If you’re a stranger to Sydney Harbour’s rather magnificent sites, a dinner cruise can be an interesting way to get a better view of our beloved waterside architecture. On the Sydney Showboat Dinner Cruise, you’ll spend three hours bobbing back and forth along our famed shores, floating past the Sydney Opera House and under the Harbour Bridge in between courses.
While it’s a boatload of fun, you shouldn’t expect a schmick, fine dining experience. It feels a bit like dinner and a show from a few decades ago, but there is plenty of kitsch fun to be had. You can stay cosy below deck with musical and dance performances and your three-course dinner is served with speed, or head upstairs and do the Jack and Rose pose on the bow, as the city lights sparkle from the shore. When Time Out visited, it was the staff that shone the brightest. The waiters were quick on their toes and provided swift and attentive table service throughout the cruise, the performers made you feel seen in the crowd, and we even had a lovely chat with the burly sea captain on deck (a quality bloke and a steering pro).
The one-hour show kicks off after mains, but it might not be everyone’s post-dinner cup of tea. The dancers and singers are enthusiastic, but the themes – from cabaret to Bollywood and Australian classics – seem a little scattered and over the top. To make the most of it, give in the the gawdy fun and cheer as loudly as you can. The evening cruise starts boarding at 7pm from King Street Wharf, and all inclusive tickets – with dinner, drinks and entertainment – start from $150 per person.
