Best Christmas Party Dinner Cruises In Sydney: Clearview vs Showboat vs Magistic

Sydney Harbour is unbeatable when it comes to Christmas party venues in Sydney. When summer in Sydney rolls around, the city comes alive with warm evenings and that unmistakable end-of-year buzz. It’s the Sydney way to wrap up the year — office teams, mates and families heading out for a night on the harbour, good food, free-flowing drinks and those million-dollar views. 

So, if you’ve been painfully brainstorming group or corporate Christmas party ideas, you can stop right here. Because, Sydney already has three top-tier Christmas party dinner cruises — Clearview, Showboat and Magistic — each offering its own take on celebration. Here’s how they compare:


Clearview Glass Boat Christmas Party Dinner Cruise 

Clearview dinner cruise gliding past the Opera House and Harbour Bridge

 Ambience: Elegant, sophisticated and effortlessly impressive
 Perfect for: Teams or clients who enjoy fine dining and refined settings
 Booking note: Minimum 6 guests

The Clearview is Sydney’s glass-walled beauty — sleek, stylish and designed so every seat feels like a window seat. Think of it as a luxury restaurant that just happens to float under the Harbour Bridge and past the Opera House.

Enjoy a 3-hour cruise with a Chef’s Signature 4-course dinner, including a rare mid-entrée, and paired with wines, beer and soft drinks. The Sky Deck is perfect for sunset photos with the team or a relaxed post-dinner drink. This Sydney Christmas cruise is all about quality, conversation and stunning views.


Showboat Christmas Party Dinner Cruise 

Showboat dinner cruise gliding past the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge

 Ambience: Glamorous and lively with theatrical flair
 Perfect for: Groups that love entertainment on their night out
 Booking note: Minimum 6 guests

The Sydney Showboat is a paddlewheeler that brings back the magic of old-world charm, dining and live entertainment. With its cathedral windows, ornate interiors and wrap-around verandahs, it feels like stepping into a floating theatre straight out of another era.

Over three hours, you’ll enjoy a 3-course gourmet dinner along with drinks (beers, sparkling, red and white wines and soft drinks). The highlight, though, is the 1-hour cabaret show – ‘Voyage of Love’. Expect feathers, sequins and a whirlwind of performances inspired by Broadway, Samba, Flamenco and Bollywood — all while Sydney Harbour and its iconic attractions glide past in the background.


Magistic Christmas Party Dinner Cruise 

Magistic dinner cruise gliding past the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House

 Ambience: Relaxed, social and fun
 Perfect for: Teams or groups that love a casual yet upbeat celebration
 Booking note: No minimum guests required

The ‘Magistic Two’ is Sydney’s most stylish yacht-like catamaran perfect for those who like their Christmas parties easygoing but still impressive. It features three expansive outer decks, giving everyone plenty of room to mingle, snap photos and soak up the full harbour panorama. Dinner is a deluxe multi-cuisine buffet, packed with fresh salads, hot mains and a yummy dessert — perfect for groups that prefer variety over formality. You can eat, chat and go back for seconds (or thirds) whenever you like.

On Friday and Saturday nights, the vibe goes up another notch with DJ and dancing, turning the cruise into a floating party under the city lights. Whether you’re booking for the whole office or just a few friends, Magistic keeps things simple, social and full of energy — exactly what a Sydney Christmas night out should feel like.

To spare you the headache of decoding all the tiny details, we’ve put together a quick comparison chart of the Xmas cruises in Sydney. Screenshot it or just drop the link in your team chat and make everyone’s life easier:


Feature  

Showboat 

Clearview 

Magistic

Boat 

Retro Paddlewheeler 

Luxury Glass Boat 

Premium Catamaran  

Duration
(incl.boarding)

3 hours 

3 hours 

3 hours 

Dining

3-course gourmet dinner 

Chef’s Signature 4-course dinner

Deluxe multi-cuisine buffet dinner

Drinks 

Beers, premium wines & soft drinks 

Beers, premium  wines & soft drinks 

Beers, premium  wines & soft drinks

Entertainment 

Cabaret Show - ‘Voyage of Love’ 

Ambient background music 

DJ & Dancing on Fri & Sat nights

Views 

Wrap-around verandahs & cathedral windows 

Glass-wrapped interior decks and Sky Deck 

3 outer decks & panoramic windows

Ambience

Glamorous & theatrical

Luxury & elegant

Fun & casual 

Guests Required

Min. 6

Min. 6

No min. number required



So, Which One Should You Choose?

In the end, the best Christmas party cruise in Sydney really depends on what your team is after. Do they love live entertainment, prefer dancing to a DJ or just want to relax on a luxury glass boat? Would they savour a multi-course dinner or go straight for a buffet they can revisit guilt-free? 

These aren’t minor details — they’re what separate a party people endure from one they actually enjoy.

Final word: Clearview for class, Showboat for showtime and Magistic for the party crowd. The choice is yours –  but you better lock it in before the best dates vanish!