We rented a 90-foot yacht with a captain to explore Miami by water for the day. It was a highlight of our trip.
In Miami, my friends and I rented a yacht with a captain and crew for four hours through Boatsetter.
We went around Biscayne Bay, the Keys, and Star Island, and got to ride Jet Skis.
Overall, we had a really great time, and I'd definitely rent a yacht again.
When visiting Miami with a group of friends, we decided to rent a boat and spend our day cruising around Biscayne Bay.
To find one, I used the boat-rental app Boatsetter, which is often referred to as the "Airbnb for boats." It connects boat owners with renters in over 700 locations around the world, from Miami to the Amalfi Coast.
Here's what the experience was like.
Our group chose a 90-foot yacht.
The Boatsetter platform has everything from pontoons to sleek yachts available to rent, but our group of eight decided to go all out with a 90-foot Sunseeker yacht for four hours.
We also added catering, a captain, and a small crew. The crew we hired included a captain, first mate, and steward.
Booking was easy — we made the reservation directly through the website a few days in advance and paid in full. Our rental was $2,656, or $332 a person, after service fees and sales tax.
The yacht felt really nice and spacious.
We especially liked the onboard hot tub and Jet Skis.
Its deck felt spacious and comfortably fit our whole group.
I especially liked the hot tub on the deck, which was one of the reasons we wanted to rent this particular boat.
Catering was arranged during our booking.
Catering was an optional add-on, but we chose to get salads and snacks from Carrot Express, a popular café in Miami that I love.
Our boat's owner also left a bottle of sparkling wine on board for us, which was a nice touch.
The views were lovely throughout our ride.
For this trip, we went with our captain's suggested route around Biscayne Bay, the Keys, and Star Island.
As we cruised around the Bay, it was fun to see all the towering skyscrapers and different neighborhoods by boat. Along the way, we even spotted the Skyviews Miami Observation Wheel.
I especially enjoyed taking out the boat's Jet Skis.
We ended the day near Star Island, where we tried to spot celebrity homes.
Our ride was especially beautiful as the sun set.
Overall, this was one of the highlights of my Miami trip.
The only downside of the experience is that we got back a bit later than expected and missed our post-boating dinner reservation.
We didn't blame our captain, though. Several bridges along the route must be raised for boats to pass under, which can require coordination between captains and the county. This can sometimes lead to delays.
Next time, I just wouldn't make any time-sensitive plans after a boat day.
Despite that small hiccup, I had a really great experience renting a boat. Four hours felt like the ideal amount of time to spend on the water and and the booking process was seamless.
I'd use Boatsetter again next time I'm in Miami, especially for a special occasion like a birthday. The experience can be a bit costly, but it's fun, and the views on the Bay are beautiful.
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