot boats take BYO for the owner's BYO fee. Passion runs BBQ packages from $20pp, Rum Runner and Obsession carry a BBQ with the crew cooking it, the captain cooks on the Barefoot boats, and the catamaran has a large BBQ with a kitchen and two large eskies. Australian Christmas menus lean seafood and cold rather than roast, which suits a boat far better than it suits a function room.
Drinks packages are available on most boats on this page and are quoted with your charter rather than assumed. Ghost 2 carries a full bar, and MV Maddison, Regal II and Royale have licensed bars. The others run on a package or BYO plus the vessel's own fridge, freezer, eskies or ice boxes, and several carry all of those already. Mayfair lists a BYO option, Obsession is all BYO, and Rum Runner, MV Maddison, Regal II, Royale (under 100 guests) and the three Barefoot boats take BYO for the owner's BYO fee, if you would rather supply your own. On a December charter the practical advice is to over-order ice and water rather than alcohol; the sun on the harbour does more work than people expect.
Yes, and in December most charters plan for it. The middle of the day is usually spent at anchor in a sheltered Harbour bay rather than under way, which is what the swim platforms, the jumping platform on Passion and the catamaran's swim ladders are for. The Lilypad is a large floating mat off the back of the boat and it is free on the boats that carry it. Paddleboards are for hire on Mayfair, the Lilypad is a $120 add-on on Passion, paddleboards come included on Barefoot, Rum Runner carries paddleboards and kayaks, and Barefoot Blue and Barefoot Spirit both have a waterslide. Tell people to bring a towel in the invite; on a work party it gets forgotten every time.
Most Christmas parties book between four and six hours, and every Christmas-season charter from November to January runs a 4-hour minimum, longer on some public holidays. The useful thing about December in Sydney is that the light holds until around eight in the evening, so a charter that boards at three still gets the swim, the meal and the twilight run home. A client event or a team lunch runs earlier in the day, four hours around the landmarks. The exact minimum for your vessel and your date is confirmed on your proposal.
Boarding points are on Sydney Harbour and each boat has its own home berth, so we confirm yours with your proposal. Because Urban Legends owns its coaches, the same booking can include a private 14 to 41-seat coach from the office, the hotel or the pre-drinks venue to the boarding point and home again afterwards. On a work Christmas party that is the difference between forty people arriving together and six of them still parking when the boat is due to leave. See Sydney bus charters.
Sydney Harbour charters run in most conditions and these boats are built for it: a large comfortable saloon on Mayfair, a big undercover entertaining area on the catamaran, plenty of covered space on Ghost 2, an indoor lounge cabin on Barefoot Blue and three covered decks on Barefoot Spirit. A December southerly does not end a Christmas party, and the meal happens under cover instead. If conditions make a charter genuinely unsafe, that call sits with the skipper, and we work through the options with you and the vessel. The exact weather and cancellation terms for your boat are set out with your proposal.
For a December date, book by September and earlier if you want a Friday. The first two weeks of December are the tightest fortnight of the year across the whole fleet, and Ghost 2 books furthest out because there is only one of it, so a whole-company party for 100 guests deserves the longest lead time of anything on this page. A weekday in late November or the week between Christmas and New Year is easier and often cheaper. If your date is close, ask anyway: charters are subject to availability and boats do come free.
Yes to both. Every charter on this page is run by a professional skipper, and the crew that boat operates with comes with it. On most boats that crew is part of the hourly rate; where an owner charges a crew or staff fee, as on Royale, Regal II and MV Maddison, it is its own line on your proposal. The catamaran carries a skipper plus a deckhand, Passion runs BBQ packages from $20pp, Rum Runner's crew cook the BBQ for you, and on the Barefoot boats the captain does. Nobody in your group is driving the boat or responsible for it, which matters more at a work Christmas party than anywhere else: there is no version of this where a member of your team ends up in charge of a vessel.
Yes, they are the same booking. Christmas party boat hire, Christmas boat party and Christmas yacht charter all describe taking the whole vessel privately, by the hour, with the skipper and crew on board. You are never handed the keys. The word that does describe something different is cruise: a ticketed Christmas party cruise sells seats on a shared boat with a set menu and a fixed departure. Everything on this page is private, which is why the price is quoted for the vessel rather than per person.
Next step

Tell us the date and the headcount. We will do the rest.

Send your date, roughly how many are coming and how many hours you want on the water, and we will come back with the boats that genuinely suit it and what each one costs. Good Vibes Only.

Most quotes back in under 30 minutes on weekdays. Every from-price on this page is per hour for the whole vessel, not per head. Minimum charter length varies by vessel and by date, and charters are subject to availability. Your exact figure is confirmed on your proposal.