Planning a bachelorette party on the water comes down to three things: guest count, hours, and how much shade everyone gets. Boats start at $199 an hour for a group of 12, and six hours is the sweet spot: enough time for a sandbar swim, champagne on the bow, and sunset photos on the way back. Here's what it actually costs, which boats suit a bridal party, and how to run the day so nobody's checking their phone.
Key Takeaways
Boats start at $199 an hour for 12 guests, so roughly $100 each for four hours.
Six hours is the sweet spot. It fits a sandbar swim and a sunset without rushing.
Standard charters cap at 12 guests. Party catamarans take 30 to 49.
Confetti and glitter are restricted almost everywhere. Balloons and banners are fine.
Book six to eight weeks ahead for weekends, and four weeks for custom banners.
What It Costs Per Guest
Per head is the number that gets the group to commit, so start there.
Boat | Guests | Hourly | 4 hours each | 6 hours each |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Smaller boat | 12 | $199 | $66 | $100 |
Mid-size yacht | 10 to 13 | $500 | $167 to $200 | $250 to $300 |
Mid-size yacht, upper | 10 to 13 | $1,000 | $333 to $400 | $500 to $600 |
Party catamaran | 30 plus | $700 to $1,500 | $93 to $200 | $140 to $300 |
Add roughly a quarter for gratuity, food, and tax. Decor and photography packages run $500 to $2,500 depending on what you want. A full boat is what makes the per-person figure work, so fill those last two seats.
How to Budget and Split the Cost
Work out the real total before you tell anyone a number. Take the hourly rate times your hours, add gratuity on the base rate, add food, then add a ten percent buffer for anything the group decides on the day.
Then decide who pays. The common convention is that the bride doesn't, so divide by the number of paying guests rather than the headcount. Twelve payers covering a $1,500 day for thirteen people is $125 each, and getting that arithmetic wrong quietly costs the maid of honor two shares.
Collect before the deposit deadline, through one payment app so you can see who's paid. Our full guide to splitting a group bill has a complete split sheet and the script for handling someone dropping out.
One more thing worth building into the number. Decor and photography packages run $500 to $2,500, and a nightclub table afterward is priced separately. Decide which of those the group actually wants before you send a figure, rather than adding them later.
How Long Should the Charter Be?
Four hours gets you a skyline loop and one quick swim. It works, and it always feels a little tight.
Six hours is the one to book. Boarding and photos, a cruise past the islands, a proper sandbar stop with time to actually swim, lunch on the water, then back as the light goes gold. Eight hours is generous and only worth it if you're adding a second stop.
Work backward from sunset when you pick a start time. A six-hour charter beginning at two in the afternoon lands the golden-hour photos on the return leg, which is exactly where you want them.
Best Boats for a Bachelorette Group
6 to 10 Guests: The Standard Group
A 50 to 60 ft yacht handles this beautifully. Bow seating for photos, a swim platform that makes getting in and out easy, a sound system, and at least one head.
Look for covered seating in the listing photos. Six hours in full sun is the thing groups underestimate, and shade is what keeps everyone on deck rather than hiding inside.
10 to 13 Guests: Bigger Bridal Parties
Same size class, but now the second bathroom matters more than anything else. Thirteen people sharing one head over six hours creates a queue at exactly the wrong moment.
Thirteen is the cap on standard charters, so this is as large as the group gets without moving to a party catamaran or an inspected vessel. Those take 30 to 49 guests and price per person instead.
The Pink Yacht Option
This is the one nobody else offers, and it photographs like nothing else on the water.
Pink Lady runs $185 an hour with a four-hour minimum. The Pink Flamingo Tiki is around $300 an hour with the captain fee included. Larger pink party boats start at $500. Add-ons include a sash and crown set, a champagne wall with flutes, a pink balloon arch, an onboard photographer delivering 100 to 200 edited photos, and drone shots.
Peak season for these runs March through October, and weekends go six to eight weeks ahead. Our full pink yacht fleet has current availability.
Booking two smaller boats is worth considering for groups over thirteen guests. It often costs less than one inspected vessel and gives the group more shade and more bathrooms, though it does split the party across two hulls.
A Six-Hour Charter, Hour by Hour
Time | What happens |
|---|---|
2:00 pm | Boarding, welcome champagne, first photos at the dock |
3:00 pm | Skyline cruise past Star Island and the Venetian Islands |
4:00 pm | Sandbar stop. Anchor, swim, floats out, lunch on the water |
5:30 pm | Back under way, sunset photography as the light turns |
7:00 pm | Return to the dock |
9:00 pm | Nightclub table, if you booked one |
Two things make this run smoothly. Get the group photos done at the dock while everyone still looks fresh, and let the captain pick the sandbar timing around the tide.
Build in slack rather than a tight schedule. Boarding thirteen people with bags, coolers, and decor takes twenty minutes, and that comes out of your charter hours. Ask everyone to arrive fifteen minutes before the booking starts.
Decor: What's Allowed and What Isn't
Good news first. Balloon arches, banners, table runners, props, sashes, and champagne walls are all standard, and operators are used to setting them up.
What's restricted on most boats: confetti and glitter, because they get everywhere and end up in the water. Glass is limited on some vessels. Cake stands need to be plastic or wood rather than glass or ceramic.
Breaking those rules usually means a cleaning fee, so check your listing rather than assuming. If you want a custom bride banner, order it at least four weeks out.
What the Group Should Wear
Coordinated colors photograph far better than matching outfits, and they're easier for everyone to actually own. White for the bride, one shade for the group, is the reliable formula.
Soft soles or bare feet on deck, since hard soles mark it and heels are a genuinely bad idea on a moving boat. Bring a cover-up, and remember that wind does things to hats and skirts that a marina photo won't warn you about. Brief the group four weeks ahead so nobody's shopping the night before.
Food, Drinks and Add-Ons
Bringing your own is allowed on most boats and by far the cheapest route. Guests over 21 can drink (glass is usually restricted), and coolers with ice are usually already aboard. Catering can be arranged if you'd rather not shop.
Worth the money as add-ons: a photographer or videographer, a hair and makeup artist before boarding, and water toys for the sandbar stop. Themed packages cover Barbie Pink, Disco Glam, Cowgirl, Tropical, and All-White if you want the styling handled.
Sort the playlist before you leave the dock. Nobody wants to be scrolling on a phone with poor signal while the boat is pulling out, and most vessels connect over Bluetooth.
The Sandbar Stop
This is the center of the day. The boat anchors in waist-deep water, the swim platform goes down, floats come out, and the group spends an hour or two in the water.
Timing depends on the tide, which is why the captain picks the window rather than you. Haulover is the busy, social sandbar with boats rafted together. Nixon off Key Biscayne is calmer. Our Haulover guide and guide to Nixon Sandbar cover both. NOAA's tide predictions are handy if you want to see the window yourself before you ask.
When to Book
Six to eight weeks ahead for weekends. Bachelorette demand peaks in spring and summer, and those Saturdays fill first. Weekday availability opens up much closer to the date.
Two things have their own lead time. Custom banners need four weeks minimum, and briefing the group on outfits works best about four weeks out. The pink boats book earliest of all, since there are only a few of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a bachelorette boat party?
Smaller boats start at $199 an hour for 12 guests, so about $100 each across six hours. Mid-size yachts run $500 to $1,000 an hour. Party catamarans for 30 or more guests run $700 to $1,500. Add roughly a quarter for gratuity, food, and tax.
What do you wear on a bachelorette boat?
Coordinated colors rather than matching outfits, with soft soles or bare feet on deck. White for the bride and one shade for the group photographs best. Bring a cover-up and skip the heels entirely, since hard soles mark the deck and are unsafe under way.
Can we decorate the boat?
Yes. Balloon arches, banners, runners, props, and champagne walls are all standard. Confetti and glitter are restricted on most boats, glass is limited on some, and cake stands should be plastic or wood. Breaking those rules usually triggers a cleaning fee.
Can we bring our own drinks?
On most boats, yes, and it's much cheaper than any package. Guests must be 21 and over, and glass is commonly restricted so cans and plastic are safer. Coolers with ice are usually aboard already. Check your listing for its specific policy before shopping.
How many guests can come?
Twelve on a standard charter, capped by Coast Guard rules on uninspected vessels rather than by deck space. Inspected passenger vessels carry 30 to 49, and larger party yachts take more. Typical bachelorette groups run 10 to 20, so many end up on a catamaran.
What if it rains?
Light rain doesn't cancel a trip and often passes in twenty minutes. Storms, high winds, and small craft advisories do, and the captain makes that call on safety grounds. You can reschedule or get a refund under your listing's policy, so check those terms when booking.
Who usually pays for a bachelorette yacht charter?
The convention is that guests split the cost and the bride doesn't pay. The maid of honor usually books and collects. Divide the total by the number of paying guests rather than the full headcount, or the organizer quietly covers two shares. Some groups also cover the bride's share of food and drinks.
Hold Your Date for a Barchelorette Party on a Boat
Spring and summer Saturdays go first, and the pink boats go before anything else. Pick your date and guest count on our bachelorette charter page and lock it in while the good boats are still open, or contact us if you want help planning the day first.